I realize that some scenes had to end up on the cutting room floor, but I think the scene where the Don visited Genco as he lay dying in the hospital should have been kept in the final cut, mainly for the dialogue between Vito and Mike. It gave great insight as to how distant they were.

I agree. It wold have been a great contrast with the latter scene when Mike tells Vito that he's with him now.

I also agree. That scene shed light on several issues. It showed us why Hagen became consigliere; detailed the tensions between Michael and Vito; and also showed that Vito disapproved of Kay. At the beginning of that deleted scene, Vito says to Michael: "Did your American girlfriend get home ok?" If you look closely, you can see him roll his eyes--a brilliant little piece of work by Brando that reinforces his disapproval.

I always thought that the scene where Fabrizzo gets blown up should have been left in.

Me too! To the average viewer, one could think Fabrizio was the ONLY person Mike never got revenge on.....

I've always felt that the original version of the script, showing Michael personally taking revenge on Fabrizio, should have been used in the movie.

I personally like the way the Fabrizio scene the way they showed it. I loved how he was killed in the same way he killed Apollonia. However, it was a risk that Fabrizio would not be killed instantly and thereby NOT know that it was Mike's revenge.

Did he know it was Mike's revenge?

Doubtful. The last thing that probably went through his mind was the steering wheel.

The other version of Fabrizio getting killed is better (IMO)... they had it with a hitman shooting Fabrizio with the same lupara that Fabrizio used in guarding Mike in Sicily.

Isn't there a still of Michael holding a smoking lupara? But it never made the deleted scenes?

Yep! It was probably the most famous movie poster from "The Godfather" even though the scene never made it into the film.

IMHO I think FFC made a mistake by not using that scene Mike killing Fabrizzio like that pic. That would've been a good scene.

Can you imagine seeing Fabrizzio's face when Mike walks into his pizza joint holding that Lupara?

I think he would shit his pants.

In the book The Godfather Legacy by Harlan Lebo, there are two photos (pages 186 and 187 of the second edition) of actor Angelo Infanti being prepared by an Italian makeup "artist" (I use the term loosely) for one of Fabrizio's deleted death scenes.

The ridiculous amount of stage blood they used made the whole thing look so over-the-top that I feel it was just as well the scene wasn't used. (But I think that in the final cut of the original film, GF1 suffers a bit by our not seeing the treacherous Fabrizio get his.)

If makeup artist Dick Smith had been brought over for the Sicilian sequences, then I'm certain Fabrizio's death scene would have turned out much better visually, as well as having Al Pacino not look like he had a soot smudge under his left eye while courting Apollonia.

Signor V.

Wasn't that done on purpose to "show" McCluskey's punch effect on Mike?

From The Godfather Legacy:

Coppola went to Italy, but with only a skeleton crew....[T]he studio wouldn't cover the costs of sending Dick Smith along to handle makeup. As a result, the work was turned over to a local Italian makeup technician. Although there was no impact on basic makeup, Pacino's makeup suffered. At that point in the film, Michael's broken jaw was still healing, so Smith created a foam latex appliance that suggested the slight caving in of the cheekbone. Smith sent the appliance, along with instructions, to his Italian counterpart but Smith said it didn't look like the application was used. It seemed as if the cheekbone had simply been smudged to give the impression of bruising. "It was pretty awful makeup," Smith said.

I agree with Dick Smith. Besides Brando's makeup being a masterpiece, the foam latex swollen cheek he created for Al Pacino was flawless. Watching the scenes in Vito's study and Louis' Restaurant, Michael's makeup defies detection.

What a shame the studio bean-counters wouldn't pay for having Smith along for the Sicilian scenes.

Signor V.

As mentioned earlier, i agree that both scenes should have been left in the final cut.They answer questions for the viewers who haven't read the novel.

While I like the hospital "hallway" scenes, I thought the hospital room where Genco lay was a little "overdone." The dialogue coming from Genco was very hammy.

They could have left the scene, but cut it just as they were entering Genco's room.

Has this scene ever been seen anywhere, or is it gone forever?
If it survived, I'm surprised it wasn't on the DVD extras.

To paraphrase Roth: What I wouldn't give to see that scene where Michael, dressed in a classic gangster hat, gives it to Fab with the lupara.

Definitely would have kept the Genco scene in the movie. It explains and establishes a lot.

I also like the script's version of having Michael personally kill Fabrizio. It fit with both his personaltiy and that of his father. Notice how Vito had to personally kill the old Don and in the deleted scenes his two henchman by annoucing who he was first. He wanted them to know who it was. When it came to a personal killing, he was confrontational.

I think the Genco death scene as well as the revenge on Fabrizzo should have been included. I wish there were DVD releases with all of the deleted scenes olaced into the films.

I think they should have kept in the scene where Tom goes back to the hospital and smothers Genco.

In an earlier script treatment, a troop of Hispanic military men shoot Tom as he was smothering Genco.

I think Coppola must have had the same feeling since he allowed Fabrizio to crawl out of the burning car alive . . . just enough time to figure out what happened, and why.

I always liked that scene for the way Fabrizio crawls out, tries to rise, then collapses. I wonder why the film scene differs so much from the novel.