The Godfather Page #16

KAY looks in the direction of the crater, filling with

rainwater.

KAY:

What was that?

HAGEN:

An accident. No one was hurt.

KAY:

Listen Tom, I let my cab go; can I

come in to call another one?

TOM is clearly reluctant to involve her any more than he has

to.

HAGEN:

Sure...I'm sorry.

They hurry through the rain and into the Main House.

INT DAY:
DON'S LIVING ROOM (SPRING 1946)

In the living room, KAY shakes the water from her coat and

takes her rainhat off.

KAY:

Will you give this to him.

HAGEN:

If I accept that letter and you

told a Court of Law I accepted it,

they would interpret it as my

having knowledge of his whereabouts.

Just wait Kay, he'll contact you.

We hear footsteps descending the staircase; MAMA CORLEONE

enters the room; the OLD WOMAN squints at KAY, evaluating her.

MAMA:

You're Mikey's little girl.

KAY nods yes; there are still tears in her eyes.

MAMA:

You eat anything?

KAY shakes her head.

MAMA:

(to HAGEN)

Disgrazia, you don't even give the

poor girl a cup of coffee?

HAGEN shrugs helplessly; on an impulse, KAY quickly moves

toward MAMA, the letter extended.

KAY:

Will you give this letter to Michael.

HAGEN:

Mama, no.

MAMA:

You tell me what to do? Even he

don't tell me what to do.

She takes the letter from KAY, who is grateful and relieved.

KAY:

Why did they blame Michael?

MAMA:

You listen to me, you go home to

your family, and you find a good

young man and get married. Forget

about Mikey; he's no good for you,

anymore.

She looks directly into KAY's eyes; and KAY understands what

that means.

EXT DAY:
DON'S HOSPITAL (SPRING 1946)

A hospital in New York City. POLICE and teams of PRIVATE

DETECTIVES are stationed guarding the area. An ambulance

with a team of DETECTIVES and BUTTON-MEN GUARDS exit the

hospital with rifles in hand; followed by SEVERAL HOSPITAL

ASSISTANTS wheeling a hospital stretcher, presumably carrying

the DON.

TESSIO and CLEMENZA emerge, with OTHER BUTTON MEN bringing

up the rear. HAGEN walks with the stretcher, and for a

moment they disappear behind the ambulance. Then suddenly,

siren blasting, it speeds off, accompanied by dark low-slung

cars.

EXT DAY:
MALL (SPRING 1946)

The Corleone Mall.

Equally impressive security stands ready at the Corleone

Mall. EXTRA BUTTON MEN, as well as SOME POLICE, and PRIVATE

DETECTIVES.

It all seems to be under the supervision of ROCCO LAMPONE.

All is silent. The WOMEN and CHILDREN, dressed in Sunday

clothes, wait.

EXT DAY:
AMBULANCE (SPRING 1946)

One ambulance, speeding along the Grand Central Parkway,

preceded and followed by a dark car, each one carrying a

team of BUTTON MEN.

Sitting next to the DRIVER of the ambulance is a GUARD with

a rifle on his lap.

INT DAY:
DON'S HALL (SPRING 1946)

Inside the Main CORLEONE House:

Hospital ORDERLIES carry the DON on his stretcher carefully

under the watchful eyes of CLEMENZA, TESSIO, LAMPONE and

various GUARDS and BUTTON MEN.

All the CORLEONE family is here today: MAMA, FREDO, SANDRA,

THERESA, CONNIE, CARLO; the various CORLEONE CHILDREN.

INT DAY:
DON'S BEDROOM (SPRING 1946)

The DON is made comfortable in his room, which has all but

been converted into a hospital room, with complete and

extensive equipment. The various CHILDREN get a turn to

kiss the OLD MAN, as he is made comfortable... and then

SONNY indicates that all the CHILDREN, WOMEN, and CARLO

should leave.

They do, the door is closed.

INT DAY:
DON'S DINING ROOM (SPRING 1946)

The mood is quite happy downstairs, as the WOMEN prepare the

Sunday dinner, and set the table.

CARLO sits alone among them, a frown on his face.

CONNIE:

What's the matter, Carlo?

CARLO:

Shut up.

INT DAY:
DON'S BEDROOM (SPRING 1946)

All the MEN of the family stand around the hospital bed with

grim faces, SONNY and HAGEN closest to the OLD MAN. The DON

does not speak, yet he asks questions with his looks and

glances, as clearly as if they were verbalized. HAGEN is

the spokesman for the family.

HAGEN:

...since McCluskey's killing, the

police have cracked down on most of

our operations...on the other

families too. There's been a lot

of bad blood.

The OLD MAN glances at SONNY.

SONNY:

Pop, they hit us and we hit them

back.

HAGEN:

We put out a lot of material

through our contacts in the

Newspapers...about McCluskey's

being tied up with Sollozzo in the

Drug Rackets...things are starting

to loosen up.

The OLD MAN nods.

SONNY:

Freddie's gonna go to Las

Vegas...under the protection of Don

Francesco of L.A. I want him to

rest...

FREDO:

I'm goin' to learn the casino

business.

The DON nods approvingly. Then he searches around the room

for a face he does not see. HAGEN knows who he's looking for.

HAGEN:

Michael...

(he takes a breath)

It was Michael who killed Sollozzo.

The DON closes his eyes, and then reopens them in anger and

rage.

HAGEN:

He's safe now...we're already

working on ways to bring him back.

The DON is very angry, he motions with a weak hand that they

leave him alone.

INT. DAY:
DON'S STAIRS AND HALL (SPRING 1946)

HAGEN is very upset as he comes down the Stairs; SONNY is

expansive and optimistic.

SONNY:

We'll let the old man take it easy

for a couple of weeks. I want to

get things going good before he

gets better. What's the matter

with you?

HAGEN:

You start operating, the five

families will start their raids

again. We're at a stalemate Sonny,

your war is costing us a lot of

money.

SONNY:

No more stalemate Tom, we got the

soldiers, we'll match them gun for

gun if that's how they want it.

They know me for what I am, Tom--

and they're scared of me.

HAGEN:

Yes. That's true, you're getting a

hell of a reputation.

SONNY:

Well it's war! We might not be in

this shape if we had a real war-

time Consiglere, a Sicilian. Pop

had Genco, who do I have?

(TOM starts to leave)

Hey Tom, hey...hey. It's Sunday,

we're gonna have dinner. Don't be

sore.

INT DAY:
DON'S DINING ROOM (SPRING 1946)

The FAMILY, WIVES, CHILDREN and all sit around the table

over Sunday dinner. SONNY is at the head of the table.

EXT DAY:
MALL (SPRING 1946)

SOME of the CORLEONE GRANDCHILDREN play in the enclosed

Mall, in the proximity of the BUTTON MEN stationed liberally

by the gate.

ONE CHILD misses a ball, it rolls by the gate house. A

young BUTTON MAN scoops it up and throws it back, smiling.

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

INT DAY:
CONNIE'S APT. (SPRING 1946)

CONNIE and CARLO's apartment. She's in a slip, on the phone.

We HEAR the shower going in the bathroom.

CONNIE:

Who is this?

GIRL (O.S.)

(giggle)

I'm a friend of Carlo's. I just

wanted to tell him I can't see him

tonight; I have to go out of town.

CONNIE's face turns red.

CONNIE:

You lousy tramp b*tch.

(click)

She slams the phone down; just as CARLO is coming out of the

bathroom drying his golden body.

CARLO:

What was that?

CONNIE:

Your girl friend. She says she

can't make it tonight. You lousy

bastard you have the nerve to give

your whores my telephone number.

I'll kill you, you bastard!

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