Originally Posted by Evita
Originally Posted by mustachepete
Originally Posted by Evita
Have we ever come up with any other viable "little help" that is useful that is other than opening the drapes?

There are probably a thousand things. The shooters have to access the property, conceal themselves there, find Michael's quarters, do the shooting, flee, then someone has to kill them, and they have to flee. Any of those functions might require "a little help." Note that Michael doesn't spend the movie searching for the drape opener. The drapes are never mentioned again.

Don't know Pete Any of those functions and smuggling in the machine guns too Very conspicuous, attracting attention Fredo pulling off?
Finding Michael's quarters is the easy bit because the drapes were open

Difficult -- not impossible for the GF2 deadly Fredo
“Michael doesn't spend the movie searching for the drape opener” because Michael is a wise and considerate young man!

if anything in this life is certain -- if history has taught us anything -- Hell hath no fury like a brother stepped over!

Michael didn't ask the tough questions! among others -
  • why would Roth and other partners, go along if Michael moved Klingman out and take over their Hotel
  • why would Roth in Miami, interest himself in a two-bit beef between the Rosato brothers and Pentangeli, in New York and against Pentangeli, Michael's man
  • why would Clemenza promise the Rosato brothers three territories in the Bronx after! he died
    [signing his own death warrant.... That was no heart attack]
  • why would Clemenza promise anything? at all to the Rosato brothers
  • who opened the drapes
  • who killed the Tahoe assassins
  • how did Roth know "The two million never got to the island"
  • Then how did Roth know "Fredo brought a bag full of money" Okay Roth's sixth sense!
  • how Fredo got out of Havana -- he must be somewhere in New York
  • what happened to the Corleone family in New York, their loyal caporegime good old man Pentangeli, who was loyal to Vito for years, Cicci -- who did what to whom -- and taking care of their families
  • how did Kay get the abortion
  • what was Fredo's little help
  • what was Fredo's something in it for me -- on my own

Then again if Michael had, what will we debate half a century on!