Posted on 11/25/2010 6:22:07 PM PST by nickcarraway
Clemenza was the highest paid actor in I. Asked for too much in II, so they canned him.
Hyman Roth was based on Meyer Lanksky.... Russian Jew mobster who financed Italian Mafioso. Bugsy Siegel is Moe Green. 80-90% of the movie was barely re-written truth based on well-known Mafioso. The Cuban scene happened; cut real short in the movie. Great Havana casino was built and thrived with Hollywood performers for a short bit. Sinatra et al were in on it. That's where all those beautiful old 50s cars came from. Cuba was incredibly ritzy for a year; lawless city of decadence.
Castro came in with his uprising; seized it all, banned gambling...etc.
One other obscure piece of GF trivia, Abe Vigoda is still alive
What permission slip, nick?
The field trip was way back in 1972. The theater was the Langley in Adelphi, MD. Just a short bus ride from my High School.
Jack.
I'll disagree with you again, although I think you're right on target with most all of your other insights.
The screenplay shows Michael saying "How did they get their hands on Pantangeli?
Hagen responds "Roth engineered it, Michael. He made Pentangeli think you hit him. Deliberately letting him get off alive. Then the New York detectives turned Frankie over to the FBI...."
I've even heard that the part where "Superman" performed at the XXX club (where Michael learns of Fredo's betrayal) was based upon reality.
It is possible that the intent was not to murder Frankie in the bar. The cop walking into the bar led to total bedlam. When you see Frankie lying on the floor, he is barely alive. He could have been seconds away from dying.
The Rossato brothers were accomplished at killing people, not almost killing people.
The other thing that makes me think that they intended to kill Frankie was that if Roth wanted to turn Frankie into a rat for the feds, sure, it would have taken Michael down, but Frankie probably knew where the other families buried their bodies. Frankie turning state’s evidence would have exposed the other families as well.
I think that the hit was set up to make it look like Michael was behind it to weaken his stake in the New York family.
I just think that when you wrap that piano wire around someone’s neck, it was to affect the ultimate goal. The conversation you reference shows that Michael was not behind the hit. I think that the cop walking into the bar had the unintended consequence of turning Frankie to state’s evidence.
indeed, many of these are common knowledge to those who love The Godfather... imo, GF and GF2 are the best movies of all time... "leave the gun, take the cannoli..." gosh, i love that!
11. I was working for the company that suppplied the animals for Godfather - Part II and worked as an extra on the set one day. Got a free lunch and a pay check from both the animal company and Paramount.
Maybe Michael did let him off the hook for old time's sake after all. ;)
“The character Moe Greene was modeled after Jewish mobster Bugsy Siegel”
I was thinking Meyer Lansky.
Whoops, I was thinking Hyman Roth could of been based on lansky,not Moe Green.
The book fills in a lot of gaps. Apparently Sonny had a huge penis. At the wedding reception one of the girls sees Sonny and gestures with her hands how “big” he is.
That’s why Clemenza “dies” between I and II. Notice the black armband Pentangeli wears on his sleeve. Castellano wanted too much $ for the sequel and was written out. Same with Duvall for III.
Godfather 1 followed the book exactly....don't like Brando, but he was perfect for the part...can't think of another actor that could do it as well as he did...
I read somewhere that the actor who tried to garrote Pentangeli was the guy from the Sopranos, who played Paulie Walnuts.
Leave the gun, take the cannolli.....
Very surprising...
My personal favorite.....
Many thought the film depicted Damone (some say Sinatra) as Fontane. The actor who actually played Johnny Fontane was Al Martino.
Just saw a "mobster" episode on Marvin Lansky via History Channel. Hyman Roth for sure.
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