MIKE KILLS SOLLOZZO

TOM
Now he's definitely on Sollozzo's payroll, and for big money. McCluskey has agreed to be the Turk's bodyguard. What you have to understand, Sonny, is that while Sollozzo is being guarded like this, he is invulnerable. Now nobody has ever gunned down a New York police captain -- never. It would be disastrous. All the Five Families would come after you, Sonny. The Corleone Family would be outcasts! Even the old man's political protection would run for cover! So do me a favor -- take this into consideration. 

SONNY

Alright. We'll wait.

MICHAEL
We can't wait.

SONNY
Huh?

MICHAEL (who's seated with his arms on the chair's arms)

We can't wait. I don't care what Sollozzo says about a deal, he's gonna kill Pop, that's it. That's the key for him. Gotta get Sollozzo. 

CLEMENZA
Mike is right...

SONNY
Lemme ask you something ...What about McCluskey? Huh? What do we do with this -- cop here?

MICHAEL
They wanna to have a meeting with me, right? It will be me -- McCluskey -- and Sollozzo. Let's set the meeting. Get our informers to find out where it's gonna be held. Now, we insist it's a public place -- a bar, a restaurant -- some place where there's people so I feel safe. They're gonna search me when I first meet them, right? so I can't have a weapon on me then. But if Clemenza can figure a way -- to have a weapon planted there for me, then I'll kill 'em both.

[Clemenza, Tessio and Sonny laugh. Tom shrugs] 

SONNY
Hey, whataya gonna do, nice college boy, eh? Didn't want to get mixed up in the Family business, huh? Now you wanna gun down a police captain, why, because he slapped ya in the face a little bit? Hah? What do you think this is, the Army, where you shoot 'em a mile away? You've gotta get up close like this and bada-bing! you blow their brains all over your nice Ivy League suit. Come're...

MICHAEL (as Sonny kisses his head)
Sonny...

SONNY
You're taking this very personal. Tom, this is business and this man is taking it very very personal.

MICHAEL
Where does it say that you can't kill a cop? 

HAGEN
Come on, Mikey...

MICHAEL
Tom, wait a minute. I'm talking about a cop -- that's mixed up in drugs. I'm talking about -- a dishonest cop -- a crooked cop who got mixed up in the rackets and got what was coming to him. That's a terrific story. And we have newspaper people on the pay roll, don't we, Tom? [Hagen nods in the affirmative] And they might like a story like that.

HAGEN
They might, they just might...

MICHAEL
It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business. 

CUT TO:

Clemenza's Cellar. Clemenza is showing Michael the gun he's to use -day

CLEMENZA
It's as cold as they come -- impossible to trace, so you don't worry about prints, Mike. I put a
special tape on the trigger, and the butt. Here, try it... (then, after Michael tries it but doesn't shoot it) What's the matter, the trigger too tight? 

MICHAEL (after shooting the gun)
Oh, my ears...

CLEMENZA (laughs)
Yeah, I left it noisy -- that way it scares any pain-in-the-ass innocent bystan ders away. (then)
All right, you shot'em both -- now what do you do? 

MICHAEL
Sit down, finish my dinner...

CLEMENZA
Come on, kid, don't fool around. Just let your hand drop to your side, and let the gun slip out. Everybody'll still think you got it. They're gonna be staring at your face , Mike -- so walk outta the place real fast -- but you don't run. Don't look nobody directly in t he eye -- but you don't look away, either. Hey, they're gonna be scared still of you, believe me, so don't worry about nothin'. You know, you're going to turn out all right. You take a long vacation -- nobody knows where -- and we're gonna catch the hell. 

MICHAEL
How bad do you think it's gonna be?

CLEMENZA
Pretty goddamn bad. Probably all the other Families will line up against us. That's alright -- this things gotta happen every five years or so -- ten years -- helps to get ri d of the bad blood. Been ten years since the last one. You know you got to stop them at the beginni ng, like they should have stopped Hitler at Munich, They should've never let him get away with that. They were just asking for big trouble. You know, Mike, we was all proud of you -- being a hero and all. Your father, too.

[Clemenza hands Michael the gun after adjusting it. Michael points and fires the unloaded gun]

CUT TO:

The Corleone Dining Room (6:30pm). Sonny, Clemenza, Tessio and Rocco are sitting around, eating Chinese food while waiting for news about where the Sollozzo meeting will take place. Michael smokes as the others eat. -early evening 

TOM (as he enters)
Nothing. Not a hint. Absolutely nothing -- even Sollozzo's people don't know where the meeting's going to be held.

MICHAEL
How much time do we have?

SONNY (checking his watch)
They're gonna pick you up in front of Jack Dempsey's joint in an hour and a half. Exactly an
hour and a half.

CLEMENZA
We could put a tail on them and see how it turns out... 

SONNY
Sollozzo'd lose our ass going around the block! 

TOM
What about the negotiator?

CLEMENZA
He's over at my place playin' pinochle with a couple of my men. He's happy, they're lettin' him win...

TOM
There's too much of a risk for Mike -- maybe we outta call it off, Sonny. 

CLEMENZA
The negotiator keeps on playing cards until Mike comes back safe and sound. 

SONNY
So why don't he just blast whoever's in the goddamn car? 

CLEMENZA
Too dangerous -- they'd be lookin' for that. 

TOM
Sollozzo might not even be in the car, Sonny! 

[the phone rings, Sonny gets up to get it] 

SONNY
I'll get it. (then, into the phone) Yeah -- Yeah -- Well, thanks... (then, after hanging up the phone and returning to the table) Louis' Restaurant in the Bronx.

TOM
Well is it reliable?

SONNY
That's my man in McCluskey's precinct. A police captain's gotta be on call twenty-four hours a day. He signed out at that number between eight and ten. Anybody know this joint?

TESSIO
Yeah, sure, I do. It's perfect for us. A small family place, good food. Everyone minds his business. It's perfect. Pete they got an old-fashion toilet -- you know, the box, and the chain-thing. We might be able to tape the gun behind it. 

CLEMENZA
All right. Mike: you go to the restaurant, you eat, you talk for a while, you relax. You make them relax. Then you get up and you go take a leak. No -- better still -- you ask for permission to go. Then when you come back, you come out blastin', and don't take any chances -- two shots in the head apiece. 

SONNY
Listen, I want somebody good -- and I mean very good -- to plant that gun. I don't want my brother coming out of that toilet with just his dick in his hands, alright? 

CLEMENZA
The gun'll be there...

SONNY
All right (then, to Tessio) Listen, you drive him and you pick him up after the job, okay? 

CLEMENZA
Come on, let's move...

[as they're standing by the door, preparing to leave] 

MICHAEL'S VOICE (OS)
Thank you, Tom...

SONNY
Did he tell you to drop the gun right away? 

MICHAEL
Yeah, a million times.

CLEMENZA
You don't forget: two shots apiece in the head soon as you come out the door, ah? Let's go...

MICHAEL
How long do you think it'll be before I can come back? 

SONNY
At least a year, Mike. Listen - um - I'll square it with Mom, uh - you know, you're not seeing her before you leave; and uh, I'll get a message to that girlfriend, when I think the time is right. (then, after he and Michael embrace) Take care, huh?

TOM
Take care, Mike...

MICHAEL (embracing Tom)
Tom.

DISSOLVE TO:

Jack Dempsey's Restaurant (8:00pm). Michael's waiting on the sidewalk until Sollozzo's car pulls up and he gets in. -evening 

SOLLOZZO
I'm glad you came, Mike. I hope we can straighten everything out. I mean, this is terrible - it's not the way I wanted things to go at all. It should've never happened. 

MICHAEL
We'll straighten everything out tonight. I don't want my father bothered any mo re...

SOLLOZZO
He won't be, Mike; I swear on my children he won't be. But you gotta keep an op en mind
when we talk. I mean, I hope you're not a hothead like your brother Sonny. You -- can't talk
business with him... [something in Italian] 

McCLUSKEY
Ahh, he's a good kid. (then, as he leans forward) I'm sorry about the other night, Mike. I gotta frisk you, so turn around uh -- on your knees, facing me. (then, as McCluskey frisks Michael)
I guess I'm gettin' too old for my job. Too grouchy -- can't stand the aggravation. You know how it is... (then, to Sollozzo) He's clean.

[A little while later, as the car begins to cross the Triborough bridge . Michael notices the
sign that says "To New Jersey"]

MICHAEL
We're goin' to Jersey?

SOLLOZZO
Maybe...

[Sollozzo's car does a high-speed U-turn, cutting off cars who sound th ere horn, as he
crosses over the road's divider into the other direction across the bridge] 

SOLLOZZO
Nice work, Lou.

[Later, the car pulls up to Louis' Italian-American Restaurant. They go in]

DISSOLVE TO:

At a table in Louis' Italian Restaurant. The waiter brings a bottle of wine to the table. -evening

McCLUSKEY
How's the Italian food in this restaurant? 

SOLLOZZO
Good -- try the veal -- it's the best in the city. 

McCLUSKEY
I'll have it.

SOLLOZZO (to the waiter)
Capide? (then, after the waiter nods, opens the bottle and pours the wine) All right. (then, to McCluskey) I'm gonna speak Italian to Mike.

McCLUSKEY
Go ahead...

SOLLOZZO
Me dispiace? (then, after Michael nods) [Sounds like, in Italian: "What happened to your father was business -- I have much respect for your father -- but your father -- his thinking is old fashioned. You must understand why I had to do that"...]

MICHAEL
[Sounds like, in Italian: "I understand that..."] 

SOLLOZZO (after the waiter brings McCluskey's veal and leaves)

[In Italian: "Now let's work through where we go from here..."] 

MICHAEL
[In Italian]...come si diche...? (then, in English) What I want -- what's most important to me -- is that I have a guarantee: No mo re attempts on my father's life.

SOLLOZZO
What guarantees could I give you, Mike? I am the hunted one! I missed my chance . You
think too much of me, kid -- I'm not that clever. All I want, is a truce. 

MICHAEL (after a while)
I have to go to the bathroom. Is that all right? 

McCLUSKEY (while eating)
You gotta go, you gotta go... (then, after Sollozzo begins to frisk Michael as he's standing) I frisked him -- he's clean.

SOLLOZZO
Don't take too long...

McCLUSKEY (while watching Michael enter the bathroom)

I've frisked a thousand young punks...

CUT TO:

Inside the restroom, Mike's looking for the gun behind the tank: He can't find it


CUT TO:

Table. McCluskey glances toward the restroom; Sollozzo smokes


CUT TO:

Restroom, when Michael finally finds the gun. He's relieved


CUT TO:

Table. McCluskey glances up again


CUT TO:

Restroom, where Michael hesitates by the door, preparing himself as a train is loudly heard passing close by, just before he goes back to the dining area.



CUT TO:

Dining room: Sollozzo and McCluskey watch Michael emerge from the restroom, hesitate at the door, then sit down

SOLLOZZO (voice fading into background)
[Sounds like, in Italian: "Everything alright? -- Look -- Your father...] 

[Michael doesn't pay attention to Sollozzo -- he's under too much mental anguish. He rises, and quickly shoots Sollozzo in the head. He then shoots McCluskey in the throat, then the forehead as McCluskey holds his throat. McCluskey falls, overturning the table. Michael goes to exit, dropping the gun. Outside, Michael gets picked up by Tessio, and they speed off]

[The Mattresses sequence, as we hear ragtime music being played:]



DISSOLVE TO:

newspaper stack showing headline: "Police Hunt Cop Killer"


DISSOLVE TO:

newspaper headline: "City Cracks Down"