Peacock original film The Godfather was released March 24, 1972.
#TheGodfather cleared $250.3M at the international box office / won best film.
rottentomatoes: 97%
metacritic: 100
imdb: 9.2
oscars: 3 wins
golden globes: 5 wins
Don Vito Corleone
Vito Andolini emigrates from Corleone, Sicily and builds an organized crime empire in New York City.
Best Actor in a Leading Role
1 win: 1973
Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
1 win: 1973
“Why did you go to the police? What is that? That I cannot do. We’ve known each other many years, but this is the first time you ever came to me for counsel, for help. I can’t remember the last time that you invited me to your house for a cup of coffee. Even though my wife is godmother to your only child. But let’s be frank here. You never wanted my friendship. And you were afraid to be in my debt.”
“I understand. You found paradise in America. You had a good trade, made a good living, police protected you and there were courts of law. You didn’t need a friend like me. But now you come to me and you say, ‘Don Corleone, give me justice.’ But you don’t ask with respect. You don’t offer friendship. You don’t even think to call me Godfather. Instead, you come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married and ask me to do murder for money.”
“That is not justice. Your daughter is still alive. Bonasera, Bonasera. What have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully? If you’d come to me in friendship, then the scum that ruined your daughter would be suffering this very day. And if by chance, an honest man like yourself should make enemies, then they would become my enemies. And then they would fear you. Good. Some day, and that day may never come, I’ll call upon you to do a service for me. But, uh… until that day, accept this justice as a gift on my daughter’s wedding day. Prego.”
“Give this to Clemenza. I want reliable people people that aren’t going to be carried away. We were not murderers, in spite of what this undertaker says. Where’s Michael? We’re not taking the picture without Michael.”
“Don Barzini. Nazorine, my friend, what can I do for you? You want Enzo to stay in this country, and you want your daughter to be married. Not to our paisan. Give it to a Jew Congressman in another district. Who else is on the list? Is this… is this necessary? All right.”
“Thank you, Luca. My most valued friend. Thank you.”
“What is that outside? He came all the way from California to come to the wedding. I told you he was going to come! He’s a good godson. I’ll take care of it. Tom… I want you to find Santino. Tell him to come to the office.”
“What’s his name? You can act like a man! What’s the matter with you? IS this how you turned out? A Hollywood finocchio that cries like a woman? ‘What can I do? What can I do?’ What is that nonsense? Ridiculous. You spend time with your family? Good. Because a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man. You look terrible. I want you to eat. Want you to rest well, and in a month from now this Hollywood big shot’s gonna give you what you want. I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse. Now, just go outside, enjoy yourself, and forget about all this nonsense. I want you to leave it all to me.”
“What time does my daughter leave with the bridegroom? Never. Give him a living, but never discuss the family business with him. What else? We’ll discuss it when you come back from California. I want you to go tonight. I want you to talk to this movie big shot and settle this business for Johnny. Now, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to go to my daughter’s wedding.”
“You’re not too tired, are you, Tom? What about his prison record? Santino, what do you think? Tom?”
“What is the interest for my family? And what is the interest for the Tattaglia family? So I receive 30% for finance, political influence and legal protection, that’s what your telling me? Why do you come to me? Why do I deserve this generosity? I said that I would see you, because I heard that you were a serious man, to be treated with respect. But, I must say no to you. And I’ll give you my reasons. It’s true, I have a lot of friends in politics. But they wouldn’t be friendly very long if they knew my business was drugs instead of gambling, which they regard as a harmless vice, but drugs is a dirty business.”
“It doesn’t make any difference to me what a man does for a living, you understand. But your business is… a little dangerous. Wait a minute. I have a sentimental weakness for my children, and I spoil them, as you can see… they talk when they should listen. But anyway… signor Sollozzo, my no is final. And I wish to congratulate you on your new business. I know you’ll do very well, and good luck to you. Especially since your interests don’t conflict with mine. Thank you. Santino. Come here. What’s the matter with you? I think your brain is going soft from all that comedy you’re playing with that young girl. Never tell anybody outside the family what you’re thinking again. Go on. Tom, what… what is this nonsense?”
“Huh. Take it away. Take it over there. And, uh… tell Luca Brasi to come in. I’m a little worried about this Sollozzo fellow. I want you to find out what he’s got under his fingernails, you know. Go to the Tattaglias. Make them think you’re not too happy with our family and find out what you can.”
“Andiamo, Fredo. Tell Paulie to get the car. We’re going. Paulie called in sick this morning. Huh? Buon natale, Caro.”
“Fredo, I’m going to buy some fruit. Merry Christmas. I want some fruit.”
Sonny Corleone
“Don’t worry, it’s early. It’s Michael.”
“Hey, Sandra, come on, do me a favor. Watch the kids. Don’t let them run wild, all right?”
“Hey! Partire. Get out of here! It’s a private party. Go on! What is it? Hey, it’s my sister’s wedding. Goddamn FBI don’t respect nothing! Hey! Come here, come here, come here, come here!”
“What? All right, one minute.”
“A lot of money in that white powder. So? What’s your answer gonna be, Pop?”
“Are you telling me the Tattaglias would guarantee our investment…”
“Michael, where you been? We don’t know yet. There are all kinds of stories. He was hit bad, Mikey. Are you there? Where have you been? I was worried. No. Look, come home, kid. You should be with Mama, you hear? Stay back there. Who is it? What’s the matter… what’s the matter with you? Where was Paulie? How many times he been sick? Pick him up now. Do me a favour, pick him up right now. I don’t care how sick he is. If he’s breathing, I want you to bring him to my father’s house now, you understand? Now. No, no, no. Just you and him. Go ahead. Okay, I’m… I’m going to have a couple of our people come over to the house. Couple of our people. Hello? Yeah.”
“Hey, stay out of it, Mickey. Do me a favour. I don’t know if Luca sold out, we’re in a lot of trouble. Believe me, lot of trouble. Hey, Mickey, do me a favor… well, Tom, you’re consigliere. What do we do if the old man dies? God forbid. You know, that’s easy for you to say, Tom. He’s not your father. What is it? Yeah? Yessio, go see what it is. Yeah, hang around. You all right? Yeah? There’s some food in the house. Are you hungry or anything? How about a drink? How about a little brandy? It’s good to sweat it out. Go ahead. Yeah, right. I want you to take care of that son-of-a-bitch, right away. Paulie sold out the old man. That stronz… I don’t wanna see him again. Make that the first thing on your list. Understand? Hey, Mickey, tomorrow, you get a couple of guys, you go over to Luca’s apartment. Hang around, wait for him to show up.”
“Listen, uh… hanging around the house on the phone would be a big help, huh? Try Luca again. What the hell is this?”
“Why don’t you cut the crap. I have more important things for you to do. How’s Paulie? Where are you going? Send some bodyguards with him, all right? Nevermind, send somebody with him. Be careful, huh? Send somebody with him anyway.”
“What? Nobody? Don’t panic. I’ll send somebody.”
“Tamaduch! Hey… a 100 buttonmen on the street 24 hours a day. That Turk shows one hair on his ass, he’s dead. Hey, Mike, come here. Let me look at you. You look beautiful, beautiful. You’re gorgeous.”
Michael Corleone
Best Actor in a Leading Role
1 nomination: 1975
Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
1 nomination: 1975
“He’s a very scary guy. His name is Luca Brasi. He helps my father out sometimes. Hey! My brother Tom Hagen, Miss Kay Adams.”
“Oh, back when my brother, Sonny, was a kid, he found Tom Hagen on the street. And he had no home, and so my father took him in. And he’s been with us ever since. He’s a good lawyer. Not a Sicilian. I think he’s going to be consigliere. That’s a, like a counselor, an advisor. Very important to the family. You like your lasagna?”
“Sure. You want to meet him? My father helped him with his career. Let’s listen to this song. Well, when Johnny was first starting out, he was signed to this personal service contract with a big bandleader. And as his career got better and better, he wanted to get out of it. Now, Johnny is my father’s godson. And my father went to see this bandleader. And he offered him $10,000 to let Johnny go, but the bandleader said no. So the next day my father went to see him, only this time with Luca Brasi. And within an hour, he signed a release for a certified check of $1,000.”
“My father made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brain or his signature would be on the contract. That’s a true story. That’s my family, Kay. It’s not me.”
“How are you Fredo? Fredo. My brother Fredo, this is Kay Adams. Are you having a good time? Huh?”
“Wait a minute.”
“What do you want for Christmas?”
“No. Now, that’s a thought. No, I wouldn’t like you better if you were Ingrid Bergman. What’s the matter? They don’t say if he’s dead or alive. Sonny, Michael. Is he all right? Didn’t Tom tell you I called? All right. I’ll wait.”
“You gonna kill all those guys?”
“Who is it? Hello. Kay? He’s good. He’s going to make it. Huh? Yeah, I know. I can’t talk. Yeah, I’ll see you tonight. To the city. No, I’m going to the hospital… yes, sir.”
“I have to go. No, Kay. There’s gonna be detectives there, people from the press. I don’t want you to get involved. Go back to New Hampshire, and I’ll call you at your parents’ house. I don’t know.”
“I’m Michael Corleone. This is my father. There’s nobody here. What happened to the guards? Get me Long Beach 45620, please. Nurse. Wait a minute. Stay here. Sonny, Michael. I’m at the hospital. Listen, I got here late, there’s nobody here. Nobody. No Tessio’s men, no detectives, nobody. Papa’s all alone. I won’t panic. Uh… you and I are going to move my father to another room. Now, can you disconnect those tubes so we can move the bed out? Do you know my father? Men are coming here to kill him. Do you understand? Now, help me, please.”
“Who are you? Enzo. You’d better go, there’s going to be trouble. All right. Listen. Wait for me outside, in front of the hospital, all right? I’ll be out in a minute. Go ahead. Just lie here, Pop. I’ll take care of you now. I’m with you now. I’m with you. Get rid of these. Come here. Put your hand in your pocket, like you have a gun. You’ll be all right. You’ll be okay. You did good.”
“What happened to the men who were guarding my father? I’m not moving until you put some guys around my father’s room. I’m not moving until you put some guys around my father’s room. What’s The Turk paying you to set up my father, Captain?”
Tom Hagen
“What’s the matter?”
“Have to go back to work. It’s part of the wedding. No Sicilian can refuse any request on his daughter’s wedding day.”
“Who should I give this job to? He’s not on the list, but Luca Brasi wants to see you. He didn’t expect to be invited to the wedding, so he wanted to thank you.”
“Michael! You look terrific! How do you do? Nice to meet you. Your father’s been asking for you. Very nice to meet you.”
“Senator Cauley apologized for not coming personally, but said you’d understand. Also some of the judges. They’ve all sent gifts. Been two years. He’s probably in trouble again. Sonny? Sonny? Sonny? Sonny, are you in there? The old man wants to see you.”
“In a few minutes, right after they cut the cake. Now your new son-in-law, do we give him something important? Virgil Sollozzo called. Now, we’re gonna have to give him a day sometime next week. When am I going to California?”
“I was sent by a friend of Johnny Fontane. This friend is my client. He would give his undying friendship to Mr. Woltz, if Mr. Woltz would grant us a small favor. Give Johnny the part in that new war film you’re starting next week. You’re gonna have some union problems, my client could make them disappear. Also one of your top stars has just moved from marijuana to heroin. Absolutely not… I’m German-Irish. Mr. Woltz. I’m a lawyer. I have not threatened… I have a special practice. I handle one client. Now you have my number, I’ll wait for your call. By the way, I admire your pictures very much.”
“It’s really beautiful. Yeah. Very nice. I don’t like to use his name until it’s really necessary. Fine.”
“Corleone is Johnny’s godfather. To the Italian people that’s a very religious, sacred, close relationship. Well, he never asks a second favor when he’s been refused the first. Understood? Thank you for the dinner and a very pleasant evening. Maybe your car can take me to the airport. Mr. Corleone is a man who insists on hearing bad news immediately.”
“Oh, no, I slept on the plane. I have the Sollozzo notes here. Now… Sollozzo is known as The Turk. He’s supposed to be very good with a knife, but only in matters of business with some sort of reasonable complaint. Uh, his business is narcotics. He has fields in Turkey, where they grow poppy. In Sicily he has plants to process them into heroin. Now, he needs cash, he needs protection from the police. For which, he gives a piece of the action. I couldn’t find out how much. The Tattaglia family is behind him here in New York. Now, they have to be in it for something.
“Two terms. One in Italy, one here. He’s known as a top narcotics man. Well I say, yes. There’s more money potential in narcotics than anything else we’re looking at. Now, if we don’t get into it, somebody else will. Maybe one of the five families, maybe all of them. Now with the money they earn, they can buy more police and political power. Then they come after us. Now we have the unions, we have the gambling, and they’re the best things to have, but narcotics is the thing of the future. If we don’t get a piece of that action, we risk everything we have. I mean, not now, but in 10 years from now.”
“It’s from Johnny. He’s starring in that new film.”
“Well, I haven’t got time.”
“Sonny will come after you with everything he’s got. I’ll try. But even Sonny won’t be able to call off Luca Brasi. I’ll do my best.”
“Sollozzo’s the key, you get rid of him, everything fall into line. What about Luca? Sollozzo thinks he can control him. Has anyone been able to get in touch with Luca? Luca never sleeps over with a broad. If we lose the old man, we lose the political contacts and half our strength. The other New York families might wind up supporting Sollozzo just to avoid a long, destructive war. This is almost 1946. Nobody wants bloodshed anymore. If your father dies, you make the deal, Sonny. I was as much a son to him, as you or Mike. Uh, maybe we shouldn’t get Mike mixed up in this too directly.”
“I’m the attorney for the Corleone family. These men are private detectives hired to protect Vito Corleone. They’re licensed to carry firearms. If you interfere, you’ll have to appear before the judge in the morning and show cause.”
Kay Adams
“Michael… that man over there is talking to himself. See that scary guy over there? Well, who is he? What’s his name? Oh, Michael, wait… he’s coming over here! How do you do, Tom? Nice to meet you.”
“If he’s your brother, why does he have a different name? What’s that? You never told me you knew Johnny Fontane! Huh? Oh… great! Sure. He did? How? No, Michael… please, Michael. Tell me. Well, how did he do that? What was that?”
“No, Michael. Not me.”
“I got something for your mother and for Sonny and a tie for Freddy, and Tom Hagen got the Reynolds pen. Me? Oh… just you.”
“Mike, would you like me better if I were a nun? Like in the story, you know. Well then, would you like me better if I were Ingrid Bergman? Michael. Mike.”
“How’s your father? I love you. I love you! Michael? Tell me you love me. Can’t you say it?”
“Can I go with you? Well, I’ll wait in the cab. When will I see you again?”
Johnny Fontane
“♪ This heart I bring you ♪ I have but one heart ♪ To share with you ♪ I have but one dream ♪ That I can cling to ♪ You are the one dream ♪ I pray comes true ♪ My, darling, until I saw you ♪”
“I don’t know what to do. My voice is weak. It’s weak. Anyway, if I had this part in the picture, you know, it puts me right back up on top again. This man out there. He won’t give it to me, the head of the studio. Woltz. Woltz, he… he won’t give it to me, and he says there’s no chance. No chance.”
“A month ago he bought the movie rights to this book, a best-seller. And the main character is a guy just like me. Why, you know, I wouldn’t even have to act. Just be myself. Godfather, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do. Sure I do. It’s too late, they start shooting in a week. All right.”
Sollozzo
“There. Don Corleone. I need a man who has powerful friends. I need a million dollars in cash. I need, Don Corleone, those politicians you carry in your pocket, like so many nickels and dimes. 30%. In the first year your end should be three, four million dollars. And then it would go up. My compliments. I’ll take care of the Tattaglias, out of my share. That’s right. If you consider a million dollars in cash just finance, te salud, Don Corleone.”
“Oh, Don Corleone… of you’re worried about security for your million, the Tattaglias will guarantee it.”
“You know who I am? You have been talking to the Tattaglia family… right? I think you and I can do business. I need someone strong like you. I heard you are not happy… …with the Corleone family. Want to join me? $50,000 to start with. Agreed?”
“Tom! Tom Hagen. Merry Christmas. Hey! I’m glad I ran into you. I want to talk to you. Make time, Consigliere. Get in the car. What are you worried about? If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already. Get in.”
“Santino Corleone? We have Tom Hagen. You got three hours he’ll be released with our proposition. Listen to everything he has to say before you do anything. What’s done is done. And don’t lose that famous temper of yours, eh, Sonny?”
“Your boss is dead. I know you’re not in the muscle end of the family, Tom, so I don’t want you to be scared. I want you to help the Corleones and I want you to help me. Yeah, we got him outside his office just about an hour after we picked you up. Drink it. So now, it’s up to you to make the peace between me and Sonny. Sonny was hot for my deal, wasn’t he? And you knew it was the right thing to do. That will be his first reaction, sure. That’s why you gotta talk some sense into him. The Tattaglia family is behind me with all their people. The other New York families will go along with anything that will prevent the full-scale war. Let’s face it, Tom and all due respect, the Don, rest in peace, was slipping. Ten years ago, could I have gotten to him? Well, now he’s dead. He’s dead, Tom, and nothing can bring him back. So you gotta talk to Sonny, you gotta talk to the Caporegimes, Tessio, and that fat Clemenza. It’s good business, Tom. Yeah, well… let me worry about Luca. You just talk to Sonny. And the other two kids. Good. Now you can go. I don’t like violence, Tom. I’m a businessman. Blood is a big expense.”
“He’s still alive. They hit him with five shots, and he’s still alive! That’s bad luck for me, and bad luck for you if you don’t make that deal.”
Fredo Corleone
“Hi. How are you doing? This is my brother Mike. Yeah. This is your friend, huh?”
“Okay, Pop. I’ll have to get it myself, Pa. Paulie’s a good kid. I don’t mind getting the car.”
“Okay, Pop.”
Mama Corloene
“No! No! No!”
“Johnny, Johnny! Sing a song! Beautiful!”
“Carlo, we’re going to take the picture.”
Clemenza
“Hey, Paulie! Let me have some wine. Paulie! More wine. What, are you a dance judge or something? Go take a walk around the neighborhood. Do your job.”
“Open up, it’s Clemenza. There’s more news about your old man. Word is out on the street that he’s already dead. Sonny, take it easy! Take it easy! Paulie was out sick. He’s been sick all winter. Only maybe three, four times. I mean, I asked Freddy if he wants me to get a different bodyguard. He said no. Yeah, you want me to send any people over here?”
“Your mother is over in the hospital with your father. Looks like he’s gonna pull through. Thank God.”
“It’s a lot of bad blood. Sollozzo, Philip Tattaglia, Bruno Tattaglia, Ramon… yeah, we’ve been trying all night. He might be shacked up. Hey, Paulie, I thought I told you to stay put. Understood.”
“I’m going now. I don’t know. Probably late. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That Sonny’s running wild. He thinking of going to the mattresses already. We gotta find a spot on the West Side. Try 309 West 43rd Street. You know any good spots on the West Side? Well, think about it while you’re driving, will ya? I want to hit New York sometime this month. And watch out for the kids when you’re backing out.”
“Hey, Paulie, I want you to go down 39th Street, Carlo Santos, pick up 18 mattresses for the guy to sleep with, you bring me the bill. Make sure they’re clean, because those guys are gonna be stuck up in there for a long time, you know. Exterminate? That’s a bad word to use. Exterminate! Look at this guy. Watch out, so we don’t exterminate you! Pull over, will you? I’ve got to take a leak. Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.”
“Hey, Mike! Hey, Mikey! Yeah. You’re wanted on the telephone. Some girl. Hey Mikey, why don’t you tell that nice girl you love her? I love you with all my heart. If I don’t see you soon, I’m going to die! Come over here, kid, learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for 20 guys some day. You see, you start out with a little bit of oil, then you fry some garlic. Then you throw in some tomatoes, some tomato paste, you fry it and make sure it doesn’t stick. You get it to a boil, you shove in all your sausage and meatballs. Huh? And a little bit of wine. And a little bit of sugar. And that’s my trick. Oh, Paulie. Won’t see him no more. He’ll be all right. Sollozzo knows he’s a civilian.”
“What’s with all the new faces? Jesus Christ. Looks like a fortress around here.”
Tessio
“That’s a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.”
“We’ll need them now. After the hospital thing, Sonny got mad. We hit Bruno Tattaglia four o’clocl this morning.”
Luca Brasi
“Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your home. Don Corleone, I’m honored and grateful that you have invited me to your home on the wedding day of your daughter. May their first child be a masculine child.”
“Don Corleone. I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your daughter’s wedding. On the day of your daughter’s wedding. And I hope that their first child will be a masculine child. I pledge my ever-ending loyalty. For your daughter’s bridal purse.”
“Don Corleone, I’m going to leave you now, because I know you’re busy.”
“I know. I know you. What’s in it for me? Not bad!”
Sandra Corleone
“Well, you watch yourself, all right?”
“Oh, my God. Sonny!”
Connie Corleone Rizzi
“Johnny! Johnny! Johnny! I love you!”
Wedding
“Music plays. Ah, you look terrific on the floor.”
“20, 30 grand. In small bills, cash. In that little silk purse. If this were somebody else’s wedding… Sfortunato!”
“Hey, Paulie! I got two gabagool, capocol, and a proscuit. Stupid jerk!”
“Hey, what’s the matter? Oh, Tom.”
“…but towards the end, he was paroled to help with the American war effort, so for the last six months he’s been working in my pastry shop. Now, that the war is over, this boy, Enzo, they want to repatriate him back to Italy. Godfather, I have a daughter. You see, she and Enzo… you understand everything. Mr. Hagen. Thank you. Wait will you see the beautiful wedding cake I made for your daughter! Oof, like this! The bride and the groom with the angel…”
“Hey, Michael!”
“Signora Corleone!”
“Oh, Sonny!”
“Okay, that’s it. Just like that now. Hold it!”
Bruno Tattaglia
“Luca! I’m Bruno Tattaglia.”
Paulie
“Well, the guy at the gates. They… they said they got a package. You want me to hang around? Yeah, I’m all right. No, it’s all right. All right, sure. That might be a good idea.”
“Rocco, sit on the other side. You block the rear-view mirror. Yeah, I’ll think about it.”
“Yeah, all right. They’re clean and they told me, they exterminate them.”
Clemenza’s wife
“What time are you gonna be home tonight? Don’t forget the cannoli!”
Nurse
“What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be here now. Your father just had too many visitors. They interfered with hospital service. The police made them leave about 10 minutes ago. I’m sorry. But you will have to leave. That’s out of the question!”
Enzo
“I am Enzo, the baker. Do you remember me? Yes, Enzo. If there is trouble, I’ll stay here to help you. For your father. For your father. Okay.”
Police Chief
“I thought I got all you Guinea hoods locked up! What the hell are you doing here? Why, you little punk! What the hell are you doing telling me my business? I pulled them guys offa here, eh. Now you get outta here and stay away from this hospital! Phil, take him in!”
“The kid’s clean, Captain. He’s a war hero. He’s never been…”
“God damn it. I said take him in! Take a hold of him. Stand him up. Stand him up straight. All right. Let him go. Come on.”
Jack Woltz
“All right, start talking. Woltz is listening. And, uh… what favor would your friend grant Mr. Woltz? Are you trying to muscle me? Now, listen to me, you smooth talking son-of-a-bitch! Let me lay it on the line for you and your boss, whoever he is. Johnny Fontane will never get that movie! I don’t care how many Dago Guinea wop greaseball goombahs come out of the wordwork! Well, let me tell you something my Kraut-Mick friend. I’m going to make so much trouble for you! You won’t know what hit ya. I know every big lawyer in New York. Who the hell are you? Check him out.”
“Look at this. It used to decorate the palace of a king. Why didn’t you say you work for Corleone, Tom? I thought you were some cheap two-bit hustler Johnny was running in, trying to bluff me. How’s your drink, Tom? Hey come on over here with me. I wanna show you something really beautiful. You do appreciate beauty, don’t you? There you are. $600,000 on four hoofs. I’ll bet Russian czars never paid that kinda dough for a single horse. Khartoum. I’m not going to race him, though. I’m going to put him out to stud. Thanks, Tony. Let’s get something to eat, huh?”
“And I respect that. Just tell him, he should ask me anything else. But this is one favor I can’t give him. You don’t understand. Johnny Fontane never gets that movie. That part is perfect for him. It’ll make him a big star. I’m going to run him out of the business, and let me tell you why. Johnny Fontane ruined one of Woltz International’s most valuable proteges. For five years, we had her under training. Singing lessons, acting lessons, dancing lessons. I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on her, I was gonna make her a big star. And let me be even more Frank. Just to show you that I’m not a hardhearted man. That it’s not all dollars and cents. She was beautiful. She was young, she was innocent! She’s the greatest piece of ass I’ve ever had and I’ve had them all over the world. And then Johnny Fontane comes along with his olive oil voice and Guinea charm. And she runs off. She threw it all away just to make me look ridiculous! And a man in my position can’t afford to be made to look ridiculous! Now you get the hell out of here! If that goombah tries any rough stuff, you tell him I ain’t no bandleader. Yeah, I heard that story.”
Bonasera
“I believe in America. America has made my fortune. And I raised my daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom, but I taught her never to dishonor her family. She found a boyfriend, not an Italian. She went to the movies with him. She stayed out late. I didn’t protest. Two months ago he took her for a drive with another boyfriend. 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, held together by wire. She couldn’t even weep because of the pain. But I wept. Why did I weep? She was the light of my life. Beautiful girl. Now she will never be beautiful again.”
“I went to the police, like a good American. These two boys were brought to trial. The judge sentenced them to three years in prison, but suspended the sentence. Suspended the sentence! They went free that very day! I stood in the courtroom like a fool. And those two bastards, they smiled at me. Then I said to my wife, ‘for justice, we must go to Don Corleone.’ What did you want of me? Tell me anything, but do what I beg you to do. I want them dead. I’ll give you anything you ask.”
“I didn’t want to get into trouble. I ask you for justice.”
“Let them suffer, then, as she suffers. How much shall I pay you? Be my friend? Godfather? Grazie, Godfather.”
Vito Andolini
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1 win: 1975
