The parties involved have argued for years about whether or not the following story is true. But according to executive Robert Evans, one of the difficulties in securing Al Pacino to play Michael Corleone was that he was already contracted at MGM, the studio owned by the wealthy Kirk Kerkorian, for another film. Evans turned for help to Stanley Korshak – a lawyer rumored to be working for the Mob. After a call from Korshak, Kerkorian relented. Evans says he asked Korshak what he had said, and (according to Evans) Korshak told him that he'd asked Kerkorian if he "wanted to finish building his hotel." (Kerkorian had been building the MGM Grand at the time). A spokesperson for Kerkorian denies the story, but Evans insists it's the truth.
