I thank you all for your insightful responses. Continued now...

I feel at this point it is noteworthy to observe that Fredo is not seen at Vito's funeral. The next we see of him is at Anthony's First Communion uber-bash, and he tells Deanna, "Michael is in charge of the family now..."

I just can't help but wonder what intentions Vito, Sonny, and Tom had for Fredo before his defining moment. Not to come to his defense, but think about it, how many buttons went after Vito, and with only one Fredo to defend him, how could he have protected him even if he had NOT fumbled his gun? Maybe Paulie knew Fredo would be useless, but if Paulie had been protecting the Don, would he alone have been able to protect him? Curious about this. IMHO, I feel the Don had a place for Fredo, and tho Sonny has obviously beaten him into submisson, he WAS included in the Solozzo meeting, which shows me that at least at that point, he was an underboss and would eventually be assigned his own projects.

Or, perhaps, Sonny knew Fredo was inept and not only a danger to others, but would be popped off sooner or later just because he was an easy target, and could be killed or kidnapped in a move to control the Corleones, so he planned to move him out of New York to Las Vegas even before the attempt on the Don's life. I also can't help but wonder if the Don contemplated Sonny's death and who would inherit the Donship. He had to have thought this over given Sonny's temper and likelihood that Sonny would get himself shot sooner or later, and not wanting his youngest son to be in the business, did he ever consider Fredo? Personally I don't think so, but what about Tom, Clemenza or Tessio? Would one of them have become Don, and Michael to become a politician. This is MHO. But what on Earth to do with Fredo, so sweet and helpless. The look on the Don's face at that moment when Fredo is sitting alone with him, after he returns from hospital, and so upset at how Michael was now up to his eyeballs in the whole mess. What could be going through Vito's mind?

Now, at Anthony's First Communion Party, Fredo is trying unsuccessfully to control his bimbo wife Deanna, and makes apologies to Michael, saying submissively, "I can't control her..." Thus setting the stage for the contining image of Fredo as not being "a real man..." As Deanna is mean enough to point out to him at a loud volume...

Interestingly, after the assassination attempt on Michael, Deanna is seen flipping out on the LAWN of the compound, and she is only seen once after that. Maybe SHE opened the drapes??? In a vicious drunken manipulation, being pissed off at Micheal for not being HER husband? Hehe

After the shooting and when Michael has Tom alone, Michael says to Tom: "Fredo and HIS MEN..." indicating Fredo did have some leadership role, but perhaps only over hotel security guys. Although later I think he has actual buttonmen, as we shall see in the Senator Geary/dead hooker scene.

The next thing we know Johnny Ola is calling Fredo in the middle of the night and asking Fredo for "more help," Fredo gets pissed and says, "You guys lied to me," Which seems to be the basis for much discussion on whether or not Fredo knew the move on Roth and Ola's part toward Michael would be a "hit," or if Fredo was led to believe that perhaps nothing would happen to Mike but that maybe Kay would be kidnapped, or that some action would be taken against Pentangeli (as it was). I just think that there was no discussion regarding a hit on Mike or Kay since the midnight call was about Pentangeli and the Rosato Brothers. Just exactly what information Ola got from Fredo and what Fredo was promised in the form of "there was something in it for me," will never be known and is the source of delightful speculation on the part of all of us! Kudos FFC and Puzo.

Now we are at Fredo's club, and Senator Geary is in a daze with a dead hooker in the room. Obviously Fredo had some involvement in setting this up, he probably knew Geary's favorite hooker and had his own buttonmen kill her and drug the Senator. So maybe he is more involved than just a Mickey Mouse nightclub owner. But I guess killing hookers was not enough for Fredo.

Next Fredo arrives in Havana with cash for Roth. He does not know what is going on, or what the money is for. I am assuming Michael did not tell him because he was afraid Fredo would screw it up somehow and spill the beans to someone. Also when he tells him who is in Havana, he says "Hyman Roth, Johnny Ola,?" Like he expects Fredo to acknowledge knowing them. Michael DID suspect him. And later at the introductions, Ola acts like he does not know Fredo.

Then Mike and Fredo go out for drinks. I would really like to know how Michael learns he is going to be assassinated on the orders of Roth. Someone please tell me. Is it because of the whole Pentangeli/Rosato thing? He knows all along that the deal he is making with Roth is never going to happen, he is just playing along until he figures out "who the traitor in my family was?" Or just because he "does not feel he has to wipe everybody out, just my enemies?"

But I digress. Those are subjects for other posts. We are talking about Fredo.

Fredo says to Mike, "Mikey, I was mad at you...why didn't we spend time like this before?" Fredo KNEW he was being left out of ALL important decisions, and he was upset and hurt by this, obviously making him an easy target for Ola and Roth.

Now, I have to pause and make some opinions of Michael. As smart as he was, and as much as he loved Fredo-which says on several occasions, and shows affection for him-WHY WHY WHY does he not sit Fredo down and explain the way of things to him, instead of pushing him off into a corner to let Fredo form his own analysis of things? Why Why Why did he not assure Fredo of his love and respect, and make it clear that "It's the way Pop wanted it," instead of just disrespectfully ignoring him. Did it never occur to him the Fredo would feel slighted? That Fredo would be hurt because he was "stepped over?" Or that maybe he could have told him to stay out in Las Vegas and lay low so that he would not be killed in a move against the Corleones? Break Mama's heart? I just find it hard to believe that Michael would ignore such an important aspect of his Donship, and did it never occur to him that Fredo would be "weak and stupid" enough to try to have him killed so Fredo could become the Don? (We all know that would never happen, but maybe Fredo thought it was possible)

I do wonder though, if Michael thought about Fredo the same way he thought about Tom, "I keep things from you because I love you, and now you're the only one I can trust..." Perhaps he kept things from Fredo to keep him from knowing too much, and therefore preventing another buffoonish act on Fredo's part. But at least he could have insulated this "sweet and helpless," "weak and stupid" brother with love and caring, instead of just ignoring him. What a jackass. We all know how it feels to be ignored by your boss, then imagine having that boss be your baby brother who claims to love you? And is a ruthless murderer? I'm surprised Fredo did not commit suicide.

Michael knew Fredo was dumb enough to fall for an enemy who would want to kill him. I guess he thought that Fredo's loyalty to him was unquestioned and he never had to worry about it. Is this an example of "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely?" Michael felt untouchable when it came to the family turning on him. But Michael of all people should know, friends are close but enemies are closer!

OK Back to the bio. Fredo hosts the pezzanovante in Havana. He takes them to a sex show where he betrays himself, unknowingly, to Michael. Later at the party Michael tells him about the plane waiting for them, and kisses his Judas brother. "You broke my heart, you broke my heart." So intense! One of my favorite moments. Even so, Michael still calls out to him on the street, telling him to come along, "You're still my brother!" but now Fredo is afraid. At this point Michael still trusts him, as he tells Tom when he gets home, "Tell him I know Roth misled him..."

Then the infamous boathouse scene. I agree with all here who say that Cazale played this one beautifully. All the poor guy wanted was respect. I still hold out my earlier theory about Vito, Sonny, and Tom having plans for Fredo that included more that a Mickey Mouse nightclub owner. I really can't decide if I believe Fredo or not about knowing it was going to be a hit. If he were hurt enough, drunk enough, and so weak and stupid enough to think if Michael were dead, that HE would become the Don, or at least a real underboss (as the Senate hearing chart shows him), then yes, I think he knew. But another side of me says no, he was totally misled by Roth and Ola, and they just needed access or plans of the compound to kidnap someone, Kay or one of the kids, in a move to control Michael. "I didn't know it was gonna be a hit, Mike." Cazale makes this very convincing. Very hard to tell.

Then Mama dies and Connie convinces Mike to forgive Fredo. But as we know he does not really forgive him, and after he tells Anthony to use the Hail Mary to catch a fish, he is saying the Hail Mary himself.

I personally think that he knew Neri was going to kill him. But even if he did not, it is a very very sad scene. Even if Michael had truly forgiven him and not had him killed, he could not have been in GFIII, since no one but Cazale could ever play Fredo, IMHO.

A truly tragic character.

I really love to read your insights. I haven't had this much fun since analyzing Hamlet in college........AVC

Its hard to analyze what Fredo is thinking and what Mike and the other corleones were thinking. Its a good Bio. Fredo IMO was left out too many times by Mike and maybe by the other family memebers, it was enough for Fredo to turn on his family, and in many ways its also understandable.

Fredo was a minor character in the novel, hence a minor character in GF. GFII was not envisioned when GF wrapped. To flesh out the plot--and no doubt to take advantage of John Cazale's considerable acting skills (he'd made "The Conversation" with FFC between GF and II)--FFC and Puzo wrote a significantly larger role for him in II. As I said earlier, I believe they painted Fredo too broadly as a dunce. But that dunce quality helped make his betrayal of Michael all the more dramatic, and his outburst in the boathouse into one of the best scenes in the Trilogy.