Some people here think Tom Hagen showed his “ruthless” side when he “ordered” the murder of the hooker in Fredo’s brothel in order to blackmail Senator Geary. I don’t: I think Michael ordered it, in advance. But the scene showed Tom doing what he learned best: showing the utmost reasonableness after the utmost violence.
It seems as if Michael gave Tom carte blanche just before he left for Miami: “You’re gonna take over…you’re gonna be the Don.” But I doubt that he gave Tom a blank check to order a murder on his own, especially one that involved someone as important as Senator Geary. Michael had already set that murder in motion:
Geary was a regular at Fredo’s brothel, with that hooker: As he said to Tom, “We done it be-FOE-wer.” The manager (the guy who looks like Gene Vincent) would have told Fredo, and Fredo would have run to his brother: “Hey Mikey, guess who’s a regular at my joint? Your pal, Senator Geary. “Yeah, he’s into some kinky s**t with the same whore alla time.” Michael would have tucked that factoid away like a gilt-edged investment. So, as soon as Geary left Michael’s office after the “oily hair/silk suit” speech, Michael would have turned to Hagen and Neri: “Now’s the time play that whorehouse card and get that scumbag to give me the license. Find out when he next visits Fredo’s joint and nail his ass. Do whatever you have to.” They would take that as a standing order to drug him and kill the hooker, if need be.
Now, Geary thought he was far more powerful and well connected in Nevada than Michael, and as we saw earlier, he had contempt for him. As soon as his head started to clear, he’d realize that he’d been set up for blackmail. His first instinct would be to use his political and law enforcement muscle to expose the plot and strike back at Michael, the silk-suited upstart. Who was Michael to mess with the all-powerful Geary? Some oily-haired pissant from New York?
But Tom, the ol’ smoothie, made him the proverbial offer he couldn’t refuse:
“This girl…had no family…nobody knows she worked here…it’ll be as if she never existed.” Oil on Geary’s troubled waters! Then the clincher: “I’m putting a call into your office…saying that you’re spending the night at Michael Corleone’s house in Tahoe.” Perfect! An airtight alibi for the Senator—and it also put his coglioni in Michael’s pocket. Something for everyone.
We see Geary as stupid because he thinks with his dick. But politicians are nothing if not resilient—that’s how they get re-elected time after time. Geary would have acknowledged that Michael won that round, but he’d get revenge ultimately. And he nearly did—later, at the Senate hearings. But that’s another story…

TB, I never thought that Tom ordered the hit on the prostitute. But Tom showed his ruthlessness in some earlier occasions. He ordered the beheading of Khartoum, because no one else accompanied him to california. He also bluntly denies having any knowledge of michael's whereabouts to kay during his exile in sicily. When he is the acting don, he prevents kay from leaving the compund. Then his famous "can't do it sally" to tessio. He is also the only family member who really treated everything as business. And finally he was having full knowledge of murder plans of carlo and Fredo. Eventhough as a consigliere or lawyer, he was not in a position to take these decisions, his ruthlessness is evident from his behavior.

I never got the impression Tom himself ordered the decapitation of Khartoum, I assumed that was some sort of order from Sonny or Don Vito, which Tom either received after his dinner with Woltz, in which he dissappears, supposedly to the airport, but who knows who he couldve called between then and his flight back home. He also couldve received the order to behead the horse before he even left, perhaps from Vito as a sort of, "if this happens..." in case Woltz threw Tom out on his ass.

The question that really bothers me is not who ordered the beheading of the horse, but who actually carried it out. Any ideas on that one?

Who carried it out...Tom?

Probably just one of the Corleone soldiers.

Well thats the first instinct, but remember, this all takes place in California, where there are no Corleone soldiers, and we know no one went with Tom because he is seen walking alone through the movie lots, walking alone with Woltz through his estate, has no driver when he pulls into the movie lots, and requires a ride to the airport, directly to the airport, so he couldnt be picking up any one else or anything or that sort.

I also dont think it logical for Don Corleone to fly a soldier across the entire country just to cut a horses head off and return. My suspicions at this point are perhaps pointing towards Don Francesco of Los Angeles. Maybe Don Corleone contacted that family, requested their services, and they sent a man for the job.

Although why do I have this nagging feeling in the back of my head like I read somewhere once that Luca Brasi did it? Anyone know of anything that says this?

Nice name by the way.

Short and sweet.

Grassy.

Well, it's possible Tom wasn't alone, unless I really haven't been paying attention...

Your theory is good...I have never heard of the Luca killing the horse myself, though.

Then again, I just got this DVD set a few days ago...and I'm not interupting the credits for Empire Strikes Back for anything.

Next time I watch it, I'll keep all this in mind.

Turnbull, As always, you post something of interest, even after watching the film how many ???? times!!

I agree. Although Tom is often perceived as not quite being up to the job and a bit too eager for Michael's love, which is all true, we often forget his ruthless side. He is capable of immense acts of trickery and deceit. And it's nice for him that he can usually point a finger and say that he's just carrying out orders.

I think that the whole hooker sequence was played perfectly. First of all, it's Tom who is sent to speak to Geary - Tom who is NOT Sicilian. And the way he speaks to Geary - so calm as he lays out the plan. And Geary's so intent on trying to remember what happened that he almost doesn't see it coming - the whole "Michael's going to save your ass now" trap. Perfect!!

Micheal knew that he was going to set Geary up and get to him in some way, as soon as Geary pointed that cannon at him and insulted him with the "you and your whole fucking family" line. You could see it in Michael's eyes.

As you point out TB, Michael set that whole plan in motion before he left Tom in charge.


Don Cardi

I thought Luca did it. Maybe it says in the novel? I really should buy a copy because the library never has the book in stock, it is always checked out or on reserve.

Tom seems like he is a man who carries out orders to perfection, not a man who initiates things. As someone said, he is always there to smooth things over when violence has occurred, but he is in the background and knows his role very well. Such as in the Dons meeting to make the peace between Vito and Barzini. Watch how he reacts to Vito's every move.

It was obviously known among the families that Tom was not in the muscle end of the family, as Solozzo termed it. This would be beneficial to the Corleones to have Tom's legal and negotiation skills seperate from the street side of the family. It obviously was beneficial to Tom as he got a pass from Solozzo where Luca did not.

Luca did it. The novel says that the Don gave him an order that would (I'm paraphrasing here because I don't have the novel in front of me) "release the strange man's most violent instincts"--a reference to how he handled Capone's men earlier. I also believe there's a deleted scene in the film in which the Don says to Tom, "Send Luca Brasi to see me--we're gonna find a way to reason with this Mr. Jack Woltz."

In addition to the deleted "reason" scene, the novel says that the Don's instructions to Tom took up most of the night. Also, don't forget the Molinari and Falcone families on the west coast upon whom the Don could have called to carry things out.

Tom was the faithful, guileless servant not of Michael, but of Vito's son and Vito's memory. That's how I see Tom. He had recognized the ruthlessness of the Corleone family a long time ago and he committed himself to serve the Don just as his sons did just as long ago.

Which made him the only one Michael could trust.

The Geary/Corleone relationship epitomizes having politicians "in his pocket" as Sollozzo and Tattaglia would say about Vito. But I believe it was more of a mutual relationship. Each side using the other, gaining leverage and then losing leverage - symbiotic adversaries.

In Cuba, Geary says to Michael, "I'm glad we could spend this time together." Kind of an acknowledgement of Michael's ability to out manuever him...this time. Michael's response is curteous, but cool. He knows Geary is a snake and will strike back whenever he can. It's a an interesting relationship of two men who are part of the same hypocrisy.

It never crossed my mind that Tom ordered the death of the prostitute. I guess I always envisioned Michael hatching that plan while Geary just finished uttering his insults and threats at the First Communion party.

During the scene in which Geary aims that replica of the gun (on Michael's desk) at Michael, I always thought Michael was silently thinking "do you have any idea who you are f--king with?"

I also don't think Tom was ruthless or cunning enough to come up with such a clever plan to trap Geary with the prostitute.