The Godfather

 “The Godfather” By Mario Puzo
 
28
some sort of sickness.” 
“So you have woman trouble. Your voice is sick. Now tell me the trouble you’re having 
with this Hollywood pezzonovante who won’t let you work.” The Don was getting down 
to business. 
“He’s bigger than one of your pezzonovantes,” Johnny said. “He owns the studio. He 
advises the President on movie propaganda for the war. Just a month ago he bought 
the movie rights to the biggest novel of the year. A best seller. And the main character is 
a guy just like me. I wouldn’t even have to act, just be myself. I wouldn’t even have to 
sing. I might even win the Academy Award. Everybody knows it’s perfect for me and I’d 
be big again. As an actor. But that bastard Jack Woltz is paying me off, he won’t give it 
to me. I offered to do it for nothing, for a minimum price and he still says no. He sent the 
word that if I come and kiss his ass in the studio commissary, maybe he’ll think about it.” 
Don Corleone dismissed this emotional nonsense with a wave of his hand. Among 
reasonable men problems of business could always be solved. He patted his godson on 
the shoulder. “You’re discouraged. Nobody cares about you, so you think. And you’ve 
lost a lot of weight. You drink a lot, eh? You don’t sleep and you take pills?” He shook 
his head disapprovingly. 
“Now I want you to follow my orders,” the Don said. “I want you to stay in my house for 
one month. I want you to eat well, to rest and sleep. I want you to be my companion, I 
enjoy your company, and maybe you can learn something about the world from your 
Godfather that might even help you in the great Hollywood. But no singing, no drinking 
and no women. At the end of the month you can go back to Hollywood and this 
pezzonovante, this.90 caliber will give you that job you want. Done?” 
Johnny Fontane could not altogether believe that the Don had such power. But his 
Godfather had never said such and such a thing could be done without having it done. 
“This guy is a personal friend of J. Edgar Hoover,” Johnny said. “You can’t even raise 
your voice to him.” 
“He’s a businessman,” the Don said blandly. “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.” 
“It’s too late,” Johnny said. “All the contracts have been signed and they start shooting in 
a week. It’s absolutely impossible.” 
Don Corleone said, “Go, go back to the party. Your friends are waiting for you. Leave 
everything to me.” He pushed Johnny Fontane out of the room. 

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