Hello,

I'm a new member proud to be among devoted fans of this great epic. I received the DVD collection last Thursday, but was waiting to watch the first film with a friend. Tonight I couldn't wait any longer and watched it with the FFC commentary through the attempted assassination of Vito. I immediately noticed the scene where Vito asks Fredo to summon Paulie for the car is missing from this DVD version. However this scene is in the VHS version from 1997 (which I own). Was this scene added in '97 in part with the 25th anniversary release? Was this originally only seen in the "saga" or "trilogy" series? IMO the betrayal of Paulie is weak in the original film. One would think that Sonny is just guessing who betrayed his father without reading the book or seeing the "saga". Without that scene with Vito and Fredo it's even weaker. So later when Paulie shows up and Sonny asks him if he's ok, there's no reference.

There is an outtake from Part I, which should be on your bonus disk, that shows Sonny getting a call in his father's office from his man in the phone company, confirming some numbers Sonny asked him to check out. The call confirms Paulie as the traitor. Sonny says to Michael, "Whose brains do we blow out? Clemenza's or Paulie's?" Michael says, "Not Clemenza." Sonny says (to Tessio)"See? Bright college kid. It was Paulie..."

There is an outtake from Part I, which should be on your bonus disk, that shows Sonny getting a call in his father's office from his man in the phone company, confirming some numbers Sonny asked him to check out. The call confirms Paulie as the traitor. Sonny says to Michael, "Whose brains do we blow out? Clemenza's or Paulie's?" Michael says, "Not Clemenza." Sonny says (to Tessio)"See? Bright college kid. It was Paulie..."


Yes, I know. I'm speaking from the original film itself, not the outtakes that later appeared in the "Saga" or "Trilogy". I know the outtakes exist of Sonny making arrangements after "the Don" was shot. But those never appeared in the original film. I'm wondering if the Vito and Fredo scene inside Genco was in the original film or not.

I just checked my DVD, and the scene you referred to is in it. It was also in the pre-'97 VHS videotape of the theatrical release of Part I. I agree that, if the Don/Fredo/Genco scene had been deleted, Sonny's selection of Paulie as the traitor would have lacked justification. But the Don/Fredo/Genco scene nicely points the finger at Paulie.

Yeah, it's in there...

JG

I've always thought that the scene with Vito and Fredo discussing Paulie was in every version, as its in every copy of The Godfather i've got...

noledge

Everyone's right and I'm wrong. I thought that scene was after Luca was murdered, and I panicked. I probably went to the fridge while it was playing. Since I had the FFC commentary on I didn't have any reference point. Sorry for the silly post.

I think the most important bonus scene is after the wedding when the Don takes all of his sons (including godson) to see Genco in the hospital. Without it, one never understands how Tom becomes consigliere. Remember, at the wedding, Michael tells Kay that Tom is going to become consigliere, but there's no way of knowing who is then the consigliere, or how Tom actually moves up. Also, when the Don comes home from the hospital, and Sonny and Tom have an argument on their way downstairs, Sonny yells, "Pop had Genco, look what I got." Unless you read the book, or see this bonus scene, or watch GF2, you have no idea who Genco is. Finally, when the Don asks Michael about the "Christmas decorations" on Michael's uniform, it sets up the tension between the Don and Michael, while Michael is still an outsider.

For these reasons, I think this scene, of all bonus scenes, should have been part of the body of the movie. Other bonus scenes, while they add to the story, are not so vital to the story as this one.