While I have not recently read the novel in its entirety, I do pick it from time to time (sometimes before drifting off to sleep). I certainly appreciate that the first film was three hours in length, so some things were left out in the theatrical release, while others we are able to see in "bonus footage" of some sort.

My question is do you have a scene, or line, that you would have loved to see in the film (not part of the deleted scenes)? For those who have read the novel, you know that the Johnny Fontaine character has a minor role in the film but plays a central role in Puzo's novel.

One example I can give is when Tom Hagen goes out to visit Johnny Fontaine after the latter has regenerated his career in the movie industry. Fontaine and Hagen have a frank conversation about how Don Corleone will be financing Johnny. Hagen advises Johnny to lay off the booze, to which Johnny takes offense and tersely says "f--k you." Hagen then cooly tells Johnny that he will not get personal and that he better not screw up Don Corleone's investment.

Another scene I really would have enjoyed seeing filmed was between Tom Hagen and Carlo after Sonny's death. In the novel, Hagen calls Connie's house and insists that she wake up Carlo. Connie is afraid since he has passed out after drinking and then beating her. Hagen tells Carlo that Sonny was dead. Hagen also makes Carlo realize that he narrowly escaped Sonny's wrath and probably would be dead instead of Sonny.

Those are two that come to mind.

Al Neri's back story.

More precisely, there's the scene where he's introduced to Vito. Michael insists that he stay for lunch and Mama Corleone fixes them sausages, peppers and eggs, home made wine and crusty bread, "real Sicilian style," in Michael's own words.

That would have been awesome. I love the whole "Italianess" of that sequence, and wish it had found it's way into the movie. Whenever I read it, it takes me back to my own childhood, my own Mama and my own Nonna. I realize I'm a sentimentalist, but hey, I'm Italian. What'd you expect?

The Neri lunch was very good. It has some of the homey quality of Clemenza teaching Michael how to make the good sauce.

The oddest omission/change, to me, is Michael's monologue saying that every bit of business is in fact personal. "If a bolt of lightning hit a friend of his, the old man would take it personal." When, chapters later, Vito says, "Or if he is hit by a bolt of lightning...," it is clear that Michael's brain is just a duplicate of Vito's.

Good thread, Goombah.

Although GF wasn't a polished novel, Puzo showed great storytelling ability, in the grand Italian tradition. And you're right: lots of those stories would have made good additions to the film (which was very long by contemporary standards, as you point out). My favorite side-stories, which I would have liked to have seen in the film:

--The Bocchicchio Family and how they contributed to Michael's return to the US.
--Neri's background, and his recruitment by Michael.
--Sonny and the "boiler inspectors," and how he made Long Beach safe.
--Vito, Maranzano, and Luca and the Capone hitmen.

I liked the story about Hagen and Carlo after Sonny's assassination--it showed another side of Hagen that was positive. I agree with you about the "f**k you" scene with Johnny and Hagen. But, IMO, Johnny served his useful purpose right at the beginning. After that, Johnny was just a prop for Puzo to show off what he learned about Hollywood--unnecessary BS that greatly weakened "The Last Don." Ditto Nino. And I could have lived without any--repeat, any--of the Lucy/Jules/operation BS.

I would have liked to see some early scenes with Luca so the film viewer would get a better idea of how truly dangerous and thoroughly evil he was.

Gatto handling the would be rapists.

Clemenza and Tessio fighting the war under Sonny.

I thought of another scene which admittedly would have been difficult to include in the film version. In the movie, the story ends as Neri shuts the door to Michael's office as Kay witnesses Rocco, Neri, and Clemenza pay homage to the new Don. Puzo's novel continues with a poignant part.

Kay leaves Michael shortly after the described scene and Michael sends Hagen to bring Kay back, albeit after letting her cool off for one week. The exchange between Hagen & Kay is terrific. Hagen point blank tells Kay why Carlo and Tessio were killed and tries to make Kay see the possible "justifications" for Michael's actions. Hagen also wisely points out that it was Kay who forced Michael to be the godfather to Connie's son. I also think it was great to see Kay cut through some of Tom's b.s. when she said (something to this effect): "I mean he had his sister's husband killed - is that straight enough for you?"

I agree with all of the above. Goombah, the line I especially loved in the scene between Kay and Tom, is when she asks him why Michael couldn't forgive Carlo. She says that Carlo had reformed, was a good husband and father, etc., and Tom sighs and says, "In this world you could," or something similar. I always loved that scene, because it showed that not only did Tom see that there WERE two worlds, but that he was fully aware that each had its own set of rules.

Certainly more of the Hollywood stuff, though Im glad FFC steered clear of the Mancini/Segal storyline, which really affected the books pacing.