Foremost, it is a pleasure to absorb all of your insightful analysis of this "sweet and helpless" brother...
I humbly bow to your amazing opinions.

Second, I have not read the books. I intend to soon.

1. So...the first we see of Fredo is when he is a baby with pneumonia. I think many here agree that this may be the root cause of his ineptitude, since the local midwife or witch is using a water glass and a spell to remove the infection from his lungs. Vito is heartbroken, maybe because he cannot afford a doctor? Notice it is shortly after this that he kills Fanucci.

2. Next we see him at the table in the flashback scene at the end of GFII. He is supportive of Mike's decision to join the Marines, and gets slapped by Sonny for this, "Go on, encourage him," and looks like a whipped puppy. Obviously being Sonny's little brother did not help make him a tough guy, but more of a submissive, victim in the making. No doubt he was beaten by Sonny more than once, IMHO.

3. Then he is introduced to Kay by Michael at Connie's wedding. He is drunk, and falls all over Kay. He certainly has a weakness for the fairer sex, as is shown often in future scenes.

4. Now we see him in the family meeting with Sollozo. I find this very interesting that he is included here, as it shows me Don Vito had intentions of including him in important decisions, or to perhaps help teach him somewhat. It is noticeable that Michael is NOT at this meeting. Tho he says nothing, as Sonny does (and is chastised by Vito), Fredo is in some respects an important participant.

5. Now Fredo is driving the Don since Paulie called in sick. We all know what happens next, perhaps Fredo's most defining moment, when buttons try to kill his father and he fumbles like a buffoon. He crumbles and weeps for his Papa, as a son, rather than get fierce, as an underboss. IMHO this is one scene where I feel Fredo is truly "sweet and helpless."

6. After the Don is taken home from the hospital and Sonny and Tom inform him of all the updates, Sonny says he is sending Fredo to Las Vegas - "I'm gonna learn the casino business," Now, I feel Sonny sent him away for several reasons: one, to get rid of him since he was obviously a hazard when handling a gun; two, to protect him; and three, to possibly allow him to feel "there was something in it for him," in a safe and rather benign affair like gambling, rather than drugs and much more dangerous activities, as it seemed Sonny and Tom were quite interested in pursuing upon thier inheritance of the Donship and respective Consilierge. It also seems clear to me that this is perhaps the last time Fredo saw Sonny alive.

7. Now, and perhaps one of the most gripping non-speaking scenes, after the Don is home and has learned that Michael killed for him and has been sent away, that all operations are stunted, he has a look of disgust on his face as Fredo sits silently alone with him.

8. Now Fredo welcomes Michael to Las Vegas with a party, Johnny Fontaine, and Moe Greene. We find out Fredo has been slapped around by Moe since he was "banging cocktail waitresses two at a time," and that Moe greene is ready to make a deal with Barzini over the hotel. After the meeting, Fredo yells at his kid brother in un-Fredo-like aggression, "You don't come to Las Vegas and talk to a man like Moe Greene like that!" And of course we all know what Michael then tells him. Now, obviously, Fredo has lost touch with the Family and has already been under the influence of enemies of the Corleones.

Now, my questions and observations of Fredo's thinking at this point. Sonny is dead, and Michael has recently returned from Sicily. I honestly don't think Fredo knew that the Don had turned over his power to Michael, if he did, would he speak to Michael like that? Perhaps he thought that him and Michael would "share" the Donship, with Michael in New York and him in Las Vegas? It just seems to me that at this point Fredo may have thought that "there was something in it for him," and was still unaware of Michael's brutality. After all, we see respect for elder brothers where Mike says, "Yes, sir," to Sonny, and Sonny also commands Connie. Is it possible that Fredo just assumed at this point that HE would be the Don, that is until Michael tells him, "Don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again. Ever." Maybe Fredo thought he was doing the right thing by siding with Greene, since he was so out of the loop he didn't even know Barzini was an enemy and Moe had him so whipped he was actually Moe's capo now? Plus the fact that he was not only not very bright to begin with, but also quite the party animal and enjoyed wine, women and song, which as we all know can seriously cloud the mind.

Of course, after Don Vito's death and Michael's "settling of all the Family business," it was no doubt obvious to Fredo who was in charge, and that he had been "stepped over..."

A Brief History of Fredo Part II to follow after your much anticipated responses......AVC

Your observations overall are great, but I would add a few of my own.

I thought the pneumonia illness was a foreshadowing of Fredo being "the weak one" more than anything else. I don't think the disease "caused" his ineptitude. I agree that Vito looking so forlorn was a sense of helplessness on his part, a feeling he did not like.

I agree with you about the way Sonnt treated him in the scene where Michael says he is going off to fight in WWII, and that Sonny probably had beaten Fredo up before. Note in that scene one of Sonny's kids says "Daddy's fighting AGAIN."

His being drunk at the wedding again shows he is the weak one, unable to stay sober at his own sister's wedding, and making a general fool of himself in front of Kay and Michael.

As for his attending the meeting with Sollozzo, I think Fredo had the sense to keep his mouth shut while his father was the Don. He knew Sonny was the heir apparent, and he was content to be more or less his father's factotem, and Vito probably was happy to have Fredo close by so he would stay out of trouble and remain safe. Of course all that changes when Vito is shot.

In the novel it says he is sent to Vegas in part because he had some kind of nervous breakdown after he failed to protect his father as well as the fact that sonny wanted him out of the way.

IMHO the whole scene with Michael and Moe Green shows us that by that time Fredo was really clueless about what was happening with the family business. He was fat and happy in Vegas, and had probably convinced himself he and Moe were really "good friends." He has no clue that Michael has already taken over. When Michael says he is buying Moe out, Fredo is incredulous...he says "are you sure about that? Moe loves the business....he never aid anything to me." Then when Michael
tells Moe to come up with a price, Fredo interferes and goes to Tom and mistakenly says to him that he is the consigliere, which of course he was not at that time. Even then after Moe leaves, Fredo admonishes Mike for coming to Vegas and talking to a man like Moe Green like that!

I think Fredo sees Mike as a kid tellinig off a Vegas bigshot who he (Fredo) himself fears, and he is totally taken aback that Michael is now running the family business. I don't think he was smart enough at that point to understand that there was nothing in it for him.

Whether or not Michael could have handled the "Fredo problem" better has been the subject of other threads and postings, so other than to say I think he could have, I'll leave it there.

Basically, I agree. Plain and simple, Fredo just was not smart enough to figure out certain things. He also apparently had a self-esteem problem. Aligning himself with Moe Green illustrates both. He failed to grasp the power of the Corleone family, its place in the underworld hierarchy, probably a version of the Stockholm Syndrome.

The ultra-dimwit Fredo is a creature of the films. In the novel, Fredo is described as loyal, a crutch to his father, the kind of son Italian mothers dream of...but "without that personal magnetism, that force" that would make him a leader of men. I've always felt that the film Fredo's faults and mistakes were too broadly drawn, too buffoonish, for credibility. But then again, his portrayal makes his betrayal of Michael--and especially the boathouse outburst, all the more impactful.

Well, the film does exaggerate many things. But, overall, even without those exaggerations, one can devine that Fredo just did not have enough on the ball to realize consequences and to adequately judge character.

Fredo's fatal (pun intended) mistake:

Getting in a boat alone with Al Neri and going out in the middle of a large lake.

Unh, ya think??

TB, I think the fact that many do argue that it was just "poor Fredo" and that he didn't deserve to be killed, is a credit to Cazale's excellent acting. It was not an easy role to play, and he did it superbly.

Exactly. Remember "U'm gonna learn [shrug] the casino bizness." That shrug was so cool and fit him so well. And I bet that he thought finally I'm gonna do something really important for the family.

I don't think Fredo Corleone was an important participant during Don Corleone's meeting with Virgil Sollozzo; I think Don Corleone only invited him to witness the meeting because he wanted to show him how to react while attending important venues involving the Corleone Family's businesses.

Given that Vito had already made up his mind that his answer would be no, all the other participants were only there to show family unity and strength, to learn, and to ID Sollozzo since Vito saw Sollozzo as a potential threat.

Yes. I agree with that observation. Watch him very closely in the boathouse scene. When he begins to lose it with Mike, Cazale has this way of shaking, distorting his face and twisting his body, almost as if he's trying to control himself from going into a convulsion. In some scenes there are split seconds where he makes you want to slap him and then in the next second he makes you feel pity for him. Excellent piece of acting on Cazale's part.

Great post ApolloniaVitelliCorleone. I specifically liked what you put at the end about Fredo being out of loop and thought siding with Moe was the right thing. Mike treated Fredo badly and also that he shouldnt have been left out of many things, for example they should have told Fredo that they were about to buy Moe green out.

I also agree that Fredo was already influenced by the outsiders as he was kept away from the corleone family for so long.

Fredo was dumb but i felt a lot of pity for him when he died.

Again Great post.

No question Cazale was a great actor whose life was cut short way too early.

One of the things that puzzles me is that while Fredo was left out of the loop on a number of things, he must have had some power in the family because in the boathouse scene with Hagen, then night of the attempted hit, Michael tells Tom that he is going to be the Don, and he will have power over the entire family. In this he specifically mentions "Fredo AND HIS MEN" which indicates Fredo had some kind of regime under him. Is this a script error, or if it isn't doesn't it imply that Fredo had operartions beyond whorehouses, mickey mouse nightclubs and airport limo service?

At points, it does seem like Fredo has some power within the Family. For instance, Clemenza defers to Fredo over whether to replace Paulie as Vito's bodyguard.

He's the Don's second son, and it's likely that he had some responsibility for non-vital operations.

In any case, I don't think Fredo's outburst is meant to be a literal summation of his activities on behalf of the Family.

Could be, but I think that Clemenza was simply extending a courtesy to Vito through Fredo. Since Paulie was of Clemenza's regime, it was Clemenza's way also of illustrating his reponsibility for Paulie's lapses.

It's probably true though that Fredo was more than just window dressing in the Corelone crime family. I imagine Vito tried to incorporate Fredo into the family's activities to the extent that he thought Fredo could handle them.

You are exactly right Olivant, and by letting Fredo stay close and handle what he could Vito made sure he stayed loyal...something Michael failed to do.

The book gives another side of Fredo. Rather than a dim-wit, I think he was made out to be more of a "not serious enough" playboy kind of guy. The book also makes him out to be tall and handsome I believe. His weakness seemed to be more a weakness of character than a mental or physical weakness.

Making him out to be a dim-wit in the movie enabled us to more quickly understand why he was passed over and how he could have been vulnerable to outside influences without going into alot of detail.

"He was short and burly, not handsome ..." "... never embarrassed him [Vito] by scandalous behavior with women.

olivant, I believe that there is a part in the book that indicates that Vito was not too happy upon learning that Fredo had gotten quite a reputation as a lady's man while in Vegas. I'm almost sure that it says something to that effect.

True, but FreddoN is referring to novel passages describing him prior to his Las Vegas stint: "Well, he was always too serious when he was young." His "playboy" activity did not begin until after he took up residence in Vegas.

Ok, I see.

But isn't there a passage early in the novel where the Don is thinking that he needs to find someone else, besides his sons, to groom for the Donship? Isn't there something about his not being happy with both Ferddie and Santino?

It says that many believed (not necessarily Vito) that Sonny would not inherit the family business and that Fredo did not have magnetism and force necessary for leadership. So, that left Michael's whose only shortcoming apparently was that he refused his father's direction

You are correct olivant. It was only after his stint in Vegas that he began his scandalous behavior with the woman.

The Don's lack of affection for Fredo may have planted the seed of what Michael winds up doing later on.

The lack of affection may have come as late as hearing of Fredo's exploits in Vegas, but it may have occurred sooner. It becomes apparent when, in the book, Carlo is moved onto the mall. Tom questions it, and Vito says to him: "I seem to be short on sons."

Santino may have been dead, and Michael exiled in Sicily, but Fredo was very much alive and capable of returning to New York to be with his family. Vito didn't want him back. When Michael eventually returned, Fredo's insignificance to the Don rubbed off on Michael, who then also saw no worth in Fredo.

It's been a long time since I read the book, and the beautiful thing about reading is that you create an image in your mind of what the person looked like. For some reason I got the impression that he was a good looking guy, maybe because later in the book he was such a womanizer. From the book, I never remember getting the impression that he was "too serious." It may have been as a result of the whole Las Vegas period. He certainly didn't sound like John Cazale anyway. My impression of the Cazale portrayal is that if he weren't a boss, the woman would have scheeved him.

Oh well....I'm gonna have to buy another copy of the book. I'm sure I "permanently lent out" my copy. LOL.

Lack of affection is a much too strong appraisal. Vito is disappointed in Fredo. Fredo was originally sent out to Vegas to begin checking it out for its business potential. Vito later instructed Tom to put together a team to inform him on what was going on out there and on Fredo also. Tom did not question Vito about it. He asked Vito if Carlo should be part of the team to which Vito said no. He then instructed that Connie and Carlo be moved into the mall to be near Mama.

We are veering off to the novel here, but in it Vito finds out about some of Fredo's exploits in Vegas, like banging cocktail waitresses two at a time, and as a straight laced old school guy, he is shamed and angered that Fredo would dishonor the family that way. I think there is even some comment that Fredo is aware that his father is "sore" at him.

Wow thanks so much for your great replies. I like to get different perspectives on things.

Now, I will be reading the novels GF1 and GF2. Should I read the Sicilian? AVC

There is not a GF2 novel.