Marlon Bundo from his cage. Before this, Bundo was "just another scrappy Chicago bunny". Pence texted Bundo's owner to ask how much the rabbit cost, and the owner replied, "Make me an offer." In Mario Puzo's novel "The Godfather" and the 1972 film of the same name, Marlon Brando's Don Vito Corleone says, "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." Pence's friend, a Brando fan, noticed the similarity between the seller and Corleone, and suggested naming the rabbit Marlon Brando. Pence finally decided to name him Marlon Bundo. Speaking to "The Chicago Tribune" Charlotte recalled: We drove out to the
Marlon Brando gunpoint by his brother Charlie, played by Rod Steiger. Brando insisted on gently pushing away the gun, saying that Terry would never believe that his brother would pull the trigger and doubting that he could continue his speech while fearing a gun on him. Kazan let Brando improvise and later expressed deep admiration for Brando's instinctive understanding, saying: Upon its release, "On the Waterfront" received glowing reviews from critics and was a commercial success, earning an estimated $4.2 million in rentals at the North American box office in 1954. In his July 29, 1954, review, "The New York Times" critic