Filming of Horse's Head Scene

Rating: 10/10 (30 June 2013)

I was present when the filming of the Horse's head scene was done. I was a Police Officer in 1970 for the Nassau County Police Department, New York. I believe in the mid part of 1971, I was assigned, along with about 10 other officers and a Sergeant, to be at the Guggenheim Estate, Sands Point, Nassau County, NY. This estate was County property. The filming of the Horse's head scene and the dining room scene where Robert Duvall requests John Marley to give a film/singing role to one of the Don's relatives. Marley declines Duvall as you see a horse prancing in the meadow outside. Duvall says he will tell the Don in NY. Marley shrugs off Duvall. I was within 50' of both scenes. Coppola actually used real heads of horses ( they were shipped in ice in huge crates, they mixed a blood concoction). Coppola actually was very picky about the head he wanted to use. When Marley opens the sheet and discovers the head, it looks like sunrise. It was actually raining outside, and yellow cellophane was put on the windows. With the proper lighting, it looks like the sun was coming up, yet it was raining outside. The scene of the horse prancing outside was done at another location. The Guggenheim family were very rich and had art collections, etc throughout the mansion. The police were there to safeguard any of these collections. My girlfriend (now wife of over 41 years) was away at college. Banks of phones were set up. I was on the phone talking for a long time each of the three or four days assigned there. I was young and did not realize the assignment that I was on would be so important in the movie world. There were plenty of staff, extras, etc there. We were there for over 10/12 hours per day. Meals were catered. I also was assigned on traffic sometime later near the toll booth scene, filmed out on the old Mitchel Field Air Base. If you look close, at the toll booth, yellow parking lines are on the ground. Lindbergh, a friend of Guggenheim, flew from nearby Roosevelt Field. Somewhere in my attic, is my police memo book with exact dates when assigned as a "rookie" to the making of "The Godfather". Well, I guess I said enough, contact me if you need any more information. BTW, I retired in 2003, 33 year career. I became a supervisor in 1987 and was assigned to several movie filming on the "Gold Coast" of Long Island. One was the new version of "Sabrina", starring Harrison Ford....PS I never saw Marlon Brando, I think other scenes were done in Staten Island, part of NYC....thanks...