Couldn't Sonny have Done better Than Lucy?

I mean, I always found her to be rather overweight and not very pretty.

For a one-time fling at Connie's wedding, OK. But as a full-time mistress?

Plaw, refresh my memory. We know that Lucy craved Sonny because he was able to satisfy her due to his generous manhood, but isn't there something in the book that addresses Sonny enjoying Lucy because of her being one of the few woman that he did not have to "take it easy" with because of her being able to handle his size?


Don Cardi

Sometimes guys just like a bit of rough. Maybe she had a good 'personality'. Or as Cardi said, although in a nicer way, her bucket could handle him.

You're right Plaw, she wasn't very pretty - especially compared to his wife who was quite attractive. And as a wiseguy who probably could get more pretty sluts he could have done better.

I just looked through the book and couldn't find a passage like the one you describe, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.

Perhaps JustMe will help us out. I think she has the book pretty much memorized.

But it certainly makes sense, and even if the book doesn't spell it out, that's sound reasoning on your part, DC.

Which just goes to prove that "Looks aren't everything."

And that sometimes "SIZE" does matter!


Don Cardi

I don't know, but to me she looked much more attractive in her slip, from the "save it for the liberry" scene, than she did in her bridesmaid's dress. Although Sonny could've had other women (and there's nothing to say that he didn't), maybe she was convenient. She was a friend of the familly, so they knew one another beforehand. She knew what he was, she knew that he was married, she was very undemanding, and, according to the book, she adored him. Adoration can go a long way.

Very true. She had kind of a "pouty" look in that scene.

And I can't say that I've ever seen any woman look good in a bridemaids dress.

I think I remember reading in the book that the reason Sonny was so attracted to Lucy was because she had that "old-world Sicilian" look, where as Sandra was far more American-ized.

DC is correct there was some mention in the book about Lucy being able to "handle" Sonny's manhood. Besides maybe Sonny liked 'em a little on the plump side...you know, tons of fun and all that.

God, that's so true!! And I've had to wear a ton of them over the years! Ruffles, bows, poofy skirts, and so on. However, in Lucy's case, I think what was under the gown was more important to Sonny.

According to the book, Lucy had two affairs in college that didn't do anything for her. Her second lover complained about her being "too big down there." She was Connie's best friend. While hanging around Connie, she heard Sonny's wife describing his size. Lucy got the idea that Sonny could accommodate her--that he would be the one man who wouldn't be put off by her own size. And the affair was convenient while she was hanging around Connie.
As for Sonny: He was probably attracted by Lucy coming on to him--it'd appeal to his machismo. The novel doesn't say that a) Lucy was fat; b) that she was his exclusive extra-marital squeeze; or c) that he made it with her after the wedding, although we might infer that from her yearning after Sonny after his death. The NYC liaison with Lucy was a creation of the film, and merely served to make a transition to Sonny's beating of Carlo.

Uh-oh. Turnbull is slipping. I hope it's not from some comedy he's playing with a young girl.

Sure it says they made it after the wedding.

P. 239, 30th anniversary edition, the scene before he goes to see Connie, sees how Carlo has beaten her up, and goes and beats Carlo up....

Sonny Corleone had left the protection of the mall and spent the night with Lucy Mancini in town

P. 302, when we are introduced to Dr. Jules for the first time....

Sonny had visited her once a week, sometimes more, never less

I doubt she was Sonny's only extramarital squeeze. In the film, anyway, Sonny tells Teresa to "watch the kids," and she warns him to "watch yourself." Obviously she knew of Sonny's proclivities.

As proven by the guy who married the bearded lady...looks aren't everything!!

By the way, plawrence...I have express admiration for the way you seem to be initiating topics today. One would almost think you're making a concerted effort to drum up relevant discussion !

Best,
Apple

As opposed to......

What? Defending my love of the Gangster BB against the nattering nabobs of negativity?

But I suppose coming from you I just received high praise.

Actually...yes you just did !!

Apple

Nah Plaw, sometimes I think Turnbull "intentionally" makes these mistakes so that he can see if the rest of us are staying on top of our game!


Don Cardi

You flatter me, Plaw.
(BTW, where's your input in the quotation game???)
The description of their relationship with Lucy is in chapter 22, it never says something like that exactly, just that it was a "lusty passion for each other."
Book never says too that she was not good looking. In the end there's a passage in which Fontane sort of admires her looks.
And there's one more mention about the comedy he was playing - when they meet with the Don before meeting Solozzo. Tom looks at his sleepless appearance and thinks "He must be humping that maid of honor still."

Some of us read the Wall Street Journal every day, others read the gossip columns in the Post and Duh Noose...

There's no accounting for taste!

And Lucy had no taste for accounting. (She preferred doctors).

Now Vito knew Sonny was cheating with this girl right? Does anyone else think that Vito looked down on Sonny for this?

DS

I don't think that Vito looked down at Sonny for his infidelity. I think that he was dissapointed in Sonny's behavior, but he would not look down on him for it.


Don Cardi

I think it went beyond mere disappointment. I think Vito was angry at Sonny for his involvement with her. He makes his displeasure apparent, and when he's angry at Sonny for the slip-up during the Sollozzo meeting, he even reprimands him in front of others. I'm sure that Vito wouldn't have normally done that to his heir apparent unless he was already pretty angry at Sonny.

Remember in GF2 when the young Vito is at the play with I think Tessio and Tessio's girlfriend is on stage and Tessio says to Vito "Look at her isn't she beautiful" and Vito says to him, "Yes she is, but their is only one woman for me." Vito was very dedicated to his wife and his marriage. I think Vito looked down at Sonny for not being faithful to his wife. Vito knew Sonny was cheating on his wife at his daughters wedding and I think he was very upset with Sonny for this.

DS

There is no question that Vito was very upset with Sonny for his bedroom antics. Vito was an old fashioned husband and a dedicated husband. I think that there were many reasons why Vito was so dedicated to his wife. Being a young boy who lost his father, brother and then his mother, he appreciated family and held family values in very high esteem. But to say that he "looked down" on Sonny is pretty harsh. Being a parent yourself, think about it; if your child does something that you don't approve of and feel that they have done wrong, you NEVER "look down" on your child. you may get angry, sad and dissapointed, but you wouldn't look down on them.


Don Cardi

I Shouldn't have used the word Look Down to describe Vito's feelings toward Sonny, I did mean angry and sad. Just a misunderstanding..

DS

DC that is something about Vito's character that I didn't like. He was a family man etc.. but his daughter was being abused by her husband and he didn't step in. "You don't get between a husband and wife" or something like that he says to Sonny- that line I really didn't like.

Now you are talking like Luca Brasi when he went in to see Vito!


Don Cardi

I would....

Gotta love those big girls.

Yeah Vito was p*ssed with Sonny about it, I certainly think he disapproved. He felt that it was clouding Sonny's judgement 'I think your brain is going soft,' etc etc and also there's the telling moment when Sonny comes into the office after banging Lucy and Vito glances at him, then says to Johnny: "You spend time with your family? Good. Because a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man". This is directed at Sonny - I don't think Vito was best pleased that he had to send Tom searching for him at Connie's wedding, or that he turned up late in the office when Tom had managed to be there all day.

Gotta bear in mind that back then, society was not obsessed with anorexic women. And if you look at paintings done by the great masters, the women were curvy and had some meat on their bones. And what about Marilyn Monroe? The first Playboy centerfold would be considered waaaaaay too pudgy by today's standards.

Too right. Marilyn Monroe was a size 16 in British dress sizes - nobody bigger than a size 8 can get onto magazine covers and into music videos these days.

Perhaps the taste of men that time was too different from now and I know a lot of men who prefer voluptuous women than the anorexic ones. Also, Lucy tried hard to get Sonny's attention and some men would like it that way.

I think we're missing the biggest issue here. Sure Lucy didn't have the typical body shape that mainstream society would consider perfect or sensual, but that was nothing compared to her nose. I think the fact that each one of her nostrils could "handle" Sonny's manhood is what made her so appealing to him.

We just need to suppose Sonny liked girls with junk in the trunk.

it was just a new broad and she didn't go crazy and tell his wife so i beat that was nice

Apollonia is so beautiful....I wonder what the lady that played her is doihng right now...

Simonetta Stefanelli.

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/2210/simona.html


Don Cardi