This question has been asked repeatedly by Godfather fans. Some say it was as a threat, to show Frankie they had access to his brother, some say it was to remind him of the Omerta. But I was checking out the second script draft of The Godfather Part II, and here, a better explanation is provided. It's pretty evident, but this belonged to the scene in which Kay has her infamous "It was an abortion!" row with Mike. Thought I'd put it in for all you GF II newbies.

KAY
I didn't even know he had a brother.
And where is he now?

MICHAEL
On a plane back to Sicily.

KAY
And that's all he had to do. Just
show his face.

MICHAEL
That's all. You see, in Sicily, in
the old days... there was only one
legitimate reason to kill a blood
relative... only one. IF he was a
traitor.

KAY
You would have killed his brother?

MICHAEL
Kay, you've got it wrong. That
kind of thing's all over, I promised
you. This was between the two
brothers. Years ago Frankie had a
young girlfriend; he called her his
co-wife. That was his joke, but he
meant it. He wouldn't divorce his
wife... because she was a great
cook. He said he girlfriend made a
spaghetti sauce once and it was so
terrible he knew he could never
marry her. He set her up in a
house in Jersey. She had to be
faithful... and she had to have kids.
And she did, two, a boy and a girl.
He had her checked out and watched
so she couldn't cheat... but the
girl couldn't stand that kind of
life. She begged him to let her go.
He did. He gave her money and made
her give up the kids. Then Frankie
took them to Italy, and had them
brought up by his brother Vincenzo.
Where he knew they'd by safe.

Kay begins to realize.

MICHAEL
When he saw his brother in the
hearing room, he knew what was at
stake.
(pause)
I don't think Vincenzo would have
done it. He loves the kids, too.
Omerta, Kay. Honor, silence. It
had nothing to do with me. It was
between those brothers.


There's a lot more material that answers other popular Godfather II questions in the second draft, I recommend you check it out.
http://www.allmoviescripts.com/scripts/17584365683f3d9aa7445d6.html

awesome, thank you very much

rob

That is a lot clearer. I never really questioned that scene, but that does make it a lot more understandable. They were probably right to scrap it though, I dont see Kay (in her oncoming fit of rage) being able to calmly sit through that.

Yes, that is an awsome script. It also clears many other questions that I have had in GF2 especially the scenes involving Tom. Also I never would have suspected that his mistress was Sonny's wife though it makes perfect sense..,

Hold it a minute..are you saying that Tom's mistress was Sonny's widow? If thats true it gives me a whole different outlook on Tom

INT. TAHOE - SANDRA'S HOUSE - DAY

We HEAR the applause and whistles echoing in the distance.
Sandra stands in her bedroom, looking at the door. We SEE a
photograph of SONNY, and also one of their wedding.

A moment goes by, and then Tom Hagen enters, closing the
door behind him.

We begin to HEAR Senator Geary's amplified voice resounding
over the lake. Hagen moves to Sandra. She takes him in her
arms, comforting, holding his head against her full breast.

HAGEN
(quietly)
He doesn't want my help any more.
He doesn't need it.

SANDRA
We don't know that's true, he never
said that.

HAGEN
I can feel it in the way he talks
to me.

He moves to the dresser; pours himself a drink.

HAGEN
Just now when Johnny Ola showed up,
he asked me to leave them alone.
Ola is Hyman Roth's Sicilian
contact. I was on the inside of
ten, twenty meetings with him. But
today Mike asked me to leave, like
an outsider.

SANDRA
Talk to him. Tell him how you feel.

HAGEN
It's as though he blames me for the
ground the family lost when I was
Consigliere to Sonny.

Sandra pulls Hagen to her, and kisses him passionately on
the mouth.

HAGEN
I love Michael, I want to help him,
be close to him. I don't want to
end up a third string lawyer making
property settlements for the hotels.

Sandra knows he needs her. Slowly she begins to undress.

SANDRA
We have a little time now.

It's on the end of Researchers post Part

Are you slippin'???

FH

ah my first post, been reading this stuff for ages but never really felt the need to say anything. This script is amazing though, thanks a lot for posting it. Been reading the first parts and the first thing that really hits me is this...

MICHAEL
The old man had too much vino
rosso, or he'd never talk openly
that way. Let him go back to New
York; I've already made my plans.
(he checks his watch)
It's late; I've spent so little time at the party.

now we all know where it's from, but following Frankie's anger at Mike and also even what i take a personal dig at him when he describes his sicilian conversation with Anthony as 'one-way' (Anthony is American not Sicilian...)

Now when he says 'I've already made my plans' this kinda sounds to me as if it's a hit on Frankie!, it would of course also tie in the 'Michael Corleone says hello!' i still dont really believe that it is that, because of the scene with Mike and Roth' i didn't ask who gave the order!'. However i'm wondering exactly what Michael's 'plans' that he'd already made actually were at this stage...

Welcome, NotAnotherDon!
All these early script treatments are fascinating. You can understand why the films as released didn't include all this stuff: the films were way, way over budget and standard length, and FFC and Ruddy needed to rein them in.
So, I always consider questions like yours in the context of what actually appeared in the films that were released. In this case, "I've already made my plans" probably means that Michael was going ahead with his big deal with Roth despite Frankie's criticism of Roth. Remember: Frankie was Michael's subordinate, the underboss who ran the New York "olive oil business" for Michael, and Michael could impose his will on Frankie. And Frankie's last words to Michael were: "I want everyone here to know that there's not gonna be no trouble from me." So Michael had no reason to kill Frankie.

thanks for the welcome turnbull, i've enjoyed reading your answers in the past, i'm a big fan! haha, it seems a good answer, i guess it's what i was thinking really. I think from what i've read so far one thing that i think would have been particularly good to have been included was Francesca and Gardner asking for Michael's blessing, i really think this one, although obviously not crucial for the plot ( as a lot of the best scenes in GF aren't really...) would have done a lot of good setting the scene, and properly setting up Michael as the real 'godfather' of the family, a bit of love and respect! also presenting a nice contrast, start off with a nice bit of family business, then swiftly move onto to the slightly less adorable Sen. Geary.

All this said however i totally understand how it had to be cut down and a lot of good stuff had to be missed, at least the first 2 are pretty much perfect so i'm hardly going to complain too much. After all if the Francesca scene came in then one would have to be cut out, and cut out a scene of GF II, oh deearrrr, i couldn't be having that.

One saving grace: the Francesca and Gardiner Shaw scene was included in the "extras" disc in the DVD collection along with other deleted scenes. All of the deleted scenes were included in a chronologically spliced-together version of GF and II called "The Godfather Saga" that has been shown many times on US television. IMO, it's the best version.

I still dont own the Godfather DVD as of yet..but if I rememeber it was advertised with 3 hours of extra footage..is this true? Are all these scenes that you all are referrring to that ended up not being a part of the film included in this DVD?

you need to get them
extra footage includes: behind the scenes, a look into FFC's notebook, story behind the music of The Godfather, an on location segment, etc..... and most deleted scenes. the deleted scenes themselves arent 3 hours worth

I am so glad they never included this in the movie. It would have ruined it for me. I like Tom too much. It wasn't in the book, so I just pretend it never happenend