Tell Michael it was only business..Tessio dead at 94 | The Boneyard

Tell Michael it was only business..Tessio dead at 94

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He had a good run, no?
Some of you may have caught (on HBO within the last couple weeks) The Godfather Epic - That's the version that was edited (for TV, I think) to tell the story in chronological order. It was as good as I remember.
The Godfather is about the only film "I can't put down". That is, if it's on commercial free, I have to watch it.
The funny thing - I own the entire boxed-set on BluRay.
 
I had not read the book prior to seeing the movie and was somewhat crestfallen when Tessio approached Micheal in the cemetery; "Whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, that's the traitor. Don't forget that."
 
I am not .. well, an overly-sensitive guy, when it comes to the arts, cultural things, and so forth. But, when I watch "The Godfather", I am still struck by the incredible use of lighting, shadow, and sound. Particularly in this day n' age of massive CGI epics, full of noise, light, explosions, and such, "The Godfather" is a perfectly-performed piece of violin & flute, candle-lit and quiet. In addition to the story, the performances, and everything else, it is an astonishingly beautiful movie.
 
pinotbear said:
I am not .. well, an overly-sensitive guy, when it comes to the arts, cultural things, and so forth. But, when I watch "The Godfather", I am still struck by the incredible use of lighting, shadow, and sound. Particularly in this day n' age of massive CGI epics, full of noise, light, explosions, and such, "The Godfather" is a perfectly-performed piece of violin & flute, candle-lit and quiet. In addition to the story, the performances, and everything else, it is an astonishingly beautiful movie.
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It is an exquisitely crafted work (or set of works). Totally agree on all points.
 
I remember him best as "Fish" on "Barney Miller."

Fish was always looking for a way to make a better buck than his cop's pay. One day, Fish takes a complaint from a hansom cab driver.

Fish: Say, how much can you make driving one of those things anyway.
Driver: You mean declared income?
Fish: That much, huh.
 
VAUConnFan said:
"Whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, that's the traitor. Don't forget that."
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Tessio's betrayal surprised Tom Hagen, but it didn't surprise Michael, who knew it wouldn't be Clemenza. Michael tells Tom, "It's the smart move; Tessio was always smarter." With all due respect to Tessio, I always preferred "Leave the gun, take the canolies" Clemenza.
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BTW, the film's cinematographer Gordon Willis was a pioneer with his novel use of darkness and light. For me, the best film ever.
 
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Like Jim G. I recently found myself watching the "epic" on HBO and I was struck by two things. They included many of the deleted scenes that hadn't made it to the big screen. I often find myself wishing that those "cutting room floor" scenes had been included in movies I like, but the "epic" version of The Godfather showed (to me anyway) that most of them slowed the action and in some cases diluted the moment.

What Coppola did with the final cut was to refine the story and to sharpen its focus. The end product is a piece of stunning filmaking and a great example of a director commanding his craft.

RIP Abe, you outlived Tessio by more than 43 years. (Or 69 years. Didn't Tessio die in the summer of '46?)
 
Peter Clemenza was the best. "Leave the gun, take the cannoli's". Besides, he taught the 'merigons how to make great gravy.
 
I never hesitate to name "The Godfather" (and, I mean #1 and #2) as the best film ever made.
Some folks mention Citizen Kane and there may be other greats but, I don't think there's another that's close.

Bonpland said:
Like Jim G. I recently found myself watching the "epic" on HBO and I was struck by two things. They included many of the deleted scenes that hadn't made it to the big screen. I often find myself wishing that those "cutting room floor" scenes had been included in movies I like, but the "epic" version of The Godfather showed (to me anyway) that most of them slowed the action and in some cases diluted the moment.

What Coppola did with the final cut was to refine the story and to sharpen its focus. The end product is a piece of stunning filmaking and a great example of a director commanding his craft.

RIP Abe, you outlived Tessio by more than 43 years. (Or 69 years. Didn't Tessio die in the summer of '46?)
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RegisteredUconn said:
I remember him best as "Fish" on "Barney Miller."

Fish was always looking for a way to make a better buck than his cop's pay. One day, Fish takes a complaint from a hansom cab driver.

Fish: Say, how much can you make driving one of those things anyway.
Driver: You mean declared income?
Fish: That much, huh.
Expand ...

Here's the Times obituary.

Barney Miller was a great sitcom (IMO). Repeats, two each weeknight, are on these days at midnight on WPIX (channel 114 on Optimum here in Fairfield county).

What I learned from the obituary is that he was long a theater actor, appearing in, among others, plays of Strindberg, Shakespeare, and Shaw.

In 1982, People Magazine reported him dead. Great retort: He lived 34 more years.

"The Godfather changed my life," Vigoda told the Times in 2001.

RIP.
 
RegisteredUconn said:
I remember him best as "Fish" on "Barney Miller."

Fish was always looking for a way to make a better buck than his cop's pay. One day, Fish takes a complaint from a hansom cab driver.

Fish: Say, how much can you make driving one of those things anyway.
Driver: You mean declared income?
Fish: That much, huh.
Expand ...

I always remember that bathroom fire scene...

MILLER: "The bathroom's on fire!"

FISH: "Oh God!!"
 
Huskies Rule said:
Tessio's betrayal surprised Tom Hagen, but it didn't surprise Michael, who knew it wouldn't be Clemenza. Michael tells Tom, "It's the smart move; Tessio was always smarter." With all due respect to Tessio, I always preferred "Leave the gun, take the canolies" Clemenza.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BTW, the film's cinematographer Gordon Willis was a pioneer with his novel use of darkness and light. For me, the best film ever.
Expand ...

My all time favorite movie quote. Clemenza was much less concerned about what had just transpired than he was about what might happen to him if he arrived home without the cannoli.
 
Bonpland said:
RIP Abe, you outlived Tessio by more than 43 years. (Or 69 years. Didn't Tessio die in the summer of '46?)
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While testifying at the Kefauver hearings in Godfather 2, there was testimony introduced from Willie Cicci that Micheal was responsible for killing Sollozzo in 1947 and the heads of the other five families in 1950(on the very day he stood godfather to Connie's son).
 
Why can't I remember what I had for dinner yesterday, but recalling verbatim a zillion lines from "The Godfather," no problem?
 
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