The Godfather Page #5

They cross the garden and head toward the stables.

WOLTZ:

I'm going to show you something

beautiful.

They pass the stables, and come to rest by a stall with a

huge bronze plaque attached to the outside wall: "KHARTOUM."

TWO SECURITY GUARDS are positioned in chairs nearby; they

rise as WOLTZ approaches.

WOLTZ:

You like horses? I like horses, I

love 'em. Beautiful, expensive

Racehorses.

The animal inside is truly beautiful. WOLTZ whispers to him

with true love in his voice.

WOLTZ:

Khartoum...Kartoum...You are

looking at six hundred thousand

dollars on four hoofs. I bet even

Russian Czars never paid that kind

of dough for a single horse. But

I'm not going to race him I'm going

to put him out to Stud.

INT NIGHT:
WOLTZ DINING ROOM (SUMMER 1945)

HAGEN and WOLTZ sit at an enormous dining room table,

attended by SEVERAL SERVANTS. Great paintings hang on the

walls. The meal is elaborate and sumptuous.

HAGEN:

Mr. Corleone is Johnny's Godfather.

That is very close, a very sacred

religious relationship.

WOLTZ:

Okay, but just tell him this is one

favor I can't give. But he should

try me again on anything else.

HAGEN:

He never asks a second favor when

he has been refused the first.

Understood?

WOLTZ:

You smooth son of a b*tch, let me

lay it on the line for you, and

your boss. Johnny Fontane never

gets that movie. I don't care how

many Dago, Guinea, wop Greaseball

Goombahs come out of the woodwork!

HAGEN:

I'm German-Irish.

WOLTZ:

Okay my Kraut-Mick friend, Johnny

will never get that part because I

hate that pinko punk and I'm going

to run him out of the Movies. And

I'll tell you why. He ruined one

of Woltz Brothers' most valuable

proteges. For five years I had

this girl under training; singing

lessons! Acting lessons! Dancing

lessons! We spent hundreds of

thousands of dollars--I was going

to make her a star. I'll be even

more frank, just to show you that

I'm not a hard-hearted man, that it

wasn't all dollars and cents. That

girl was beautiful and young and

innocent and she was the greatest

piece of ass I've ever ad and I've

had them all over the world. Then

Johnny comes along with that olive

oil voice and guinea charm and she

runs off. She threw it all away to

make me look ridiculous. A MAN IN

MY POSITION CANNOT AFFORD TO BE

MADE TO LOOK RIDICULOUS!

EXT DAY:
GENCO OLIVE OIL CO. (SUMMER 1945)

An unimposing little building in New York City on Mott

Street with a large old sign: "GENCO OLIVE OIL IMPORTS,

INC." next to an open-faced fruit market.

A dark Buick pulls up, and a single small man, whom we

cannot see well because of the distance, gets out and enters

the building. This is VIRGIL SOLLOZZO.

INT DAY:
OLIVE OIL OFFICES (SUMMER 1945)

Looking toward the staircase we can hear SOLLOZZO's footsteps

before he actually rises into view. He is a small man, very

dark, with curly black hair. But wiry, and tight and hard,

and obviously very dangerous. He is greeted at the head of

the stairs by SONNY, who takes his hand and shakes it,

introducing himself. For a moment, there is a complex of

handshaking quite formal, and whispered respectful

introductions. Finally, SOLLOZZO is taken into the DON's

glass paneled office; the two principals are introduced.

They are very respectful of one another. Folding chairs are

brought in by FREDDIE, and soon they are all sitting around

in a circle; the DON, SOLLOZZO, SONNY, HAGEN, FREDDIE,

CLEMENZA and TESSIO. The DON is the slightest bit foolish

with all his compatriots, whereas SOLLOZZO has brought no

one. Throughout all that transpires, however, it is clear

that this scene is between two men: SOLLOZZO and DON CORLEONE.

SOLLOZZO:

My business is heroin, I have poppy

fields, laboratories in Narseilles

and Sicily, ready to go into

production. My importing methods

are as safe as these things can be,

about five per cent loss. The risk

is nothing, the profits enormous.

DON CORLEONE:

Why do you come to me? Why do I

deserve your generosity?

SOLLOZZO:

I need two million dollars in

cash...more important, I need a

friend who has people in high

places; a friend who can guarantee

that if one of my employees be

arrested, they would get only light

sentences. Be my friend.

DON CORLEONE:

What percentages for my family?

SOLLOZZO:

Thirty per cent. In the first year

your share would be four million

dollars; then it would go up.

DON CORLEONE:

And what is the percentage of the

Tattaglia family?

SOLLOZZO nods toward HAGEN.

SOLLOZZO:

My compliments. I'll take care of

them from my share.

DON CORLEONE:

So. I receive 30 per cent just for

finance and legal protection. No

worries about operations, is that

what you tell me?

SOLLOZZO:

If you think two million dollars in

cash is just finance, I congratulate

you Don Corleone.

There is a long silence; in which each person present feels

the tension. The DON is about to give his answer.

DON CORLEONE:

I said I would see you because I've

heard you're a serious man, to be

treated with respect...

(pause)

But I'll say no to you.

We feel this around the room.

DON CORLEONE:

I'll give you my reasons. I have

many, many friends in Politics.

But they wouldn't be so friendly if

my business was narcotics instead

of gambling. They think gambling

is something like liquor, a harmless

vice...and they think narcotics is

dirty business.

SOLLOZZO takes a breath.

DON CORLEONE:

No...how a man makes his living is

none of my business. But this

proposition of yours is too risky.

All the people in my family lived

well the last ten years, I won't

risk that out of greed.

SOLLOZZO:

Are you worried about security for

your million?

DON CORLEONE:

No.

SOLLOZZO:

The Tattaglias will guarantee your

investment also.

This startles SONNY; he blurts out.

SONNY:

The Tattaglia family guarantees our

investment?

SOLLOZZO hears him first, and then very slowly turns to face

him. Everyone is the room knows that SONNY has stepped out

of line.

DON CORLEONE:

Young people are greedy, and they

have no manners. They speak when

they should listen. But I have a

sentimental weakness for my

children, and I've spoiled them, as

you see. But Signor Sollozzo, my

no is final.

SOLLOZZO nods, understands that this is the dismissal. He

glances one last time at SONNY. He rises; all the others do

as well. He bows to the DON, shakes his hand, and formally

takes his leave. When the footsteps can no longer be heard:

The DON turns to SONNY.

DON CORLEONE:

Santino, never let anyone outside

the family know what you are

thinking. I think your brain is

going soft from all that comedy you

play with that young girl.

TWO OFFICE WORKERS are carrying an enormous floral display

with the word "THANK YOU" spelled out in flowers.

DON CORLEONE:

What is this nonsense?

HAGEN:

It's from Johnny. It was announced

this morning. He's going to play

the lead in the new Woltz Brothers

film.

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