Why Wasn't Fredo At Don Corleone's Funeral? | The Godfather Explained

In Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather, we follow mobster Don Vito Corleone and later his son Michael Corleone and they lead their crime family. Vito's son Fredo Corleone is sent out to Las Vegas, Nevada to work under Moe Greene and learn the casino business.
In Nevada, Fredo changes, and he is warned by Michael not to take sides against the family. Interestingly, when Vito Corleone dies, Fredo is not at his funeral. So why did Fredo not attend Don Corleone's funeral? Where was Fredo during Vito's funeral? Why was Fredo not at the Don's funeral?
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[@GuyIncognito14]

I can't believe I never noticed that Fredo wasn't at the funeral until now. I've seen the godfather more times than I can count. Never noticed.

[@South_Ga_mafia]

Me neither!!!!

[@mikewhoelse]

How did you not notice this? Omg I didn't either

[@AudieHolland]

It was all about Michael finding out who was the traitor. I must admit I never noticed Fredo missing either. Now here's how I would have changed the graveyard sequence. I would leave everything as it is, with the exception of a single shot somewhere at the start, maybe as the funeral cars drive through the gate, the camera focuses on a single lonely figure. It's Fredo, literally dragging his feet to enter or not enter the graveyard. He feels ashamed, unneeded and thinks, correctly this time, that he will be an embarrassment to the family. In the few seconds we see him, it's clear he will not join the mourning crowd but that he will probably say farewell to his father after everyone else has already left.

[@maratonlegendelenemirei3352]

Despite my seeing Godfather countless times and always being aware of Fredo and his love of all things cocktail related I simply can't believe that I have never noticed that Fredo wasn't at his own fathers funeral???

[@Ar1AnX1x]

it's because Sonny and Fredo have very little screentime in the first movie when I rewatched it I was surprised that Sonny is in a very few short scenes but in my head he was such a big and important and impactful character.

[@Ar1AnX1x]

John Cazale in that "I'm smaht" scene is so good its insane there are very few scenes in Cinema that can match such a high level of acting

[@golden8972]

John Cazale was an INCREDIBLE talent. It's a damn shame that left us so soon.

[@golden8972]

"AND I WANT RESPECT!!"

[@Larrymh07]

@@golden8972 I concur! It would have been a treat to watch him playing other characters. His character in The Deer Hunter is similar to Fredo. It'd be great to see him in a more heroic role.

[@CollaredConsulting]

Not like everybody says!

[@johnkarniol7608]

He was also great in The Deer Hunter. I read that he was going through cancer treatments while filming that movie. He died shortly after the movie was made. I love that movie also. I can’t watch it anymore without feeling sad for John Cazale. RIP John and Marlon. 😢

[@JonZ-oc4ro]

Fredo was a mama's boy. It makes sense that in his despair and embarrassment he turned to Mama Corleone, spoke to her on the phone, cried to her...and she protected him to the best of her ability by telling him that it would be okay for him to stay away from the funeral so that he could mourn in private, without having to face all the other people. I think that she gave him permission not to attend, and that instead, he was in church on that day, in Las Vegas. And then, that night, back in the casino, drowning his sorrows in liquor and women.

[@CollaredConsulting]

Two at a time!

[@johnmorales7057]

This theory is great remember Mike told his men I want nothing to happen to him as long as my mother is alive very well done great theory.!!

[@SC1089]

The theory is garbage. Even if he didn't have what it takes to be at the entombment, he damn sure came home to join the rest of his family in grief. His mother was a tough old lady that would have bitch slapped the shit out of Fredo if he didn't come home

[@DonFelixGallardo]

@@SC1089haha she was tough but I don’t know about bitch slapping Fredo lol

[@SC1089]

@@DonFelixGallardo an old school Sicilian lady, and one of her children does not return home upon the death of their father, her husband? A downright blantant disrespectful and shamful act? Oh my yes, a bitch slap is a comin'! I don't care if it was Fredo, Michael, or Sonny, they would get slapped for a far more rudimentary disrespect. Talk back to her even at the age of 35? Blitch slap! Whine some more after that first one? Blitch slap the other side! This would continue until they shut the f*** up and recognize what failures they have grown up to be for not giving their elder family 100% respect at all times. There is no pass for this! If Fredo was completely absent after the death of his father, Mama Corleone would have done a bitch slappin' on him that would make any pimp blush

[@kenhenderson1762]

We never saw Vito's FUNERAL. Only his BURIAL. In the novel, all Puzo said about the funeral was that the wake was held at Vito's house and the actual funeral service was "massive" and held at a Catholic church. Nothing to advance the plot line was part of the wake or funeral service, so Coppola decided that it wasn't necessary to film those scenes. In the novel there is a conversation at the burial between Tom and Michael about how Barzini will "come after" him and they speculate about who the traitor will be. The suspects are Clemenza, Tessio and Carlo (Michael finds out in a phone call a few days later). In order to save running time, Coppola compressed all of this into the burial scene. Since none of this involved Fredo there was no reason to show him. The assumption is that he was there but knowing his place, stayed in the background.

[@randomlyfactual1943]

This is true, but... I like the idea of Fredo screwing cocktail waitress while his dad is being buried more

[@myrtleborodziuk7163]

They played him up in the Mothers wake but we didn’t see that at the cemetery for his Father and I don’t remember seeing him at all.

[@mikewolverton7904]

Vito died, YES, but whose burial was it? Vito? Fredo? Sonny?

[@ray.shoesmith]

Where I'm from a Christian 'funeral' consists of a Service and an Internment. If you attend one part and not the other one you've still attended the funeral. Semantics, I know. But so is opening your post with a definite statement that isn't actually definitive in any way. Depending where you are from anyway.

[@michaellalli7693]

“Mike, you don’t come to Las Vegas and talk to a man like Moe Greene, like that” and that was about it for Fredo.

[@scavone72]

Never noticed Fredo wasn’t at the funeral.great upload. I’ve heard the book is amazing and i still haven’t read it to my shame. But john cazale was such a great actor his portrayal is iconic.

[@golden8972]

Oh, you've GOT to read the book. It's INCREDIBLE!

[@tomlund4951]

You would not regret reading it. The movie? Excellent. The book is imo even better.

[@golden8972]

@@tomlund4951 TRUE!!

[@emilytrott]

I read it when it first came out, and just reread it a few years ago. It is as good a read now as it was then. It gives much more insight into some of the secondary characters. I also think that they should have used the ending in the movie. You won't want to put it down. :)

[@gregwatson8219]

Connie wasnt there either

[@suzannetufts9858]

I never realized this until this video. Thank you! However, one other reason is that actor John Cazale was very very ill, so much so that doing Godfather II took all his strength and by the time they filmed his "I'm smaht" scene, he couldn't stand, which was why he did his lines sitting down --- making his acting in that scene even more of a tour de force. So maybe he physically could not be there for the production shoot that day and Coppola just had to go with it. All the actors and director/producer had so much affection and respect for Cazale btw as an acting genius, which he obviously was. Gone too soon

[@benneidl9336]

I think he was probably there and we just don’t see him. He’s just out of frame because he’s not vital to what the scene focuses on. It’s highly unlikely that a son wouldn’t turn up at his father’s funeral in such a family-centric clan

[@Realest636]

Yeah that’s what I think.

[@mrmac123]

Out of all your opinions, I think the one of him losing control and emotional is the best guess. Great video! Definitely something I feel people never realized. I've seen the movie dozens of times and never noticed he wasn't there.

[@josephhickman4759]

When in grief... one who truly respects and loved the departed aren't at that time keeping score of who who's list showed up.such is Mike's narcissm.

[@Ar1AnX1x]

"a man that doesn't bang cocktail waitresses two at a time can never be a real man."

[@golden8972]

Hahaha 😆

[@LJay2896]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@chickencharlie1992]

It's the wine, you know it makes him emotional

[@rojhasan548]

That's what he gets for drinking on an empty stomach

[@chickencharlie1992]

I feel like maybe he was so heartbroken that he was off screen crying PAPA!

[@liamardagh4357]

Fredo/John Cazale filmed the funeral scene. He was seated to Connie’s left and outside of the frame. You can see him briefly in the short ten minute film, Behind the scenes of the Godfather (1972) at the 6:33 mark.

[@dinahwhite3929]

that was in the godfather part 2 ring any bells?🤔🤔

[@Greg-re7nj]

Doubt it.

[@danielserene4532]

Actually, being Catholic, and having attended a number of Catholic funerals, there are three parts to a funeral, the actual Mass (funeral itself) at the Church, the grave site service, where the person is buried, and the reception after everything is said and done. So Fredo could have been at the funeral, then sent to the reception hall to make sure that everything is set there for the reception. That way, if he was very emotional he could work it out before all the guests arrive and he could still be doing a small task that is helpful for the family in the meantime.

[@purplepidgin]

To be fair Sonny wasn’t there either😂😂😂

[@sammysam2615]

That's fucked up lmao

[@golden8972]

Omg. You're right.

[@jasonleetaiwan]

We never saw a funeral for Sonny. I guess it was cut.

[@lordrayden3045]

You’re not wrong

[@johnkarniol7608]

I always assumed that Fredo was there just behind the pack. It is odd that You don’t see Fredo yet Tom was sitting directly next to Michael. Thank you for weighing options about something that I never even considered. I’ve probably watched The Godfather over a hundred times and I’ve never considered the subject.

[@jamesalexander5623]

Maybe I'm off base but in my first viewing of Part II, I saw that Fredo was very Ill as a small child and had a dangerous Fever. I always felt that left him .... a little "Slow" for the rest of his life.

[@garyzimmerman122]

I watched a commentary by Francis Ford Coppola of “The Godfather”. On the following KZbin channel: M. B. Archives. Mr. Coppola said he had wanted to film the funeral over two days but was forced to do it in one day. So it seems the exclusion of Fredo was logistical. But keeping with the theme of speculation that you have proposed, I came up with a few reasons for Fredo’s absence. Fredo was on a brothel binge and was unaware because he was not near a phone. Fredo overslept and missed his flight from Las Vegas. Fredo did show up to the airport, but got so drunk at the airport bar while hitting on some showgirls, that he passed out and missed his flight.

[@Rompler_Rocco]

When he heard they were shooting, he tripped over a craft services cart, and laid crying by a pile of oranges.

[@Exar_Kun]

I absolutely love how you have answers to questions I didn’t even know I had!

[@wjatube]

I love this channel. The analysis and different perspectives are very intriguing. Of all the theories, I vote that Fredo was dunce to the family and down in Vegas he was out of sight and out of mind.

[@AlonzoTheArmless]

Great insights! Excellent analysis.

[@SukkaPunch321]

Power move from Greene. Fredo fucked up but he wasn’t a traitor yet. Fredo was weak and needed his parents. You don’t cry for your papa like that after he’s been shot and not love him deeply. An old school Italian family banning him from coming to a funeral? No way. It had to be Greene. The only way it could have been Fredo himself choking to not come is if he felt he had failed his father so bad that he viewed himself as unworthy to come to his funeral.

[@earlpipe9713]

It's the type of power move that holds the type of insult that demands retribution from the family of the Don. While Moe may have thought the Corleone family a lot weaker than it was, it was against his own interests, and out of character for him, to be viewed as someone willing to be intentionally insulting to the mob families he was in business with

[@TheShahofBaltimore]

Good videos as always!!

[@W3althy_Burrito]

Maybe when it says all the dons' sons were there, maybe the director made it that the don doesnt see fredo as a son anymore which is why he was never invited?

[@heyricksander]

Hey CineRanter - I uust wanted to share that I think your youtube channel is great. Thoughtful, funny, insightful.

[@CineRanter]

Thank you!

[@juancervantes4085]

Wow! You are absolutely right and I don't think anyone had ever noticed!

[@sallobo777]

Joseph Stalin intentionally gave the wrong funeral date of Vladimir Lenin to Leon Trotsky. Stalin's power needed to be solidified then, and he saw Trotsky as his number 1 rival. Leon Trotsky not being there at the funeral made Stalin look like the only heir to Lenin. Maybe Micheal wanted everyone to know he was the only game in town and there were no other options. Just like Stalin it was a critical moment in his career.

[@maxhouse2409]

It says that Trotsky had so few friends that no one gave him the correct date for Lenin's funeral.

[@earlpipe9713]

Fredo was no threat to Michael like that, nor did he have any chance of having the capos take up for him as the rightful heir over Michael

[@seanmetro3496]

THE GODFATHER most heartbreaking performance 🎭 💔

[@glennchartrand5411]

It was a pivotal scene, but Fredo's character had nothing to do in the scene other than be there for the sake of continuity. The fact that even fans of the movie failed to notice his absence shows that the Director had no reason to "Write him into it."

[@gilbertgiles]

Vito's wounds are clearly seen on his back and are bleeding as he grasps the hood and grill of his auto and falls to the ground.

[@garyfrombrooklyn]

I like the Michael banning Fredo theory, it would certainly give Fredo the push to back the assassin plot. I don’t think Fredo refused to go of his own accord. In that world, not paying your respects at a funeral of someone of Vito’s stature is shooting yourself in the foot forever. Look at Paul Castellano and his refusing to go to Neil’s funeral…granted Paul was already hated but that was just the last straw. I think it was Michael that banned him or at the very least Moe not allowing him to go or convincing him not to go.

[@josephhickman4759]

Fredo naturally had a bone to pick with Mike being the younger brother and I recall Sonny seemed to be only one who accepted Freddie, warts and all. Connie was a basket case full of neurosis. Colder than mike.

[@plasticweapon]

he wouldn't have banned him from the funeral, not then. that doesn't make any sense.

[@raymondcaylor6292]

In the book Fredo came from Las Vegas to his father's funeral with Lucy Mancini the maid of honor to his sister Connie, mistress of his brother Sonny, and Mother of Sonny's bastard son Vincent. Why he wasn't in the final cut I surmise is because he ended up on the cutting room floor. Remember in the end the director had to get the movie under 3 hours from the final version of 3:38 they furnished to Paramount. That's 43 minutes I bet they had back.

[@susandemetry7158]

If Don Vito was ashamed of Fredo, perhaps he specifically requested Fredo be excluded from the funeral.

[@earlpipe9713]

That would be calling huge attention to a family fracture point rivals could exploit though, something I think neither the Don nor Michael would do. They wouldn't let pride overcome keeping up the best outside appearance needed for the family

[@rojhasan548]

It doesn't sound like Vitos personality. Sure he disapproves of Fredos lifestyle in Vegas, but disowning him is a different case altogether.

[@NadoOfficial]

I love your contents! Keep up the good work!

[@allangow4746]

"Watch your close friends baby, and your enemies can't do you no harm " Robert Johnson, 1937.

[@joseyeastwood]

I never noticed that maybe because it was a sad time in like you said we all were concentrating on Michael trying to figure out who betrayed the family.

[@briannichols4807]

I also don't remember seeing Sonny's widow & kids at the funeral scene , or Carlo sitting behind Connie . It may have been an oversight when filming the scene , unless they were all there , but just weren't focused on by the camera . Because in that scene , it seems like it was mainly focusing on Michael scoping out everyone , particularly Barzini , trying to figure out who the traitor will be who sets him up . As far as Fredo being emotional and messing around with women , well , you can say kinda the same thing about Sonny . In the first film when Vito tells Johnny Fontane " any man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be considered a real man " , he looks back at Sonny , pretty much knowing that he was just with Lucy Mancini . Later on when Michael was the Don , he knew that Tom had a mistress , I don't know if he had one when Vito was Don .

[@drbigmdftnu]

I never noticed either. I'm thinking he was there, but instead of being up front with the men, he was in the back with the aunts.

[@W1se0ldg33zer]

Coppola has been quoted as saying that the funeral scene was shortened by a day in the shooting schedule and had to be rushed. John Cazale simply wasn't available that one day. irl since Fredo was the eldest son, the attention would have gone to him instead of the new Boss Michael. Everyone at the funeral who lived the mob lifestyle would have been trying to pay their respects to Fredo first. In the movie, Fredo was in Vegas at the time of the Don's death.

[@canadianfortrump4057]

In the numerous times I've watched The Godfather I never noticed Fredo's absence. The book probably has a detailed explanation for why he was absent.

[@johnjacobs7928]

Actually in the book, Fredo did attend his father's funeral. He was accompanied with Lucy Mancini.....

[@canadianfortrump4057]

@@johnjacobs7928 In the movie version it was Sonny who had an affair with Mancini.

[@johnjacobs7928]

@@canadianfortrump4057 Hello yes that is correct. Also in the original novel The Godfather, Lucy Mancini had an affair with Sonny. But unlike part 3, no child was born between the two. Fredo never had an affair with Lucy Mancini in the novel, they were just platonic friends.

[@kenhenderson1762]

@@johnjacobs7928 In the book, Fredo ran the hotel side of the operation. Lucy was given a job in the hotel by the Corleones. So Fredo was, in theory, Lucy's boss. It would make sense for Fredo to invite her.

[@johnjacobs7928]

@@kenhenderson1762 Great point! I totally agree with you sir, thank you for your input.

[@automaticmattywhack1470]

I'd like to think that it was the amount of travel time it'd have taken Fredo to get from Vegas to NYC. Not sure how long a cross country train would take, but air travel wasn't like it is today.

[@blackamerican40]

He was attending a private service with Gloria and Phil's 6 kids who mysteriously didn't go to their own father's funeral but Gloria's sister, Dorothy, did have her two roommates, Blanche ad Rose, attend the funeral with her and didn't really know the man at all....on Golden Girls.

[@TheValhalla1989]

It’s a good thing he didn’t. Imagine if Phil leotardo saw him?

[@PR-BEACHBOY]

Why not communicate with FF Coppola and ask the question?

[@SukkaPunch321]

I’m sure cineranter has him on speed dial.

[@PR-BEACHBOY]

@@SukkaPunch321 many of these very successful bloggers do know how to make contact. And I’ve heard Cineranter has FFC as number 1 on his iPhone.

[@goldcanyon340.]

I never noticed this until now!

[@daveowens271]

I wonder if there was a thought that the Corleones should not have the whole family together out in the open.

[@justaloe]

In the book Fredo knew how to fight. He wasn't a chump. I can't even remember if Moe slapped him around in the book perhaps he did.

[@intelligencelimited2708]

He never had the makings of a varsity mourner.

[@eddyhyde2324]

Fredo could've stayed in the one of the limo's, drinking his sorrows away, while the funeral was taking place.

[@breakingnewsonsocialmediat8809]

I have watched this movie like over 100 times and never takes notice Fredo wasn’t in it..

[@SC1089]

There is one undeniable truth: Fredo did come to the funeral. We are not shown "the funeral", we are shown the entombment. This is simply the last part, and is brief. We're talking about an old Sicilian respectful family. No showing his father's funeral would be as bad, maybe even worse, than Fredo betraying Michael in the second movie. Michael is not keeping him away, as the rumbling and gossip going on about Fredo not being their, noticed by the other dons and guests in general, would be a gigantic embarrassment to Michael and the entire family. Michael is not flexing or teaching a lesson, unless he wants to get his entire family to hate him and his mother never to speak to him again. Their mother alone, makes certain that yes, Fredo was there. Fredo was there or he never looked his mother in the eyes again. Period. He was there. Moe Greene keeping him away? Uh...HELL NO! It would make Moe Greene look so disrespectful and ridiculous, no one would ever have dealings with him again. Barzini and Tattalligia would have had Moe Greene killed themselves. Barzini would have had Moe Greene killed and his head delivered to Michael. You don't just keep someone from their father's funeral to show them who is boss. YOU DO NOT NO SHOW OR JUST "BE TOO BUSY" FOR A MAJOR FAMILY MEMBERS FUNERAL, ELSE THE ENTIRE FAMILY AND FRIENDS DISRESPECT AND LOOKS DOWN ON YOU FOREVER! So what happened? Probably yeah, John Cazale was not available. He was't at thr baptism either, which is also something Fredo HAD TO attend. So what in-movie universe explanation be given? My hunch would be that Fredo was at the wake and viewing, and attended the liturgy. But, Fredo was probably very distraught with grief, to the point that he was sick to his stomach. Others would have noticed, and this would be another reason Fredo is viewed as weak and not a leader. Probably noticing how he was handling himself, it was asked that Fredo stay behind and entertain the children, or any other chore, that ensures he's not being disrespectful. People would have seen him enough to know that he was there and paid his respects, without actually going to the cemetary. Considering that the wake, viewing, and liturgy, are the most important parts, skipping the entombment would be OK. It would have been understood if Fredo skipped the entombment altogether because of his grief. The entombment is the only part we see

[@urkersen5246]

In the novel, Moe Greene had allready been murdered at the time of the Dons funeral and was not shot along with the heads of the five families on the same day.

[@Guitcad1]

Here's one I've wondered about. As punishment for betraying Michael by agreeing to testify against him, Frank Pentangeli is made to commit suicide. However, we never see what happened to Willi Cicci, Pentangeli's button man who actually 𝙙𝙞𝙙 testify against Michael. Surely, he wasn't allowed just to walk away. Is there any suggestion in any of the movies as to his fate? If there's anything said about him in the third movie, I don't remember and I'm not watching that train wreck again, but I know Joe Spinel, the actor who played Cicci, died a few months before filming began on Part III.

[@danielshea8562]

Having seen that aptly described train wreck myself the character of Joey Zsa Zsa played by Joe Mantegna was Willi Cicci's replacement in the family implying his likely fate.

[@Guitcad1]

@@danielshea8562 There's a break of, like, 20 years between Part II and Part III. Willi Cicci could have died of prostate cancer. (Very un-mafia, but possible.) Joey Zsa Zsa: It's rare that I see a movie and I'm like "Why couldn't this guy die before the movie started?"

[@danielshea8562]

Actually he fell in the shower and bled out due to hemophilia. More mafia like than prostate cancer. May even argue VERY mafia like.

[@kentvesser9484]

Maybe the Don left instructions that he didn't want Fredo at the funeral. It is implied that Vito was unhappy about the rumors coming back to NY from Vegas regarding Fredo's behavior. Maybe he didn't want the potential embarrassment of Fredo being at the funeral knowing it was just as likely that Fredo was using the funeral to bring along one his bimbos for a week in New York where he might make a scene at some restaurant and embarrass the family during the week of the funeral. It could be that if not for Michael, Fredo would have been frozen out by Vito with a very slim chance of getting back in with the family business.

[@JDF1]

... Fredo is allowed to the mother's service because she was a civilian... Not allowed at the Don's service was a sign of his status within the family and an outward sign for those watching looking for access to the inner sanctum of the family...🇮🇹😎

[@DistantLights]

I just assumed he was there but the camera didn't focus on him because he wasn't a decisionmaker

[@hugosophy]

Fredo was most certainly there, except he left early which happened to piss Michael off and lead him to suspect all his corrupted schemes

[@thomaspiccirillo2864]

He was running a Mickey Mouse nite club

[@chasemaedgen8474]

I think a good explanation is Fredo was there but was off hiding in the back somewhere due to him being an emotional wreck and possibly drunk. Though he was probably smart enough to know he needed to not be seen in that condition by the other families 💁🏻‍♂️

[@davidpitchford6510]

Never noticed this but he has to be there even if not theatrically shown -- otherwise it would be too big a story element. Dramatically, he is not important so hardly anyone notices his absence.

[@earlpipe9713]

Yes, also it would've definitely been mentioned in the sequel

[@jerry85g7]

I always figured Fredo was there just not in sight.

[@rekonzuken1]

that scene where michael and his wife walking together with some old women following close behind makes me wanna go to italy and become a mafia

[@darrelldadams]

It could be similar to how Tom was "Out" as Consiglieri . Not being involved in the planning meant that Michael would have one less suspect regarding any betrayal. it would also give Mike a chance to monitor Tom's phone calls to see if he might have seen betrayal as the smarter move. Later on, after the hit at mike's home, Tom being out of the loop meant that he was the only one that Mike could truly trust to protect his family. Especially if Mike had been spying on Tom the whole time... One can easily imagine, at the funeral, both Tessio AND Fredo fawning over Barzini. If such a thing were to happen, the safest course of action would be to kill both of them. Maybe Mike wasn't ready for fratricide, at the particular point.

[@bigstupidgrin]

Maybe he was embarrassed about freezing up at the shooting?

[@glennmellaerts1831]

But that was 10 years ago at the time of vito's death right?

[@paulypooper2]

Never realized it until now

[@GaryRPeters]

I always assumed he was there, but just wasn't important to the scene. Never occurred to me to ask.

[@printer5518]

I think it’s just that the Director only had so much time to tell the story and as you said every scene was important, so I think they left it to us just to assume that Fredo was there because the importance of that scene was that Michael was trying to figure out who the trader in the family was.

[@sharonhodnett5959]

Truly I never noticed

[@cannagli]

Also after the death of two Dons (Vito and Sonny) Michael might have thought they'd try to kill the remaining two Corleone men if at the same Funeral. So Michael not having Fredo there was more a bloonline precaution measure. At least one of them would still be alive if the funeral got violent.

[@thatguynipz7454]

He was bangin cocktail waitresses!!!

[@nickpelz4373]

Maybe he went deer 🦌 hunting in a small Pennsylvania town with some Russian steelworkers just back from Vietnam lol

[@rxtsec1]

I think Fredo was there but it wasn't important for us to notice either way at that point. Micheal wouldn't have let him not be there. In part 2 he wouldn't care after his betrayal knowing he was gonna kill him

[@jasonleetaiwan]

Coppola forgot to include him in the scene maybe. Just forgot about him. He was sent to Vegas and didn’t make the flight back to New York.

[@franticSlothAdventures]

wasn't there a funeral scene, not at the grave site but at the house where Michael hugs Frado after Connie intervenes?

[@maxpiemuse9584]

I would just assume Fredo felt responsible for Vitos death and was ashamed to be at the funeral where he thought everyone would be blaming him.

[@larryg6865]

In the novel Fredo is one of the pallbearers at his father’s burial.

[@jackbits6397]

What if it was a matter of practicality. The funeral was in NY as were most of the attendees. Maybe by the time Fredo found out his father had died and could get a flight back to NY it was too late?

[@lastpme]

I think it was a scheduling conflict and the actor who played him was not available. Fredo’s role in the movie was so small so it would make sense he wasn’t on set for the making of the entire film. It is interesting most people don’t realize he is not sitting next to Michael.

[@geronimo8159]

Hmmm, OK, but did Vito really think that sending someone who has proven himself to be incompetent to *Las Vegas* would actually work out 😂?

[@sepultura7771]

He was just going out there to learn the casino business tho, he didn’t have to be hardcore, intimidating or calculating to pull that off I think Moe Greene just turned him into a lackey

[@toddkurzbard]

He was too busy trying to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mt. Doom.

[@ArcherSuh4721]

This maskes me wish there was a scene in which Tom Hagen experiences a Cheech & Chong-esque "Fredo's Not Here" routine with two drunken hotel waitresses over the phone as the consigliere is just trying to tell him what plane to catch. Then he just tells the two to tell Fredi to stay home, hangs up and has the same laugh after catching Sonny at Connie's wedding.

[@keyhimself3542]

Next Video: Why CineRanter Never Did a Collab With A Man's World Podcast

[@d0nKsTaH]

Wasn't Fredo taking the ring to Mordor to destroy it?

[@juancervantes4085]

I guess what happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas! Although Fredo was learning the Casino business from Moe Green it was the Molinari Family on the West Coast that guaranteed his safety.

[@rikers263]

Cray, never noticed he was absent

[@10.6.12.]

Didn't notice F was absent from the funeral. I just didn't miss him ...

[@TheaterPup]

Actually if you watch the behind the scenes he is there. Maybe the final shot just cut him off unintentionally.

[@donaldmcauliffe3120]

He could deal with himself he felt what happened to his father was his fault he not a man By going away from the family helped him come unto his own But Michael was in las Vegas he when against his family Michael did like that

[@dougfraser77]

Like Season 3 of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry returns home from a trip to learn his mother died and was buried and nobody told him.

[@garyhall7867]

There is mention of Fredo going to Vegas in the movie. When Vito gets home from the hospital, he says "I'm going to learn the casino business, pop Edit: in fact, the still at 4:13 of the video is when he was saying it

[@CollaredConsulting]

Answer: he got the date wrong in his calendar

[@ciaranbrk]

He was likely in vegas or being kept from the funeral because if there was an assassination attempt fredo would be the last one to step in for the Corleones. Two of them together could have been assassinated by Bazini.

[@oolooo]

Not like Vito would have given a shit about Alfredo not being there , he cared less about him than he did about Constanza , who was bottom tier among his children .

[@mem1701movies]

Who was the woman’s reflection in the funeral scene?

[@victorrivera6012]

My take? Technically Fredo on paper is underboss. Vito vowed he would nor break the truce but now that he's dead was there still a truce? Also Michael knew a traitor was in the mix - he couldn't tell who. He would have been devastated if Fredo would have relayed the message to him person that Barzini wanted to set up a meeting.

[@peterwall583]

In the book Freedom went to the funeral when he went with Lucy coming from Nevada

[@fredmoore447]

I`ve asked this question about 3 years ago and could not get an answer because no one really noticed that he wan`t there. I really thing he was written out if the scene because he wasn`t available for the shoot !

[@WestSideGorilla1980]

What did you think of magic city? The Miami 1950s mob show it was about a outfit owned hotel.

[@theunknowns44]

Fredo was a non-entity by Vito's funeral. He was essentially disowned by Michael, as having next to no value to the family. Consequently, the viewers didn't give Fredo a second thought; not even noticing that he wasn't there. However, Fredo had to be present at his mother's funeral, because Michael says in the movie that as long as his mother is alive, not a hair on Fredo's head will be touched. Fredo could not be taken out while his mother was living; she would be heart-broken by such an event. So when she died, we needed to see Fredo at her funeral, as a clear indication that now, Fredo will soon be a goner too.

[@ZippyDChimp-mr1tf]

Fredo had to be there. It was probably a problem with shooting schedule, though it could've been easily fixed with a short glimpse of him sitting there from time to time that would've been shot at a different time. It just goes to show that these short cuts weren't needed since most people have never even noticed that he wasn't in the scene.