Offered here is the seminal 1969 Option and Purchase Agreement between Paramount Pictures Corporation and author Mario Puzo, the foundational document that secured the motion picture rights to his novel, The Godfather. This four-page contract, dated August 25, 1969, represents the pivotal business transaction that set in motion the creation of Francis Ford Coppola’s cinematic masterpiece. The agreement outlines the now-legendary terms, granting Paramount the rights for a total purchase price of $50,000—a modest sum that would yield one of the most profitable and culturally significant franchises in film history. Critically, the contract granted Paramount all rights to sequels and derivative works, laying the legal groundwork for The Godfather Part II and the entire subsequent franchise, while Puzo wisely retained the immensely lucrative book publishing rights.
The document is signed in ink by the three key architects of the deal: Mario Puzo, the creator; Stanley R. Jaffe, the President of Paramount Pictures who authorized the acquisition; and Candida Donadio, Puzo’s literary agent. This agreement emerged from the studio's archives and entered the public collectibles market through Sotheby’s, where it was first sold in 1996 as part of The Estate of Idlett-Mosely (Sale #3405, Invoice #4567910). Its provenance is impeccable, tracing directly from the studio to a noted private collection. More than a simple contract, this piece is the birth certificate of an American cultural icon, capturing the moment a studio gamble on a powerful story was transformed into a cornerstone of modern narrative art.