The Godfather Page #8

INT NITE:
DON'S KITCHEN (WINTER 1945)

SONNY walks into the empty, darkened house. Then he calls

out.

SONNY:

Ma? Ma, where are you.

The kitchen door swings open. He moves quickly and takes

her by the arm. He is deliberately calm.

SONNY:

Ma, I just got a call. Pop's

hurt...I don't know how bad.

MAMA:

(quietly)

Santino? Have they killed him?

SONNY:

(almost in tears)

We don't know yet, Ma.

MAMA:

I'll get dressed. In case we can

see him...

She moves out of the kitchen, and continues upstairs. SONNY

turns the gas from the pan of peppers she was frying. He

takes some bread without thinking, and dips it in the oil,

and sloppily eats some of the peppers, as he moves into his

father's office.

INT NITE:
DON'S OFFICE (WINTER 1945)

He switches the lights on in the DON's office. The massive

desk dominates the room. SONNY moves quickly to the

telephone, pulling a small chair to the side of the desk,

and dials a number.

SONNY:

Tessio...This is Santino Corleone.

I want fifty reliable men out here.

TESSIO (O.S.)

I heard, Sonny...but what about

Clemenza's regime?

SONNY:

I don't want to use Clemenza's

people right now. Understood?

He hangs up. He moves quickly to a wall safe; operates the

dial, and removes a small notebook. He takes it back to the

desk, and runs over the list of numbers with his forefinger.

We follow the names, until the finger stops at one: LUCA

BRASI. SONNY dials the number. There is no answer.

SONNY:

Luca.

INT NITE:
BUILDING (WINTER 1945)

The interior of an abandoned building. SEVERAL MEN in suits

and ties sit around in the booths.

HAGEN sits in one: SOLLOZZO sits across from him.

SOLLOZZO:

I know you're not in the muscle end

of the family--so I don't want you

to be afraid. I want you to help

the Corleones and I want you to

help me.

HAGEN's hands are trembling as he tries to put a cigarette

in his mouth. ONE of the BUTTON MEN brings a bottle of rye

to the table, and pours a little into a delicate, flowered

china cup. HAGEN sips gratefully.

SOLLOZZO:

Your boss is dead...

HAGEN is overwhelmed: actual tears spring to his eyes.

SOLLOZZO pauses respectfully.

SOLLOZZO:

(pushing the bottle)

Have some more. We got him outside

his office, just before I picked

you up. You have to make the peace

between me and Santino.

HAGEN still is focused on the grief of losing the old man.

SOLLOZZO:

Sonny was hot for my deal, right?

You know it's the smart thing to

do, too. I want you to talk Sonny

into it.

HAGEN:

(pulling himself together)

Sonny will come after you with

everything he's got.

SOLLOZZO rises, impatiently.

SOLLOZZO:

That's going to be his first

reaction. You have to talk some

sense into him. The Tattaglia

family stands behind me with all

their people. The other New York

Families will go along with anything

that prevents a full scale war.

He leans close to HAGEN.

SOLLOZZO:

The Don was slipping; in the old

days I could never have gotten to

him. Now he's dead, nothing can

bring him back. Talk to Sonny,

talk to the Caporegimes, Clemenza

and Tessio...it's good business.

HAGEN:

Even Sonny won't be able to call

off Luca Brasi.

SOLLOZZO:

I'll worry about Luca. You take

care of Sonny and the other two kids.

HAGEN:

I'll try...It's what the Don would

want us to do.

SOLLOZZO:

(lifting his hands in

an expression of harmlessness)

Good...then you can go...

(he escorts him to

the door)

I don't like violence. I'm a

businessman, and blood is a big

expense.

He opens the door; they step out together.

EXT NITE:
BUILDING

HAGEN, SOLLOZZO exit.

But a car pulls up, and ONE of SOLLOZZO'S MEN rushes out.

He indicates with some urgency that he wants to talk to

SOLLOZZO in private.

Then SOLLOZZO moves with a grave expression. He opens the

door, indicating that HAGEN should be led back in.

SOLLOZZO:

The old man is still alive. Five

bullets in his Sicilian hide and

he's still alive.

(he gives a fatalistic

shrug)

Bad luck for me, bad luck for you.

EXT NITE:
MALL (WINTER 1945)

MICHAEL driving during the night. There is a little fog in

the air, and moisture has formed on the windshield, making

it difficult to see well. The wipers move across the view,

as the gate of the Corleone Mall appears before us, still

decorated for Christmas. The courtyard is bathed with white

floodlight, giving this place a cold and isolated look. The

narrow entrance mouth of the Mall is sealed off with a link

chain. There are strange cars parked along the curving

cement walk. SEVERAL MEN are congregated about the gate and

chain; ONE of them approaches MICHAEL's car.

MAN:

Who're you?

ANOTHER peeks his ugly face almost right up to MICHAEL, and

then turns.

MAN 2

It's the Don's kid; take the car,

I'll bring him inside.

The FIRST MAN opens the car door, and MICHAEL steps out.

INT NITE:
HALL (WINTER 1945)

The Hallway of the main house is filled with MEN MICHAEL

doesn't recognize. They pay little attention to him. Most

of them are waiting; sitting uncomfortably; no one is talking.

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

MICHAEL moves into the living room; there is a Christmas

tree, and countless greeting cards taped to the walls.

THERESA HAGEN is sitting stiffly on the sofa, smoking a

cigarette; on the coffee table in front of her is a water

glass half filled with whiskey. On the other side of the

sofa sits CLEMENZA; his face is impassive, but he is

sweating, and the cigar in his hand glistens slickly black

with his saliva. PAULIE GATTO sits tensely and alone on the

other side of the room. CLEMENZA sees MICHAEL, looks up at

him.

CLEMENZA:

Your mother's at the hospital with

the old man:
He's gonna pull through.

MICHAEL nods his relief.

MICHAEL:

Thanks.

He moves to THERESA.

MICHAEL:

(gently)

You heard from Tom yet?

Without looking up, she clings to him for a moment, and

trembles. Occasionally, STRANGE MEN will cross through the

room; everyone speaks in a whisper.

MICHAEL:

(taking her hand)

C'mon.

He leads her into his father's office without knocking.

INT NITE:
DON'S OFFICE (WINTER 1945)

SONNY and TESSIO are huddled around a yellow pad. They look

up, startled.

SONNY:

Don't worry, Theresa; they just

want to give Tom the proposition,

then they're going to turn him loose.

He reassuringly hugs THERESA, and then to MICHAEL's surprise,

he kisses him on the cheek.

SONNY:

I was worried when we couldn't get

in touch with you in that hick town.

MICHAEL:

How's Mom?

SONNY:

Good. She's been through it before.

Me too. You were too young to know

about it. You better wait outside;

there're some things you shouldn't

hear.

MICHAEL:

I can help you out...

SONNY:

Oh no you can't, the old man'd be

sore as hell if I let you get mixed

up in this.

MICHAEL:

Jesus Christ, he's my father, Sonny.

SONNY:

Theresa.

She understands, and leaves them alone.

SONNY:

All right, Mikey...who do we have

to hit, Clemenza or Paulie?

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