...Did he really think he could keep Vito off his case simply by telling that he was tougher than a guy who had a gun put to his head with the promise that his brains or his signature would be on a contract?...
Yes, he did and with good justification. His role as a big shot Hollywood producer afforded him much more protection (both legal and physical) than some 2-bit bandleader. Although it's not necessary in the film, as Turnbull points out there is detail in the novel that shows why Woltz would believe he had nothing to fear from Vito Corleone.
But as Turnbull also points out...the that the Corleone Family would be able to get to him at the expense of his beloved Khartoum was the absolute farthest thing from Woltz's mind.
There's a great passage in the novel, one of my favorites, that describes the absolute spin Woltz's head was in after the murder of Khartoum. He was absolutely ...
... !!
