The Godfather Page #15

A MAN by the table pulls the cork on another bottle of

Ruffino, and wine is poured as the MEN eat.

EXT DAY:
BODY IN ALLEY (WINTER 1945)

A CORPSE is half out of an overturned garbage can in a quiet

alley.

INT DAY:
BODY AT TABLE (WINTER 1945)

A MAN in a formal jacket and tie is slumped over a table, in

a pool of blood on the tablecloth.

INT DAY:
MATTRESS (WINTER 1945)

A neatly stacked pile of newspapers in the corner of an

apartment. We catch a glimpse of one headline: "Five Family

War..."

The table. The MEN are sitting around cracking nuts. ONE

has fallen asleep on his arms at the table.

SEVERAL MEN are taking naps on the Mattresses.

The PIANO PLAYER finishes the tune with finesse. Picks up

and takes a drag from his cigarette. The OTHER MAN nods

appreciatively.

MAN:

Nice Augie...nice.

EXT DAY:
MANCINI BLDG. (SPRING '46)

Several cars are parked in front of a pleasant New York

apartment building. We recognize a couple of SONNY's

bodyguards loafing by the cars, pitching playing cards

against the curb.

Inside the building, two others wait quietly by the rows of

brass mailboxes:
they have been there quite awhile.

Up one flight of stairs, a single man sits on the step,

smoking a cigarette.

One of the men by the mailboxes checks his pocketwatch,

which is attached to a key chain. We HEAR the sound of a

door opening; they look up.

The man sitting on the stop stands; and looks.

SONNY backs out of an apartment, the arms of LUCY MANCINI

wrapped around him. She doesn't want to let go of him; she

draws him back into the apartment for a moment, and then he

comes out alone, adjusting his clothes.

He jauntily skips down the steps, trailed by the bodyguard

on the first floor, and moves outside toward his car. The

men quickly take up their positions. As he gets in his car:

DRIVER:

Pick up your sister?

SONNY:

Yeah.

The car drives off; accompanied and escorted by the

bodyguards in their cars.

INT DAY:
CONNIE'S HALL (SPRING '46)

He knocks on the door. No answer. Then again.

CONNIE'S VOICE

Who is it?

SONNY:

It's me, Sonny.

We hear the bolt slide back, and see the door open. SONNY

enters, but CONNIE has quickly moved into the hallway, her

back to him.

SONNY:

(tenderly)

Connie, what is it?

He turns her around in his arms.

Her face is swollen and bruised; and we can tell from her

rough, red eyes that she has been crying for a long time.

As soon as he realizes what's happened, his face goes red

with rage. She sees it coming, and clings to him, preventing

him from running out of the apartment.

CONNIE:

(desperately)

It was my fault! I started a fight

with him and I tried to hit him so

he hit me. He didn't even try to

hit me hard Sonny, I walked into it.

Sonny listens, and calms himself. He touches her shoulder,

the thin silk robe.

SONNY:

I'm goin' to have the doctor come

over and take a look at you.

He starts to leave.

CONNIE:

Oh Sonny, please don't do anything.

Please don't.

He stops, and then laughs good naturedly.

SONNY:

Hey. Con. What'm I goin' to do?

Make your kid a orphan before he's

born.

She laughs with him. He kisses her reassuringly, and leaves.

EXT DAY:
CONNIE'S STREET

CARLO settles down on the front steps of the 112th St.

"Book" with SALLY RAGS and COACH, who have been drinking

beer out of glasses and a pitcher of beer from around the

corner. The ball game is blaring from the radio; and the

kids on the street are still playing stickball.

CARLO has barely settled down, when the kids in the street

suddenly scatter, and a car comes screeching up the block

and to a halt in front of the candy store. The tires

scream, and before it seems as though it has even stopped, a

MAN comes hurtling out of the driver's seat, moving so fast

the everyone is paralyzed. It is a moment before we

recognize that it is SONNY.

His face is contorted with anger; in a split second he is on

the stoop and has CARLO by the throat.

He pulls CARLO away from the others, trying to get him down

into the street. But CARLO reaches out for the iron railing,

and hangs on, his hand in a lock, cringing away, trying to

hide his head and face in the hollow of the his shoulders.

His shirt is ripped away in SONNY's hand.

SALLY RAGS and COACH, merely sit, watching, stunned.

SONNY is pounding the cowered CARLO with all his strength,

in a continuous monologue of indistinguishable cursing. His

blows are powerful; and begin to draw blood.

The kids who have been playing stickball, move up, watching

in fascination.

CARLO's hands are clenched tight around the railing.

SONNY beats him mercilessly.

Now SONNY's bodyguards' car pulls up, and they too become

spectators.

SONNY's tight fists are going down like hammers, into

CARLO's face and body.

CARLO's nose is bleeding profusely; but still he does

nothing, other than hang onto the railing.

SONNY grabs hold of CARLO's massive body, and tries to drag

him off of the hold on the railing, his teeth clenched in

the effort. Then he tries loosening CARLO's locked hands;

even biting them. CARLO screams but he does not let go.

It's clear that CARLO is much stronger than he is, and will

not be moved. SONNY knees him in the mouth, and beats him

more; but he is exhausted. Totally out of breath, he

stammers haltingly to the bleeding CARLO.

SONNY:

You...bastard...You...hurt my

sister... again...and I'll

kill...you.

He wipes the sweat from his face, and then turns suddenly.

and hurries back to the car, in a moment his car is gone,

leaving even his bodyguards in confusion. We notice ONE MAN

with a sports jacket in the group of spectators especially

interested.

CARLO finally relaxes the clenched, locked hands. He slumps

onto the stoop.

---------------------------------------FADE OUT---------

FADE IN:

EXT DAY:
MALL (SPRING 1946)

HIGH ANGLE on the Corleone Mall. It is a gray, rainy day.

Young BUTTON MEN in raincoats stand in quiet groups of

various points around the main house and compound. Things

have changed; one house has been extensively enlarged; a new

and secure gate house has been built. Security measures

that had been make-shift and temporarily have now been made

a permanent part of the Mall, evolving it into a Medieval

Fortress. We notice a huge crater in the courtyard; the

result of a recent bomb attempt. The house nearest the

crater is damaged by fire.

A taxi arrives; KAY ADAMS steps out, huddled in a bright

yellow raincoat; she lets the cab go, and hurries to the

shelter of the gate house.

They are not expecting her, and ask her to wait while they

call the main house.

KAY looks at the imposing, depressing Mall, while rain still

runs down onto her face.

She notices the bomb crater, and the fire damage; and the

sullen faces of the BUTTON MEN.

TOM HAGEN exits the Main House, and hurries toward her.

HAGEN:

Kay, we weren't expecting you. You

should call...

KAY:

I've tried calling and writing. I

want to reach Michael.

HAGEN:

Nobody knows where he is. We know

he's all right, but that's all.

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