Paramount didn't want Francis Ford Coppola. He was 32, broke, and considered a hack. They didn't want Brando either: too difficult, too expensive, washed up. Both were forced on the studio by mounting pressure. During filming, Coppola was convinced he'd be fired any day; he kept a list of replacement directors in his desk drawer. When he watched Brando improvise the scene where the Don holds Sonny's face, gently slaps him, and says 'They had a meeting in their parents' garage,' Coppola knew he had something special. The movie made $250 million on a $6 million budget and swept the Oscars.