In late summer 1945, Vito Corleone, the head of the Corleone Mafia family, and Tom Hagen, his consigliere (counselor), hear requests for favors during the Don's daughter Connie's (Talia Shire) wedding reception, following a Sicilian tradition. Singer Johnny Fontane, Corleone's godson, asks Vito's help in landing a movie role that will revitalize his flagging career. Hagen is dispatched to California to meet with studio head Jack Woltz. After initially refusing to cast Fontane, Woltz caves in when he finds the severed head of his prized $600,000 racehorse in his bed the next morning. "AHHHAHHHHHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
Upon Hagen's return, the family leadership meets with Virgil Sollozzo, who asks Don Corleone's to protect the rival Tattaglia family's planned heroin business. Don Vito disapproves of drug trafficking and feels his political influence could be jeopardized; he rejects the potentially lucrative proposal. He then sends his primary enforcer Luca Brasi to infiltrate Sollozzo's organization, but Brasi is summarily executed. "Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes"
Don Corleone is shot in an assassination attempt. Sollozzo abducts Tom Hagen and persuades him to offer Corleone' eldest son, Sonny, the deal previously offered to the Don. Youngest son Michael, whom the other Mafia families consider a "civilian" uninvolved in mob business, averts a second murder attempt at the hospital where his father is being treated, but is beaten by corrupt police Captain McCluskey. Sonny retaliates by having Bruno Tattaglia killed.
When Sollozzo meets with Michael in an attempt to settle the dispute, Michael shoots and kills both Sollozzo and McCluskey. "Drop the gun" He then takes refuge in Sicily, where he soon marries a young local woman. The third Corleone brother, Fredo, is sent to Las Vegas, to be sheltered by casino operators the Corleones have backed financially. Open warfare erupts between the Corleones and the other members of the Five Families, while the police and other authorities begin to clamp down on Mafia activity. Don Vito is particularly distressed when he learns of Michael's involvement, since he had planned for Michael to remain uninvolved in the "family business."
When Sonny impulsively leaves the guarded family compound to confront Connie's husband Carlo over his wife-beating, he is killed in an ambush. Michael narrowly escapes death in Sicily, when his wife is killed by a bomb in their car.
Don Vito meets with the other Five Family dons and settles their dispute, withdrawing his opposition to the Tattalglia's heroin business. He deduces from the negotiations that the Tattaglias were acting on behalf of the more powerful Don Barzini. With his safety now guaranteed, Michael returns home. More than a year later, he marries his long time American girlfriend, Kay. As his father withdraws from active control of the Corleone family, and middle brother Fredo seen as incapable of shouldering the Don's responsibilities, Michael takes control of the family. He promises Kay he will legitimize its businesses within five years.
Biding his time, Michael allows rival families to pressure Corleone enterprises and eat away at their revenues, disturbing several of his caporegimes. He directs them not to retaliate, disclosing plans to move family operations to Nevada while spinning off New York operations to family members who stay behind. Michael replaces Hagen with a new consigliere; Vito explains to the upset Hagen that he and Michael have longer-rage plans for him and for the family.
Michael travels to Las Vegas, intending to buy out their casino partner Moe Greene (Alex Rocco). Greene angrily rejects the proposal, deriding the Corleones as a failing organization. Michael is particularly angered when Fredo, under the sway of Greene and his associates, warns his brother that Greene is too important to be treated in that fashion.
Vito Corleone collapses and dies while playing with his young grandson Anthony in his tomato garden. At the burial, caporegime Tessio arranges a meeting between Michael and Don Barzini, now seen as the dominant figure in the New York families. As Vito had warned Michael, Tessio's involvement signals his shift of allegiance to the Barzini family; the planned meeting is intended to result in Michael's execution. The meeting is set for the same day as the christening of Connie and Carlo's first child, where Michael will stand as his godfather.
As the christening proceeds, Corleone assassins murder the dons heading the other New York families, as well as Moe Greene. After the christening, Tessio learns that Michael is aware of his betrayal, and is taken off to his death. Michael confronts Carlo over his suspected involvement in setting up Sonny's killing, promising him safety; after Carlo confesses, he is garotted at Michael's direction.
Later that day, Connie accuses Michael of murdering the vanished Carlo as Kay watches. When Kay confronts him privately, he denies the accusation to her, an answer she appears to accept. As the film ends, Kay sees Michael receiving gestures of respect from other mafiosi, paralleling the treatment given his father, just before the door to his office is closed.
[edit] Cast
- Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone – the boss (the "Don") of the Corleone family, Formerly known as Vito Andolini. He is the father of Santino (Sonny), Federico (Fredo), Michele (Michael) and Costanzia (Connie) and adoptive father to Tom Hagen. Husband of Carmella Corleone. A native Sicilian.
- Al Pacino as Michael Corleone – the Don's and Carmella's youngest son, recently returned from military service following the end of World War II. The only college-educated member of the family (other than Tom Hagen), he initially wants nothing to do with the Corleone family business. His evolution from doe-eyed outsider to ruthless boss is the key plotline of the film.
- James Caan as Santino "Sonny" Corleone – Vito's and Carmella's hot-headed eldest son; he is being groomed to succeed his father as head of the Corleone family. He is the family's underboss.
- Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen – an informally adopted son of Vito and Carmella Corleone, he is also the family lawyer and the new consigliere (counselor). He is not Sicilian, but German-Irish.
- Diane Keaton as Kay Adams-Corleone – Michael's girlfriend and, ultimately, his wife and mother to their children.
- John Cazale as Fredo Corleone – the middle son of Vito and Carmella Corleone. Fredo is not very bright and appears to be the weakest of the Corleone brothers.
- Talia Shire as Costanzia "Connie" Corleone – Vito's and Carmella's youngest child and only daughter. She marries Carlo Rizzi.
- Richard S. Castellano as Peter "Fat" Clemenza – a caporegime for the Corleone family.
- Abe Vigoda as Salvatore "Sal" Tessio – a caporegime for the Corleone Family.
- Al Lettieri as Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo – a heroin dealer associated with the Tattaglia family.
- Gianni Russo as Carlo Rizzi – Connie's husband. Becomes an associate of the Corleone family, and ultimately betrays Sonny to the Barzini family.
- Sterling Hayden as Captain Mark McCluskey – a corrupt police captain on Sollozzo's payroll.
- Lenny Montana as Luca Brasi – an enforcer utilized by Vito Corleone.
- Richard Conte as Emilio Barzini– Don of the Barzini family.
- Al Martino as Johnny Fontane – a world-famous popular singer and godson of Vito.
- John Marley as Jack Woltz – a powerful Hollywood producer.
- Alex Rocco as Moe Greene – a longtime associate of the Corleone family who owns a Las Vegas hotel.
- Morgana King as Carmella Corleone – Vito's wife and mother of Sonny, Fredo, Michael and Connie, and adoptive mother to Tom Hagen.
- John Martino as Paulie Gatto – A "button man" (soldier/hit man) under Capo Pete Clemenza and Vito's driver.
- Victor Rendina as Philip Tattaglia– Don of the Tattaglia family.
- Simonetta Stefanelli as Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone – A stunningly beautiful young girl Michael meets and marries while in Sicily.
- Louis Guss as Don Zaluchi – Don of the Zaluchi family of Detroit.
- Tom Rosqui as Rocco Lampone – a soldier under Clemenza who eventually becomes a caporegime in the Corleone family.
- Joe Spinell as Willi Cicci – a soldier in the Corleone family.
- Richard Bright as Al Neri – Michael Corleone's bodyguard. He eventually becomes a caporegime.
- Julie Gregg as Sandra Corleone – wife of Sonny.
