at the wedding? I realize that he's disenchanted with the family and wants to distance himself (both physically and emotionally). However, to spill family secrets like the story of Johnny's contract is something that a bright guy like Michael wouldn't do.

You'll notice that Kay prods it out of him when he'd rather they listen to Johnny singing.

Anyway, one would assume that by this time in their relationship Michael has given Kay at least some information with regard to the kind of business his family is involved in, and which at this point he wants no part of. They may already be secretly engaged and he trusts her.

And with Johnny Fontaine showing up at his sister's wedding...why shouldn't Mike tell that story about the bandleader? It's a pretty interesting one!!!

Apple

I've always had the feeling that Mike was "bragging" in that scene (even if he supposedly wanted to distance himself from the Family). Watch the way Kay looks at him in disbelief (after she heard the story), and the way Michael announces that he wants nothing to do with that life. He didn't need much prompting from Kay.....he WANTED to tell that story!

You think so SC ??

After all he DID try to get Kay to just watch Johnny sing and she playfully nagged him; of course it's true that if he REALLY didn't want to tell her the story then nobody could've made him do it.

Another thing to consider is just the logistical fact that Kay represents US the audience..the only outsider who needs to be let in on family background relevant to the story (such as how Tom Hagen became part of the family). Her introduction to the Corleones is ours as well.

If it hadn't been worked in that Michael told Kay the bandleader story...then where else would it have fit into the film in order for us to know about it?

Apple

You bring up a valid point, Apple.... that story allowed us (the audience) to get some background information, but using that same argument, by Michael insisting that Kay listen to Fontaine sing it allowed the movie-makers to add some "entertainment" to the movie (the music).

Michael told that story with some sort of "pride" which belied his feelings about the Family. This wasn't unusual for him.....he'd later try to show that he was dealing with his feelings because it was business, not personal. But we know better.

Excellent point! In fact, when Kay first asked, Michael tried to divert her by saying, "Let's listen to the music," or some such.
Both the novel and the film show a pattern of Michael revealing things or doing things only when other people insist. It's as if he has an ethical quid pro quo: don't ask, I won't tell (or do). At the end of GF, he tells Kay not to ask him about his business, as if not asking makes it legit.

(SPOILER)

In the novel, Kay flees to New Hampshire with the kids after the Great Massacre of 1955. Michael sends Tom to persuade her to come back. She confronts Tom, tells him that she can't love Michael because he "made a fool" out of her by agreeing to stand godfather to Connie and Carlo's son, then arranging for Carlo's murder. Hagen's reply is worth repeating verbatim:
"You're mad because he lied to you. Well, he warned you never to ask him about business. You're mad because he was Godfather to Carlo's boy. But you made him do that."
Nice rationale, eh?

In fact, it was not a serious family secret. He didn't tell her about Don's killing someone, or ordering any actual murder. In the book he brought her there to introduce as his future wife, part of that family. And if he wished to make her understand that Cosa Nostra isn't a House of Peace, how could he say less than that?

I simply think that he knew her personality well enough to have a good sense of trust with her. His instinct proved to be correct, especially in the second film while she watches him lie about his crimes in front of the board of chairmen.

Well the intresting thing is that the story about Vito and Luca that mike tells Kay at the wedding is the only time mike talks to kay honestly about the buisness. After that he only really talks to her about the buisness once and that was when she asked him about carlo and even then he lied.

Two things of interest in this scene:

1. The original script had Kay eating spaghetti, but it was deemed too messy in the close-up pictures, so they substituted lasagna instead.

2. The original script called for Michael's dialogue to be a lot more graphic (taken from the novel), but it was changed (obviously) for the filmed sequence:

(original scripted dialogue)

Mike: "Once upon a time, about 15 years ago, some people wanted to take over my father's olive oil business. They had Al Capone send some men in from Chicago to kill my father, and they almost did".

Kay: "Al Capone"!?!

Mike: "My father sent Luca Brasi after them. He tied the two Capone men hand and foot and stuffed small bath towels into their mouths. Then he took an ax, and chopped one man's feet off....."

Kay: "Michael"

Mike: "Then the legs at the knees....."

Kay: "Michael, you're trying to scare me....."

Mike: "Then the thighs where they joined the torso".

Kay: "Michael, I don't want to hear anymore...."

Mike: "Then Luca turned to the other man...."

Kay: "Michael, I love you".

Mike: "...who out of sheer teror had swallowed the bath towel in his mouth and suffocated".

Kay: "I never know when you're telling me the truth".

Mike: "I told you you wouldn't like him." (meaning Luca Brasi)

I think some of you are taking the situation way out of bearing. If you watch, Kay was just asking and pestering him. So I think Micheal just got sick of it and decided that if he told her a horrible story that she would be in shock at the moment and would drop the whole situation, as well as never wanting to know about the family buisness again. I get that from the way she acts, and the way he quickly turns away and says " thats my family Kay its not me" then he says somethign along the lines of "come on lets enjoy the music" as she is still in shock. So it kinda tells her a story but also ends her questioning.