The Godfather Page #7

They have passed a little enclosed newsstand. KAY sees

something that terrifies her. She doesn't know what to do.

MICHAEL still walks, thinking about her question.

KAY:

(a little voice)

Michael?

MICHAEL:

I'm thinking about it.

KAY:

Michael...

MICHAEL:

No, I would not like you better if

you were Ingrid Bergman.

She cannot answer him. Rather she pulls him by the arm,

back to the newsstand, and points. His face goes grave.

The headlines read: "VITO CORLEONE SHOT, CHIEFTAN GUNNED

DOWN."

MICHAEL is petrified; quickly he takes each edition, drops a

dollar in the tray, and hungrily reads through them. KAY

knows to remain silent.

MICHAEL:

(desperately)

They don't say if he's dead or alive.

EXT DUSK:
OLIVE OIL CO. (WINTER 1945)

DON CORLEONE by the fruit stand; he is about to move to the

car, when TWO MEN step from the corner. Suddenly, the DON

drops the bag of fruit and darts with startling quickness

toward the parked car.

DON CORLEONE:

Fredo, Fredo!

The paper bag has hit the ground, and the fruit begins

rolling along the sidewalk, as we HEAR gunshots.

Five bullets catch the DON in the back; he arches in pain,

and continues toward the car.

The PROPRIETOR of the fruit stand rushes for cover, knocking

over an entire case of fruit.

The TWO GUNMEN move in quickly, anxious to finish him off.

Their feet careful to avoid the rolling fruit. There are

more GUNSHOTS.

FREDDIE is hysterical; he tries to get out of the car;

having difficulty opening the door. He rushes out, a gun

trembling in his hand; his mouth open. He actually drops

the gun.

The gun falls amid the rolling fruit.

The GUNMEN are panicked. They fire once more at the downed

DON CORLEONE. His leg and arm twitch where they are hit;

and pools of blood are beginning to form.

The GUNMEN are obviously in a state of panic and confusion;

they disappear around the corner as quickly as they came.

The PEOPLE about the avenue have all but disappeared:

rather, we catch glimpses of them, poking their heads safely

from around corners, inside doorways and arches, and from

windows. But the street itself is now empty.

FREDDIE is in shock; he looks at his FATHER; now great

puddles of blood have formed, and the DON is lifeless and

face down in them.

FREDDIE falls back on to the curb and sits there, saying

something we cannot understand. He begins to weep profusely.

INT NIGHT:
SUBWAY (WINTER 1945)

LUCA BRASI riding alone on a subway car, late at night. He

gets off.

He emerges at a subway terminal, proceeds out.

EXT NITE:
NIGHT CLUB STREET (WINTER 1945)

LUCA walks down the late night street. He approaches an

elegant New York Nightclub, whose gaudy neon sign is still

winking this late at night. He waits and watches. Then the

sign goes out; and he proceeds into the club.

INT NITE:
NIGHTCLUB (WINTER 1945)

The main floor of the Nightclub is very large, with endless

glistening wooden floors. Now, at this late time, the

chairs have been stacked on the tables and a NEGRO JANITOR

is waxing them. A single HAT-CHECK GIRL is counting her

receipts. LUCA moves past the empty bandstand, and sits at

the bar. ANOTHER MAN, dark and very well-built, moves

behind the bar.

MAN:

Luca...I'm Bruno Tattaglia.

LUCA:

I know.

LUCA looks up; and out of the shadows emerges SOLLOZZO.

SOLLOZZO:

Do you know who I am?

LUCA Nods.

SOLLOZZO:

You've been talking to the

Tattaglias. They thought we could

do business.

LUCA listens.

SOLLOZZO:

I need somebody strong to protect

my operation, physically. I've

heard you're not happy with your

family, you might make a switch.

LUCA:

If the money is good enough.

SOLLOZZO:

On the first shipment, I can

guarantee you fifty thousand dollars.

LUCA looks at him; he had no idea the offer would be so good.

SOLLOZZO extends his hand, but LUCA pretends not to see it,

rather, he busies himself putting a cigarette in his mouth.

BRUNO TATTAGLIA, behind the bar, makes a cigarette lighter

magically appear, and holds it to LUCA's cigarette. Then,

he does an odd thing; he drops the lighter on the bar, and

puts his hand lightly on LUCA's, almost patting it.

INT NITE:
SONNY'S LIVING ROOM (WINTER 1945)

The telephone in SONNY's house is ringing. He approaches

it, obviously fresh from a nap.

SONNY:

Yeah.

VOICE (O.S.)

Do you recognize my voice?

SONNY:

I think so. Detective squad?

VOICE (O.S.)

Right. Don't say my name, just

listen. Somebody shot your father

outside his place fifteen minutes

ago.

SONNY:

Is he alive?

VOICE (O.S.)

I think so, but I can't get close

enough. There's a lot of blood.

I'll try to find out more.

SONNY:

Find out anything you can...you got

a Grand coming.

(click)

SONNY cradles the phone. An incredible rage builds up in

him, his face actually turning red. He would like to rip

the phone to pieces in his bare hands. Then he controls it.

Quickly, he dials another number.

SONNY:

Theresa, let me talk to Tom. Not

yet? Have him call me as soon as

he gets home.

He hangs up.

SANDRA (O.S.)

Sonny? Sonny, who is it?

(she enters the room)

What is it?

SONNY:

(calmly)

They shot the old man.

SANDRA:

Oh God...

SONNY:

Honey...don't worry. Nothing else

is going to happen.

There is a POUNDING on the door. A BABY starts crying.

SANDRA:

(really frightened)

SONNY?

SONNY reaches into a cabinet drawer, takes out a gun, and

moves quickly. He opens the front door quickly. It is

CLEMENZA. He enters, SONNY closes the door. SANDRA goes to

look after the baby.

CLEMENZA:

(excited)

You heard about your father?

SONNY:

Yeah.

CLEMENZA:

The word is out in the streets that

he's dead.

SONNY:

Where the hell was Paulie, why

wasn't he with the Don?

CLEMENZA:

Paulie's been a little sick all

winter...he was home.

SONNY:

How many times did he stay home the

last couple of months?

CLEMENZA:

Maybe three, four times. I always

asked Freddie if he wanted another

bodyguard, but he said no. Things

have been so smooth the last ten

years...

SONNY:

Go get Paulie, I don't care how

sick he is. Pick him up yourself,

and bring him to my father's house.

CLEMENZA:

That's all? Don't you want me to

send some people over here?

SONNY:

No, just you and Paulie.

CLEMENZA leaves; SONNY moves to SANDRA, who sits on the

couch weeping quietly, comforting her BABY.

SONNY:

A couple of our people will come to

stay here. Do whatever they say;

I'm going over to the main house.

If you want me, use Pop's special

phone.

The telephone rings again. SONNY answers it.

SONNY:

Hello.

SOLLOZZO (O.S.)

Santino Corleone?

SANDRA moves behind him, anxious to know who it is. SONNY

indicates that she be quiet.

SONNY:

Yeah.

SOLLOZZO (O.S.)

We have Tom Hagen. In about three

hours he'll be released with our

proposition. Don't do anything

until you've heard what he has to

say. You can only cause a lot of

trouble. What's done is done.

(a pause)

Don't lose that famous temper of

yours.

SONNY:

(quietly)

I'll wait.

EXT NITE:
MALL (WINTER 1945)

FULL VIEW OF THE CORLEONE MALL. It is night, but the

courtyard is bathed with white light from floodlights on the

tops of all the houses. It is very cold. We see the figure

of SONNY cross the Mall, and let himself into the main house.

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