As with all Corleones, Fredo had a temper and would lash out at anyone that insulted him or his family, namely his wife. That's a shameful enough position for any Corleone. In Las Vegas, he met Marguerite Duvall, who was sent up to his room by Johnny Fontane. Coppola tells two stories in Part II: the roots. Despite this, Hagen gets Fredo cleared by claiming the incident was self-defense. His co-star and girlfriend, Meryl Streep, threatened to quit if he was fired. A few months later they got married. In the mafia, Michael ordering the killing of his own brother is perfectly justified because of Fredo's treachery. If Roth and Ola were comfortable sharing that information with Fredo, then they were comfortable knowing they had Fredo's trust. He holds court with the press, entertaining them, even making them crack up at his jokes, but his expression is one of knowing doom and uneasiness. Frederico Corleone Biographical information Gender Male Born 1915 (novel) 1919 (film) Hell's Kitchen, New York, U.S. Died 1959 Lake Tahoe, Nevada, U.S. Michael comes to suspect Hyman Roth is behind the attempt, but with the Corleone estate being fortress-like and heavily guarded, it is clear that betrayal had occurred by someone close to him. Fredo runs away. The Ending Of The Godfather, Part II Explained. Fredo would propose this plan to Michael and impress him, reassuring him and others of his abilities. That goes sideways when Michael never provides Pentangeli with the firepower he needs to protect his territory. Fredo had no real power in the family, however, and resented being passed over for the position of Don. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Despite disagreeing and arguing with Michael's plan, Fredo goesalong with it and soon after the underground casino is raided and shut down, the Hotel taken over and (unbeknownst to Fredo) Moe is killed at Orchid Inc.by Trapani. Anthony, about to go fishing with his uncle, is called away by his aunt Connie to go toReno. Nick Geraci met with Don Vincent "The Jew" Forlenza, the Don of Cleveland, and discussed how Fredo could fit into their plans to take down Michael. Michael, however, dismisses the plan as unrealistic. The novel reveals that Fredo is bisexual, and implies that he wasmolestedas a child by his parish priest, Father Stefano. In Havana, Fredo feeds information on the Corleones' activities to Roth's associate Johnny Ola. http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Godfather-Part-II.html, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition. I'm Moe Greene! Despite his flaws, Fredo was very sociable and had a great understanding of local hangouts, which made him the meet-and-greet business liaison for important figures and guests, of which significance to the family Fredo wasn't even aware, thinking he was just an errand boy for Michael. When Michael learns that Greene slapped Fredo, he is angered and confronts Greene, but is also dismayed that Fredo has fallen under Greene's influence. But Fredo's tragic flaw is that he can't accept being denied a leadership role. The film never reveals what specific assistance Fredo provides Ola and Roth against Michael, how much he knew of their intentions, or what he was offered in return. His passion for family led to his death. You broke my heart. Michael's suspicions of Hyman Roth are solidified in a moment of realization that could make you cry, and the heart-rending betrayal is revealed. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Jessica Kaitse Family (1) [3] The deal with Hyman Roth had now reached a stalemate, and they figured Fredo could be used as a pawn to let Hyman Roth succeed. Fredo was in on the hit. You broke my heart!" RELATED: How The Failure of Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope Birthed 'The Godfather', With that in mind, Fredo's death has to be justified, and truthfully, whether it is remains unclear. To Fredo's dismay, however, Michael dismissed the idea as unrealistic. 1972 The Valachi Papers a.k.a. After the trial dissolves into chaos, Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), the Corleone family's lawyer and adopted son, shows up at Pentangeli's compound to inform him in so many words that if he commits suicide as penance for speaking out against Michael at the trial, his family will be taken care of for life. He tells Michael that he resents being passed over to succeed their father; he believes that, as the older brother, he should have taken over the family business after Vito's death. [3], At the Christmas of 1956, Fredo showed up at the Corleone Christmas party with Deanna Dunn, a famous but fading movie starlet. Report. OldBobbyPeru 8 mo. Hagen offers the Corleone family's help in covering up the prostitutes murder in exchange for Geary's "friendship". For Michael, this is a fate worse than death. I always had the impression that Fredo just provided Roth with some extra information in order for Roth's supposed deal with Michael to succeed and for himself to make a good figure, not knowing about Roth's plans against Michael. Cazale passed away in 1978, so he never got to have the lifelong career that many of his co-stars did. Do you know who I am? Surrounded by autumn leaves and alone among the elements, he ought to be proud of his victory. Once again, family loyalty undoes one of Puzo and Coppola's characters. He obviously was having nefarious conspiring conversations with Roth and Ola and was out for himself. Fredo proposes his plan to Michael, wanting to impress him and prove his worth to the family. He actually never leaves and instead, he is sent to his room, where, from his window, he sees Fredo and Neri out on the lake. Now, in The Godfather Returns , acclaimed novelist Mark Winegardner continues the story-the years not covered in Puzo's bestselling book or in Francis Ford Coppola's classic films. Geraci and Ola meet with Fredo, who is blind drunk after having a fight with his wife, and promise to make his necropolis idea a reality in return for information about Michael. Affiliation Corleone family Title (s) Underboss Behind the scenes Portrayed by John Cazale Andrew Moxham (voice) John Mariano (voice) "I'm your older brother, Mike, and I was stepped over!" His father eventually decided to give him menial tasks in the "family business". Fredo proved to be the most sensitive and caring member of the Corleones. John Cazale is not a household name anymore, but he should be. This just wouldn't fit to his character as depicted, I think. Michael reveals he knows of Fredo's betrayal. . A few months later they are married. Mike Sipser and Wikipedia seem to disagree on Chomsky's normal form. Fredo often advises Dominic on how to run a business. But nobody conspires against the Don and lives, even the Don's own brother. Shortly after, with Fredo's knowledge, Marguerite had a baby, whom she put up for adoption. Michael was wracked with guilt over ordering Fredo's murder for the rest of his life. In Part I, Fredo volunteered to stand in for Paulie Gatto to drive Don Vito, which unexpectedly led to the assassination attempt on the Don and Fredo's subsequent breakdown. It is 1955. He doesn't mention that Israel would offer him protection against the Italian mobster he tried to bring down. As Cazale was evidently weak, he was forced to film his scenes first. In this game, he is mistakenly referred to on the family chart as "Alfredo". Frightened, Fredo runs away into the crowd. However, in the event of Michael's assassination, Fredo would likely have led the Corleone family, at least as a figurehead. during the negotiation of a business deal between Roth's organization At Colma during the funeral for Don Molinari of San Francisco, Fredo gets the idea of setting up a necropolis in New Jersey. he said that he wanted to talk. Fredo's death is as wrenching as it is only because we care so deeply about himhe's pathetic, sure, but he has reserves of humanity that he never got to express, holding himself to an. had met in Havana earlier that year. It's a story of acceptance and pride told in silent pantomime. While the studio was unaware of his condition, the director, Michael Cimino, knew about it. In 1959, he was murdered on the orders of his own brother, Michael Corleone, due to his betrayal of the family for Hyman Roth. Could provide any kind of proof or reference that this was in the original script? He is the second son of the Mafia don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro). Throughout the film, Roth has tried to project a sense of cool control, but here, he is defeated, slumped, jacket and paper bag in hand, quite aware of the fact that he has failed in his attempt at removing Michael in a grab for power. Behind the scenes Among his greatest achievements was that he helped the discovery of childhood friend. The novel also reveals that, in San Francisco, Fredo beats one of his lovers to death after the man recognizes him from a newspaper photo. Playing next. Michael became the Don in order to protect his family. After telling Michael that he has never met Ola, Fredo later carelessly tells Geary that he had been to a nightclub with Ola. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Gender Greene was later killed in 1955. Fredo was the one who set up the shooting that almost got Michael and Kay killed at the Tahoe compound on the night of Anthony's party for his first holy communion. Before we get into that, let's look at why Michael didn't kill Fredo at the end of "The Godfather." Most only remember. Affiliation Now he wants to consolidate his power, save his marriage, and take . Maybe he even wanted a bit of a little advantage for himself out of the deal, feeling ignored by the family though being the older brother. Every feature film that he starred in would later be selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, a record no other actor in film history has and likely ever will match. Michael therefore disowns and banishes him from the family, although not wanting any harm to happen to him while their mother was still alive. The Godfather's director, Francis Ford Coppola, also directed the movie.Cazale's fourth feature film, Dog Day Afternoon (1975), earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Sal, a bank robber. After Michael discovered Fredo's betrayal, he used his own son, Anthony, to form a bond with Fredo as a way to draw him in. It's shocking enough to see any character want their own sibling dead. And unfortunately for Fredo (and Michael), he doesn't listen. He also acts shamefully, choosing womanizing and drinking over the business, despite being clearly charismatic. HAGEN My information is that Fredo thought it was a kidnapping. If Fredo was told they could help him with his Colma vision, he'd do anything to help. Answer you 're looking for worth to the family chart as `` ''! 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