THE GODFATHER
INT DAY: DON’S OFFICE (SUMMER 1945)
The PARAMOUNT Logo is presented austerely over a black
background. There is a moment’s hesitation, and then the
simple words in white lettering:
THE GODFATHER
While this remains, we hear: "I believe in America."
Suddenly we are watching in CLOSE VIEW, AMERIGO BONASERA, a
man of sixty, dressed in a black suit, on the verge of great
emotion.
BONASERA
America has made my fortune.
As he speaks, THE VIEW imperceptibly begins to loosen.
BONASERA
I raised my daughter in the American
fashion; I gave her freedom, but
taught her never to dishonor her
family. She found a boy friend,
not an Italian. She went to the
movies with him, stayed out late.
Two months ago he took her for a
drive, with another boy friend.
They made her drink whiskey and
then they tried to take advantage
of her. She resisted; she kept her
honor. So they beat her like an
animal. When I went to the hospital
her nose was broken, her jaw was
shattered and held together by
wire, and she could not even weep
because of the pain.
He can barely speak; he is weeping now.
BONASERA
I went to the Police like a good
American. These two boys were
arrested and brought to trial. The
judge sentenced them to three years
in prison, and suspended the
sentence. Suspended sentence!
They went free that very day. I
stood in the courtroom like a fool,
and those bastards, they smiled at
me. Then I said to my wife, for
Justice, we must go to The Godfather.
By now, THE VIEW is full, and we see Don Corleone’s office
in his home.
The blinds are closed, and so the room is dark, and with
patterned shadows. We are watching BONASERA over the
shoulder of DON CORLEONE. TOM HAGEN sits near a small
table, examining some paperwork, and SONNY CORLEONE stands
impatiently by the window nearest his father, sipping from a
glass of wine. We can HEAR music, and the laughter and
voices of many people outside.
DON CORLEONE
Bonasera, we know each other for
years, but this is the first time
you come to me for help. I don’t
remember the last time you invited
me to your house for coffee...even
though our wives are friends.
BONASERA
What do you want of me? I’ll give
you anything you want, but do what
I ask!
DON CORLEONE
And what is that Bonasera?
BONASERA whispers into the DON’s ear.
DON CORLEONE
No. You ask for too much.
BONASERA
I ask for Justice.
DON CORLEONE
The Court gave you justice.
BONASERA
An eye for an eye!
DON CORLEONE
But your daughter is still alive.
BONASERA
Then make them suffer as she
suffers. How much shall I pay you.
Both HAGEN and SONNY react.
DON CORLEONE
You never think to protect yourself
with real friends. You think it’s
enough to be an American. All
right, the Police protects you,
there are Courts of Law, so you
don’t need a friend like me.
But now you come to me and say Don
Corleone, you must give me justice.
And you don’t ask in respect or
friendship. And you don’t think to
call me Godfather; instead you come
to my house on the day my daughter
is to be married and you ask me to
do murder...for money.
BONASERA
America has been good to me...
DON CORLEONE
Then take the justice from the
judge, the bitter with the sweet,
Bonasera. But if you come to me
with your friendship, your loyalty,
then your enemies become my enemies,
and then, believe me, they would
fear you...
Slowly, Bonasera bows his head and murmurs.
BONASERA
Be my friend.
DON CORLEONE
Good. From me you’ll get Justice.
BONASERA
Godfather.
DON CORLEONE
Some day, and that day may never
come, I would like to call upon you
to do me a service in return.
EXT DAY: MALL (SUMMER 1945)
A HIGH ANGLE of the CORLEONE MALL in bright daylight. There
are at least five hundred guests filling the main courtyard
and gardens. There is music and laughing and dancing and
countless tables covered with food and wine.
DON CORLEONE stands at the Gate, flanked on either side by a
son: FREDO and SONNY, all dressed in the formal attire of
the wedding party. He warmly shakes the hands, squeezes the
hands of the friends and guests, pinches the cheeks of the
children, and makes them all welcome. They in turn carry
with them gallons of homemade wine, cartons of freshly baked
bread and pastries, and enormous trays of Italian delicacies.
The entire family poses for a family portrait: DON CORLEONE,
MAMA, SONNY, his wife, SANDRA, and their children, TOM HAGEN
and his wife, THERESA, and their BABY; CONSTANZIA, the
bride, and her bridegroom, CARLO RIZZI. As they move into
the pose, THE DON seems preoccupied.
DON CORLEONE
Where’s Michael?
SONNY
He’ll be here Pop, it’s still early.
DON CORLEONE
Then the picture will wait for him.
Everyone in the group feels the uneasiness as the DON moves
back to the house. SONNY gives a delicious smile in the
direction of the Maid-of-Honor, LUCY MANCINI. She returns
it. Then he moves to his wife.
SONNY
Sandra, watch the kids. They’re
running wild.
SANDRA
You watch yourself.
HAGEN kisses his WIFE, and follows THE DON, passing the wine
barrels, where a group of FOUR MEN nervously wait. TOM
crooks a finger at NAZORINE, who doublechecks that he is
next, straightens, and follows HAGEN.
EXT DAY: MALL ENTRANCE (SUMMER 1945)
Outside the main gate of the Mall, SEVERAL MEN in suits,
working together with a MAN in a dark sedan, walk in and out
of the rows of parked cars, writing license plate numbers
down in their notebooks. We HEAR the music and laughter
coming from the party in the distance.
A MAN stops at a limousine and copies down the number.
BARZINI, dignified in a black homburg, is always under the
watchful eyes of TWO BODYGUARDS as he makes his way to
embrace DON CORLEONE in the courtyard.
The MEN walk down another row of parked cars. Put another
number in the notebook. A shiney new Cadillac with wooden
bumpers.
PETER CLEMENZA, dancing the Tarantella joyously, bumping
bellies with the ladies.
CLEMENZA
Paulie...wine...WINE.
He mops his sweating forehead with a big handkerchief.
PAULIE hustles, gets a glass of icy black wine, and brings
it to him.
PAULIE
You look terrif on the floor!
CLEMENZA
What are you, a dance judge? Go do
your job; take a walk around the
neighborhood... see everything is
okay.
PAULIE nods and leaves; CLEMENZA takes a breath, and leaps
back into the dance.
The MEN walk down another row of parked cars. Put another
number in the notebook.
TESSIO, a tall, gentle-looking man, dances with a NINE-YEAR-
OLD GIRL, her little black party shoes planted on his
enormous brown shoes.
The MEN move on to other parked cars, when SONNY storms out
of the gate, his face flushed with anger, followed by
CLEMENZA and PAULIE.
SONNY
Buddy, this is a private party.
The MAN doesn’t answer, but points to the DRIVER of the
sedan. SONNY menacingly thrusts his reddened face at him.
The DRIVER merely flips open his wallet to a greed card,
without saying a word. SONNY steps back, spits on the
ground, turns, and walks away, followed by CLEMENZA, PAULIE,
and another TWO MEN. He doesn’t say a thing for most of the
walk back into the courtyard, and then, muttered to PAULIE.
SONNY
Goddamn FBI...don’t respect nothing.
INT DAY: DON’S OFFICE (SUMMER 1945)
DON CORLEONE sits quietly behind his massive desk in the
dark study.
NAZORINE
...a fine boy from Sicily, captured
by the American Army, and sent to
New Jersey as a prisoner of war...
DON CORLEONE
Nazorine, my friend, tell me what I
can do.
NAZORINE
Now that the war is over, Enzo,
this boy is being repatriated to
Italy. And you see, Godfather...
(he wrings his hands,
unable to express himself)
He...my daughter...they...
DON CORLEONE
You want him to stay in this country.
NAZORINE
Godfather, you understand everything.
DON CORLEONE
Tom, what we need is an Act of
Congress to allow Enzo to become a
citizen.
NAZORINE
(impressed)
An Act of Congress!
HAGEN
(nodding)
It will cost.
The DON shrugs; such are the way with those things; NAZORINE
nods.
NAZORINE
Is that all? Godfather, thank
you...
(backing out, enthusiastically)
Oh, wait till you see the cake I
made for your beautiful daughter!
NAZORINE backs out, all smiles, and nods to the GODFATHER.
DON CORLEONE rises and moves to the Venetian blinds.
HAGEN
Who do I give this job to?
The DON moves to the windows, peeking out through the blinds.
DON CORLEONE
Not to one of our paisans...give it
to a Jew Congressman in another
district. Who else is on the list
for today?
The DON is peeking out to the MEN around the barrel, waiting
to see him.
HAGEN
Francesco Nippi. His nephew has
been refused parole. A bad case.
EXT DAY: MALL (SUMMER 1945)
WHAT HE SEES:
NIPPI waits nervously by the barrel.
HAGEN (O.S.)
His father worked with you in the
freight yards when you were young.
LUCA BRASI sitting alone, grotesque and quiet.
HAGEN (O.S.)
He’s not on the list, but Luca
Brasi wants to see you.
INT DAY: DON’S OFFICE (SUMMER 1945)
The DON turns to HAGEN.
DON CORLEONE
Is it necessary?
HAGEN
You understand him better than
anyone.
The DON nods to this. Turns back to the blinds and peeks out.
EXT DAY: MALL (SUMMER 1945)
WHAT HE SEES:
MICHAEL CORLEONE, dressed in the uniform of a Marine Captain,
leads KAY ADAMS through the wedding crowd, occasionally
stopped and greeted by FRIENDS of the family.
INT DAY: DON’S OFFICE (SUMMER 1945)
The DON, inside the office, peering through the blinds,
following them.
EXT DAY: MALL (SUMMER 1945)
MICHAEL moves through the crowd, embraces MAMA and introduces
her to his GIRL.
EXT DAY: OFFICE WINDOW (SUMMER 1945)
The DON’s eyes peering through the blinds.
EXT DAY: MALL TABLES (SUMMER 1945)
KAY and MICHAEL settle by a table on the edge of the wedding,
burdened down with plates of food and glasses and wine. She
is exhilarated by the enormity of the affair, the music and
the vitality.
KAY
I’ve never seen anything like it.
MICHAEL
I told you I had a lot of relatives.
KAY looking about, a young and lively thing in a gift shop.
We see what she sees:
Her interest is caught by THREE MEN standing by the wine
barrels.
KAY
(amused)
Michael, what are those men doing?
MICHAEL
They’re waiting to see my father.
KAY
They’re talking to themselves.
MICHAEL
They’re going to talk to my father,
which means they’re going to ask
him for something, which means they
better get it right.
KAY
Why do they bother him on a day
like this?
MICHAEL
Because they know that no Sicilian
will refuse a request on his
daughter’s wedding day.
EXT DAY: WEDDING PARTY (SUMMER 1945)
CONNIE CORLEONE, the Bride, is pressing the bodice of her
overly-fluffy white gown against the groom, CARLO RIZZI. He
is bronzed, with curly blondish hair and lovely dimples.
She absolutely adores him and can barely take her eyes from
him long enough to thank the various GUESTS for the white
envelopes they are putting into the large white purse she
holds. In fact, if we watch carefully, we can see that one
of her hands is slid under his jacket, and into his shirt,
where she is provocatively rubbing the hair on his chest.
CARLO, on the other hand, has his blue eyes trained on the
bulging envelopes, and is trying to guess how much cash the
things hold.
Discreetly, he moves her hand off of his skin.
CARLO
(whispered)
Cut it out, Connie.
The purse, looped by a ribbon of silk around CONNIE’s arm,
is fat with money.
PAULIE (O.S.)
What do you think? Twenty grand?
A little distance away, a young man, PAULIE GATTO, catches a
prosciutto sandwich thrown by a friend, without once taking
eyes from the purse.
PAULIE
Who knows? Maybe more. Twenty,
thirty grand in small bills cash in
that silk purse. Holy Toledo, if
this was somebody else’s wedding!
SONNY is sitting at the Wedding Dias, talking to LUCY
MANCINI, the Maid of Honor. Every once in a while he
glances across the courtyard, where his WIFE is talking with
some WOMEN.
He bends over and whispers something into LUCY’s ear.
SANDRA and the WOMEN are in the middle of a big, ribald laugh.
WOMAN
Is it true what they say about your
husband, Sandra?
SANDRA’s hands separate with expanding width further and
further apart until she bursts into a peal of laughter.
Through her separated hands she sees the Wedding Dais.
SONNY and LUCY are gone.
INT DAY: DON’S HALL & STAIRS (SUMMER 1945)
The empty hallway. The bathroom door opens and LUCY
surreptitiously steps out.
She looks up where SONNY is standing on the second landing,
motioning for her to come up.
She lifts her petticoats off the ground and hurries upstairs.
EXT DAY: MALL TABLES (SUMMER 1945)
KAY and MICHAEL.
KAY
(in a spooky low tone)
Michael, that scarey guy...Is he a
relative?
She has picked out LUCA BRASI.
MICHAEL
No. His name is Luca Brasi. You
wouldn’t like him.
KAY
(Excited)
Who is he?
MICHAEL
(Sizing her up)
You really want to know?
KAY
Yes. Tell me.
MICHAEL
You like spaghetti?
KAY
You know I love spaghetti.
MICHAEL
Then eat your spaghetti and I’ll
tell you a Luca Brasi story.
She starts to eat her spaghetti.
She begins eating, looking at him eagerly.
MICHAEL
Once upon a time, about fifteen
years ago some people wanted to
take over my father’s olive oil
business. They had Al Capone send
some men in from Chicago to kill my
father, and they almost did.
KAY
Al Capone!
MICHAEL
My Father sent Luca Brasi after
them. He tied the two Capone men
hand and foot, and stuffed small
bath towels into their mouths.
Then he took an ax, and chopped one
man’s feet off...
KAY
Michael...
MICHAEL
Then the legs at the knees...
KAY
Michael you’re trying to scare me...
MICHAEL
Then the thighs where they joined
the torso.
KAY
Michael, I don’t want to hear
anymore...
MICHAEL
Then Luca turned to the other man...
KAY
Michael, I love you.
MICHAEL
...who out of sheer terror had
swallowed the bath towel in his
mouth and suffocated.
The smile on his face seems to indicate that he is telling a
tall story.
KAY
I never know when you’re telling me
the truth.
MICHAEL
I told you you wouldn’t like him.
KAY
He’s coming over here!
LUCA comes toward them to meet TOM HAGEN halfway, just near
their table.
MICHAEL
Tom...Tom, I’d like you to meet Kay
Adams.
KAY
(having survived LUCA)
How do you do.
MICHAEL
My brother, Tom Hagen.
HAGEN
Hello Kay. Your father’s inside,
doing some business.
(privately)
He’s been asking for you.
MICHAEL
Thanks Tom.
HAGEN smiles and moves back to the house, LUCA ominously
following.
KAY
If he’s your brother, why does he
have a different name?
MICHAEL
My brother Sonny found him living
in the streets when he was a kid,
so my father took him in. He’s a
good lawyer.
INT DAY: DON’S OFFICE (SUMMER 1945)
DON CORLEONE at the window. He has seen the intimacy of the
YOUNG COUPLE.
LUCA (O.S.)
Don Corleone...
THE DON turns to the stiffly formal LUCA, and he moves
forward to kiss his hand. He takes the envelope from his
jacket, holds it out, but does not release it until he makes
a formal speech.
LUCA
(with difficulty)
Don Corleone...I am honored, and
grateful...that you invited me to
your home...on the wedding day of
your...daughter.
May their first child...be a
masculine child. I pledge my never
ending loyalty.
(he offers the envelope)
For your daughter’s bridal purse.
DON CORLEONE
Thank you, Luca, my most valued
friend.
THE DON takes it, and then LUCA’s hand, which he squeezes so
tightly we might imagine it to be painful.
LUCA
Let me leave you, Don Corleone. I
know you are busy.
He turns, almost an about-face, and leaves the study with
the same formality he entered with. DON CORLEONE breathes
more easily, and gives the thick envelope to HAGEN.
DON CORLEONE
I’m sure it’s the most generous
gift today.
HAGEN
The Senator called--apologized for
not coming personally, but said
you’d understand. Also, some of
the Judges...they’ve all sent gifts.
And another call from Virgil
Sollozzo.
DON CORLEONE is not pleased.
HAGEN
The action is narcotics. Sollozzo
has contacts in Turkey for the
poppy, in Sicily for the plants to
process down to morphine or up to
heroin. Also he has access to this
country. He’s coming to us for
financial help, and some sort of
immunity from the law. For that we
get a piece of the action, I
couldn’t find out how much.
Sollozzo is vouched for by the
Tattaglia family, and they may have
a piece of the action. They call
Sollozzo the Turk.
He’s spent a lot of time in Turkey
and is suppose to have a Turkish
wife and kids. He’s suppose to be
very quick with the knife, or was,
when he was younger. Only in
matters of business and with some
reasonable complaint. Also he has
an American wife and three children
and he is a good family man.
THE DON nods.
HAGEN
He’s his own boss, and very
competent.
DON CORLEONE
And with prison record.
HAGEN
Two terms; one in Italy, one in the
United States. He’s known to the
Government as a top narcotics man.
That could be a plus for us; he
could never get immunity to testify.
DON CORLEONE
When did he call?
HAGEN
This morning.
DON CORLEONE
On a day like this. Consiglero, do
you also have in your notes the the
Turk made his living from
Prostitution before the war, like
the Tattaglias do now. Write that
down before you forget it. The
Turk will wait.
We now begin to hear a song coming over the loud-speakers
from outside. In Italian, with unmistakable style.
DON CORLEONE
What that? It sounds like Johnny.
He moves to the window, pulls the blinds up, flooding the
room with light.
DON CORLEONE
It is Johnny. He came all the way
from California to be at the wedding.
HAGEN
Should I bring him in.
DON CORLEONE
No. Let the people enjoy him. You
see? He is a good godson.
HAGEN
It’s been two years. He’s probably
in trouble again.
EXT DAY: MALL (SUMMER 1945)
JOHNNY FONTANE on the bandstand, singing to the delight and
excitement of the wedding GUESTS.
KAY
I didn’t know your family knew
Johnny Fontane.
MICHAEL
Sure.
KAY
I used to come down to New York
whenever he sang at the Capitol and
scream my head off.
MICHAEL
He’s my father’s godson; he owes
him his whole career.
JOHNNY finishes the song and the CROWD screams with delight.
They call out for another when DON CORLEONE appears.
DON CORLEONE
My Godson has come three thousand
miles to do us honor and no one
thinks to wet his throat.
At once a dozen wine glasses are offered to JOHNNY, who
takes a sip from each as he moves to embrace his GODFATHER.
JOHNNY
I kept trying to call you after my
divorce and Tom always said you
were busy. When I got the Wedding
invitation I knew you weren’t sore
at me anymore, Godfather.
DON CORLEONE
Can I do something for you still?
You’re not too rich, or too famous
that I can’t help you?
JOHNNY
I’m not rich anymore, Godfather,
and...my career, I’m almost washed
up...
He’s very disturbed. The GODFATHER indicates that he come
with him to the office so no one will notice. He turns to
HAGEN.
DON CORLEONE
Tell Santino to come in with us.
He should hear some things.
They go, leaving HAGEN scanning the party looking for SONNY.
INT DAY: DON’S OFFICE (SUMMER 1945)
HAGEN glances up the staircase.
HAGEN
Sonny?
Then he goes up.
INT DAY: DON’S UPSTAIRS ROOM (SUMMER 1945)
SONNY and LUCY are in a room upstairs; he has lifted her
gown’s skirts almost over her head, and has her standing
against the door. Her face peeks out from the layers of
petticoats around it like a flower in ecstasy.
LUCY
Sonnyeeeeeeee.
Her head bouncing against the door with the rhythm of his
body. But there is a knocking as well. They stop, freeze
in that position.
HAGEN (O.S.)
Sonny? Sonny, you in there?
INT DAY: DON’S UPSTAIRS HALLWAY (SUMMER 1945)
Outside, HAGEN by the door.
HAGEN
The old man wants you; Johnny’s
here...he’s got a problem.
SONNY (O.S.)
Okay. One minute.
HAGEN hesitates. We HEAR LUCY’s head bouncing against the
door again. TOM leaves.
INT DAY: DON’S OFFICE (SUMMER 1945)
DON CORLEONE
ACT LIKE A MAN! By Christ in
Heaven, is it possible you turned
out no better than a Hollywood
finocchio.
Both HAGEN and JOHNNY cannot refrain from laughing. The DON
smiles. SONNY enters as noiselessly as possible, still
adjusting his clothes.
DON CORLEONE
All right, Hollywood...Now tell me
about this Hollywood Pezzonovanta
who won’t let you work.
JOHNNY
He owns the studio. Just a month
ago he bought the movie rights to
this book, a best seller. And the
main character is a guy just like
me. I wouldn’t even have to act,
just be myself.
The DON is silent, stern.
DON CORLEONE
You take care of your family?
JOHNNY
Sure.
He glances at SONNY, who makes himself as inconspicuous as
he can.
DON CORLEONE
You look terrible. I want you to
eat well, to rest. And spend time
with your family. And then, at the
end of the month, this big shot
will give you the part you want.
JOHNNY
It’s too late. All the contracts
have been signed, they’re almost
ready to shoot.
DON CORLEONE
I’ll make him an offer he can’t
refuse.
He takes JOHNNY to the door, pinching his cheek hard enough
to hurt.
DON CORLEONE
Now go back to the party and leave
it to me.
He closes the door, smiling to himself. Turns to HAGEN.
DON CORLEONE
When does my daughter leave with
her bridegroom?
HAGEN
They’ll cut the cake in a few
minutes...leave right after that.
Your new son-in-law, do we give him
something important?
DON CORLEONE
No, give him a living. But never
let him know the family’s business.
What else, Tom?
HAGEN
I’ve called the hospital; they’ve
notified Consiglere Genco’s family
to come and wait. He won’t last
out the night.
This saddens the DON. He sighs.
DON CORLEONE
Genco will wait for me. Santino,
tell your brothers they will come
with me to the hospital to see
Genco. Tell Fredo to drive the big
car, and ask Johnny to come with us.
SONNY
And Michael?
DON CORLEONE
All my sons.
(to HAGEN)
Tom, I want you to go to California
tonight. Make the arrangements.
But don’t leave until I come back
from the hospital and speak to you.
Understood?
HAGEN
Understood.
EXT DAY: MALL (SUMMER 1945)
Now all the wedding GUESTS excitedly clap their hands over
the entrance of the cake: NAZORINE is beaming as he wheels
in a serving table containing the biggest, gaudiest, most
extravagant wedding cake ever baked, an incredible monument
of his gratitude. The CROWD is favorably impressed: they
begin to clink their knives or forks against their glasses,
in the traditional request for the Bride to cut the cake and
kiss the Groom. Louder and louder, five hundred forks
hitting five hundred glasses.
EXT DAY: MALL (SUMMER 1945)
Silence.
HIGH ANGLE ON THE MALL, late day. The GUESTS are gone. A
single black car is in the courtyard. FREDDIE is behind the
driver’s seat: the DON enters the car, looks at MICHAEL, who
sits between SONNY and JOHNNY in the rear seat.
DON CORLEONE
Will your girl friend get back to
the city all right?
MICHAEL
Tom said he’d take care of it.
The DON pulls the door shut; and the car pulls out, through
the gate of the great Corleone Mall.
INT DAY: HOSPITAL CORRIDOR (SUMMER 1945)
A long white hospital corridor, at the end of which we can
see a grouping of FIVE WOMEN, some old and some young, but
all plump and dressed in black.
DON CORLEONE and his SONS move toward the end. But then the
DON slows, putting his hand on MICHAEL’s shoulder. MICHAEL
stops and turns toward his FATHER. The two looks at one
another for some time. SILENCE. DON CORLEONE then lifts
his hand, and slowly touches a particular medal on MICHAEL’s
uniform.
DON CORLEONE
What was this for?
MICHAEL
For bravery.
DON CORLEONE
And this?
MICHAEL
For killing a man.
DON CORLEONE
What miracles you do for strangers.
MICHAEL
I fought for my country. It was my
choice.
DON CORLEONE
And now, what do you choose to do?
MICHAEL
I’m going to finish school.
DON CORLEONE
Good. When you are finished, come
and talk to me. I have hopes for
you.
Again they regard each other without a word. MICHAEL turns,
and continues on. DON CORLEONE watches a moment, and then
follows.
INT DAY: HOSPITAL ROOM (SUMMER 1945)
DON CORLEONE enters the hospital room, moving closest to OUR
VIEW. He is followed by his SONS, JOHNNY and the WOMEN.
DON CORLEONE
(whispered)
Genco, I’ve brought my sons to pay
their respects. And look, even
Johnny Fontane, all the way from
Hollywood.
GENCO is a tiny, wasted skeleton of a man. DON CORLEONE
takes his bony hand, as the others arrange themselves around
his bed, each clasping the other hand in turn.
GENCO
Godfather, Godfather, it’s your
daughter’s wedding day, you cannot
refuse me. Cure me, you have the
power.
DON CORLEONE
I have no such power...but Genco,
don’t fear death.
GENCO
(with a sly wink)
It’s been arranged, then?
DON CORLEONE
You blaspheme. Resign yourself.
GENCO
You need your old Consigliere. Who
will replace me?
(suddenly)
Stay with me Godfather. Help me
meet death. If he sees you, he
will be frightened and leave me in
peace. You can say a word, pull a
few strings, eh? We’ll outwit that
bastard as we outwitted all those
others.
(clutching his hand)
Godfather, don’t betray me.
The DON motions all the others to leave the room. They do.
He returns his attention to GENCO, holding his hand and
whispering things we cannot hear, as they wait for death.
INT NIGHT: AIRPLANE (SUMMER 1945)
FADE IN:
The interior of a non-stop Constellation. HAGEN is one of
the very few passengers on this late flight. He looks like
any young lawyer on a business trip. He is tired from the
difficult preparation and duties that he has just executed
during the wedding. On the seat next to him is an enormous,
bulging briefcase. He closes his eyes.
INT NIGHT: HONEYMOON HOTEL (SUMMER 1945)
The honeymoon hotel: CARLO and CONNIE. CARLO is in his
undershorts, sitting up on the bed, anxiously taking the
envelopes out of the silk bridal purse and counting the
contents. CONNIE prepares herself in the large marble
bathroom. She rubs her hands over his bronze shoulders, and
tries to get his interest.
INT NIGHT: DON’S OFFICE (SUMMER 1945)
DON CORLEONE in his office. LUCA BRASI sitting near to him.
DON CORLEONE
Luca, I am worried about this man
Sollozzo. Find out what you can,
through the Tattaglias. Let them
believe you could be tempted away
from the Corleone Family, if the
right offer was made. Learn what
he has under his fingernails...
INT NIGHT: MANCINI APT. HALL (SUMMER 1945)
The hallway of an apartment building. SONNY enters, climbs
two steps at a time. He knocks, and then whispers.
SONNY
It’s me, Sonny.
The door opens, and two lovely arms are around him, pulling
him into the apartment.
INT NIGHT: LUCA’S ROOM (WINTER 1945)
LUCA BRASI’s tiny room. He is partly dressed. He kneels
and reaches under his bed and pulls out a small, locked
trunk. He opens it, and takes out a heavy, bullet-proof
vest. He puts it on, over his wool undershirt, and then
puts on his shirt and jacket. He takes his gun, quickly
disassembles, checks, and reassembles it. And leaves.
INT NIGHT: DON’S OFFICE (SUMMER 1945)
A CLOSE VIEW of DON CORLEONE thinking quietly.
INT NIGHT: MOVING TRAIN (SUMMER 1945)
MICHAEL and KAY on a train, speeding on their way to New
Hampshire.
INT NIGHT: SUBWAY (WINTER 1945)
LUCA, in his bulky jacket, sitting quietly on an empty
subway train.
INT NIGHT: AIRPLANE (SUMMER 1945)
HAGEN on the Constellation. He reaches into his briefcase,
and takes out several pictures and papers.
One photograph is of a smiling man, JACK WOLTZ, linked arm
in arm with fifteen movie stars on either side, including a
lovely young child star to his immediate right.
HAGEN considers other papers.
INT NIGHT: DON’S OFFICE (SUMMER 1945)
DON CORLEONE looks, and then moves HAGEN into an embrace.
He straightens his arms and looks at TOM deeply.
DON CORLEONE
Remember my new Consigliere, a
lawyer with his briefcase can steal
more than a hundred men with guns.
EXT DAY: WOLTZ ESTATE GATE (SUMMER 1945)
JACK WOLTZ ESTATE. HAGEN stands before the impressive gate,
armed only with his briefcase. A GATEMAN opens the gate,
and TOM enters.
EXT DAY: WOLTZ GARDENS (SUMMER 1945)
HAGEN and WOLTZ comfortably stroll along beautiful formal
gardens, martinis in hand.
WOLTZ
You should have told me your boss
was Corleone, Tom, I had to check
you out. I thought you were just
some third rate hustler Johnny was
running in to bluff me.
(a piece of statuary)
Florence, thirteenth century.
Decorated the garden of a king.
They cross the garden and head toward the stables.
WOLTZ
I’m going to show you something
beautiful.
They pass the stables, and come to rest by a stall with a
huge bronze plaque attached to the outside wall: "KHARTOUM."
TWO SECURITY GUARDS are positioned in chairs nearby; they
rise as WOLTZ approaches.
WOLTZ
You like horses? I like horses, I
love ’em. Beautiful, expensive
Racehorses.
The animal inside is truly beautiful. WOLTZ whispers to him
with true love in his voice.
WOLTZ
Khartoum...Kartoum...You are
looking at six hundred thousand
dollars on four hoofs. I bet even
Russian Czars never paid that kind
of dough for a single horse. But
I’m not going to race him I’m going
to put him out to Stud.
INT NIGHT: WOLTZ DINING ROOM (SUMMER 1945)
HAGEN and WOLTZ sit at an enormous dining room table,
attended by SEVERAL SERVANTS. Great paintings hang on the
walls. The meal is elaborate and sumptuous.
HAGEN
Mr. Corleone is Johnny’s Godfather.
That is very close, a very sacred
religious relationship.
WOLTZ
Okay, but just tell him this is one
favor I can’t give. But he should
try me again on anything else.
HAGEN
He never asks a second favor when
he has been refused the first.
Understood?
WOLTZ
You smooth son of a bitch, let me
lay it on the line for you, and
your boss. Johnny Fontane never
gets that movie. I don’t care how
many Dago, Guinea, wop Greaseball
Goombahs come out of the woodwork!
HAGEN
I’m German-Irish.
WOLTZ
Okay my Kraut-Mick friend, Johnny
will never get that part because I
hate that pinko punk and I’m going
to run him out of the Movies. And
I’ll tell you why. He ruined one
of Woltz Brothers’ most valuable
proteges. For five years I had
this girl under training; singing
lessons! Acting lessons! Dancing
lessons! We spent hundreds of
thousands of dollars--I was going
to make her a star. I’ll be even
more frank, just to show you that
I’m not a hard-hearted man, that it
wasn’t all dollars and cents. That
girl was beautiful and young and
innocent and she was the greatest
piece of ass I’ve ever ad and I’ve
had them all over the world. Then
Johnny comes along with that olive
oil voice and guinea charm and she
runs off. She threw it all away to
make me look ridiculous. A MAN IN
MY POSITION CANNOT AFFORD TO BE
MADE TO LOOK RIDICULOUS!
EXT DAY: GENCO OLIVE OIL CO. (SUMMER 1945)
An unimposing little building in New York City on Mott
Street with a large old sign: "GENCO OLIVE OIL IMPORTS,
INC." next to an open-faced fruit market.
A dark Buick pulls up, and a single small man, whom we
cannot see well because of the distance, gets out and enters
the building. This is VIRGIL SOLLOZZO.
INT DAY: OLIVE OIL OFFICES (SUMMER 1945)
Looking toward the staircase we can hear SOLLOZZO’s footsteps
before he actually rises into view. He is a small man, very
dark, with curly black hair. But wiry, and tight and hard,
and obviously very dangerous. He is greeted at the head of
the stairs by SONNY, who takes his hand and shakes it,
introducing himself. For a moment, there is a complex of
handshaking quite formal, and whispered respectful
introductions. Finally, SOLLOZZO is taken into the DON’s
glass paneled office; the two principals are introduced.
They are very respectful of one another. Folding chairs are
brought in by FREDDIE, and soon they are all sitting around
in a circle; the DON, SOLLOZZO, SONNY, HAGEN, FREDDIE,
CLEMENZA and TESSIO. The DON is the slightest bit foolish
with all his compatriots, whereas SOLLOZZO has brought no
one. Throughout all that transpires, however, it is clear
that this scene is between two men: SOLLOZZO and DON CORLEONE.
SOLLOZZO
My business is heroin, I have poppy
fields, laboratories in Narseilles
and Sicily, ready to go into
production. My importing methods
are as safe as these things can be,
about five per cent loss. The risk
is nothing, the profits enormous.
DON CORLEONE
Why do you come to me? Why do I
deserve your generosity?
SOLLOZZO
I need two million dollars in
cash...more important, I need a
friend who has people in high
places; a friend who can guarantee
that if one of my employees be
arrested, they would get only light
sentences. Be my friend.
DON CORLEONE
What percentages for my family?
SOLLOZZO
Thirty per cent. In the first year
your share would be four million
dollars; then it would go up.
DON CORLEONE
And what is the percentage of the
Tattaglia family?
SOLLOZZO nods toward HAGEN.
SOLLOZZO
My compliments. I’ll take care of
them from my share.
DON CORLEONE
So. I receive 30 per cent just for
finance and legal protection. No
worries about operations, is that
what you tell me?
SOLLOZZO
If you think two million dollars in
cash is just finance, I congratulate
you Don Corleone.
There is a long silence; in which each person present feels
the tension. The DON is about to give his answer.
DON CORLEONE
I said I would see you because I’ve
heard you’re a serious man, to be
treated with respect...
(pause)
But I’ll say no to you.
We feel this around the room.
DON CORLEONE
I’ll give you my reasons. I have
many, many friends in Politics.
But they wouldn’t be so friendly if
my business was narcotics instead
of gambling. They think gambling
is something like liquor, a harmless
vice...and they think narcotics is
dirty business.
SOLLOZZO takes a breath.
DON CORLEONE
No...how a man makes his living is
none of my business. But this
proposition of yours is too risky.
All the people in my family lived
well the last ten years, I won’t
risk that out of greed.
SOLLOZZO
Are you worried about security for
your million?
DON CORLEONE
No.
SOLLOZZO
The Tattaglias will guarantee your
investment also.
This startles SONNY; he blurts out.
SONNY
The Tattaglia family guarantees our
investment?
SOLLOZZO hears him first, and then very slowly turns to face
him. Everyone is the room knows that SONNY has stepped out
of line.
DON CORLEONE
Young people are greedy, and they
have no manners. They speak when
they should listen. But I have a
sentimental weakness for my
children, and I’ve spoiled them, as
you see. But Signor Sollozzo, my
no is final.
SOLLOZZO nods, understands that this is the dismissal. He
glances one last time at SONNY. He rises; all the others do
as well. He bows to the DON, shakes his hand, and formally
takes his leave. When the footsteps can no longer be heard:
The DON turns to SONNY.
DON CORLEONE
Santino, never let anyone outside
the family know what you are
thinking. I think your brain is
going soft from all that comedy you
play with that young girl.
TWO OFFICE WORKERS are carrying an enormous floral display
with the word "THANK YOU" spelled out in flowers.
DON CORLEONE
What is this nonsense?
HAGEN
It’s from Johnny. It was announced
this morning. He’s going to play
the lead in the new Woltz Brothers
film.
INT DAY: WOLTZ’S BEDROOM (SUMMER 1945)
It is large, dominated by a huge bed, in which a man,
presumably WOLTZ, is sleeping. Soft light bathes the room
from the large windows. We move closer to him until we see
his face, and recognize JACK WOLTZ. He turns uncomfortably;
mutters, feels something strange in his bedsheets. Something
wet.
He wakens, feels the sheets with displeasure; they are wet.
He looks at his hand; the wetness is blood. He is
frightened, pulls aside the covers, and sees fresh blood on
his sheets and pajamas. He grunts, pulls the puddle of
blood in his bed. He feels his own body frantically,
moving, down, following the blood, until he is face to face
with the great severed head of Khartoum lying at the foot of
his bed. Just blood from the hacked neck. White reedy
tendons show. He struggles up to his elbows in the puddle
of blood to see more clearly. Froth covers the muzzle, and
the enormous eyes of the animal are yellowed and covered
with blood.
WOLTZ tries to scream; but cannot. No sound comes out.
Then, finally and suddenly an ear-splitting scream of pure
terror escapes from WOLTZ, who is rocking on his hands and
knees in an uncontrolled fit, blood all over him.
INT DAY: OLIVE OIL OFFICES (SUMMER 1945)
CLOSE VIEW on the GODFATHER. Nodding.
DON CORLEONE
Send Johnny my congratulations.
----------------------------------------FADE OUT--------
(SCENES 12 & 12 OMITTED)
FADE IN:
EXT DAY: FIFTH AVENUE (WINTER 1945)
Fifth Avenue in the snow. Christmas week. People are
bundled up with rosy faces, rushing to buy presents.
KAY and MICHAEL exit a Fifth Avenue department store,
carrying a stack of gaily wrapped gifts, arm in arm.
KAY
We have something for your mother,
for Sonny, we have the tie for
Fredo and Tom Hagen gets the
Reynolds pen...
MICHAEL
And what do you want for Christmas?
KAY
Just you.
They kiss.
INT DAY: HOTEL ROOM (WINTER 1945)
CLOSE ON a wooden radio, playing quiet Music. THE VIEW PANS
AROUND the dark hotel room, curtained against the daylight.
MICHAEL (O.S.)
We’ll have a quiet, civil ceremony
at the City Hall, no big fuss, no
family, just a couple of friends as
witnesses.
The two are in each other’s arms in a mess of bedsheets on
the two single beds that they have pushed together.
KAY
What will your father say?
MICHAEL
As long as I tell him beforehand he
won’t object. He’ll be hurt, but
he won’t object.
KAY
What time do they expect us?
MICHAEL
For dinner. Unless I call and tell
them we’re still in New Hampshire.
KAY
Michael.
MICHAEL
Then we can have dinner, see a
show, and spend one more night.
He moves to the telephone.
MICHAEL (CONT’D.)
Operator. Get me
(fill in number)
KAY
Michael, what are you doing?
MICHAEL
Shhh, you be the long distance
operator. Here.
KAY
Hello...this is Long Distance. I
have a call from New Hampshire. Mr.
Michael Corleone. One moment please.
She hands the phone to MICHAEL who continues the deception.
MICHAEL
Hello, Tom? Michael. Yeah...
listen, we haven’t left yet. I’m
driving down to the city with Kay
tomorrow morning. There’s something
important I want to tell the old
man before Christmas. Will he be
home tomorrow night?
INT DAY: OLIVE OIL OFFICE (WINTER 1945)
HAGEN in the Olive Oil Company office. In the background,
through the glass partitions, we can see the DON, at work in
his office. TOM is tired, and steeped in paperwork.
HAGEN (O.S.)
Sure. Anything I can do for you.
MICHAEL (O.S.)
No. I guess I’ll see you Christmas.
Everyone’s going to be out at Long
Beach, right?
HAGEN
Right.
He smiles. MICHAEL has hung up. He looks at the piles of
work, and can’t face it. He rises, puts on his coat and
hat, and continues out.
He peeks into the DON’s office.
HAGEN
Michael called; he’s not leaving
New Hampshire until tomorrow
morning. I’ve got to go, I promised
Theresa I’d pick up some toys for
the kids.
The DON smiles and nods.
TOM smiles, and leaves; OUR VIEW remaining with DON CORLEONE.
FREDDIE is sitting on a bench in the corner, reading the
afternoon paper. He puts aside the papers the office
manager has prepared for him, and then moves to FREDDIE,
raps his knuckles on his head to take his nose out of the
paper.
DON CORLEONE
Tell Paulie to get the car from the
lot; I’ll be ready to go home in a
few minutes.
FREDO
I’ll have to get it myself; Paulie
called in sick this morning.
DON CORLEONE
That’s the third time this month.
I think maybe you’d better get a
healthier bodyguard for me. Tell
Tom.
FREDO
(going)
Paulie’s a good kid. If he’s sick,
he’s sick. I don’t mind getting
the car.
FREDDIE leaves. He slowly puts on his jacket. Looks out
his window.
EXT DUSK: OLIVE OIL CO. (WINTER 1945)
FREDDIE crosses the street.
INT DUSK: OLIVE OIL OFFICE (WINTER 1945)
OFFICE MANAGER
Buon Watale, Don Corleone.
The MANAGER helps him on with his overcoat. Once again, the
DON glances out his window.
The black car pulls up; FREDDIE driving.
DON CORLEONE
Merry Christmas.
(handing the MANAGER
an envelope)
And he starts down the stairs.
EXT DUSK: OLIVE OIL CO. (WINTER 1945)
The light outside is very cold, and beginning to fail. When
FREDDIE sees his FATHER coming, he moves back into the
driver’s seat. The DON moves to the car, and is about to
get in when he hesitates, and turns back to the long, open
fruit stand near the corner.
The PROPRIETOR springs to serve him. The DON walks among
the trays and baskets, and merely points to a particular
piece of fruit. As he selects, the MAN gingerly picks the
pieces of fruit up and puts them into a paper bag. The DON
pays with a five dollar bill, waits for his change, and then
turns back to the car.
EXT DUSK: POLKS TOY STORE (WINTER 1945)
TOM HAGEN exits carrying a stack of presents, all gift
wrapped. He continues past the windows. As he walks,
someone walks right in his way. He looks up. It is SOLLOZZO.
He takes TOM by the arm and walks along with him.
SOLLOZZO
(quietly)
Don’t be frightened. I just want
to talk to you.
A car parked at the curb suddenly flings its rear door open.
SOLLOZZO
(urgently)
Get in; I want to talk to you.
HAGEN pulls his arm free. He is frightened.
HAGEN
I haven’t got time.
TWO MEN suddenly appear on either side of him.
SOLLOZZO
Get in the car. If I wanted to
kill you you’d be dead already.
Trust me.
HAGEN, sick to his stomach, moves with his ESCORTS, leaving
our VIEW on the Mechanical windows gaily bobbing the story
of Hansel and Gretel. We HEAR the car doors shut, and the
car drive off.
EXT NIGHT: RADIO CITY - PHONE BOOTH (WINTER 1945)
RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL during the Christmas show. KAY and
MICHAEL exit; tears are still streaming down her cheeks, and
she sniffles, and dries her tears with Kleenex. KAY
nostalgically hums "The Bells of Saint Mary’s," as they walk
arm in arm.
KAY
Would you like me better if I were
a nun?
MICHAEL
No.
KAY
Would you like me better if I were
Ingrid Bergman?
They have passed a little enclosed newsstand. KAY sees
something that terrifies her. She doesn’t know what to do.
MICHAEL still walks, thinking about her question.
KAY
(a little voice)
Michael?
MICHAEL
I’m thinking about it.
KAY
Michael...
MICHAEL
No, I would not like you better if
you were Ingrid Bergman.
She cannot answer him. Rather she pulls him by the arm,
back to the newsstand, and points. His face goes grave.
The headlines read: "VITO CORLEONE SHOT, CHIEFTAN GUNNED
DOWN."
MICHAEL is petrified; quickly he takes each edition, drops a
dollar in the tray, and hungrily reads through them. KAY
knows to remain silent.
MICHAEL
(desperately)
They don’t say if he’s dead or alive.
EXT DUSK: OLIVE OIL CO. (WINTER 1945)
DON CORLEONE by the fruit stand; he is about to move to the
car, when TWO MEN step from the corner. Suddenly, the DON
drops the bag of fruit and darts with startling quickness
toward the parked car.
DON CORLEONE
Fredo, Fredo!
The paper bag has hit the ground, and the fruit begins
rolling along the sidewalk, as we HEAR gunshots.
Five bullets catch the DON in the back; he arches in pain,
and continues toward the car.
The PROPRIETOR of the fruit stand rushes for cover, knocking
over an entire case of fruit.
The TWO GUNMEN move in quickly, anxious to finish him off.
Their feet careful to avoid the rolling fruit. There are
more GUNSHOTS.
FREDDIE is hysterical; he tries to get out of the car;
having difficulty opening the door. He rushes out, a gun
trembling in his hand; his mouth open. He actually drops
the gun.
The gun falls amid the rolling fruit.
The GUNMEN are panicked. They fire once more at the downed
DON CORLEONE. His leg and arm twitch where they are hit;
and pools of blood are beginning to form.
The GUNMEN are obviously in a state of panic and confusion;
they disappear around the corner as quickly as they came.
The PEOPLE about the avenue have all but disappeared:
rather, we catch glimpses of them, poking their heads safely
from around corners, inside doorways and arches, and from
windows. But the street itself is now empty.
FREDDIE is in shock; he looks at his FATHER; now great
puddles of blood have formed, and the DON is lifeless and
face down in them.
FREDDIE falls back on to the curb and sits there, saying
something we cannot understand. He begins to weep profusely.
INT NIGHT: SUBWAY (WINTER 1945)
LUCA BRASI riding alone on a subway car, late at night. He
gets off.
He emerges at a subway terminal, proceeds out.
EXT NITE: NIGHT CLUB STREET (WINTER 1945)
LUCA walks down the late night street. He approaches an
elegant New York Nightclub, whose gaudy neon sign is still
winking this late at night. He waits and watches. Then the
sign goes out; and he proceeds into the club.
INT NITE: NIGHTCLUB (WINTER 1945)
The main floor of the Nightclub is very large, with endless
glistening wooden floors. Now, at this late time, the
chairs have been stacked on the tables and a NEGRO JANITOR
is waxing them. A single HAT-CHECK GIRL is counting her
receipts. LUCA moves past the empty bandstand, and sits at
the bar. ANOTHER MAN, dark and very well-built, moves
behind the bar.
MAN
Luca...I’m Bruno Tattaglia.
LUCA
I know.
LUCA looks up; and out of the shadows emerges SOLLOZZO.
SOLLOZZO
Do you know who I am?
LUCA Nods.
SOLLOZZO
You’ve been talking to the
Tattaglias. They thought we could
do business.
LUCA listens.
SOLLOZZO
I need somebody strong to protect
my operation, physically. I’ve
heard you’re not happy with your
family, you might make a switch.
LUCA
If the money is good enough.
SOLLOZZO
On the first shipment, I can
guarantee you fifty thousand dollars.
LUCA looks at him; he had no idea the offer would be so good.
SOLLOZZO extends his hand, but LUCA pretends not to see it,
rather, he busies himself putting a cigarette in his mouth.
BRUNO TATTAGLIA, behind the bar, makes a cigarette lighter
magically appear, and holds it to LUCA’s cigarette. Then,
he does an odd thing; he drops the lighter on the bar, and
puts his hand lightly on LUCA’s, almost patting it.
INT NITE: SONNY’S LIVING ROOM (WINTER 1945)
The telephone in SONNY’s house is ringing. He approaches
it, obviously fresh from a nap.
SONNY
Yeah.
VOICE (O.S.)
Do you recognize my voice?
SONNY
I think so. Detective squad?
VOICE (O.S.)
Right. Don’t say my name, just
listen. Somebody shot your father
outside his place fifteen minutes
ago.
SONNY
Is he alive?
VOICE (O.S.)
I think so, but I can’t get close
enough. There’s a lot of blood.
I’ll try to find out more.
SONNY
Find out anything you can...you got
a Grand coming.
(click)
SONNY cradles the phone. An incredible rage builds up in
him, his face actually turning red. He would like to rip
the phone to pieces in his bare hands. Then he controls it.
Quickly, he dials another number.
SONNY
Theresa, let me talk to Tom. Not
yet? Have him call me as soon as
he gets home.
He hangs up.
SANDRA (O.S.)
Sonny? Sonny, who is it?
(she enters the room)
What is it?
SONNY
(calmly)
They shot the old man.
SANDRA
Oh God...
SONNY
Honey...don’t worry. Nothing else
is going to happen.
There is a POUNDING on the door. A BABY starts crying.
SANDRA
(really frightened)
SONNY?
SONNY reaches into a cabinet drawer, takes out a gun, and
moves quickly. He opens the front door quickly. It is
CLEMENZA. He enters, SONNY closes the door. SANDRA goes to
look after the baby.
CLEMENZA
(excited)
You heard about your father?
SONNY
Yeah.
CLEMENZA
The word is out in the streets that
he’s dead.
SONNY
Where the hell was Paulie, why
wasn’t he with the Don?
CLEMENZA
Paulie’s been a little sick all
winter...he was home.
SONNY
How many times did he stay home the
last couple of months?
CLEMENZA
Maybe three, four times. I always
asked Freddie if he wanted another
bodyguard, but he said no. Things
have been so smooth the last ten
years...
SONNY
Go get Paulie, I don’t care how
sick he is. Pick him up yourself,
and bring him to my father’s house.
CLEMENZA
That’s all? Don’t you want me to
send some people over here?
SONNY
No, just you and Paulie.
CLEMENZA leaves; SONNY moves to SANDRA, who sits on the
couch weeping quietly, comforting her BABY.
SONNY
A couple of our people will come to
stay here. Do whatever they say;
I’m going over to the main house.
If you want me, use Pop’s special
phone.
The telephone rings again. SONNY answers it.
SONNY
Hello.
SOLLOZZO (O.S.)
Santino Corleone?
SANDRA moves behind him, anxious to know who it is. SONNY
indicates that she be quiet.
SONNY
Yeah.
SOLLOZZO (O.S.)
We have Tom Hagen. In about three
hours he’ll be released with our
proposition. Don’t do anything
until you’ve heard what he has to
say. You can only cause a lot of
trouble. What’s done is done.
(a pause)
Don’t lose that famous temper of
yours.
SONNY
(quietly)
I’ll wait.
EXT NITE: MALL (WINTER 1945)
FULL VIEW OF THE CORLEONE MALL. It is night, but the
courtyard is bathed with white light from floodlights on the
tops of all the houses. It is very cold. We see the figure
of SONNY cross the Mall, and let himself into the main house.
INT NITE: DON’S KITCHEN (WINTER 1945)
SONNY walks into the empty, darkened house. Then he calls
out.
SONNY
Ma? Ma, where are you.
The kitchen door swings open. He moves quickly and takes
her by the arm. He is deliberately calm.
SONNY
Ma, I just got a call. Pop’s
hurt...I don’t know how bad.
MAMA
(quietly)
Santino? Have they killed him?
SONNY
(almost in tears)
We don’t know yet, Ma.
MAMA
I’ll get dressed. In case we can
see him...
She moves out of the kitchen, and continues upstairs. SONNY
turns the gas from the pan of peppers she was frying. He
takes some bread without thinking, and dips it in the oil,
and sloppily eats some of the peppers, as he moves into his
father’s office.
INT NITE: DON’S OFFICE (WINTER 1945)
He switches the lights on in the DON’s office. The massive
desk dominates the room. SONNY moves quickly to the
telephone, pulling a small chair to the side of the desk,
and dials a number.
SONNY
Tessio...This is Santino Corleone.
I want fifty reliable men out here.
TESSIO (O.S.)
I heard, Sonny...but what about
Clemenza’s regime?
SONNY
I don’t want to use Clemenza’s
people right now. Understood?
He hangs up. He moves quickly to a wall safe; operates the
dial, and removes a small notebook. He takes it back to the
desk, and runs over the list of numbers with his forefinger.
We follow the names, until the finger stops at one: LUCA
BRASI. SONNY dials the number. There is no answer.
SONNY
Luca.
INT NITE: BUILDING (WINTER 1945)
The interior of an abandoned building. SEVERAL MEN in suits
and ties sit around in the booths.
HAGEN sits in one: SOLLOZZO sits across from him.
SOLLOZZO
I know you’re not in the muscle end
of the family--so I don’t want you
to be afraid. I want you to help
the Corleones and I want you to
help me.
HAGEN’s hands are trembling as he tries to put a cigarette
in his mouth. ONE of the BUTTON MEN brings a bottle of rye
to the table, and pours a little into a delicate, flowered
china cup. HAGEN sips gratefully.
SOLLOZZO
Your boss is dead...
HAGEN is overwhelmed: actual tears spring to his eyes.
SOLLOZZO pauses respectfully.
SOLLOZZO
(pushing the bottle)
Have some more. We got him outside
his office, just before I picked
you up. You have to make the peace
between me and Santino.
HAGEN still is focused on the grief of losing the old man.
SOLLOZZO
Sonny was hot for my deal, right?
You know it’s the smart thing to
do, too. I want you to talk Sonny
into it.
HAGEN
(pulling himself together)
Sonny will come after you with
everything he’s got.
SOLLOZZO rises, impatiently.
SOLLOZZO
That’s going to be his first
reaction. You have to talk some
sense into him. The Tattaglia
family stands behind me with all
their people. The other New York
Families will go along with anything
that prevents a full scale war.
He leans close to HAGEN.
SOLLOZZO
The Don was slipping; in the old
days I could never have gotten to
him. Now he’s dead, nothing can
bring him back. Talk to Sonny,
talk to the Caporegimes, Clemenza
and Tessio...it’s good business.
HAGEN
Even Sonny won’t be able to call
off Luca Brasi.
SOLLOZZO
I’ll worry about Luca. You take
care of Sonny and the other two kids.
HAGEN
I’ll try...It’s what the Don would
want us to do.
SOLLOZZO
(lifting his hands in
an expression of harmlessness)
Good...then you can go...
(he escorts him to
the door)
I don’t like violence. I’m a
businessman, and blood is a big
expense.
He opens the door; they step out together.
EXT NITE: BUILDING
HAGEN, SOLLOZZO exit.
But a car pulls up, and ONE of SOLLOZZO’S MEN rushes out.
He indicates with some urgency that he wants to talk to
SOLLOZZO in private.
Then SOLLOZZO moves with a grave expression. He opens the
door, indicating that HAGEN should be led back in.
SOLLOZZO
The old man is still alive. Five
bullets in his Sicilian hide and
he’s still alive.
(he gives a fatalistic
shrug)
Bad luck for me, bad luck for you.
EXT NITE: MALL (WINTER 1945)
MICHAEL driving during the night. There is a little fog in
the air, and moisture has formed on the windshield, making
it difficult to see well. The wipers move across the view,
as the gate of the Corleone Mall appears before us, still
decorated for Christmas. The courtyard is bathed with white
floodlight, giving this place a cold and isolated look. The
narrow entrance mouth of the Mall is sealed off with a link
chain. There are strange cars parked along the curving
cement walk. SEVERAL MEN are congregated about the gate and
chain; ONE of them approaches MICHAEL’s car.
MAN
Who’re you?
ANOTHER peeks his ugly face almost right up to MICHAEL, and
then turns.
MAN 2
It’s the Don’s kid; take the car,
I’ll bring him inside.
The FIRST MAN opens the car door, and MICHAEL steps out.
INT NITE: HALL (WINTER 1945)
The Hallway of the main house is filled with MEN MICHAEL
doesn’t recognize. They pay little attention to him. Most
of them are waiting; sitting uncomfortably; no one is talking.
INT NITE: DON’S LIVING ROOM (WINTER 1945)
MICHAEL moves into the living room; there is a Christmas
tree, and countless greeting cards taped to the walls.
THERESA HAGEN is sitting stiffly on the sofa, smoking a
cigarette; on the coffee table in front of her is a water
glass half filled with whiskey. On the other side of the
sofa sits CLEMENZA; his face is impassive, but he is
sweating, and the cigar in his hand glistens slickly black
with his saliva. PAULIE GATTO sits tensely and alone on the
other side of the room. CLEMENZA sees MICHAEL, looks up at
him.
CLEMENZA
Your mother’s at the hospital with
the old man: He’s gonna pull through.
MICHAEL nods his relief.
MICHAEL
Thanks.
He moves to THERESA.
MICHAEL
(gently)
You heard from Tom yet?
Without looking up, she clings to him for a moment, and
trembles. Occasionally, STRANGE MEN will cross through the
room; everyone speaks in a whisper.
MICHAEL
(taking her hand)
C’mon.
He leads her into his father’s office without knocking.
INT NITE: DON’S OFFICE (WINTER 1945)
SONNY and TESSIO are huddled around a yellow pad. They look
up, startled.
SONNY
Don’t worry, Theresa; they just
want to give Tom the proposition,
then they’re going to turn him loose.
He reassuringly hugs THERESA, and then to MICHAEL’s surprise,
he kisses him on the cheek.
SONNY
I was worried when we couldn’t get
in touch with you in that hick town.
MICHAEL
How’s Mom?
SONNY
Good. She’s been through it before.
Me too. You were too young to know
about it. You better wait outside;
there’re some things you shouldn’t
hear.
MICHAEL
I can help you out...
SONNY
Oh no you can’t, the old man’d be
sore as hell if I let you get mixed
up in this.
MICHAEL
Jesus Christ, he’s my father, Sonny.
SONNY
Theresa.
She understands, and leaves them alone.
SONNY
All right, Mikey...who do we have
to hit, Clemenza or Paulie?
MICHAEL
What?
SONNY
One of them fingered the old man.
MICHAEL didn’t realize that the men waiting outside were on
trial for their lives.
MICHAEL
Clemenza? No, I don’t believe it.
SONNY
You’re right, kid, Clemenza is okay.
It was Paulie.
MICHAEL
How can you be sure?
SONNY
On the three days Paulie was sick
this month, he got calls from a
payphone across from the old man’s
building. We got people in the
phone company.
(he shrugs)
Thank God it was Paulie...we’ll
need Clemenza bad.
MICHAEL is just realizing the gravity and extent of the
situation.
MICHAEL
Is it going to be all-out war, like
last time?
SONNY
Until the old man tells me different.
MICHAEL
Then wait, Sonny. Talk to Pop.
SONNY
Sollozzo is a dead man, I don’t
care what it costs. I don’t care
if we have to fight all the five
families in New York. The Tattaglia
family’s going to eat dirt. I
don’t care if we all go down
together.
MICHAEL
(softly)
That’s not how Pop would have
played it.
SONNY
I know I’m not the man he was. But
I’ll tell you this and he’ll tell
you too. When it comes to real
action, I can operate as good as
anybody short range.
MICHAEL
(calmly)
All right, Sonny. All right.
SONNY
Christ, if I could only contact Luca.
MICHAEL
Is it like they say? Is he that
good?
Outside, we HEAR THERESA cry out, almost a scream of relief.
Then open the door and rush out.
Everyone is standing: in the doorway, TOM HAGEN is wrapped
in a tight embrace with his WIFE.
HAGEN
If I plead before the Supreme
Court, I’ll never do better than I
did tonight with that Turk.
EXT NITE: MALL, FEATURING DON’S HOUSE (WINTER 1945)
The windows of the main house are dark except for the DON’s
study. It stands out against the cold, dark night.
INT NITE: DON’S LIVING ROOM (WINTER 1945)
The living room is empty, save for PAULIE GATTO sitting on
the edge of the sofa. The clock reads: 4:00 a.m.
INT NITE: DON’S OFFICE (WINTER 1945)
SONNY, MICHAEL, HAGEN, CLEMENZA and TESSIO; all exhausted,
in shirtsleeves, about to fall asleep. It is four in the
morning; there is evidence of many cups of coffee and many
snacks. They can barely talk anymore.
HAGEN
Is the hospital covered?
SONNY
The cops have it locked in and I
got my people there visiting Pop
all the time. What about the hit
list.
HAGEN widens his sleepy eyes, and looks at the yellow pad.
HAGEN
Too much, too far, too personal.
The Don would consider this all
purely a business dispute: Get rid
of Sollozzo, and everything falls
in line. YOU don’t have to go
after the Tattaglias.
CLEMENZA nods.
HAGEN
What about Luca? Sollozzo didn’t
seem worried about Luca. That
worries me.
SONNY
If Luca sold out we’re in real
trouble.
HAGEN
Has anyone been able to get in
touch with him?
SONNY
No, and I’ve been calling all night.
Maybe he’s shacked up.
HAGEN
Luca never sleeps over with a broad.
He always goes home when he’s
through. Mike, keep ringing Luca’s
number.
MICHAEL, very tired, picks up the phone, and dials the
number once again. He can hear the phone ringing on the
other end but no one answers. Then hangs up.
HAGEN
Keep trying every fifteen minutes.
(exhausted)
SONNY
Tom, you’re the Consigliere, what
do we do if the old man dies?
HAGEN
Without your father’s political
contacts and personal influence,
the Corleone family loses half its
strength. Without your father, the
other New York families might wind
up supporting Sollozzo, and the
Tattaglias just to make sure there
isn’t a long destructive war. The
old days are over, this is 1946;
nobody wants bloodshed anymore. If
your father dies...make the deal,
Sonny.
SONNY
(angry)
That’s easy to say; it’s not your
father.
HAGEN
(quietly)
I was as good a son to him as you
or Mike.
SONNY
Oh Christ Tom, I didn’t mean it
that way.
HAGEN
We’re all tired...
SONNY
OK, we sit tight until the old man
can give us the lead. But Tom, I
want you to stay inside the Mall.
You too, Mike, no chances. Tessio,
you hold your people in reserve,
but have them nosing around the
city. The hospital is yours; I
want it tight, fool-proof, 24 hours
a day.
There is a timid knock on the door.
SONNY
What is it?
PAULIE GATTO looks in.
CLEMENZA
I tol’ you to stay put, Paulie...
PAULIE
The guy at the gate’s outside...says
there’s a package...
SONNY
Tessio, see what it is.
TESSIO gets up, leaves.
PAULIE
You want me to hang around?
SONNY
Yeah. Hang around.
PAULIE
Outside?
CLEMENZA
Outside.
PAULIE
Sure.
He closes the door.
SONNY
Clemenza. You take care of Paulie.
I don’t ever want to see him again.
Understood?
CLEMENZA
Understood.
SONNY
Okay, now you can move your men
into the Mall, replace Tessio’s
people. Mike, tomorrow you take a
couple of Clemenza’s people and go
to Luca’s apartment and wait for
him to show. That crazy bastard
might be going after Sollozzo right
now if he’s heard the news.
HAGEN
Maybe Mike shouldn’t get mixed up
in this so directly. You know the
old man doesn’t want that.
SONNY
OK forget it, just stay on the phone.
MICHAEL is embarrassed to be so protected. He dials Luca
Brasi’s number once again. The ring repeats, but no one
answers.
TESSIO comes back, carrying Luca Brasi’s bullet-proof vest
in his hand. He unwraps it; there is a large fish wrapped
inside.
CLEMENZA
A Sicilian message: Luca Brasi
sleeps with the fishes.
INT. NITE: NIGHTCLUB (WINTER 1945)
LUCA sits at the Bar of the Tattaglia Nightclub, as we
remember him. BRUNO TATTAGLIA had just patted his hand.
LUCA looks up at him.
Then SOLLOZZO pats the other hand, almost affectionately.
LUCA is just about to twist his hands away, when they both
clamp down as hard as they can. Suddenly, a garrote is
thrown around his neck, and pulled violently tight. His
face begins to turn to purple blotches, and then totally
purple, right before our eyes; his tongue hangs out, in a
far more extreme way than a normal tongue could. His eyes
bulge.
ONE of the MEN looks down at him in disgust as LUCA’s
strength leaves him.
BRUNO
(making an ugly face)
Oh Christ...all over the floor.
SOLLOZZO lets LUCA’s hand go with a victorious smile on his
face.
LUCA falls to the floor.
SOLLOZZO
The Godfather is next.
----------------------------------------FADE OUT--------
FADE IN:
EXT DAY: CLEMENZA’S HOUSE (WINTER 1945)
Morning in a simple Brooklyn suburb. There are rows of
pleasant houses; driveway after driveway, down the block. A
dark, somber young man of thirty-one or two walks with a
noticeable limp down the sidewalk, and rings the bell. This
is ROCCO LAMPONE. The woman of the house, MRS. CLEMENZA,
talks to him through the screen door, and then points to the
side of the house. ROCCO moves to the garage, which is
specially heated, and in which CLEMENZA is busy at work
washing a shiny brand new Lincoln. LAMPONE admires the car.
LAMPONE
Nice.
CLEMENZA
Crazy Detroit delivered it with a
wooden bumper. They’re going to
send me the chrome bumpers in a
couple months. I waited two years
for this car to come with wooden
bumpers!
He scrubs and polishes with great affection.
CLEMENZA
Today you make your bones on Paulie.
You understand everything?
LAMPONE
Sure.
As he scrubs around the glove compartment, he opens it,
unwraps a gun and gives it to LAMPONE.
CLEMENZA
.22 soft-nosed load. Accurate up
to five feet.
LAMPONE expertly puts the gun away. GATTO’s car pulls into
the driveway, and he sounds the horn.
The two men walk to the car. GATTO is driving, a bit
nervous, like he doesn’t know what is up. LAMPONE gets in
the rear seat; CLEMENZA in the front, making a grunt of
recognition. He looks at his wristwatch, as though wanting
to chide PAULIE for being late. PAULIE flinches a little
when he sees LAMPONE will ride behind him; he half turns:
PAULIE
Rocco, sit on the other side. A
big guy like you blocks my rearview
mirror.
CLEMENZA turns sourly to PAULIE.
CLEMENZA
Goddamn Sonny. He’s running scared.
He’s already thinking of going to
the mattresses. We have to find a
place on the West Side. Paulie,
you know a good location?
PAULIE relaxes a bit; he thinks he’s off any possible hook
he was on. Also there’s the money he can make by selling
Sollozzo any secret location.
PAULIE
I’ll think about it.
CLEMENZA
(grunting)
Drive while you thinking; I wanna
get to the City this month!
The car pulls out.
EXT DAY: PAULIE’S CAR - ON ROAD (WINTER 1945)
Inside PAULIE drives; and CLEMENZA sits in a grump. OUR
VIEW does not show LAMPONE in the rear seat.
EXT DAY: PAULIE’S CAR AT TUNNEL (WINTER 1945)
The Car crosses to the Midtown Tunnel in the late Winter
light.
INT DAY: PAULIE’S CAR IN TUNNEL (WINTER 1945)
Inside the tunnel; GATTO doesn’t like not seeing LAMPONE.
He tries to adjust his rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of
him.
CLEMENZA
Pay attention!
EXT DAY: PAULIE’S CAR AT MATTRESS (WINTER 1945)
The car is parked in the City. PAULIE comes down from an
available apartment and gets back into the car.
PAULIE
Good for ten men...
CLEMENZA
OK, go to Arthur Avenue; I’m
suppose to call when I found
somethin’.
The car pulls off.
EXT DAY: RESTAURANT (WINTER 1945)
New part of the city; the car pulls up in a parking lot.
CLEMENZA get outs, glances at LAMPONE, then to PAULIE.
CLEMENZA
You wait; I’ll call.
He walks, tucking his shirt into his pants, around the
corner and enters the Luna Restaurant.
INT DAY: RESTAURANT (WINTER 1945)
CLEMENZA enters the little restaurant, sits down at a table.
The WAITERS know him; immediately put a bottle of wine, some
bread--and then a plate of veal on his table. He eats.
EXT DAY: RESTAURANT (WINTER 1945)
CLEMENZA exits the restaurant, belches, adjusts his pants;
he is well fed.
We move with him around the corner, not knowing what to
expect has happened to Paulie.
There is the car; PAULIE is still sitting behind the wheel,
LAMPONE in the rear seat. CLEMENZA steps in.
CLEMENZA
He talked my ear off. Want us to
go back to Long Beach; have another
job for us. Rocco, you live in the
City, can we drop you off?
LAMPONE (O.S.)
Ah, I left my car at your place.
CLEMENZA
OK, then you gotta come back.
The car pulls out. By now, PAULIE is completely relaxed and
secure.
PAULIE
You think we’ll go for that last
place?
CLEMENZA
Maybe, or you gotta know now.
PAULIE
Holy cow, I don’t gotta know nothing.
EXT DAY: PAULIE’S CAR ON CAUSEWAY (WINTER 1945)
The car moves along the ready beach area of the causeway.
Inside, CLEMENZA turns to PAULIE.
CLEMENZA
Paulie, pull over. I gotta take a
leak.
The car pulls off the Causeway, into the reeds. CLEMENZA
steps out of the car, OUR VIEW MOVING with him.
He turns his back three quarters from us (we can no longer
see the car), unzips, and we hear the sound of urine hitting
the ground. We wait on this for a moment; and then there
are two GUNSHOTS. CLEMENZA finishes his leak, zips up and
turns, moving back to the car.
PAULIE is dead, bleeding from the mouth; the windows behind
him are shattered.
CLEMENZA
Leave the gun.
LAMPONE gets out, the two men walk through the reeds a few
feet where there is another car. They get in, and drive off.
---------------------------------------FADE OUT---------
EXT DAY: MALL (WINTER 1945)
HIGH ANGLE OF THE MALL. It is late afternoon. Many strange
cars are parked on the nearby streets. We can see the group
of BUTTON MEN, stationed here and there, obviously sentries
with concealed weapons.
MICHAEL walks along in the rear yard.
He is bundled in a warm marine coat. He looks at the
strange men, regarding them with an uncertain awe. They
look back at him, at first suspiciously and then with the
respect of his position. He is like an exile Prince. He
wanders past them, and hesitates and looks at the yard.
A rusted set of garden swings; and other home playground
equipment. The basketball ring now half coming off. This
is where he was a child. Then a shout.
CLEMENZA (O.S.)
Mike. Hey Mikey; telephone.
CLEMENZA had shouted from the kitchen window. MICHAEL
hurries into the house.
INT DAY: DON’S KITCHEN (WINTER 1945)
CLEMENZA is in the kitchen, cooking over an enormous pot.
He points to the kitchen wall phone which is hanging off the
hook.
CLEMENZA
Some dame.
MICHAEL picks it up.
MICHAEL
Hello. Kay?
KAY (O.S.)
How is your father?
MICHAEL
He’ll be OK.
KAY (O.S.)
(pause)
I love you.
He glances at the THUGS in the kitchen. Tries to shield the
phone.
KAY (O.S.)
I LOVE YOU.
MICHAEL
Yeah Kay, I’m here.
KAY (O.S.)
Can you say it?
MICHAEL
Huh?
KAY (O.S.)
Tell me you love me.
MICHAEL glances at the HOODS at the kitchen table. He curls
up in a corner, and in a quarter voice:
MICHAEL
I can’t...
KAY (O.S.)
Please say it.
MICHAEL
Look. I’ll see you tonight, OK?
KAY (O.S.)
OK.
(click)
CLEMENZA is getting ready to build a tomato sauce for all
the button men stationed around the house.
CLEMENZA
How come you don’t tell that nice
girl you love her...here, learn
something... you may have to feed
fifty guys some day. You start
with olive oil...fry some garlic,
see. And then fry some sausage...or meat
balls if you like...then you throw
in the tomatoes, the tomato
paste...some basil; and a little
red wine...that’s my trick.
SONNY peeks into the kitchen; sees CLEMENZA.
SONNY
You take care of Paulie?
CLEMENZA
You won’t see Paulie anymore. He’s
sick for good this winter.
MICHAEL starts to leave.
SONNY
Where are you going?
MICHAEL
To the city.
SONNY
(to Clemenza; dipping
bread into the sauce)
Send some bodyguards.
MICHAEL
I don’t need them, Sonny. I’m just
going to see Pop in the hospital.
Also, I got other things.
CLEMENZA
Sollozzo knows Mike’s a civilian.
SONNY
OK, but be careful.
EXT NITE: CAR
MICHAEL sits in the rear seat, calmly, as he is being driven
into the city. THREE BUTTONMEN are crowded into the front
seat.
INT NITE: HOTEL LOBBY
MICHAEL crosses the lobby, past lines of servicemen trying
to book rooms.
INT NITE: HOTEL
MICHAEL and KAY eating a quiet dinner at the hotel. He is
preoccupied, she’s concerned.
MICHAEL
Visiting hour ends at eight thirty.
I’ll just sit with him; I want to
show respect.
KAY
Can I go to the hospital with you?
MICHAEL
I don’t think so. You don’t want
to end up on page 3 of the Daily
News.
KAY
My parents don’t read the Daily
News. All right, if you think I
shouldn’t. I can’t believe the
things the papers are printing.
I’m sure most of it’s not true.
MICHAEL
I don’t think so either.
(silence)
I better go.
KAY
When will I see you again?
MICHAEL
I want you to go back to New
Hampshire...think things over.
He leans over her; kisses her.
KAY
When will I see you again?
MICHAEL
Goodbye.
Quietly, he moves out the door.
KAY lies on the bed a while, and then, to herself:
KAY
Goodbye.
EXT NITE: DON’S HOSPITAL (WINTER 1945)
A taxi pulls up in front of a hospital, marked clearly with
a neon sign "HOSPITAL--EMERGENCY." MICHAEL steps out, pays
the fare...and then stops dead in his tracks.
MICHAEL looks.
He sees the hospital in the night; but it is deserted. He
is the only one on the street. There are gay, twinkling
Christmas decorations all over the building. He walks,
slowly at first, and then ever so quickly, up the steps. He
hesitates, looks around. This area is empty. He checks the
address on a scrap of paper. It is correct. He tries the
door, it is empty.
He walks in.
INT NITE: HOSPITAL LOBBY (WINTER 1945)
MICHAEL stands in the center of an absolutely empty hospital
lobby. He looks to the right; there is a long, empty
corridor. To the left: the same.
HIGH FULL ANGLE, as MICHAEL walks through the desolated
building lit by eerie green neon lighting. All we hear are
his sole footsteps.
He walks up to a desk marked "INFORMATION". No one is there.
He moves quickly to a door marked "OFFICE"; swings into it;
no one is there. He looks onto the desk: There is half a
sandwich, and a half-filled bottle of coke.
MICHAEL
Hello? Hello?
Now he knows something is happening, he moves quickly,
alertly. MICHAEL walking down the hospital corridors; all
alone. The floors have just been mopped. They are still wet.
INT NITE: HOSPITAL STAIRS
Now he turns onto a staircase; ever quickening; up several
flights.
INT NITE: 4TH FLOOR CORRIDOR
He steps out onto the fourth floor. He looks. There are
merely empty corridors. He takes out his scrap of paper;
checks it. "Room 4A." Now he hurries, trying to follow the
code of hospital rooms; following the right arrows, quicker
and quicker they flash by him. Now he stops, looks up "4A--
Corleone".
There is a special card table set up there with some
magazines...and some smoking cigarettes still in the
ashtray--but no detectives, no police, no bodyguards.
INT NITE: DON’S ROOM 4A
Slowly he pushes the door open, almost afraid at what he
will find. He looks. Lit by the moonlight through the
window, he can see a FIGURE in the hospital bed alone in the
room, and under a transparent oxygen tent. All that can be
heard is the steady though strained breathing. Slowly
MICHAEL walks up to it, and is relieved to see his FATHER,
securely asleep. Tubes hang from a steel gallows beside the
bed, and run to his nose and mouth.
VOICE (O.S.)
What are you doing here?
This startles MICHAEL; who almost jumps around. It is a
NURSE lit from the light behind her in the hallway.
NURSE
You’re not supposed to be here now.
MICHAEL calms himself, and moves to her.
MICHAEL
I’m Michael Corleone--this is my
father. What happened to the
detectives who were guarding him?
NURSE
Oh your father just had too many
visitors. It interfered with the
hospital service. The police came
and made them all leave just ten
minutes ago.
(comfortingly)
But don’t worry. I look in on him.
MICHAEL
You just stand here one minute...
Quickly he moves to the telephone, dials a number.
MICHAEL
Sonny...Sonny--Jesus Christ, I’m
down at the hospital. I came down
late. There’s no one here. None
of Tessio’s people--no detectives,
no one. The old man is completely
unprotected.
SONNY (O.S.)
All right, get him in a different
room; lock the door from the inside.
I’ll have some men there inside of
fifteen minutes. Sit tight, and
don’t panic.
MICHAEL
(furiously, but kept inside)
I won’t panic.
He hangs up; returns to the NURSE...
NURSE
You cannot stay here...I’m sorry.
MICHAEL
(coldly)
You and I are going to move my
father right now...to another room
on another floor...Can you
disconnect those tubes so we can
wheel the bed out?
NURSE
Absolutely not! We have to get
permission from the Doctor.
MICHAEL
You’ve read about my father in the
papers. You’ve seen that no one’s
here to guard him. Now I’ve just
gotten word that men are coming to
this hospital to kill him. Believe
me and help me.
NURSE
(frightened)
We don’t have to disconnect them,
we can wheel the stand with the bed.
She does so...and they perform the very difficult task of
moving the bed and the apparatus, out of the room.
INT NITE: 4TH FLOOR HOSPITAL (WINTER 1945)
They roll the bed, the stand, and all the tubes silently
down the corridor. We hear FOOTSTEPS coming up the stairs.
MICHAEL hears them, stops.
MICHAEL
Hurry, into there.
They push it into the first available room. MICHAEL peeks
out from the door. The footsteps are louder; then they
emerge. It is ENZO, NAZORINE’s helper, carrying a bouquet
of flowers.
MICHAEL
(stepping out)
Who is it?
ENZO
Michael...do you remember me, Enzo,
the baker’s helper to Nazorine, now
his son-in-law.
MICHAEL
Enzo, get out of here. There’s
going to be trouble.
A look of fear sweeps through ENZO’s face.
ENZO
If there...will be trouble...I stay
with you, to help. I owe it to the
Godfather.
MICHAEL thinks, realizes he needs all the help he can get.
MICHAEL
Go outside; stand in front...I’ll
be out in a minute.
INT NITE: DON’S SECOND HOSPITAL ROOM (WINTER 1945)
They part. MICHAEL moves into the hospital room where they
put his FATHER.
NURSE
(frightened)
He’s awake.
MICHAEL looks at the OLD MAN, his eyes are open, though he
cannot speak. MICHAEL touches his face tenderly.
MICHAEL
Pop...Pop, it’s me Michael. Shhhh,
don’t try to speak. There are men
who are coming to try to kill you.
But I’m with you...I’m with you
now...
The OLD MAN tries to speak...but cannot. MICHAEL tenderly
puts his finger to his FATHER’s lips.
EXT NITE: DON’S HOSPITAL STREET (WINTER 1945)
Outside the hospital is empty save for a nervous ENZO,
pacing back and forth brandishly the flowers as his only
weapon. MICHAEL exits the hospital and moves to him. They
both stand under a lamppost in the cold December night.
They are both frightened; MICHAEL gives ENZO a cigarette,
lights it. ENZO’s hands are trembling, MICHAEL’s are not.
MICHAEL
Get rid of those and look like
you’ve got a gun in your pocket.
The windows of the hospital twinkle with Christmas
decorations.
MICHAEL
Listen...
We HEAR the sound of a single automobile coming. MICHAEL
and ENZO look with fear in their eyes. Then MICHAEL takes
the bouquet of flowers and stuffs them under his jacket.
They stand, hands in their pockets.
A long low black car turns the corner and cruises by them.
MICHAEL’s and ENZO’s faces are tough, impassive. The car
seems as though it will stop; and then quickly accelerates.
MICHAEL and ENZO are relieved. MICHAEL looks down; the
BAKER’s hands are shaking. He looks at his own, and they
are not.
Another moment goes by and we can hear the distant sound of
police sirens. They are clearly coming toward the hospital,
getting louder and louder. MICHAEL heaves a sigh of relief.
In a second, a patrol car makes a screaming turn in front of
the hospital; then two more squad cars follow with uniformed
POLICE and DETECTIVES. He smiles his relief and starts
toward them. TWO huge, burly POLICEMEN suddenly grab his
arms while ANOTHER frisks him. A massive POLICE CAPTAIN,
spattered with gold braid and scrambled eggs on his hat,
with beefy red face and white hair seems furious. This is
McCLUSKEY.
MCCLUSKEY
I thought I got all you guinea
hoods locked up. Who the hell are
you and what are you doing here?
ANOTHER COP standing nearby:
COP
He’s clean, Captain.
MICHAEL studies McCLUSKEY closely.
MICHAEL
(quietly)
What happened to the detectives who
were supposed to be guarding my
father?
MCCLUSKEY
(furious)
You punk-hood. Who the hell are
you to tell me my business. I
pulled them off. I don’t care how
many Dago gangsters kill each other.
I wouldn’t lift a finger to keep
your old man from getting knocked
off. Now get the hell out of here;
get off this street you punk, and
stay away from this hospital.
MICHAEL stands quiet.
MICHAEL
I’ll stay until you put guards
around my father’s room.
MCCLUSKEY
Phil, lock this punk up.
A DETECTIVE
The Kid’s clean, Captain...He’s a
war hero, and he’s never been mixed
up in the rackets...
MCCLUSKEY
(furious)
Goddam it, I said lock him up. Put
the cuffs on him.
MICHAEL
(deliberately, right
to McCLUSKEY’s face,
as he’s being handcuffed)
How much is the Turk paying you to
set my father up, Captain?
Without any warning, McCLUSKEY leans back and hits MICHAEL
squarely on the jaw with all his weight and strength.
MICHAEL groans, and lifts his hand to his jaw. He looks at
McCLUSKEY; we are his VIEW and everything goes spinning, and
he falls to the ground, just as we see HAGEN and CLEMENZA’S
MEN arrive.
---------------------------------------FADE OUT---------
EXT DAY: MALL (WINTER 1945)
HIGH ANGLE VIEW of THE CORLEONE MALL. The gateway now has a
long black car blocking it. There are more BUTTON MEN
stationed more formally; and some of them visibly carrying
rifles; those of the houses close to the courtyard have MEN
standing by open windows. It is clear that the war is
escalating. A car pulls up and out get CLEMENZA, LAMPONE,
MICHAEL and HAGEN. MICHAEL’s jaw is wired and bandaged. He
stops and looks up at the open window. We can see MEN
holding rifles.
MICHAEL
Christ, Sonny really means business.
They continue walking. TESSIO joins them. The various
BODYGUARDS make no acknowledgment.
CLEMENZA
How come all the new men?
TESSIO
We’ll need them now. After the
hospital incident, Sonny got mad.
We hit Bruno Tattaglia four o’clock
this morning.
INT DAY: DON’S HALLWAY
They enter the house past the scores of new and strange faces.
INT DAY: DON’S OFFICE (WINTER 1945)
SONNY is in the DON’s office; he is excited and exuberant.
SONNY
I’ve got a hundred button men on
the streets twenty-four hours a day.
If Sollozzo shows one hair on his
ass he’s dead.
He sees MICHAEL, and holds his bandaged face in his hand,
kiddingly.
SONNY
Mikey, you look beautiful!
MICHAEL
Cut it out.
SONNY
The Turk wants to talk! The nerve
of that son of a bitch! After he
craps out last night he wants a meet.
HAGEN
Was there a definite proposal?
SONNY
Sure, he wants us to send Mike to
meet him to hear his proposition.
The promise is the deal will be so
good we can’t refuse.
HAGEN
What about that Tattaglias? What
will they do about Bruno?
SONNY
Part of the deal: Bruno cancels out
what they did to my father.
HAGEN
We should hear what they have to say.
SONNY
No, no Consiglere. Not this time.
No more meetings, no more
discussions, no more Sollozzo
tricks. Give them one message: I
WANT SOLLOZZO. If not, it’s all
out war. We go to the mattresses
and we put all the button men out
on the street.
HAGEN
The other families won’t sit still
for all out war.
SONNY
Then THEY hand me Sollozzo.
HAGEN
Come ON Sonny, your father wouldn’t
want to hear this. This is not a
personal thing, this is Business.
SONNY
And when they shot me father...
HAGEN
Yes, even the shooting of your
father was business, not personal...
SONNY
No no, no more advice on how to
patch it up Tom. You just help me
win. Understood?
HAGEN bows his head; he is deeply concerned.
HAGEN
I found out about this Captain
McCluskey who broke Mike’s jaw.
He’s definitely on Sollozzo’s
payroll, and for big money.
McCluskey’s agreed to be the Turk’s
bodyguard. What you have to
understand is that while Sollozzo
is guarded like this, he’s
invulnerable. Nobody has ever
gunned down a New York Police
Captain. Never. It would be
disastrous. All the five families
would come after you Sonny; the
Corleone family would be outcasts;
even the old man’s political
protection would run for cover. So
just...take that into consideration.
SONNY
(still fuming)
McCluskey can’t stay with the Turk
forever. We’ll wait.
MICHAEL
We can’t wait. No matter what
Sollozzo say about a deal, he’s
figuring out how to kill Pop. You
have to get Sollozzo now.
SONNY
The kid’s right.
HAGEN
What about McCluskey?
MICHAEL
Let’s say now that we have to kill
McCluskey. We’ll clear that up
through our Newspaper contacts later.
SONNY
Go on Mike.
MICHAEL
They want me to go to the conference
with Sollozzo. Set up the meeting
for two days from now. Sonny, get
our informers to find out where the
meeting will be held.
Insist it has to be a public place:
a bar or restaurant at the height
of the dinner hour. So I’ll feel
safe. They’ll check me when I meet
them so I won’t be able to carry a
weapon; but Clemenza, figure out a
way to have one planted there for
me.
(pause)
Then I’ll kill them both.
Everyone in the room is astonished; they all look at MICHAEL.
Silence. SONNY suddenly breaks out in laughter. He points
a finger at MICHAEL, trying to speak.
SONNY
You? You, the high-class college
kid. You never wanted to get mixed
up in the family business. Now you
wanta gun down a police Captain and
the Turk just because you got
slapped in the face. You’re taking
it personal, it’s just business and
he’s taking it personal.
Now CLEMENZA and TESSIO are also smiling; only HAGEN keeps
his face serious.
MICHAEL
(angrily, but cold)
Sonny, it’s all personal, and I
learned it from him, the old man,
the Godfather. He took my joining
the Marines personal. I take
Sollozzo trying to kill my father
personal, and you know I’ll kill
them Sonny.
MICHAEL radiates danger...SONNY stops laughing.
INT DAY: CLEMENZA’S CELLAR (WINTER 1945)
CLOSE on a revolver.
CLEMENZA (O.S.)
It’s as cold as they come,
impossible to trace.
(he turns it upside down)
Don’t worry about prints Mike, I
put a special tape on the trigger
and butt. Here.
(he hands the gun to
another pair of hands)
Whatsamatter? Trigger too tight.
(it fires: very LOUD)
I left it noisy, so it’ll scare any
pain-in-the-neck innocent bystander
away.
MICHAEL is alone with CLEMENZA in a cellar workshop.
CLEMENZA
Just let your hand drop to your
side, and let the gun slip out.
Everybody will still think you got
it. They’ll be starin’ at your
face, see? Then walk out of the
place real fast, but don’t run.
Don’t look anybody directly in the
eye, but don’t look away from them
neither. Hey, they’ll be scared
stiff o you, believe me. Nobody’s
gonna bother with you. Don’t worry
about nothing; you’d be surprised
how good these things go. O.K.,
put your hat on, let’s see how you
look. Helps with identification.
They put the hat on; CLEMENZA adjusts it.
CLEMENZA
Mostly it gives witnesses an excuse
to change their identification when
we make them see the light. Then
you take a long vacation and we
catch the hell.
MICHAEL
How bad will it be?
CLEMENZA
Probably all the other families
will line up against us. But, it’s
alright. These things have to
happen once every ten years or
so...gets rid of the bad blood.
You gotta stop ’em at the beginning.
Like they shoulda stopped Hitler at
Munich, they shoulda never let him
get away with that, they were just
asking for big trouble...
INT DAY: DON’S HALL & LIVING ROOM (WINTER 1945)
MICHAEL steps into the foyer of the main house. A card
table is set up with a man playing cards with three of the
Corleone buttonmen.
He continues into the living room. It’s a mess. SONNY
asleep on the sofa. On the coffee table are the remains of
a take-out Chinese food dinner, and a half-empty bottle of
whisky. The radio is playing.
MICHAEL
Why don’t you stop living like a
bum and get this place cleaned up.
SONNY
What are you, inspecting the
barracks?
(SONNY sits up with
his head in his hands)
You ready? Did Clemenza tell you
be sure to drop the gun right away?
MICHAEL
A million times.
SONNY
Sollozzo and McCluskey are going to
pick you up in an hour and a half
on Times Square, under the big
Camels sign.
HAGEN
We don’t let Mike go until we have
the hostage, Sonny.
CLEMENZA
It’s okay...the hostage is outside
playing pinochle with three of my
men.
The phone rings in the DON’s office.
SONNY
That could be a Tattaglia informer
with the meeting place.
INT DAY: D