#1 in 1972: The Godfather

It was a film that many didn't want made- even the studio making it. Francis Ford Coppola faced many obstacles when making the film- the studio didn't want Marlon Brando or Al Pacino. They hated the fact that he was turning what had been considered a pulpy novel into a more ambitious project. The mafia itself weighed in, threatening the production, which resulted in Coppola not even using the word 'mafia' in the film. Despite all this, the film came together, becoming an instant classic; one of the greatest films ever made and the number one film of 1972.