Best Godfather scene/line

The movie insists upon itself.

 

From II, my favorite line:

There was this kid I grew up with -- he was younger than me. Sorta looked up to me -- you know. We did our first work together -- worked our way out of the street. Things were good, we made the most of it. During Prohibition -- we ran molasses into Canada -- made a fortune -- you father, too. As much as anyone, I loved him -- and trusted him. Later on he had an idea -- to build a city out of a desert stop-over for GI's on the way to the West Coast. That kid's name was Moe Green -- and the city he invented was Las Vegas. This was a great man -- a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a plaque -- or a signpost -- or a statue of him in that town! Someone put a bullet through his eye. No one knows who gave the order -- when I heard it, I wasn't angry; I knew Moe -- I knew he was head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up dead -- I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the business we've chosen -- I didn't ask who gave the order -- because it had nothing to do with business!

 

saw a Brando documentary last year and it highlighted a scene from 1, early in the film Brando is in his office with others discussing business, Brando saw a cat on the set and decided to incorporate it into the scene, Brando takes this cat and casually pets it in his lap and without any rehearsal just nails the scene, the guy was a genius

 

Never let anyone outside the family know what you're thinking.

 

Mike Gundy loves that scene.

 

The whole scene in the Vegas suite where Fredo welcomes Michael and then Moe Greene comes breezing in.

Michael: The Corleone family is thinking of giving up all of its interest in the olive oil business, settling out here. Now Moe Greene will sell us his share of the hotel and the casino so that it can be completely owned by the family.

Fredo: Hey, Mike, are you sure about that? I mean, Moe, loves the business. He never said anything to me about sellin'.

Michael: I'll make him an offer he can't refuse.
....

Followed by:
Michael: My credit good enough to buy you out?

Moe Greene: Buy me out?
[Fredo laughs nervously]

Michael: The hotel, the casino. The Corleone Family wants to buy you out.

Moe Greene: The Corleone Family wants to buy me out? No, I buy you out, you don't buy me out.

Michael: Your casino loses money, maybe we can do better.

Moe Greene: You think I'm skimmin off the top, Mike?

Michael: [Michael shakes his head] You're unlucky.

Moe Greene: You goddamn guineas you really make me laugh. 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!

Michael: You took Freddie in because the Corleone Family bankrolled your casino, and the Molinari Family on the Coast guaranteed his safety. Now we're talking business, let's talk business.

Moe Greene: Yeah, let's talk business, Mike. First of all, you're all done. The Corleone Family don't even have that kind of muscle anymore. The Godfather's sick, right? You're getting chased out of New York by Barzini and the other Families. What do you think is going on here? You think you can come to my hotel and take over? I talked to Barzini - I can make a deal with him, and still keep my hotel!

Michael: Is that why you slapped my brother around in public?

Fredo: Aw, now that, that was nothin', Mike. Moe didn't mean nothin' by that. Yeah, sure he flies off the handle every once in a while, but me and him, we're good friends, right Moe?

Moe Greene: I got a business to run. I gotta kick asses sometimes to make it run right. We had a little argument, Freddy and me, so I had to straighten him out.

Michael: You straightened my brother out?

Moe Greene: He was banging cocktail waitresses two at a time! Players couldn't get a drink at the table! What's the matter with you?

Michael: I leave for New York tomorrow, think about a price.

Moe Greene: Sonofabitch! Do you know who I am? I'm Moe Greene! I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleaders!

Fredo: Wait a minute, Moe, Moe, I got an idea. Tom, you're the Consiglieri and you can talk to the Don, you can explain...

Tom Hagen: Now hold it right there. The Don is semi-retired and Mike is in charge of the Family business now. If you have anything to say, say it to Michael.

Fredo: [Moe Greene leaves] Mike! You do not come to Las Vegas and talk to a man like Moe Greene like that!

Michael: Fredo, you're my older brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. Ever.

 

Baltimoreguy, you beat me to it, lets have lunch soon.

Don't be afraid, Carlo. Come on, you think I'd make my sister a widow? I'm Godfather to your son.




Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your daughter... 's wedding... on the day of your daughter's wedding. And I hope their first child be a masculine child. I pledge my ever-ending loyalty.

Sonny: Goddamn FBI don't respect nothin'.

Tessio: [realizing that Michael knows he was the traitor] Tom, can you get me off the hook? For old times' sake?
Tom Hagen: [shakes his head] Can't do it, Sally.


and the greatest delivery of any line in any Godfather movie, you can watch Michael change before your eyes:
They want to have a meeting with me, right? It will be me, McClusky and Sollozzo. Let's set the meeting. We get our informants to find out where it's going to be held. Now we insist that it be held in a public place, a bar or a restaurant where there'll be other people there so I'll feel safe. They're going to search me when I first meet them, right? So I can't have a weapon on me. But if Clemenza can figure a way to have a weapon planted for me, then I'll kill them both.

 

Well done, Peter Griffin. Guess someone should be Chris and ask if you've ever seen the whole thing.

 

"That's a true story, Kay."

 

this far and no one has mention the obvious:

Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.

 

Yes and no. Yes, The book has nice lines and asides. But it's not even a good Harold Robbins novel. For its time it may have been strong and cutting edge. Reading it today I find it dated and cliched. The movie (part I & II) however, is a timeless piece of story telling. The movie surpasses the book by such a large margin. It's as if the book was a long rough sketch of a concept and the movie is its' fulfillment.

 

From Hyman Roth:

I like sporting events -- I really enjoy watching them in the afternoon. One of the things I love about this country. I loved baseball ever since Arnold Rothstein fixed the World Series of 1919. ;D