First, some sharp-eared fans hear the radio in Sonny’s car tuned to a broadcast of the final game of the 1951 National League playoff (“The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”) as he takes his fatal drive to the causeway. As supporting evidence, they note that a “Dewey for President” poster is visible when Sonny earlier beats up Carlo. Thomas E. Dewey was the GOP Presidential candidate in 1948, and the tattered condition of the poster suggests that the scene was set in 1949 or 1950—consistent with a timeline leading to Sonny’s death on October 3, 1951.
Impossible!
I agree that's impossible. I'd suggest that the Dodgers/Giants game on the radio when Sonny was shot was simply an anachronism.
--Michael returned to the US in ’46, and he married Kay in ’47, or no later than ’48. Support: The clothing worn by Kay and her school kids is mid-‘40’s vintage. The only cars visible in the scene are the ’47 Cad that follows Michael, and a green ’47 Ford Super Deluxe (“woody”) wagon.
Highly unlikely. I'm beginning to think that Mike returned to the U.S. in 1948 (see below for my reasoning). The styles of clothing is thin, at least, for reasoning a date. Perhaps in New Hampshire they were 2-3 years behind the times in style. You also keep bringing up FFC's fanatical detail to cars in the films. It's still quite possible that Mike would have been using a car that was two years old.
OK ... some reasoning of mine:
It was expected that Mike would spend a few years in Sicily. According to Mama Corleone (when Kay Adams came down to the compound while Mike was "away"): "He hide two, three years. Maybe more, maybe much more". [novel pps 237-8].
Vito returned home from the hospital in mid February. The novel has this in 1947 (meaning he spent over 13 months in the hospital - that may be unlikely). [novel p. 251]
Sonny was most likely shot and killed in the summer of 1947. Vito would have had the meeting with the other dons shortly afterwards. The novel points out that it would be another year before he could arrange to bring back Michael from Sicily. [novel p. 300]. That would suggest Mike came back in late 1948, and after a year or more (1950) he went up to New Hampshire to visit Kay. They were most likely married in early 1951 (as you suggested in the original post here).
Geoff - You may want to take another look at your timeline on the parent site. I cannot find any "proof" in "The Sicilian" that Mike returned in 1950 (as you have listed on the timeline).
Also, FWIW - Lucky Luciano was deported in Feb., 1946 NOT 1945 (as is listed on your timeline).
