In GF II, there is a great deleted scene in which Sonny's daughter comes to Michael to get his blessing when she gets engaged. Michael and the young man exchange pleasantries, and during the conversation the yong man says he is pursuing a major in the fine arts. Michael tells him to study finance and business, as a back up, in case the fine arts gig doesnt work out financially. Its all very light, but Micheal is very serious about his advice. I think it turns out the kid was an heir to zillions of dollars, so what he studied made little difference financially.
This is the same scene (sans drama) that takes place at the beginning of III when Kay and Tony tell Michael he is abandoning law school for a career in Opera. Michael says he loves music too, but is really angry that Tony has chosen this path. He tells him to "finish the law degree," as a back up to the music career.

Its the same scene!

I guess Michael wanted Tony to have some sense of business and finances for when he would inherit Michael's fortunes.

I think in both cases, Michael is a bit dismissive of the arts to make a living and reminds both of having a solid fallback.

Here's the deleted scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15Ucj4YFosk

Love how Michael wants to crack the Shaw family for a large dowry, and then Kay's expression when Francesca tells her Michael is the most wonderful man.

Yes, there's a similarity in those scenes, but a big difference, too. In II, after Michael tells Gardiner Shaw that he should take a business course as a backup, Shaw replies, diffidently, that he's heir to a big family fortune. Michael immediately replies that he shouldn't be ashamed of his wealth. In III, Michael wants Tony to finish law school, but, though he doesn't say so explicitly, I believe his ultimate purpose was to enlist Tony in the family enterprise. Tony says it: "I will always be your son, but I will never work for you."

In the Anthony scene it is unspoken that Anthony is the heir to a fortune because it doesn't have to be. Even though Michael did not approve of Anthony's desire to have a career in the arts, I serously doubt that Anthony was waiting tables while he was auditioning. I wonder if Michael sprung for Julliard? Anthony had to have more training than singing in the shower.

An interesting top comment on that video(by the way, thanks Jackeeetttttt!)

"Rehman Shukr

I had the chance to attend a talk by Francis Ford Coppola once, a few years ago, in Chicago. I actually asked him why he cut out this scene. He said, "because Michael was smiling too much in it. Not the tone we wanted to set in the first third of the film.""


Happy Michael, was not indeed, good Michael.