Gardner Shaw scene

FFC was wrong in editing this scene out of GFII, as some interesting parallels can be drawn - both with Vito's meetings in GF1 and between characters.

1. This was to be the first time we saw Michael in Part II (other than at the very beginning). Like Vito, we see him from behind, listening and nodding his head as his sister-in-law explains the couple's intentions to marry.

2. Like Vito, Michael is so respected that his siblings (or nieces here) request his blessing in marriage.

3. In the scene with Brasi, children run into the room and interrupt the proceedings. Similarly, Fredo disturbs Michael and Franseca’s conversation. Like a child, Fredo is told “not now, Freddy!!”, yet continues to let Michael know that Frankie is outside waiting.

4. When Michael greets Sonny’s now older, football-playing son, he says, “Santinnoooo” – like his father in another edited scene, who greets his son with a similarly long pronunciation of the name Santino.

Can any other parallels be drawn from this scene?

I don't know about more parallels, but by not including this scene the "family man" side of Michael is barely revealed in GF2. In GF2 we are shown the dark side of Michael's personality. This deleted scene shows the warm, compassionate Michael - the parallel to Vito. You wonder what FCC's reason was for cutting it. To paint a more sinister Michael? time constraints? to NOT have a parallel with Vito? We can only guess.

When did we see anyone asking Vito's blessing in marriage? If anything, the flashback scene at the end of GFII seems to indicate that Sonny gave his blessing to Connie and Carlo's marriage--Vito obviously had no respect for Carlo ("...never discuss the family business in front of him"). And we don't see or hear of Michael asking Vito's permission to marry Apollonia. Also, Vito's only sibling, Paolo, was killed before Vito came to America.

4. When Michael greets Sonny’s now older, football-playing son, he says, “Santinnoooo” – like his father in another edited scene, who greets his son with a similarly long pronunciation of the name Santino.[/QUOTE]

This tiny but very important interchange was cut out of the Gardiner Shaw scene on the DVD "extras" disc. Too bad, because it gives us a clue to the age of Sonny's kids. [BTW: how do you know he plays football? Did I miss something?]
Probably it was cut to save time. I don't disagree that it shows a "warmer" side to Michael, MC--particularly when he said he'd been like a father to Francesca. But I also detected more than a hint of calculation and manipulation in his tone to Gardiner--he gives him that cold, Michael Corleone gaze and asks how he intends to support his bride on a fine arts degree. That's something that an ultra-WASP (like Gardiner) would ask an Italian guy who wanted to marry his daughter. Michael's also plenty calculating when he tells Tom, "Make sure her dowry's big: these people believe Italian brides go barefoot."
(Note to MP and MC: I agree that this--and all the deleted scenes--should have been included. Every one of them is worth watching and adds something to our understanding, especially the Gardiner Shaw scene and the Genco deathbed scene. That's why the TV "Saga" version is the best one.)

This is one of my favorite deleted scenes and wish they hadn't taken it out. It would have shown a stark contrast between how Michael reacted to his niece's marriage announcement and his sister's marriage announcement. When he was asked with respect, the family-side of Michael came out, but when asked disrespectfully by his sister, his Family-side roared back.

Please tell me about these scenes. I've watched every deleated scene and never seen this one.

yea ive never seen that deleted scene either

Turnbull - which other scenes are cut out of the DVD set?

As far as I can tell, the most important scene that was included in the TV version but left out of the DVD "extras" disc is one that follows Hagen's call to Bonasera after Sonny's assassination. In this deleted scene, Bonasera is getting dressed to meet the Don in his funeral parlor. He complains bitterly to his wife, thinking that the Corleones have killed someone so important that they need him, a registered undertaker, to bury the guy--and then the other families will come after him. "I curse the day that you and Commore [Godmother] Corleone became friends," he concludes. Very dramatic!
On the other hand, the DVD set includes a brief look at Kay, wearing a mantilla, lighting candles in church. Though I can't be sure, I don't believe that scene was included in the TV version. It's important because the novel notes that, following the Great Massacre of 1955, Kay took instruction in the Catholic Church so she could go with Mama Corleone every day and light candles for her her husband to save his soul.