The Godfather Scene 9

VITO CORLEONE *sitting next to Tom on the couch*: Tom I advise Michael. I never thought you were a bad Consiglieri. I thought Santino was a bad Don, rest in peace. Michael has all my confidence, as...as you do. But uh there are reasons why you must have no part in what is going to happen.

TOM *to Michael*: Maybe I could help...

MICHAEL *curtly*: You're out, Tom. *Don Vito pats Tom on the shoulder, gets up, and walks over to Michael. He pats Michael on the chest, then his face.*

[DISSOLVE TO: A MONTAGE OF LAS VEGAS]

[The Desert Inn featuring Patti Page, El Rancho Vegas featuring Joe E. Lewis & Gloria DeHave, and the Sands featuring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis. We hear Vegas-style music.]

[DISSOLVE TO: LAS VEGAS HOTEL]

[A limo drives to the entrance, and Fredo and Michael get out.]

[DISSOLVE TO: Fredo, Michael, Hagen, Neri, Rocco and bellboys walk towards a hotel room.]

FREDO *to Michael*: 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 bellboys carrying the luggage* Hey hey hey hey hey, wait! Hey – leave them out here we'll deal with them later...*after the bellboys stop* He's tired – he wants to clean up. But right now, let me open the door, alright? *Fredo opens the door. From the room comes music as Fredo waltzes in. The band, consisting of an accordion, a standup bass, and a piano, plays "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." There are four Vegas girls sitting around the table as the band then plays "Mona Lisa." Michael is not pleased. Johnny Fontane is standing behind the table.*

JOHNNY: Hello, Mike. Welcome to Las Vegas!

FREDO: It's all for you, kid – eh *towards Johnny* It's all his idea, right? Didn't you?

JOHNNY: Well, your brother Freddy...

FREDO: Well it was – hey, girls here...Hah...I'll be right back...

JOHNNY *to Fredo*: All right...okay

FREDO *to Johnny*: You keep 'em occupied...*to Michael* Anything you want, kid...anything. Huh?

MICHAEL *curtly*: Who are the girls?

FREDO: 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. *exiting the shot* Get rid of the band, too.

FREDO *to the girls*: Hey, just take off! Come on, take off!
Let's go. Hey – Angelo...*then* Hey, come on. SCRAM!

JOHNNY *to the blonde he kisses*: Come on, honey, let's go

FREDO *to Johnny*: Come on... I don't know, Johnny. I don't know what the hell's the matter with him. *to a girl* I'm sorry, babe, come on... *to the band* I don't know, he's tired... he's...

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. *to Johnny, as they shake hands* Johnny, how are you?

JOHNNY: Hello, Mike nice to see you again.

MICHAEL: We're all proud of you...

JOHNNY: Thanks, Mike.

MICHAEL: Sit down, Johnny – I want to talk to you. *then* The Don's proud of you, too, Johnny.

JOHNNY: Well I uh, 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. *after Johnny hmmms* Now Moe Greene will sell us his share of the casino and the hotel so it could be completely owned by the Family. *gesturing towards Tom* Tom.

FREDO: Hey, Mike, are you sure about that? Moe loves the business – he never said nothin' to me about selling...

MICHAEL: Yeah well I'll make him an offer he can't refuse. *after Tom hands Michael a set of contracts* See, Johnny...see we figure that entertainment will be a big factor in drawing gamblers to the casino. And, we hope you'll sign a contract to appear five times a year. *then* Perhaps uh...convince some of your friends
in the movies to do the same. We're counting on you...

JOHNNY: Sure, Mike. I'll do anything for my Godfather...you know that.

MICHAEL *as he and Johnny shake hands*: Good.

MOE GREEN *as he enters the room*: Hey, Mike! Hello, fellas...everybody's here. Freddy. Tom. Good to see you, Mike...

MICHAEL *shaking Moe's hand*: How are you, Moe?

MOE *to Mike, as Johnny exits*: All right you got everything you want? The chef cooked for you special...the dancers will kick your tongue out, and your credit is good. *to one of Moe's employees*
Draw chips for everybody in the room so they can play on the house.

MICHAEL *as Moe sits down*: My credit good enough to buy you out?

MOE *laughs, and so does Fredo who massages Moe's back*: Buy me out?

MICHAEL: The casino...the hotel. Corleone Family wants to buy you out.

MOE *angry*: 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 skimmin' off the top, Mike?

MICHAEL: You're unlucky

MOE *standing, angrily laughs*: 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 talking 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 uh Moe didn't mean nothin' by that. Sure he flies off the handle once in a while, but Moe and me we're good friends, right Moe? Huh?

MOE: I gotta 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: 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?

MICHAEL *collecting his things from the table before he stands*: I leave for New York tomorrow. Think about a price.

MOE *angry*: Son-of-a-bitch – Do you know who I am? I'm Moe Greene! I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleaders!

FREDO: Wait a minute, Moe...Moe, I got an idea...*to Tom* Tom...Tom, you're the Consiglieri and you can talk to the Don – you can explain...

TOM: Just a minute now – the Don is semi-retired and Mike is in charge of the Family business now. If you have anything to say, say it to Michael.

FREDO *after Moe storms out*: 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.

CUT TO: CORLEONE MALL

[Michael's limo drives through the gate with him, Kay, and Anthony. Anthony is sitting on Michael's lap.]

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. *after Kay hmmmms* We'll go to the city. We'll see a show and we'll have dinner. I promise.

KAY *after she and Michael kiss*: Okay...*then* 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: Oh, well we'll see...

KAY: Will you?

MICHAEL: Lemme think about it – we'll see. Come on.

[DISSOLVE TO: THE DON'S GARDEN]

[The Don, older looking now, sits with Michael.]

VITO 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. *as the Don drinks from a glass of wine as Michael watches him* I like to drink wine more than I used to anyway, I'm drinking more...

MICHAEL: It's good for you, Pop.

VITO CORLEONE *after a long pause*: I don't know your wife and children. Are you happy with them?

MICHAEL: Very happy...

VITO CORLEONE: That's good. *then* I hope you don't mind the way I...I keep going over this Barzini business...

MICHAEL: No, not at all...

VITO CORLEONE: It's an old habit. I spent my life trying not to be careless. Women and children can be careless, but not men. *then* How's your boy?

MICHAEL: He's good.

VITO CORLEONE: You know he looks more like you every day.

MICHAEL *smiling*: He's smarter than I am. Three years old, he can read the funny papers

VITO CORLEONE *laughs*: Read the funny papers. *then* Oh...well...eh, I want you to arrange to have a telephone man check all the calls that go in and out of here because...

MICHAEL: I did it already, Pop.

VITO CORLEONE: Ya know, cuz it could be anyone...

MICHAEL: Pop, I took care of that.

VITO CORLEONE: Oh, that's right. I forgot.

MICHAEL: *reaching over, touching his father*: What's the matter? What's bothering you? *after the Don doesn't answer* I'll handle it. I told you I can handle it, I'll handle it.

VITO CORLEONE *as he stands*: I knew that Santino was going to have to go through all this. And Fredo...well...*after he sits besides
Michael* Fredo was...well. But I never...I never wanted this for you. I work my whole life, I don't apologize, to take care of my family. And I refused to be a fool dancing on the string, held by all those bigshots. I don't apologize that's my life but I thought that...that when it was your time that...that you would be the one to hold the strings. Senator Corleone. Governor Corleone, or something...

MICHAEL: Another pezzonovante...

VITO CORLEONE: Well this wasn't enough time, Michael. Wasn't enough time...

MICHAEL: We'll get there, Pop. We'll get there...

VITO CORLEONE: Uh...*after kissing Michael on the cheek* Now listen. Whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting – he's the traitor. Don't forget that.

[DISSOLVE TO: THE DON'S TOMATO GARDEN – DAY]

[The Don is with Michael's son, Anthony.]

ANTHONY: Can I hold it, please? *taking the spray can from the Don* Yeah, I will take care...

VITO CORLEONE: Come're...come're...come're

[The Don shows Anthony how to use the spray can.]

ANTHONY: Can I water these?

VITO CORLEONE: Yeah over here...over here. Be careful, you're spilling it. You're spilling it... *after Anthony sprays a tomato plant* Anthony...com'ere...com'ere...com'ere... com'ere. There, that's right. We'll put it right there. Aie watch this. Come here.
I'll show you something, come here. Now you stand there...The Don cuts a piece of orange.

ANTHONY: Give me orange...The Don turns away and puts the piece of orange over his teeth. He turns toward Anthony, grunting and holding his arms up like a monster. Anthony is startled, and starts to cry. The Don rises, grabbing the boy.

VITO CORLEONE *laughing*: Oh no? *after picking up Anthony
then setting him down again* That's a new trick. *pointing to the tomato garden* You run in there...run in there... Anthony runs through the tomato garden, laughing, with the spray can. He and the Don are chasing each other.

ANTHONY *laughing*: See where are you? *then* Get down! The Don takes the orange peel out of his mouth, laughs, then coughs. He starts to fall, grabs for a plant, then falls to the ground. Anthony is still laughing and running around.

ANTHONY: I love you...*as he runs up to the Don with the spray can* Uh...uh...uh...uh...uh...uh...ouch! Anthony, seeing the Don's lifeless body, runs to the house.

[DISSOLVE TO: CEMETERY – DAY]

[We hear church bells as a procession of cars drives in. Chauffeurs
open car doors to let mourners out, including that old man who
sang Luna Mezz'o Mare at Connie's wedding reception. Michael, Tom, Mama, Connie and others are sitting in chairs in front of the
Don's flower-covered casket. They watch as mourners place single
red roses on top. We see Johnny, Clemenza, and his wife toss roses. Barzini tosses a rose, and glances at Michael and nods. We
see Tessio walking from Barzini, towards Michael.]

TESSIO *into Michael's ear*: Mike, could I have a minute? *after Michael and Tessio move away from the others* Barzini wants to arrange a meeting. He says we can straighten any of our problems out...

MICHAEL: You talked to him?

TESSIO: Yeah – I can arrange security. On my territory. Alright?

MICHAEL: Alright...

TESSIO: Alright.

TOM *after Michael sits besides him again*: Do you know how they're gonna come at'cha?

MICHAEL: They're arranging a meeting in Brooklyn. Tessio's ground, where I'll be "safe".

TOM: I always thought it would've been Clemenza, not Tessio...

MICHAEL: It's a smart move – Tessio was always smarter. But I'm gonna wait – after the baptism. I've decided to be Godfather to Connie's baby. And then I'll meet with Don Barzini – and Tattaglia – all of the heads of the Five Families...

CUT TO: FULL SHOT OF THE INTERIOR OF A CHURCH

[Organ music is heard, and the baby is crying. Kay carries Carlo & Connie's baby toward the altar, followed my Michael.]

PRIEST *something in Latin; continues after breathing on baby three times; in Latin*: "Let us pray..." *after Michael and Kay untie
the baby's bonnet; something in Latin* While the priest continues off screen:

CUT TO: HOTEL ROOM

[Rocco is preparing his machine gun.]