Can someone explain what actually happened here? Geary said he was "passed out on the floor and couldn't remember anything." I don't believe Geary killed that girl, but who did and why? It must have been some kind of a setup, but actually how did it happen.

I suppose someone of Mike's men actually killed the girl and let senator Geary think the killer was himself, while they arrange to have things mended and gain Geary's obedience because he'd feel in debt with Mike.

BTW, in my opinion senator Geary is one of the WORST character of GF, right?

I would imagine they drugged Geary. He says he passed out. Then, possibly Neri did the deed. He is standing outside the door and he and Tom exchange 'looks.'

The family needed to have Geary in their pocket, not the other way around, which is the way Geary wanted it. And as Tom says, "all that's important is our friendship"....and the fact that we can hold a woman's death over your head.

Neri's also washing his hands, which tells me he definitely did it.

I would imagine that even if Geary didn't believe that he did it, just being caught in a bordello with a tied-up, murdered prosititute was enough to get him in their pocket. Given that Fredo had a good idea of Geary's favorite past-time, I'm sure it was easy enough to set him up so that he would be beholden to the Corelone Family. Notice how Geary's attitude in Cuba is so different than at Anthony's communion?

Oh yeah, by Cuba he's defiantely in Mike's pocket. I think he knew in the back of his mind that he was not the killer, but at the time of the talk with Hagen, he was in too much of a fog, and when he did get his sences back, it was too late. As for who killed the girl, it had to be Neri. Why else would FFC show a shot of him standing in the doorway washing his hands/a knife (Ive heard both)

He has to be in the top3 of worst charecters.

Yeah neri did the deed

Even if there was no dead whore in the room, photos of Geary with a whore 'just playing around' would be enough for the Corleones to get Geary. I think by killing the whore as well, the Corleones just wanted to make a point. A very strong point.
I don't see Geary as worst character though. I think the character was necessary, in terms that this was to show how corrupt the system, and I think it was well played by the actor. You can feel the evil and the almost sincere respect on Michael driven by humiliation and interest.

You mean Cuba- or senate hearings? I allways wondered how his part in them interlinked with his being in Mike's pocket...

We later see, in the senate hearings, Geary make a positive "statement" regarding Italian Americans and thier worth to society, and then Geary excuses himself from the hearings. That statement and his leaving the hearings is an indication that he was now in The Corleone's pockets and wanted nothing to do with the hearings.

Don Cardi

After questioning Ciccie thoroughly.
But if he had really almost sincere respect and interest to Michael it's not enough said. He might mean that M. was one of the "rotten apples" as well. Being in their pocket, they might use him more efficiently at those hearings.

It was the equivalent of a horse's head.

You totally miss the point. Geary did NOT have a sincere respect for Michael. Geary probably hated him with a passion for the position that he was put in by the Corleones! But he was scared to death of The Corleones! As a senator,had he come right out and defended Michael, it would have been obvious to the other senators that Geary was afraid and was in bed with the Corleones. So Geary had to do it in a round about way, not directly defending Michael, but indeirectly by defending Michael's nationality. Not by sitting there without ever questioning Michael, but instead by bowing out with the excuse that he had other matters to attend to. He wanted as far away from this thing as possible, but at the same time wanted to show Michael that he (Geary) would not be a part of these hearings. When he makes that statement and bows out of the hearings, look at the other senator's face and expression, as the other senator is suspect of Geary as to why he made that statement about Italians and of his bowing out!


Don Cardi

Essentially, yes.

No-no, that was not my point . It was Pichichi's point that G. felt "almost sincere respect on Michael driven by humiliation and interest." I was trying to verify it by putting into doubt... Really I rather agree with you that he must be scared to death. I only think that, being so scared, he was governable by Corleones, and could be used better than as a defender of Italian nation. I mean, he was able to help not by making statements, but by procuring necessary info etc.

Sorry if misunderstood . I meant the actor who played Geary was delivering it well / good acting. So when the Havana & Senate hearing scene, other people who don't know about what happenned in whorehouse, would feel that there is a kind of respect from Geary. So I use the term "almost sincere", since this kind of (fake) respect is always happenning from time to time. customer & vendor relations, politicians & constituent's, men & parents in law's (at least I feel it ), senators & businessmen etc. And the actor is convincing in delivering this.
I agree with DC that Geary hate on Michael, and he would curse that day when he got set up, how stupid he was not knowing that the whorehouse was owned by Corleones network.

i want to defend the character. it definatly is not one of the worst characters. i like it how he thinks he is able to stand up to mike at the beginning of the movie, and how he slowly comes under mikes thumb. not slowly at all. with on slash of a blade

I've said this before, so please bear with me:
We think of Geary as dumb because he thinks with his dick. But he was a politician, after all, and he had some guile. I think he showed it in his two-faced "defense" of Michael Corleone at the Senate hearing:
He said "these hearings on the Mafia are no reflection on the great Italian people, and it would be a shame to let a few rotten apples spoil the whole bunch." Who was he referring to as "Mafia," if not Michael? Michael was the bad apple. Geary was being cleber in making it look like a defense.
His questioning of Cicci seemed helpful to Michael. He asked Cicci if there were always "buffers" twixt him and Michael, and Cicci replied, "No, I never talked to him." That question and answer made Michael believe that the committee had no higher-ranking witness than Cicci. And since Cicci said he never got an order from Michael directly, Michael was emboldened to lie under oath. As we know, it was a trap: the committee was secretly holding Frankie. My point is that Geary, as a member of the committee, had to know about Frankie, and so I believe he deliberately led Cicci's questioning to help trap Michael into perjuring himself.

I'm just wondering, was that enough to end the political life of a person in those days?

Today, it is a big deal but I don't think it really was enough to blackmail a politician in those days.

Wow Turnbull, I never looked at it that way. Now that you point this out, the whole scenario takes on a whole different meaning. Excellent point!


Don Cardi

If so, he was stupid enough to think Mike will not figure out his share in this trap? Wonder what was his punishment...

Turnbull, I've heard this POV from you before and it sounds good, I always liked it, but how do you explain that Geary knew Michael would testify. The FBI was telling Frankie that Michael wouldn't testify, don't you think the Senate commitee thought the same thing?

PENTANGELI
Ten to one -- ten to one shot you said -- ten to one shot he would take the 5th -- and I lose.