OK, here's the deal on Clemenza's car picking up Michael: I went back to my notes, and remembered that I had done a review of all of the cars in the movie, to see who belonged with what car. I was wondering, at one point, if given the rarity of big vintage automobiles in 1971, if some cars were used more than once in the movie when they shouldn't have been -- like if the car Paulie gets killed in suddenly reappeared later in a prominent role being driven by someone else (it didn't -- unless it was used in a background scene or at the funeral).

Anyway, it turns out that the car that picked up Michael after the shooting is seen earlier parked in front of the Clemenza house when he leaves with Rocco and Paulie. That's why I called it as Clemenza's car.

Of course, we know from a scene in the Godfather Trilogy that Clemenza's personal and beloved car is the one in his garage -- he complains about it to Rocco because "stupid Dee-troit" shipped it without bumpers because of war shortages. However, this could have been only his "personal" car, and the car in front of the house was his "business" car.

Any other questions coming up? I'm glad to answer them.

Harlan

You're probably right. Of course, it could indeed have been Tessio's car, and identical to Clemenza's -- maybe FFC had a view that all capos used the same model car! Seriously, I think I chould eliminate the reference to "Clemenza's car"; Given that Sonny made it explicit in the film that Tessio should pick up Michael.

I'm always glad to answer questions that come in -- feel free to send me the puzzlers. I'll try to keep track of the board, too, but if there are ever any festering factual questions that come in and I haven't checked in for a while, go ahead and send them. It's perfectly fine to pass along my e-mail address; the only type of question I can't answer fall into the category of "why didn't FFC do this or that....." I can't read his mind!

Cheers,

H