In the famous Mo Greene scene, I think Johnny looks hesitant to sign the contracts for Michael and it almost appears that Michael has to bully him to sign them. Does anyone else see this?

Yes, I've noticed it and commented about it on this list several months ago.

It does appear Johnny is not thrilled about signing the contract and I think Michael is gently bullying him...especially by referring to The Don. Johnny knows he owes a great debt to his Godfather and to even THINK about refusing or even putting up resistance.

The whole exchange is very clever in it's underlying tone, in my opinion. Johnny knows he is not doing this for Michael...but for Don Vito and the Family.

Apple

I agree. An ever so slight hesitation on Johnny's part. I think Johnny knew there was nothing to think about. His obligation was to the Don and it was something he knew he "had" to do.


TIS

Funny, I always had that very same thought myself.
It looked as though JF was not happy to comply with Mike's "request." Then MC invokes the deity, asking that Johnny do it for his godfather.


BTW....this all takes place before Moe Green enters the room.

Still, I agree. It does look as though Johnny is reluctant to acceed.


"Do you know who I am? I'm Moe Green! I made my bones when you were still going out with cheerleaders!!!"

"Michael...you don't come to Las Vegas and talk to a man like Moe Green like that!"

"Fredo. You're my older brother and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against family again. Ever!"

It was a nice, subtle touch, true to the novel in its own way. In the novel, Hagen approaches Johnny (well before Mike's trip to Vegas) about signing a personal appearances contract. Johnny says that if the Don wants a favor, he has to ask him personally--Johnny won't do it just on Sonny's say-so. Hagen is impressed with Johnny's common sense for recognizing that hothead Sonny might ask for something rashly that wasn't in Johnny's best interest. "Your godfather would never ask you to do something you wouldn't do for him anyway," sez Hagen.

Maybe because of all of his success as an actor and producer or whatever the hell he was doing in hollywood, he was a little skiddish about going back to his bandleader days.

I noticed the same thing, it was kinda like when anyone comes up to you and says you owe them and you should do this for me. JF was planning on having a good time, drinking, fooling around with some girls. Then hes hit with this contract, can't blame him.

Johnny's had a lot of success in Hollywood, and probably views doing casino gigs going back to small-time.

Good Observation, I always noticed that Johnny wasn't overwhelming happy with the request, and that he had a persona of "giving in".

This begs the question, how much of this parrells Frank Sinatra's dealing with the mob. Was he "asked" like Johnny, and was he hesitant or did he say yes enthusiastically?

We'll never really know. The scandal-mongers would like to believe that he was a Mob tool. It's undeniable that Sinatra liked hanging out with Mob guys, and that the places he played in Nevada had Mob money invested in them. So did that Westchester theater where he was photographed with Gambino and the rest of them. It's also widely believed that Willie Moretti helped Sinatra out of his contract with Tommy Dorsey, and that Sinatra sang at Moretti's daughter's wedding.
But the only place where Sinatra had his own money invested was the Cal-Nevada Lodge--and he was forced out by the Nevada Gaming Commission because he'd hosted Sam Giancana after Momo's name was added to the Commission's "Black Book." And, for that matter, every entertainer who appeared at any Nevada hotel (and plenty of other venues--the entertainment industry is notoriously Mob-dominated) at one time or another could have said to have been "connected" to the Mob via guilt by association. I'm guessing that the Mob didn't "order" Sinatra around. He always fancied himself as a "tough guy," and I'm guessing that he liked being around Mob guys, when and where it suited him. In his autobiography, Fat Vinny Teresa says of Sinatra: "He picks his spots to be a tough guy with people." Teresa tells how Sinatra, during his hard times before "From Here to Eternity" re-ignited his career, used to "beg" for work in Mob-controlled nightclubs. In one case, he asked the Mob operator of the Copa in Boston for a loan that the guy could deduct from his pay the next time he played the club. The movie came out and Sinatra was big again. He paid the Mob guy back but never played the club again because he didn't need to.

Good post Turnbull. After reading the book by Sinatra's valet [Mr. "S"], I came to the same conclusion. Of course Sinatra's mob connections kept him from being in the loop with JFK, something that he really wanted. Kinda ironic that the Kennedys got their fortune with Old Joes mob connections.

I'm curious why Sinatra didn't make a big stink about how closely he is portrayed as Johnny Fontane. It's bordering on defamation.

Good question! Its a no brainer that Johnny Fontane was Frank Sinatra [part in a War Movie, getting out of contract with bandleader, even the way Johnny held the microphone when singing], I am guessing here, but since FFC used the mob as "technical advisors", he allied himself with them, and avoided any problems with Sinatra.

The "Chairman" was connected to Sam Giancana and Johnny Roselli. Roselli was from Cleveland and was associated with a small time hood by the name of Jimmy "The Weasel" Fratianne, who wrote a book by the same name.

In this book he describes how he and Roselli would set up phony charity benefit dinners and shows and have Sinatra and friends come perform then they would abscond with the funds. It was a scam they played for years. Did Frank know the truth? according to The Weasel...Sinatra just believed he was helping people. Kinda of a 'don't ask , don't tell" arraingment.

Although I don't recall the details, I believe Sinatra was upset at the implication of Johnny Fontaine's character, at least at first. I do know that he and Martino were friends in real life, and maybe that smoothed it over somewhat. I'm sure TB would know the details tho.

TIS

Johnny hesitates, but I think that he's more than happy to do it

The most oft-repeated story is that Puzo happened to be at a birthday party at Chasen's restaurant when Sinatra happened to be there. Puzo actually got up and introduced himself to Sinatra, and "all hell broke loose," with Sinatra supposedly threatening Puzo. A rumor had it that Sinatra actually applied for a part in the movie (not Johnny) but I doubt it.
Probaby the reason Sinatra didn't sue was that doing so would only call more attention to the similarities between him and Johnny Fontaine. But in the film, the similarities are greatly toned down compared with the details presented in the novel. Probably few people knew the rumor about Willie Moretti as the real-life model for Luca Brazi in intervening to help the singer's career. If Sinatra made a big stink, more people would have found out about it.

TB,

Just to clarify, it's my understanding that because of Sinatra's friendship with a couple of mob members, and due to the fact that his career was somewhat in a slump, that many thought he got his role in "From Here To Eternity" because of pressure on the Hollywood bigwigs from the mob to let him star in the picture. Correct???

If I am correct, I assume no proof was ever given that it actually went down that way. Also, in your opinion, do you think there may be any truth to it? I know the Sinatra family denies it.

Another question, do you think that those who did believe that's how Sinatra got the part, was because of his mob "ties" only, or also because of his ethnicity? Just wondering, since I am interested in your opinion.

Thanks & Happy Holidays


TIS

Francis even mentions that Johnny Fontaine was based on frank sinatra. I even cant beleive why francis or puzo dont get sued for slander. I do understand that he would be drawing attention to himself and that its best to be passive aggressive in this case.

TIS, the mob did not lean on Harry Cohn to give Sinatra the part of Maggio in "From Here to Eternity." Cohn wasn't hot on Sinatra because his box office appeal had waned at that point. The studio originally had Eli Wallach in mind. But the part of Maggio called for a skinny, frail guy, and Wallach was too well built at the time to be convincing. So skinny Ol' Blue Eyes fit the bill. As one writer put it, "it was Sinatra's 29-inch waist, not the Mafia, that got him the part."

I remember when the movie was made ('71-'72), Vic Damone was originally offered the part of Johnny Fontaine, first (before Martino) but he came out publicly to turn it down and denounce the part as a "trashing" of the reputation of his good friend, Frank Sinatra.


"I'm happy for you, Carlo."

Yeah, and Vic Damone has been playing at condo clubhouses ever since.

I agree that Johnny does indeed hesitate when Michael gives him the contracts, but after the hesitation, Michael pushes him even more by suggesting to him that maybe he could also persuade his Hollywood friends to join hem. At that point Johnny looks at the contract and smiles, saying he will do anything for his Godfather. I think he smiles because he sees the enormous amounts of money he will be getting for his appearances, and he realized that he can have all kinds of street creds with his Hollywood friends by getting them great money making gigs in Vegas, with all the Booze and Broads they can possibly dream of. And thus was born the Rat Pack.