JOE: There's a conspiracy in this country.
And books like this trash
only fuel the fire of hatred for our people.
The Italians back east,
they don't want you making this movie.
And if I don't want to make a different movie?
Then eventually, you're gonna have to deal
with them directly, Al.
FRANCIS: Brando is the golden goose.
You wouldn't have to write any character
to stand up and say, "Ooh, that's the Godfather."
I wrote him a letter.
Sent him a signed copy of the book.
You never know.
BOB: "Variety" needs to find a new fucking story, man.
PETER: Paramount's not the story.
You are.
AL: Congressman Biaggi, we want to make a movie
that all Italians will be proud of.
You will not make this movie in New York.
And if I have my way,
you won't make this movie at all.
FRANCIS: I know who Michael is. Who?
Al Pacino.
He's not Bob Evans' type.
Why don't we get breakfast sent up?
AL: Can't, baby. I gotta figure this New York shit out.
Hey, you're Al Ruddy, right?
Look, there's somebody important
who wants to talk to you. Get in the car.
[upbeat dramatic music]
[soft dramatic music]
♪
[ominous music]
What's in Brooklyn?
You'll find out.
Now shut your mouth.
♪
CARMINE: No one comes through this way, you hear me?
No one.
Joe, he's here. JOE: Yeah, come in.
Sit the fuck down.
Do you know who I am?
Specifically, no. But with all due respect--
I'm Joe Colombo.
I kinda run things around here.
Well, Mr. Colombo--
Call me Joe.
Thank you, Joe.
I gotta admit, I've never been--
Listen, Al, have a drink.
Yeah, okay.
If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already.
I'm kidding. I'm kidding.
Look.
You and me got a problem.
If it's about my movie--
I think it's best if you hear me out first.
Sure. Here's the problem.
You want to make a movie
that's gonna make my people look like animals.
And that ain't gonna happen.
So as a courtesy, I brought you here
to ask you a question, man-to-man:
what do you like more, musicals or Westerns?
Fred Astaire versus John Wayne?
John Wayne.
Oh, yeah, me too.
So stop what you're doing, go back to Hollywood,
and make a fucking cowboy movie.
Because believe me,
you don't want this kind of trouble.
Joe, I respect what you're saying.
And I understand your position.
But with all due respect,
can I explain mine?
This guy.
You know, Mickey said he had stones.
Listen, Al,
I want you to know something.
I ain't Mickey Cohen.
But to show you that we're not like
how you Hollywood people think we are...
I'll hear you out.
Go ahead.
[exhales] Thank you.
Look, I understand that the book
has not been well-received
within the Italian-American community.
Well, you know.
But honestly,
the book is not the movie I'm gonna make.
And I can promise you that my movie
is not gonna be the book.
What the fuck does that mean?
It means that my movie is about a family
that understands that the cops, the government,
the entire criminal justice system,
is prejudiced against Italian-Americans.
It's about immigrants
and what they need to do to find justice
in a world that's set up to fucking keep them down.
That's my movie.
I think I have a solution, as well,
to our so-called problem.
I'm listening.
I'd like to invite you to come to my office
at Gulf and Western and read the script.
[determined upbeat music]
You want me to read the script?
I do.
Because honestly, Joe, I believe that if you do,
not only will you let me make my movie,
I think that you'll support it.
It's a beautiful script.
♪
You smell something?
What?
I don't know, bad?
I don't smell anything.
Doesn't anybody come and clean this place?
I told the service not to come.
You know, so we could work.
You might want to rethink that, Mario.
[groans]
What is this?
We discussed this.
This is supposed to escalate. We talked about this.
Michael, he finds out his father's not being guarded.
Then he hears the killers are coming.
Then he enlists Enzo.
He makes him the muscle.
He thinks he's gonna be safe, but he's not.
The cops are coming,
and they're in on it, and it's worse.
It's so important, and you just rush through
the whole thing. We got a deadline.
Ruddy told me we gotta get the script in now.
God, we can't let Ruddy's arbitrary deadlines
impede our artistic process.
Okay, granted we're not making anything
as serious and complex as "Hogan's Heroes."
Francis, you've done this before, okay?
I want to do this right, you know?
I mean, they all think that I write novels,
so I can't do this.
Hey.
Listen to me.
Good is always better than fast, right?
You're great.
That's it.
Trust the process.
Let's start over, shall we?
[plucky upbeat music]
♪
Now I smell it.
Yeah.
How you want to handle this?
It's a siege, Peter.
We go back to the castle, lock all the doors.
I'm serious. So am I.
I am not gonna play defense. I'm gonna counter-attack.
There's gonna be blood in the water.
You call your friends at "Variety"
and see if they can help illuminate that article.
You know where it came from.
Yeah, that fucking half-prick Lapidus,
but I need to know if Bluhdorn gave his blessing.
There you go. Thanks.
Be prepared if he did.
My friends won't know that.
You ought to talk-- STAN: Peter. Bob.
Stan.
Looking good, Evans.
For somebody on life support.
[car horn blares]
Don't believe everything you read, Stan.
I ain't dead yet.
[engine revs]
[tires squeal]
Sheila.
Cancel lunch, hold all my calls,
and I want up-to-date development reports,
production reports,
and any outstanding business affairs issues
across the entire slate,
and I want them now. Bob.
Anybody on the team who's got a problem with that
can start looking at the want ads.
It's Bluhdorn. No.
He's called twice. Not now, honey.
SHEILA: I'm sorry, I don't have...
There are only two things that crazy Austrian
gives a shit about: making money
and making more money. I need to show him
he's got a better shot with me than without me.
So give me the big tickets, Peter.
"Love Story" will be ready for Christmas.
Great. It's gonna be a hit. I know this.
What else?
"A New Leaf" is in post-production.
"A New Leaf"?
[imitates explosion] Bomb. What else?
"Murphy's War." "Murphy's War"? Nagasaki.
Give me something real, Peter.
Come on.
"The Godfather"?
[upbeat music]
It's not the safest bet by a longshot.
But if half the people who bought the book see the movie,
it'll make at least $20 million.
And even Bluhdorn can't sniff at that.
All right, all right.
But before I double down,
I need that script tout fucking suite.
And that's French for-- Right fucking now.
You think it's true?
You can never trust those headlines.
They probably just wanted to put his impressive hairline
on the cover. [chuckles]
Oh, Janis Joplin died. That's so tragic.
What's tragic is ODing over a canceled menage-a-trois
with two other women.
Do you ever not have a spin on things?
No. [phone ringing]
Al Ruddy's office. CHARLIE: Give me Ruddy.
Mr. Bluhdorn, good morning.
I'm sorry, I don't have Al right now.
He's in New York. Who are you?
This is Bettye McCartt.
I'm Mr. Ruddy's secretary.
We've spoken before.
I knew a Bettye once. She had long legs.
Do you have long legs?
'Cause if you do, I need you to use them
and run over to Bob Evans' office
and see if he's there.
My long legs are very busy right now, Mr. Bluhdorn.
But I'll be sure to get back to you.
Busy?
Listen, cupcake, I'm the CEO of this whole fucking company.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Bluhdorn, you're a very important man.
I'll tell Al you called.
Hey, baby, I'm so sorry. Where's my croissant?
Your what?
Oh, shit, I forgot.
Al, where the fuck were you? It's been two hours.
I know, listen, I was on my way to the cart,
and I got collared by the desk clerk.
Charlie Bluhdorn called. He needed to talk to me.
So? You could have called me.
I know. You're right.
Biaggi's making big problems for us.
Is it fixed now?
I mean, I'm working on it.
But listen, I'm not gonna be able to fly back today.
I gotta stay and make sure
he doesn't pull the plug on the movie.
Okay. I'll stay. I can help you.
What about the Stones party at the Chateau?
I'd much rather stay and help you.
I've got ideas.
Besides, I can have one of my staff cover.
You can't do that, and you know it.
I'll be home later in the week, once I get this back on track.
I gotta go. My cab's waiting.
I should have called.
I'm sorry.
Next time, Al, please call me.
I was worried. I know.
Sometimes I just get lost in this goddamn movie.
Well, if you let me, I can help you.
All right?
[soft dramatic music]
♪
[tense music]
♪
[panting]
Fuck.
He's on edge. He's dodging calls.
I'm telling you, something is definitely up.
Sheila, get me Stanley Kubrick.
You, where's the "Godfather" script?
You know Bluhdorn's looking for you, right?
Everyone's always looking for me, kid.
Tell Ruddy I want that script.
And you never saw me.
Never saw him. Bye. Never saw him.
Mario?
This is beautiful!
I love the whole sequence now.
[phone ringing]
Hello.
It's Ruddy. What are you eating?
Salad.
Look, I need the latest draft of the script,
and I need it now. Where are you guys at?
It's Ruddy. He wants the script.
Yeah, let him write it.
Ruddy,
these arbitrary deadlines
are impeding our artistic process.
Impeding.
What the fuck does that even mean? Impeding?
Mario, I took a chance on you,
and if you fuck this up,
I will impede you off the picture.
AL: No, just grab it and bring it here.
To New York? Hop on a redeye.
Don't show it to anyone.
I'm the only one who sees it. Got it.
Hey, did you see the "Variety" cover this morning?
[dial tone drones] Al?
Okay. Shit.
[phone ringing]
Al Ruddy's office.
Rod Hurley. Where's Al? Hi, Rod.
Al is really busy with "The Godfather,"
but I promise you, as soon as his schedule opens up,
we will get back to you. Thanks, Bettye.
Thank you, Rod.
Francoise! Hi.
I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you.
Oh, I'm just here to pick up Al's car.
Is it ready? Of course. Yes, it is. Um...
Thank you.
Can I ask who was on the phone looking for Al?
Oh, that call? That was Rod Hurley.
He's an agent, and he has a project
that he wants Al to consider.
Really? What project?
Honestly, I can't even remember.
It's probably one of these scripts.
Al just does not have the time to read them.
Are they any good? They're always good.
Until you read them.
Lovely to see you as always, Francoise.
MARIO: I could get used to this. Mm.
You know, it's ball-freezing weather in New York right now.
Yeah.
I like northern California
because the energy is just different there.
You know, it's, like, very European.
Mm.
Well,
when this is done,
I'm gonna come visit you.
And you will drink the finest wine
that you can ever imagine, Mario.
Mm. [chuckles]
What, are you engaged now?
Should I find a priest? Make it official?
MARIO: How'd you get in here? No one was answering,
and it smelled like there was a dead body,
so the housekeeper let me in.
It was obviously her first time in here too.
Well, we were very focused, and we didn't want to be--
I don't care.
Where's the script?
Ruddy wants the script.
It's not ready yet. That's not it.
What are you--hey. Bettye? That's not it.
Don't take it! I just did!
Bettye! You get back here right now, Bettye!
Finished?
Well, well, I'd never want to be on your bad side.
Sue. You never could be.
How are you? Good. And you?
Good. Do you want to sit?
Oh, just for a minute. I've got a meeting.
I don't think I have ever seen you outside the Chateau.
Well, I just needed a change of scenery.
I'm tired of all the interruptions.
And what's this?
You're dipping a toe into my pond?
I'm just helping Al.
Mm, Nicholas Aubrey.
Not my client, but a great writer.
How is it? Phenomenal.
It's honest and heartbreaking.
I mean, people hate on happy endings,
but he makes the pain so relatable
that you're not sad, you're somehow relieved.
Al's producing this?
He's seriously considering it, yes.
Any good female roles? The lead is amazing.
I'm picturing someone like Dyan Cannon.
I like that picture. She's my client.
I know. [chuckles]
We should keep talking.
I would love to. Okay.
Mwah. Bye.
BOB: I'm just thinking out loud,
but why don't we fast-track "Plaza Suite"?
I don't think Neil Simon
has even started the adaptation yet.
Oh, Christ.
Oh, my fucking back.
Sorry to disturb you,
but the "Love Story" dailies are in and Hiller wants you
to take a look at the night exteriors right away.
Tell Hiller we can't right now.
Oh, yes, we can.
Sheila, tell editorial
to expect us in about 20 minutes.
Thank you.
Bob, we're a bit under the gun here.
Dailies can wait.
Let me ask you a question, Peter.
Are you religious?
When I hear Bach or Duke Ellington.
Why, are you?
It mattered to my parents.
I used to go to shul with my dad.
I mean, I remember, I realized
that everybody there was hoping,
literally praying that the magic was real,
but for me, it was just like a bad play.
Now, one Saturday... [grunts]
I pretended I was going to services,
and I ducked out,
and I watched my first movie instead.
"The Adventures of Robin Hood."
Errol Flynn. Great movie.
Oh, fuck yeah.
I went in. The lights go down.
Audience gets quiet, reverent.
Like we're in a place of worship.
Then, the projector starts to hum.
That magical beam of light
picking up all those swirls of smoke in the air.
It was like another planet, man.
And then, poof, wham.
There's Robin Hood.
Larger than life, swinging from tree to tree,
shooting arrows through the ends of other arrows.
It was...oh!
And everybody glued to the screen.
It was magic.
Real magic.
I mean, I knew right then and there
that this was my calling.
That darkened movie theater became my church.
Look at us now, Peter. Look at us now.
The luckiest guys in the world.
'Cause we don't just worship at the temple. No.
We're the high priests.
We put the magic on the screen.
So you know why we have to watch dailies right now?
Well, I'll tell you.
[glasses clink]
Because it's time to go to temple,
and ain't nothing gets in the way of that.
Thank God your flight was on time.
How is it? Is it good?
Seems light. Mm.
Doesn't have a second act. What do you mean?
Second act doesn't work? What's the problem?
No, I mean it doesn't exist.
Act one is brilliant. And the end works great.
They just have not figured out the middle.
There is no act two. Oh, God.
Hand me that three-hole puncher.
[funky upbeat music]
♪
What the hell are you doing?
Finishing the script.
You know you can't show that to Bluhdorn.
It's not for Bluhdorn.
It's for Joe Colombo.
Mafia Joe Colombo? Yeah.
You want to show this mess to a gangster?
That's your plan? You got a better idea?
I'm not walking away now.
Ruddy. Where are you hiding Evans?
And who do we have here?
Bettye McCartt, Charlie Bluhdorn.
Ah, you're the one
with the not-so-long but the no-less-perfect legs.
And you are the man who's very important.
And what brings you to our fine city, Bettye?
Oh, I go wherever my boss needs me to me.
Smart girl.
Well, let's get a drink, get to know each other a bit.
I'm your boss too, right?
Thank you, Mr. Bluhdorn. Oh, it's Charlie.
It's 9:00 in the morning.
I try not to drink in the mornings.
What, you don't like Bloody Marys?
How about a raincheck?
It's a date. Hmm.
And Ruddy, if you hear from Evans,
tell him to call me. Immediately.
You got it, boss.
Hey.
Why's he asking me about Evans?
Oh, my God.
Oh, shit.
Is this true? I don't know.
But something's happening.
If Evans is out, then-- We're screwed.
Fuck it.
At least we got a script.
Sure, Al.
You keep telling yourself that.
I can't believe you think this is a good idea.
What happens if one of the suits
sees your new gangster friend?
I got no choice.
[elevator dings]
AL: Mr. Colombo.
Thanks for stopping by. Call me Joe.
Joe. Yeah.
Let's head to my office. JOE: Yeah.
Oh, shit. What are you, clairvoyant?
BETTYE: Charlie! Right this way, guys.
Hi! How about that raincheck?
I'm thirsty.
I thought you didn't drink in the morning.
No, I didn't say that.
I said I try not to drink in the morning.
Sometimes I fail,
and a Bloody Mary sounds really good right now.
[exhales]
So this is it.
That's it.
And you want me to read it?
It's the only way you'll know I meant what I said to you.
Read it.
Yeah, here.
CARMINE: You read it. CAESAR: Nah, I don't read fast.
Well, I don't have my glasses.
Hand me the fucking script.
[quirky music]
♪
[chair squeaking]
♪
What's this?
What's wrong?
The "fade in."
What's that mean?
Joe, "fade in" is a script term.
It means that the screen is gonna be black,
and then once the movie starts,
the screen begins to come to life,
and we call that fading in.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, fade in. Yeah, I like that.
I never knew that.
CARMINE: There's a lot of things you don't know--
Quiet. Let him read the--
Look, Al...
I ain't here to waste your time.
You're a straight shooter showing this to me,
and I appreciate that.
But we still got a problem.
What, Joe? How can I help?
I got this thing I'm doing.
It's called the Italian-American
Civil Rights League.
Our goal is to get people to understand
there ain't no thing called the Mafia.
If you make this movie,
everybody's gonna be saying that word all over the place.
If I let you make this movie,
I'm allowing exactly what I'm trying to eliminate.
You understand. It's a vile word.
It's just not something that exists.
Right?Yeah.
Listen, this Mafia bullshit was invented by the FBI
to keep my people down.
How about this?
What if I get the writers to eliminate
the word "Mafia" from the script?
You want to make a Mafia movie
without using the word "Mafia"?
[chuckles]
Really?Pazzo.
I'm a serious man,
and I'm committed to making a serious movie,
one that family men like yourself can be proud of.
If you want me to change the script,
I'll change the script.
I respect you.
And I can do that. I'm the producer.
Wait, what are you doing? What are you doing?
Calling the writers.
I'm telling 'em to search the script
for the word "Mafia," cut it wherever they find it.
No, no, no.
When they'll retype the script, it'll be gone.
Look, look.
You say the word ain't gonna be in the script,
that's good enough for me.
Take the word out,
I'll let you make your movie.
It's gone. You have my word.
Congratulations.
Thank you, Joe.
Can I ask you something?
This singer character, Johnny Fontaine.
Mm-hmm.
Is he supposed to be Sinatra?
[soft sinister music]
Do you want him to be?
I like this guy.
Come on. Let's go.
I'll call you.
♪
[groans softly]
[exhales]
Wow.
I thought we were having a drink.
This is a salad.
Yeah.
McCartt. What is that, Irish?
I'm from Oklahoma.
Oh, cowboys! [laughs]
You are a weird guy, Charlie.
Mm, Charlie.
I like the way you say my name.
[chuckles softly]
Mm. Are you gonna shitcan Evans?
A beautiful woman like you
shouldn't waste her time reading.
Beautiful women have to waste their time
doing a lot of things, Charlie.
Like drinking salads with CEOs.
[chuckles]
So? Is he out?
Tell me what you think about "The Godfather."
Now you want a woman's opinion.
Mm.
It's fantastic.
The script is gold.
It's gonna make you a ton of money.
Give it to me.
No.
I am your boss.
I could make you give it to me.
You can't make me do anything, Charlie.
[chuckles]
[laughs]
[soft suave music]
♪
Paisan.
Francis, what I've read so far is great.
It's not done yet.
No shit. When's it gonna be?
It wasn't for you to read.
You stole it. Stole it?
Yes, your assistant.
You need to trust me when I say that I needed it.
This is not to be read until it is done.
I say when it is done.
Fair enough.
Anybody in this building read it?
No.Uh-huh.
What about Evans? Did he read it?
Nobody's read it except for me and Bettye.
Good.
Have a cannoli.
Where are they from? Veniero's on 11th.
Okay.
So you really liked it?
I loved it.
Now, look, I'm not trying to put any undue pressure
on you and Mario, but
I really need that script finished
so that we can start the budget
and see if New York's a possibility or not.
Well, we gotta shoot here.
I know, I finagled this young guy in the film office.
He's gonna help us with some incentives.
And I got a few locations we need to check out.
Like, now.
Like, now now? Yeah.
Okay, so this is the last house of the day.
Now, it's bigger than we talked about
and needs a little bit of work,
but I figured, might as well take a look at it.
At least it's quiet in Staten Island, huh?
We'll get a lot more bang for our buck out here.
Mm-hmm.Mm.
LOVANO: Ah, welcome. Mr. Lovano.
This is Al Ruddy, the producer of the film.
Nice to meet you. Thanks for having us.
Oh, no problem.
Come this way. Come this way.
Huh.
You have a beautiful home. Thank you.
It's a good neighborhood. Quiet.
[soft dramatic string music]
♪
I think he likes it.
I don't know. I haven't heard him take a picture yet.
BETTYE: He's seeing it.
He's looking at how he's gonna shoot it.
♪
Huh.
[camera shutter clicks]
♪
[film winding]
♪
Al and Bettye, come here.
Do me a favor.
Okay, Bettye here.
Ruddy there.
Just look at each other.
Just sit. Sit. You're the lovebirds.
Just be natural.
Good. Michael and Kay.
Yeah, come in. Come in a little closer.
How's that, boss? Yes, sir.
How's that? [chuckles]
Good man.
Love it. Paisan. Si.
We able to shoot on the lawn here?
Of course. Anything you need.
Grazie.
[chuckles]
This is perfect.
We can shoot the whole wedding sequence
right on the lawn here.
And it's bright, and it's alive.
A celebration juxtaposed against the darkness
of what's happening in the Don's office
just beyond these walls.
You like it.
I like it.
Let's lock it in. You got it.
Oh, yeah, before I forget,
how many times does the word "Mafia"
appear in the script?
Ooh. I think just once?
Uh, yeah.
The producer, Woltz, he says it
to Tom Hagen, consigliere.
He says, "Now, you listen to me,
"you smooth-talking son of a bitch.
"I'm gonna lay it on the line
"for you and your boss, wherever he is.
"Johnny Fontaine never makes it into this movie.
"I don't care how many dago guinea wop Mafia goombahs
come out of the woodwork." It's a good line.
Okay, cut it. Just the word.
Trust me. It's important.
Done.
Ooh, there's a nice old school
Italian restaurant around here
called Luigi's. Want to come?
I'd love to, but I gotta meet a friend.
Okay, suit yourself.
COLOMBO: He's 14.
Remember how that felt?
I can't get that kid out of the bathroom.
He thinks I don't know what he's doing in there.
[chuckles]
You got any kids? No.
Sometimes I feel like this movie's my kid.
Yeah, well, listen,
everyone here now sees you with me,
so your kid's a go.
Sir. Thank you, buddy. Thank you.
Have a seat.
See Cher? Cher, right there. Look.
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Married to that little lawn jockey.
What the fuck is she doing with that guy?
Making millions of dollars. [laughs]
I chose the wrong racket.
Me too.
[funk music]
♪
Hey, Joe. What?
You know that guy?
♪
Who? The congressman, Biaggi?
Yeah. I met with him.
He's a dick.
You don't gotta worry about that guy.
Like I told you, you're with me now.
My friends are your friends,
and your enemies are my enemies.
The more I do this job, the more I learn
how many enemies I might actually have.
Yeah.
Welcome to the club.
The important thing is you make sure you see 'em coming.
Where are yours coming from, Al?
Every day's a surprise.
I don't know. I guess I, uh...
I do things my own way, and that makes 'em nervous.
I just don't have time for the corporate bullshit
or their fuckin' rules.
I see a job in front of me, and I do it.
It's the only way I know how. Whoa!
Do I understand that, my friend.
Listen, listen, the old guard ain't ready for the new.
They got their own way of doing things,
and they don't like men with a different vision.
It's like with the League. That's my baby.
I gotta spend half my time explaining things
rather than just making it happen.
Tony!
Get my friend here whatever he wants.
I'll have a club soda. Club soda?
Al, this is the Copa. Have a drink.
I'd love to, but I can't.
I got a early flight back to LA to make sure
the writers do what you and I discussed.
That's what I like to hear.
Scotch for my friend Mr. Ruddy.
Yes, sir. [chuckles]
You know, Joe,
you've been so good to me.
I just hope when you come to LA I can return the favor.
Yeah, well, that ain't never gonna happen,
but thank you, Al.
You don't like LA? No, fuck LA.
You people are one good shake
from that whole state falling in the ocean.
[laughs]
♪
CHARLIE: Evans, where the fuck have you been?
I'm so sorry that missed your calls, Charlie.
I have been deeply involved
with nourishing our babies.
Yeah, if I wanted babies, I'd fuck a supermodel.
[chuckles]
Are you firing me, Charlie?
Huh? Why would I do that?
I saw the headlines in "Variety,"
and let me tell you-- Stop being paranoid, Evans.
I'm not firing you.
As long as I own this place, you're fine.
That's why I've been trying to call you.
We got bigger problems.
Paramount's in trouble, and the board isn't happy.
"Love Story" is gonna be box office gold,
and we got "The Godfather" on the runway, right behind it.
If they don't perform, I'll fall in my sword.
You're asking for time, Evans,
and money has no patience.
The only thing this board cares about
is quarterly reports.
I'm telling you, these films are gonna deliver 100%.
[line disconnects]
Charlie?
[dial tone drones]
[exhales]
PACINO: He's an outsider in his own family.
I think Michael wants more for himself, don't you?
Ah. He's torn.
He says he doesn't want to be involved
in the family business... Mm-hmm.
But, uh,
I think there's a piece of him that actually does.
Mm.
And what is that? Is that power?
Well, uh, the lure of power
can certainly be a strong aphrodisiac,
but, uh, I think it's more than that.
He's brave because
he's separating from his family, right?
But, uh,
they're still the most important thing to him.
And where do you think Kay fits in?
Well, Michael loves Kay,
but part of that is probably his rebellion
against what his family's doing, you know?
Kay isn't even Italian,
so she helps prove he's his own man.
Good.
That's great, Al.
Put him on film.
Put him on film!
Okay, we're gonna do a couple-- couple scenes, okay?
But then... PACINO: All right.
You and I, we're gonna talk again
when I'm in New York, all right?
PACINO: I'd like that.
[upbeat music playing]
♪
FRANCOISE: Welcome home, cherie.
I don't think it's possible for me to love you
any more than I do right now.
Nonsense.
Wait till you try my chicken. [chuckles]
[Francoise speaking in French]
[both giggling]
What does that even mean?
"When chickens will have teeth."
[laughs]
No, why are you laughing?
It's a common French saying.
You think "when pigs fly" makes more sense?
I don't know why I think that is so funny.
Well, I'm glad you're in a good mood,
because, um, I have a proposition for you.
A business proposition.
Uh-oh.
Should I call my lawyer?
I'm kidding, baby.
I'm kidding. What is it?
Oh, no.
Do you know who Sue Mengers is?
Yeah, of course.
She's tough. She got good clients though.
Well, she's interested in a Nick Aubrey script
that was submitted to you.
How does she know about the Nick Aubrey script?
'Cause she saw me reading it.
Devouring it, actually.
What I mean is how did you come to read
the Nick Aubrey script?
Well, the other day I came to get your car,
and I just saw it laying there.
This has to be your next film.
Babe, my life is consumed right now with "The Godfather."
I can't even think about something--
No, I know. That's not what I'm suggesting.
Let me finish, okay?
I'm not a movie producer, but I'm a businesswoman.
And these scripts, they come into your office
and just sit there, that's--
that's just money burning.
And I know you don't have the time,
but I do, so let me help you.
What about the Chateau?
I can do more than one thing at a time.
Baby, producing's a full-time gig.
It's constant chaos.
I was born into chaos. It doesn't scare me.
It's all I know.
We can do this together.
Okay.
Okay?
If that's what you want, let's do it.
[squeals]
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Yes, my baby! Huh? Yes! [laughs]
Good morning.
So-- Francoise, good morning.
Good morning, Bettye.
Since you have a meeting,
I'm gonna use your office, all right?
Hm? Okay.
[tapping at window] There he is.
Tough man to find.
You're lucky I wanted to stretch my legs.
I was just heading to your office.
With a script, I hope. Francis and Puzo
are putting the finishing touches on it.
Well, tell 'em to stop touching it, would you?
For Christ's sake, if we want to get this thing cast
with someone who actually means something,
I need a script for people to read.
I mean, the damn thing's called "The Godfather."
It's hard to get a Don without a script.
Hi, Bob. Hey, gorgeous.
I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here.
Yes.
I think I found a possible solution
to your "Godfather" problem.
Really?
Well, who doesn't love a good solution?
Let's hear it.
Sinatra.
If you get him to play the Don,
all your problems will go away.
Yeah, that's really interesting.
Yeah. Maybe I should fire Ruddy
and give you this office instead.
[all chuckle]
Do you mind if I borrow him for a while?
Sure. Have fun, boys.
Let's walk and walk, Ruddy.
[upbeat music]
♪
And I sent over a copy of the New York shooting plan.
I got a deal with the film office
that's really gonna help us out.
Yeah, I got it. And it looks great.
But I can't greenlight
until I got a budget and-- what do you call 'em?
Uh, made of paper, roughly 120 pages long.
A script. Ah, you've heard of them.
Halle-fucking-lujah. Look, look.
I'm gonna get it to you, all right? I promise.
I'm not done, Ruddy. I'm not done.
Frank Sinatra for the Don?
Don't ever, fucking ever,
let your girl pitch a stupid idea like that to me again,
or I swear to God,
I will find me a producer
who knows not to shit where he sleeps.
Now you can fuck off.
[bell rings]
[whistles]
FRANCOISE: So?
Did Evans like my idea about Sinatra?
FRANCIS: Jesus Christ. He--
There he is.
Security made me park in Canada.
I'm going to need a taxi back to my car later.
I'll take care of it. Hello.
Francis, Francoise.
FRANCIS: Actress? No.
Okay.
Is the baby here yet?
Baby. [chuckles]
I feel like I've given birth.
Here we go.
Looks like twins. Do me a favor.
Hold the commentary until you've carefully read
what we worked so very hard at creating.
Let me dig in.
Ah! You have casting.
So I will make copies.
Ruddy, your eyes only.
I know.Okay.
Francoise. Bye, Francis.
[indistinct conversation]
BOB: Hey, the whole gang's here. Good.
Andrea. What have we got?
We've got one specific choice
we wanted to show you for Michael.
All right. Good.
[projector whirring]
PACINO: He's torn.
He says he doesn't want to be involved
in the family business. Stop. Stop. Stop!
Bob, just watch him. Pacino's really good.
Cut it! Read my lips.
That shrimp never gets the part.
It's just started. He's a beautiful actor!
Hey, director, take a visual cue.
Doesn't get this part.
Give me some movie star choices.
Redford. O'Neal. Jimmy Caan.
Anybody here besides me realize this picture needs to be a hit?
Oh, oh, oh, before I forget.
Ruddy, maybe you can explain to me
how Al Pacino has pages and I fucking don't!
PETER: Jimmy Caan could be interesting.
Okey dokey. [sighs]
[soft dramatic music]
♪
[exhales]
We tried. I'm sorry.
Why am I even here?
If they-- if they won't let me do
what they hired me to do,
why am I even here?
♪
So how is it?
Al?
Sorry, baby, did you say something?
The script, is it good?
It's incredible.
Can I read it?
When I'm done.
Next time, bring home extra copies.
I'll be up in a bit.
♪
[engine revving]
Bob. What's going on?
170 pages?
Are you out of your fucking mind?
How did you get that? Oh, please, shut up.
I know just about every page that goes
through that copy room. Did you read it?
Because I did, and it's great. I don't have to at 170 pages.
I told you Puzo was a bad idea.
That dogshit is unproduceable.
Bob, come in. We'll have a drink.
Talk about it. Oh, fuck you.
Fuck yourself, Al.
Hey, you know what I'm thinking?
Here's what I'm thinking.
You should just go back to doing some sitcoms.
That's what I'm thinking.
Have a great night, asshole.
[tires squealing]
You too.
[indistinct chatter]
[blues music playing softly]
♪
Fuckin' "Crazy Joe" Gallo.
When the fuck did you get out?
Yo, relax.
He's a friend.
[chuckles]
Paroled today.
Wanted to pay my respects.
Well, well, well, you bypassed your guinea prince
to come up to Harlem, huh?
Guess you really are as crazy on the outside
as you were on the inside.
You did right by me.
I don't forget that.
LOMBARDO: Gallo's an animal.
He kidnapped members of his own family.
It's unforgivable what he did. He did his time.
That crazy motherfucker had a lion in his apartment.
GAMBINO: He had a what? A lion.
From the jungle. In his apartment.
LUCCHESE: It's true. [chuckles]
If I may, Carlo,
I have a proposition.
I propose that my family take control of Joe Gallo.
We'll keep him in line,
make sure that he acts with respect.
Are you saying, Paul,
you guarantee Gallo will behave himself?
SCIACCI: I am.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Joe Gallo is a Profaci.
This is my family.
And while his actions led to our last war,
I was not the head of the Profaci family,
and I cannot speak for my family's leadership
during that terrible time.
My family,
as this Commission has authorized,
is now the Colombo family,
and I have a right to handle these matters as I see fit.
Joe.
We appreciate what you're saying here.
But if Gallo comes out, guns blazing,
as is his nature-- Carlo, Carlo.
I'll handle it. You have my word.
Joe Gallo will not be a problem.
I just think it's best if he's put with
a different family. That's what I'm saying.
I think that would be a bad precedent.
Are you proposing that every time
there's an internal problem,
the Commission needs to meet and trade soldiers
like we're some goddamn baseball team?
I'm with Joe on this.
This is an internal Colombo matter.
Thank you, Tommy.
Fine.
Gallo remains a Colombo.
Thank you.
GAMBINO: But, Joe...
Don't make us regret it, huh?
No.
Thank you. Thank you, Carlo.
GAMBINO: Now, turning to the airports.
JFK is covered. LaGuardia?
[tense music]
It's beautiful.
Take away the crime,
this could be any American family.
You did it.
Now, we are gonna have to make some cuts for budget,
but really, really good stuff.
And that's the sound of the other shoe dropping.
Francis, Sicily.
Do we really need that whole section?
Yes.
It's so important to Michael's story.
We have to see the catalyst
for his transformation into darkness.
All right. We'll talk through it at lunch.
I'm buying.
There he is.
Mario, get in here.
I was just telling Francis how good the script is.
Are you having a stroke?
I'm happy.
Do you want to know why I'm happy?
Yes.
Brando wrote you back.
He wants to do it. FRANCIS: Are you kidding me?
He wants to play the Don! Oh, my God.
I guess this calls for drinks at lunch.
"Dear Mario. I read your book.
I especially identify with--" AL: So proud of you.
Brando! What? Yes!
Oh, my God.
Wow! [laughter]
MARIO: Brando. Hey.
Hi.
Al. Sue.
Shall we? Sure.
Are you okay with that?
Yeah. Yeah, sure, it's fine.
I think we both know it's not.
You gotta talk to her.
What the hell am I supposed to say?
I don't know.
I just know you shouldn't shit where you eat.
I really wish people would stop telling me where to shit.
Right.
[music playing over car radio]
♪
Is Jimmy out yet?
Shivved a guy a day before his parole.
He ain't going nowhere.
And Leonard? He still in New York?
Dead.
Fuck.
Who did it?
Nobody.
First night out, he got lit,
passed out on the subway platform,
fell in,
got decapitated by the D train.
[both laughing]
Oh, man.
That shit just ain't right. Man.
♪
[ominous music]
What do you got in mind for him?
I'm gonna light his whole fucking world on fire.
And burn everything he ever loved
to the fucking ground.
♪
[moody rock music]
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING]
I got a script the size of an encyclopedia.
A director in love with the shortest
unknown actor on the planet.
And I walked into an ambush.
AGENT: FBI! Am I forgetting anything?
No.
GALLO: This picture... Action!
...is an assault on Italian-Americans everywhere.
MAN 1: We lost the Staten Island compound.
Use another house, is that what you just said?
WOMAN: So this is a gangster film?
It's more than that.
ROBERT: We know people want romance...
To The Godfather!
...and violence.
AL: Find me a better one.
I'm in charge of the horse head? Fuck!
[ALL CHEERING]
MAN 2: Gallo's gone underground.
JOE: Don't underestimate that crazy bastard.
BARRY: The Godfather is becoming a problem.
I'm not cutting the scene!
We need to get rid of Coppola.
You better be ready to take over.
ROBERT: Let me know what our options are.
You're selling Paramount?
[ALARM RINGING]
You never let them know what we're thinking.
ROBERT: I took a chance on you
and you stabbed me in the back. AL: What have I lied about?
You lied about everything.
BETTYE: Did you ever stop and think about
the repercussions, about what that meant for the rest of us?
AL: I'm doing this on my own.
CHARLES: When you fail alone, there's no one else to blame.
That's the only way I want it.
["THE GODFATHER" THEME MUSIC PLAYING]
ADAM: Action!
MAN: Sit the fuck down.
Do you know who I am?
With all due respect, I got-- I'm Joe Colombo.
I kinda run things around here.
Both Miles and Giovanni
brought incredible weight to that scene.
I love Miles Teller.
It's like working with a leading man out of the 1950s,
which for me
is probably the highest praise I could give anybody.
This was the moment in the series
where they first really encounter one another,
and they were very invested in it.
When you have somebody to parlay off of,
and you can see that they're responding to certain things,
and they're making you respond,
this is what you strive for as an actor.
Stop what you're doing, go back to Hollywood,
and make a fucking cowboy movie.
It was one of the more daunting roles for me, personally,
in my career.
Joe Colombo just existed in a different universe.
He brought a combination of both humor
and bone-chilling fear into his portrayal of Joe Colombo.
You and me got a problem.
If it's about my movie--
I think it's best if you hear me out first.
ADAM: It's one of the relationships
that I think travels the furthest distance
over the course of the show because they start out
in a threatening, adversarial posture with each other.
The book is not the movie I'm gonna make.
And I can promise you
that my movie is not gonna be the book.
What the fuck does that mean?
It was incredible to watch Miles bring the fear
to what this character was experiencing at that time.
He wanted to really tap into
the nail biting aspect of that,
and I think he did a great job of it.
Cut!
Nailed it.
[ALL CHUCKLE]
We'll go to one of the showrunners,
and we'll just be like, "Did this actually...?"
They're like, "Absolutely,"
and all these things actually happened.
I said, "Joe, I am willing to let you read the screenplay
which nobody has seen.
Come to my office
and I will show you that I'm telling you the truth."
He said, "I'll be there tomorrow at 2:00."
When Ruddy invites Joe to read the script,
you know what I mean, that's insane to me.
What happens if one of the suits
sees your new gangster friend?
Mr. Colombo, thanks for stopping by.
Call me Joe. Joe.
Yeah Let's head to my office.
Okay.
MICHAEL: Colombo did come up to his office,
Colombo picked up the script,
and first thing he said, "What's this fade-in?"
The fade-in.
What's that mean?
Joe, fade-in's a script term.
Ruddy explained it.
That's Hollywood bullshit.
And then Colombo sort of thumbed through the script
and decided that Ruddy was a stand up guy.
I ain't here to waste your time.
You're a straight shooter showing this to me,
and I appreciate that.
But we still got a problem.
AL: Finally, I said, "Joe, what do you want?"
And he said, "I'll tell you exactly what I want.
I want you to take the word 'mafia' out of the movie."
You have my word.
Congratulations.
I said, "Shake my hand, Joe, and we have a deal."
There was a real creed with the mafia and those guys
that you don't go back on your word, you know?
And I think Al was very...
Um, if he said something, he meant it, you know?
And I think that went a long way with them.
I like this guy.
Come on, let's go.
I'll call ya.
ADAM: Their methodology may have been very different,
but their intensity and their resolve was...
You know, they were sort of brothers in arms
in that respect.
I see a job in front of me and I do it.
It's the only way I know how.
Whoa, do I understand that, my friend.