the novel tacitly conluded that michael's son would grow up to be the next godfather. it's sad that the movie series did not do much to develop anthony's character

I can't see that in the novel...I thought that the only conclusion was that Mike grew up to be the next Godfather...

As for the movies, I always thought that even after GFIII, Anthony would still be able to replace Vincent as Head of the Family. He is almost a Copy of Mike in his youth (before his father was shot)...

Yeah Anthony was Mike's son. But I don't think he could have taken over the family. He knew about Fredo, and it seemed to me he loved Fredo as a boy

I got the same feeling.

I agree. Wouldn't it have been nice, from the movie standpoint, if instead of Michael dying of old age in III, something tragic had become him, and Anthony (with the same instinct as his father before him) had stepped up to the plate as leader of the family. Poof!, antoher 3 installments of The Godfather. Further, imagine Vincent as his war-time consiglieri or a new caporegime!

that would only be a dream don sciz, only a dream that i can only wish would come true

Why would you want that to come true? Why would Vincent step down to let Anthony step up? After 1980, it's not Godfather, it's modern. Vincent wasn't even BORn in the novel, so shoot down that theory.

This is true but remember in the novel Michael loved Clamenza and Paulie, but he was still willing to see one of them killed if it meant his father's (and of course his family's - in every context of the meaning - survival). But in the movie, please don't read this in an offensive mannor, Anthony seems a bit, well quite frankly poofy, I don't mean the singing or anything, just his mannorisms. Ah but thinking upon that, wasn't Michael at the beginning, didn't Sonny make some kind of gesture about that in both the novel and the movie. OH I remember now! In the novel, it said something along the lines of there being a time when The Don worried about the masculinity of his youngest son. So have I just cancelled out my original arguement? Probably. But there's my thoughts, developed in writing on the moment. Again, sorry to bring up a subject from so long ago, but I like taking my time and reading through them.

P.S. If I were to finish the films, I would have seen Vincent shot at the end also, he was too much like his father, Anthony would have been better. And yes it might have been modern times, and the Godfather might have been no more, but think upon this logically, these sicilian traditions lasted hundreds if not thousands of years, why, just because society moved into the shallow and lazy 80's would the legend that was THE FAMILY just disappear???

WHy disappear in the 80's? Because GF Films are usually historically correct.

SEE John, Gotti, Sam Gravano, Paul Castellano, Toto Reina, Clarence Smaldone, Raymond Patriarca, Angelo Bruno, Nicky Scarfo, Santo Trafficante Junior, Tony Salerno, Tony Corallo, Philip Rastelli, Jimmy Burke, Paul Vario, Henry Hill, Anthony Spilotro, Frank Rosenthal, etc.

Also see GF3 when the Commission is wiped out, and all opponents are wiped out, the Vatican Bank can no longer afford to sponsor Immobilaire...whcih means that Vincent Mancini is left with...drumroll....NOTHING! (Except an angry Uncle)

SONNY was the one that was gonna whack Clemenza AND Paulie, Mike wanted to save both of them!

But he knew Paulie was the traitor.

Anthony is Mike Junior! He'll follow the same footsteps as his father...

Good son, earns father's love young, goes to college, disobeys his father, drops out of college, tries to become a Legit member of Society, his father survives a Hit, another family member is killed. (Sonny/Mary)

As for Vincent, like father like son. He's a hothead bound to be knocked off soon enough.

At Least Sonny was his father's Favorite, Vincent never MET his father.

Vincent wasn't ENDOWED (Or else FFC would have dedicated 5 minutes to Vince screwing a girl up against the wall while others held their hands out ____________________________________________ this big....

Besides, Sonny never screwed his Cousin .