This is the question that Vito asked Tom about Woltz. Tom said no, he was right, and Woltz came around.

But what if Woltz did have real balls? What if he reported the horse killing to his friend J. Edgar Hoover, hired Pinkertons to protect himself and his production, and began shooting his film immediately, without Johnny? Would Vito continue to try to force Johnny onto the production? Would he try to have Woltz killed? Given the looming challenge from Sollozzo, could Vito afford to delay his vengeance against Woltz, or would delay be seen as a sign of weakness, so that the other families would be more likely to follow Sollozzo's lead?

Well it was a message, right?
Someone you've barely heard of on the other side of the country who you think is small time compared to you has just casually eliminated one of the few things you care about over something as small as a movie role. And he did so in ways that you don't know. Some of your people were bought off or intimidated and obviously he has muscle closer to you than you realized.

Woltz was finally wise enough, after his earlier ego displays, to buckle under. If he didn't he would have been next as this was a matter of honor to Vito. Either Johnny got the part or Woltz got off the planet. That was the message sent and that is what Woltz understood. All Woltz did by his displays was convince Hagen of his poor judgement and that the Familiy needed to move into Hollywood.

I don't think the other families would have cared too much if Vito delayed moving against Woltz. If Woltz had done what you suggested he would have been a dead man, sooner or later, probably sooner.

Vito's committment to Johnny about the movie is expressed much more strongly in the novel than in the film. Remember, Vito controlled the unions and could have brought Hollywood to a stop. As the novel says, his relationship with Hoover was all official; it wasn't personal. Given Hoover's denial of the Mafia's existence, it's unlikely he would have been of any use to Woltz. Ultimately, Vito might have had to kill Woltz.

An interesting premise Mustachepete.

After the killing of Khartoum, Puzo wrote something like "Woltz was not a stupid man, but he was extremely egotistical." I think Woltz was one of those guys who liked to push people around and whose bark was worse than his bite. His mistake was a theme repeated throughout the novel and the first two films - he underestimated Vito. We see other characters underestimate one another throughout the first and GFII films.

If Woltz would have fought back after the death of Khartoum, he would be dead. It would have been a hit like the real one on Jimmy Hoffa - Woltz's body would have never been discovered. Vito would have had him killed and in a way which could not be traced back to the Corleone family. His friendship with J. Edgar Hoover would have been moot. And my guess is that he overstated his the relationship with Hoover to Hagen - just another intimidation tactic.

Vito had already made a call to the union and had the union boss give Jack a call warning of trouble if he didnt go along with Vito. So Woltz knew that simply going along with the movie wasnt going to be an easy option. I believe at that point and time Hoover wouldnt have been much help because he stil denied the mafia existed in(1945 was it?).

I think that Hoover would have helped Woltz in this situation. Obviously, the FBI were already watching Vito, because they had people checking license plates at his daughter's wedding. And even though Hoover had a blind spot for "organized crime" that doesn't mean he would ignore a specific act of strongarm if it was brought to his attention by a friend. There's not much use for power if you can't reward your friends with it.

Woltz would probably have been killed in the long run, but I think he would have gotten the movie made. He would have been a hard target with detectives surrounding him, and Vito would have been restricted in movement by the FBI, and then finally by the war. I think Woltz would have gotten by with his defiance at least until the war was over.

What Lilo said.

Plus: the novel has Hagen thinking over what Vito meant by "balls": Was Woltz willing to risk everything on a point of honor? No. "Honor" didn't figure into his equation. He was a businessman, interested in profits, in an industry in which "honor" was practically unknown. He acknowledged to Hagen that Vito could cause major labor problems. How could he make that movie with his own selected leading man if the studio was shut down by labor problems. He figured out that one or more people in his employ, whom he might have trusted, were complicit in Khartoum's killing. And, he probably knew that, when the chips were down, Hoover was too smart--too image-conscious--to allow FBI agents to act as a private army for a "friend."

I think if Woltz does that it would show some courage, but also intelligence. FBI and al the attention would force Vito to back off. If he does that, a great novel is ruined.

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