The Godfather's sick, right? You're getting chased out of New York by Barzini and the other Families. The Corleone Family don't even have that kind of muscle anymore. Now we're talking business, let's talk business. You took Freddie in because the Corleone Family bankrolled your casino, and the Molinari Family on the Coast guaranteed his safety. I do you a favor and take Freddie in when you're having a bad time, and now you're gonna try and push me out! You goddamn guineas you really make me laugh. Your casino loses money, maybe we can do better. The Corleone Family wants to buy me out? No, I buy you out, you don't buy me out. The Corleone Family wants to buy you out. Mr Corleone is a man who insists on hearing bad news at once. Thank you for the dinner and a very pleasant evening. Now you get the hell out of here! And if that goomba tries any rough stuff, you tell him I ain't no bandleader. And a man in my position can't afford to be made to look ridiculous. She threw it all away just to make me look ridiculous. And then Johnny Fontaine comes along with his olive oil voice and guinea charm and she runs off. She was the greatest piece of ass I've ever had, and I've had 'em all over the world. She was beautiful! She was young, she was innocent. And let me be even more frank, just to show you that I'm not a hard-hearted man, that it's not all dollars and cents. I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. For three years we had her under contract, singing lessons, dancing lessons, acting lessons. Johnny Fontane ruined one of Woltz International's most valuable proteges. Corleone never asks a second favor once he's refused the first, understood? Tell your boss he can ask for anything else, but this is one favour I can't grant him. Now Italians regard that as a very close, a very sacred religious relationship. Mr Corleone is Johnny Fontane's godfather.
Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract. My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Within an hour, he had a signed release for a certified check of $1000. So the next day, my father went back, only this time with Luca Brasi. So my father went to see this bandleader and offered him $10,000 to let Johnny go, but the bandleader said no. And as his career got better and better, he wanted to get out of it. Well, when Johnny was first starting out, he was signed to a personal services contract with this big-band leader. Michael, you never told me you knew Johnny Fontane! I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse. And a month from now this Hollywood big shot's gonna give you what you want. I want you to eat, I want you to rest well. Because a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. Tell me, do you spend time with your family? What's the matter with you? Is this what you've become, a Hollywood finocchio who cries like a woman? "Oh, what do I do? What do I do?" What is that nonsense? Ridiculous! Oh, Godfather, I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do. I wouldn't even have to act, just be myself. The main character is a guy just like me. He said there's no chance, no chance.Ī month ago he bought the rights to this book, a best seller. He won't give it to me, the head of the studio. Anyway, if I had this part in the picture, it puts me right back on top, you know.