The Godfather: Part II Page #3

FREDO:

Goddamn b*tch.

DEANNA:

Relax, Freddie honey. Come dance

with me.

She extends her hand to him.

FREDO:

Listen, Michael's got a lot of nice

people here. Friends of Kay's.

He'll never forgive me if you ruin

his party.

DEANNA:

I hate to see you cringe in front

of him. How come you're so scared

of your own kid brother?

FREDO:

He's the head of the family.

Disgusted, she turns around, and heads toward the music.

DEANNA:

Don't follow me!

EXT. TAHOE LAWN AND TABLES - MED. SHOT - DAY

Rushing through the tables, waving an arm jangling with gold

jewelry, and carrying several gift-wrapped packages, is a

hardened and aging CONNIE CORLEONE. She is followed by a

blond, and wrinkled-handsome escort named MERLE.

CONNIE:

Mama...Mama! Here I am!

She throws her arms around her Mother, who returns the

affection somewhat reproachfully.

MAMA:

Constanzia. We expected you last

week; we sent the car to pick you

up at the airport last week.

CONNIE:

I know, it was chaos; but anyway,

here I am one week late.

(lifting a shiny

green package out of

Merle's arms)

This is for my Mama. You remember

Merle?

MAMA:

(not giving him a

chance to greet her)

Yes, thank you.

CONNIE:

How are the kids?

MAMA:

Well, thank you, they asked for you

all week.

CONNIE:

I got surprises for everybody!

MAMA:

(glancing at the wrapping)

Bought at the airport.

CONNIE:

(gazing about)

This is swell. Where's Michael?

I've got things to get straight

with him and I can't wait on line.

MAMA:

You go see your children first, and

then you wait to see your brother

like everybody else.

EXT. THE BOATHOUSE - DAY

A porch-like foyer of the boathouse, where a group of five

or six men wait, some nervously. Some sit, and some pace.

MED. CLOSE VIEW

on one of these men, FRANKIE PENTANGELI, approaching his

sixties, with gray hair (the little of it left). He's a bit

scruffy, this morning's shave of his white beard is not

perfect, and he seems tired. He is accompanied by an

associate-bodyguard, WILLY CICCI; thin and dark, and also

dressed up for the occasion. Frankie tries to get the

attention of one of the waiters; a college-groomed young man

in white sports jacket and black bow-tie.

PENTANGELI:

Hey, kid! You got any red wine?

WAITER:

(offering the tray)

Only champagne and cocktails.

PENTANGELI:

Forget it...

Finally, he sees someone he recognizes, Fredo, and shouts

out in a husky voice:

PENTANGELI:

Fredo! Sonuvabitch. You look great.

Fredo squints in his direction; finally recognizes him.

FREDO:

Who's that? Pentangeli? Frankie

"Five-Angels"...thought you were

never coming West.

PENTANGELI:

(affectionately)

Gotta check up on my boys. Hey,

what's with the food? Some kid in

a white jacket brings me a ritz

cracker with some chopped liver.

'Canapes,' he says. I say, 'Can a

peas, my ass, that's a ritz cracker

with chopped liver.' Go get me a

salami sandwich and a glass of wine

or I'll send you and your white

jacket to the dry cleaners!

They get a good laugh at this fresh breath of New York.

FREDO:

Gee, Frankie, it's good to see you.

Reminds me of old times.

PENTANGELI:

You remember Willy Cicci, don't

you, Freddie? We was all together

with the old man Clemenza in

Brooklyn... before...uh...

FREDO:

We were all upset about that.

PENTANGELI:

That's what I'm here to talk to

your brother about. What's with

him, I got to get a letter of

introduction to have a 'sitdown'?

FREDO:

(throwing his arm

around him)

C'mon, I see what I can do.

EXT. TAHOE PAVILION - MED. VIEW - DAY

The orchestra wears white summer sportcoats and black tuxedo

slacks as they play a tango behind monogrammed music stands.

A professional dance team, probably imported from Vegas,

dance the tango for the excited guests.

INT. TAHOE BOATHOUSE - DAY

A large and very beautiful room overlooking the lake. It is

dominated by an enormous bar, behind which stands ALBERT

NERI, discreetly in the background.

MICHAEL CORLEONE sits on a large sofa, his back to us.

Standing to one side is a tired and somewhat uneasy TOM

HAGEN. Standing before Michael is SANDRA CORLEONE, Sonny's

widow; her daughter, one of the twins, FRANCESCA CORLEONE,

and a handsome young man of twenty, GARDNER SHAW.

SANDRA:

Michael, this is Gardner Shaw.

Francesca and he have been seeing

each other for six months now.

Gardner, this is Francie's Uncle

Michael.

GARDNER:

(a little nervous)

I've heard a lot about you, Mr.

Corleone.

MICHAEL (O.S.)

Sit down. Francie.

The couple sit themselves on the sofa opposite Michael.

SANDRA:

They would like to set an engagement

date, and...

MICHAEL:

Let them speak for themselves.

VIEW ON MICHAEL, calm, thoughtful. One can tell that he has

special affection for his niece.

FRANCESCA:

We love each other, Uncle Michael.

And, we want to be married. I came

to ask for your blessing.

There is a loud KNOCKING on the door; then Fredo's voice.

FREDO (O.S.)

Hey, Mike...guess who's here?

Neri goes to answer it, cracks the door open.

NERI:

Not now, Freddie...

FREDO:

Tell Mike Frankie 'Five-Angels' is

here.

NERI:

Not now...

Neri closes the door, and Michael looks at the nervous young

man.

MICHAEL:

Francesca is my oldest brother's

daughter. He died many years ago,

and ever since I've felt much more

of a father than an uncle. I love

her very much. I'm pleased and

impressed that you had the thought

to come to me before going on with

your plans. It shows me that

you're a considerate man, and will

be good to her. What are you

studying in college?

GARDNER:

My major is Fine Arts, sir.

MICHAEL:

How will Fine Arts support your new

wife?

GARDNER:

It's embarrassing to say, sir, but

I'm a major stockholder in the

family corporation.

MICHAEL:

(smiling)

Never be embarrassed by your wealth.

This recent contempt for money is

still another trick of the rich to

keep the poor without it.

(warmly)

Of course I give you my blessing.

Let's set the wedding soon...it

will be my pleasure to give the

bride away.

They all smile, and rise.

MICHAEL:

(continuing)

...and take a few courses in

Business Administration just to be

on the safe side!

They laugh; Michael moves toward them. Francesca throws her

arms around him, and kisses her favorite uncle. The flushed

young man shakes his hand heartily.

FRANCESCA:

Thank you, Uncle Michael.

They all take their leave; Michael turns to Hagen.

MICHAEL:

Make her dowry impressive. He

comes from a family who still

thinks an Italian bride goes

barefoot.

EXT. TAHOE SWIMMING POOLS AND HARBOR - DAY

Francesca and Gardner are greeted by her twin sister and

their young friends, who squeal and embrace at the good news.

Someone throws someone in the pool, and life is good.

MED. CLOSE

Francesca kisses her Aunt Kay.

FRANCESCA:

Uncle Michael is the greatest man

ever!

VIEW on Kay - happy for her niece.

INT. TAHOE BOATHOUSE - DAY

Michael sits in the darkened boathouse. Tom Hagen paces.

Michael is looking at photographs. Neri stands over him.

CLOSE ON MICHAEL

studying the pictures.

NERI (O.S.)

His name is Fred Vincent. He owns

a small pizza parlor in Buffalo...

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