CLEMENZA
(shakes THE DON’s hand)
Godfather.
CARLO
Thank you, Papa.
DON CORLEONE
I’m happy for you, Carlo.
DELETED SCENE
ADAPTATION AND THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR
Some extra footage before and after Hagen asks Michael why he is “out,” concerning Michael’s bodyguard Al Neri, was shot but doesn’t appear in the 1972 film. The footage appears in The Godfather Trilogy: 1901–1980.
HAGEN
Michael, why are you cutting me out of the action?
MICHAEL
We’re going to be legitimate all the way, Tom. You’re the legal man—what’s more important than that?
HAGEN
I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about Rocco Lampone building a secret regime. Now, why does Neri report directly to you instead of through me, or the Caporegimes?
MICHAEL
How did you find that out?
HAGEN
Rocco’s men are a little too good for their jobs! I mean, they’re getting more money than the job’s worth.
DON CORLEONE
I told you this wouldn’t escape his eye.
HAGEN
Mike, why am I out?
MICHAEL
You’re not a wartime consigliere, Tom. Things may get rough with the move we’re trying.
DON CORLEONE
Tom, I advised Michael. I never thought you were a bad consigliere. I thought Santino was a bad Don, rest in peace. Michael has all my confidence just as you do. But there are reasons why you must have no part in what is going to happen.
HAGEN
Maybe I could help.
MICHAEL
(coldly)
You’re out, Tom.
THE DON pats HAGEN’s shoulder. TOM pauses, then exits. MICHAEL loosens his tie, and THE DON pats him reassuringly.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT DAY: LAS VEGAS (1955)
A MOVING VIEW: driving up the Las Vegas Strip of 1955.
THE LAS VEGAS STRIP
THE NUTS AND BOLTS: PRODUCTION DETAIL
The exterior shots of the Las Vegas strip were taken from stock footage. The Vegas interiors were filmed in Manhattan at the Americana Suite of the Americana Hotel. Coppola had hoped to film everything on location, but budgetary considerations did not allow for this.
GOOFS, GAFFES, AND BLUNDERS
In the lobby of the Flamingo Hotel are two hippie types, obviously not appropriate for the time period. It also doesn’t appear to be actor John Cazale getting out of the car, but presumably someone less expensive for the tight budget.
CAST AND CREW: THE LEGACY OF JOHN CAZALE
The casting for the role of Fredo was uniquely undisputed. Gifted theater actor John Cazale had won two OBIEs—one in a production of The Indian Wants the Bronx, with his childhood friend Pacino. Casting director Fred Roos was invited by actor Richard Dreyfuss to see his performance in the off-Broadway play Line, by Israel Horovitz, which also starred Cazale. According to Roos, “We were looking for a Fredo at that time, and I had no idea who John Cazale was. He knocked me out. First chance I got, I brought him in and I said, ‘Francis, this is Fredo, we don’t need to look any further, this is him.’ We loved John, who was with us on both Godfather films. A terrific guy.” After The Godfather, Cazale went on to appear in four more feature films: The Conversation, The Godfather: Part II, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Deer Hunter. Not only were every one of his films nominated for Best Picture Academy Awards®, but they also have all held up over time and are today considered classics. Cazale was stricken with bone cancer during the shooting of The Deer Hunter and died shortly after filming was completed.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT DAY: FLAMINGO HOTEL
A car pulls up to the Flamingo Hotel. MICHAEL, FREDO, and another MAN exit the car.
INT DAY: FLAMINGO HOTEL HALLWAY
FREDO walks with his arm around MICHAEL. HAGEN, NERI, and two BELLHOPS follow.
FREDO
I can’t get over the way your face looks. It really looks good. This doctor did some job. Who talked you into it, Kay?
(to the BELLHOPS)
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, wait! Hey. Leave them out here; we’ll deal with them later. He’s tired; he wants to clean up. All right, now lemme open the door, all right?
INT DAY: FLAMINGO HOTEL SUITE
A magnificent, circular table has been set up in his suite; a lavish table setting for eight. Standing by the table are JOHNNY FONTANE, looking wonderful—a little heavier, beautifully dressed—and FOUR LAS VEGAS GIRLS. A polka band plays a festive tune.
JOHNNY
Welcome to Las Vegas.
FREDO
It’s all for you, kid. Huh?
(moves to JOHNNY)
It’s all his idea, right? Didn’t ya?
JOHNNY
Well, your brother Freddy …
FREDO
Well, it was … Girls?
FREDO and JOHNNY chuckle. MICHAEL motions his head to FREDO.
FREDO
Hah? I’ll be right back.
JOHNNY
All right, okay.
FREDO
You keep ‘em occupied, huh?
(to MICHAEL)
Anything you want, kid. Anything. Huh?
MICHAEL
(serious)
Who are the girls?
FREDO
(jokingly)
That’s for you to find out.
MICHAEL
Get rid of them, Fredo.
FREDO
Hey, Mike, uh …
MICHAEL
Fredo, I’m here on business. I leave tomorrow. Now get rid of them. I’m tired. Get rid of the band too.
FREDO
(to GIRLS, then BAND)
Hey, take off, huh? Let’s go. Hey … Angelo.
JOHNNY
Come on, let’s go.
FREDO
Hey, come on, SCRAM!
JOHNNY
Come on, honey, let’s go.
FREDO
I don’t know, Johnny. I don’t know what the hell’s the matter with him. Sorry, babe, come on. Ah, I dunno, he’s tired … he’s …
The BAND and GIRLS leave.
MICHAEL
What happened to Moe Greene?
FREDO
He said he had some business. He said give him a call when the party started.
MICHAEL
Well, give him a call.
MICHAEL pats FREDO on the back, and then moves to JOHNNY, who shakes his hand.
MICHAEL
Johnny, how are you?
JOHNNY
Hello, Mike. Nice to see you again.
MICHAEL
We’re all proud a’ you.
JOHNNY
Thanks, Mike.
MICHAEL
Sit down, Johnny; I want to talk to you. The Don’s proud a’ you too, Johnny.
MICHAEL and JOHNNY sit.
JOHNNY
Well, I owe it all to him.
MICHAEL
Well, he knows how grateful you are. That’s why he’d like to ask a favor of you.
JOHNNY
Mike, what can I do?
MICHAEL
The Corleone Family is thinking of giving up all its interests in the olive-oil business; settling out here.
JOHNNY
(nodding)
Mm-hmm.
MICHAEL
Now, Moe Greene will sell us his share of the casino and the hotel so it could be completely owned by the Family. Tom—
FREDO joins them at the table. MICHAEL gestures to HAGEN.
FREDO
(anxious)
Hey, Mike, are you sure about that? Moe loves the business—he never said nothin’ to me about sellin’.
MICHAEL
Yeah, well, I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.
HAGEN hands contracts to MICHAEL.
MICHAEL
See,
Johnny, see we figure that entertainment will be a big factor in drawing gamblers to the casino. Now, we hope you’ll sign a contract to appear five times a year. Perhaps convince some of your friends in the movies to do the same. We’re counting on you.
JOHNNY
(smiling)
Sure, Mike, I’ll do anything for my Godfather, you know that.
MICHAEL
Good.
CAST AND CREW: ALEX ROCCO
“The Godfather is what made me go from hamburgers to steaks.”
—Alex Rocco, 2007
Alex Rocco was born Alexander Federico Petricone Jr. in Massachusetts in 1936. Early in life, he had some brushes with the law. Rocco admits he was a suspect in the murder of a gangster, “which I had nothing to do with,” and spent a year in jail for book-making. After his release, he vowed he would never be locked up again. Petricone changed his name and headed for California. He recalls that he stole his first TV job (as a thug on Batman) from a fellow bartender, who was in the bathroom when the call came in.
He describes his Godfather audition: “For the screen test, you had to tell Coppola what part you wanted. Before the test, I was a nervous wreck. I got to Paramount and had to give myself a pep talk: ‘You’re going to make an ass of yourself. Be a man and grow up!’ I said a prayer in my Volkswagen: ‘Dear God, please, let me just get out of here. I don’t care about the job. I just don’t want to sound stupid!’
“I walked in and immediately Coppola said to Fred Roos (casting director), ‘Ah, looks like I got my Jew!’ I replied, ‘I wouldn’t know how to play a Jew!’ They said that the key to playing an Italian is the gesture of pinching your fingers together, with your palm up, and bobbing your wrist up and down, whereas the key to playing a Jew is placing your palms together and moving your hands up and down [Editor’s note: Rocco (Moe Greene) uses the gesture in this scene]. Ever since then, I’ve been playing a lot of Jews.”
During his forty-two-year career, Rocco has played a variety of characters, from Jo’s dad on The Facts of Life to his Emmy-winning performance in The Famous Teddy Z, but he is most remembered for his short role as the Bugsy Siegel–inspired Moe Greene in The Godfather. He says that directors often hire him because of their love for the Greene character. He is regaled in elevators by college kids reciting, “I made my bones when you were goin’ out with cheerleaders!” and he still gets residuals from shows and movies parodying the character. “Moe Greene broke me out the best I could ever imagine,” Rocco reflected in 2007. “I am so blessed and lucky.”
MOE GREENE enters, followed by TWO BODYGUARDS. He is a handsome hood, dressed in the Hollywood style. His BODYGUARDS are more West Coast–style.
MOE
Hey, Mike! Hello, fellas. Everybody’s here. Freddy, Tom. Good to see you, Mike.
MICHAEL
How are you, Moe?
MOE
All right. Ya got everything you want? The chef cooked for you special, the dancers will kick your tongue out, and your credit is good.
(to his BODYGUARDS)
Draw chips for everybody in the room so they can play on the house. Well.
MOE sits.
MICHAEL
My credit good enough to buy you out?
MOE and FREDO laugh.
MOE
Buy me out …?
MICHAEL
The casino, the hotel. The Corleone Family wants to buy you out.
MOE stops laughing. The room becomes tense.
MOE
The Corleone Family wants to buy me out? No, I buy you out, you don’t buy me out.
MICHAEL
Your casino loses money. Maybe we can do better.
MOE
You think I’m skimming off the top, Mike?
MICHAEL
(the worst insult)
You’re unlucky.
MOE laughs and stands up, shaking hands up and down, palms together.
MOE
You goddamn guineas really make me laugh. I do you a favor and take Freddie in when you’re having a bad time, and then you try to push me out!
MICHAEL
Wait a minute. You took Freddie in because the Corleone Family bankrolled your casino; because the Molinari Family on the coast guaranteed his safety. Now we’re talkin’ business, let’s talk business.
MOE
Yeah, let’s talk business, Mike. First of all, you’re all done. The Corleone Family don’t even have that kind of muscle anymore. The Godfather’s sick, right? You’re getting chased out of New York by Barzini and the other Families. What do you think is going on here? You think you can come to my hotel and take over? I talked to Barzini. I can make a deal with him and still keep my hotel!
MICHAEL
Is that why you slapped my brother around in public?
FREDO
Aw, now that—that was nothin’, Mike. Now, now, Moe didn’t mean nothin’ by that. Sure, he flies off the handle once in a while, but—but Moe and me, we’re good friends, right, Moe? Huh?
FREDO moves to MOE and pats him on the back.
MOE
I got a business to run. I gotta kick asses sometimes to make it run right. We had a little argument, Freddy and I, so I had to straighten him out.
MICHAEL
(quietly, deadly)
You straightened my brother out?
MOE
He was banging cocktail waitresses two at a time! Players couldn’t get a drink at the table. What’s wrong with you?
FREDO looks away, embarrassed.
MICHAEL
(in a tone of dismissal)
I leave for New York tomorrow. Think about a price.
MICHAEL rises from his chair. MOE also gets up, upsetting a drink.
MOE
Do you know who I am? I’m Moe Greene. I made my bones when you were goin’ out with cheerleaders!
FREDO
(frightened)
Wait a minute, Moe. Moe, I got an idea. Tom—Tom, you’re the consigliere and you can talk to the Don; you can explain …
HAGEN
Just a minute now. Don is semiretired, and Mike is in charge of the Family business now. If you have anything to say, say it to Michael.
MOE exits angrily.
FREDO
Mike! You don’t come to Las Vegas and talk to a man like Moe Greene like that!
MICHAEL
Fredo. You’re my older brother and I love you. But don’t ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Alex Rocco came to the production midshoot, so he wasn’t included in the camaraderie that had formed among the other actors early in the production. Part of Rocco’s intensity for this scene was, as he calls it, “a bit of a frig you” to the other cast members because he felt so out of the loop. Pacino’s acting technique also gave him a boost. “Al Pacino was either very bright, or he played a trick on me. In rehearsal, Al played really low, and I had much more volume. So when we rolled camera, I lowered my volume, to match him punch for punch. It was very effective. To this day, I thank him.”
—Alex Rocco, in an interview with the author, 2007
GOOFS, GAFFES, AND BLOOPERS
Fredo removes his sunglasses not once but twice in quick succession. Similarly, Michael twice takes out his cigarettes and lighter.
CAST AND CREW: DIANE KEATON
For the part of Kay Adams, Jill Clayburgh, Susan Blakely, and Michelle Phillips all tested. Coppola and casting director Fred Roos also considered Geneviève Bujold, Jennifer Salt, and Blythe Danner, among others. Coppola was worried that the part had the potential to be “bland,” and he found actress Diane Keaton to be quirky enough to make Kay a little more interesting. She was commonly known as “that kooky actress.” She was also, according to Coppola, a “real WASP.”
Diane Keaton had been mostly known for her portrayal of a housewife in deodorant commercials. She had had a few roles on Broadway, including Lovers and Other Strangers (with Richard Castellano), which Coppola saw
. The Godfather was her first significant film role.
EXT DAY: MALL
A limo pulls through the gate of the MALL and stops.
INT DAY: LIMO
KAY, MICHAEL, and their young son, ANTHONY, are in the backseat.
MICHAEL
I have to see my father and his people, so have dinner without me.
KAY
Oh, Michael.
MICHAEL
This weekend we’ll go out.
KAY
Mmm.
MICHAEL
We’ll go to the city, we’ll see a show and we’ll have dinner, I promise.
MICHAEL and KAY kiss. The driver, NERI, carries the little boy out. MICHAEL exits. KAY wants to talk just a little more.
KAY
Oh, Michael, Michael, your sister wants to ask you something.
MICHAEL
Well, let her ask.
KAY
No, she’s afraid to. Connie and Carlo want you to be Godfather to their little boy.
MICHAEL
Well, we’ll see.
KAY
Will you?
MICHAEL
Lemme think about it. We’ll see. Come on.
KAY exits the car.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT DAY: THE GARDEN
THE DON, older and frailer, and MICHAEL are seated in the garden, talking and eating.
DON CORLEONE
So, Barzini will move against you first. He’ll set up a meeting with someone that you absolutely trust, guaranteeing your safety. And at that meeting, you’ll be assassinated.
THE DON picks up a glass of wine and drinks.
DON CORLEONE
I like to drink wine more than I used to. Anyway, I’m drinkin’ more.
MICHAEL
It’s good for you, Pop.
DON CORLEONE
I don’t know. Your wife and children, are you happy with them?
MICHAEL
Very happy.
DON CORLEONE
That’s good. I hope you don’t mind the way I—I keep goin’ over this Barzini business.
MICHAEL
No, not at all.
DON CORLEONE
It’s an old habit. I spend my life tryin’ not to be careless. Women and children can be careless, but not men … How’s your boy?
The Annotated Godfather: The Complete Screenplay with Commentary on Every Scene, Interviews, and Little-Known Facts Page 19