Tom Hagen
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| Tom Hagen | |
|---|---|
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| Born | November 30, 1916 New York, USA |
| Died | 1964 Florida Swamp per Godfather's Revenge, USA |
Thomas "Tom" Hagen (November 30, 1916-1972) is a fictional character in the Godfather books and films. He was portrayed by Robert Duvall in the films. He is the informally adopted son of Don Vito Corleone.
Hagen is based on real-life mobster Frank DeSimone.
[edit] Biography
Tom Hagen was found, homeless, at age ten by Sonny Corleone, a boy who took him home and persuaded his father to take him into the family. Although the Don never formally adopted him, thinking that this would have been an act of disrespect to Hagen's parents, Hagen thought of Vito Corleone as his true father.
After graduating from law school, Hagen offered to work for Corleone as though he were one of the Don's own sons. His German-Irish ancestry precluded his formal membership in the Mafia, which did not accept non-Italians, but after the death of Genco Abbandando, Hagen acted as consigliere to Don Corleone, the first non-Italian to achieve that important position.
In 1945, shortly after Connie Corleone's wedding, Hagen was dispatched by Vito Corleone to Hollywood in order to convince Jack Woltz, a big-time movie studio head, to give singer/actor Johnny Fontane (Vito's godson) the lead role in his new war film. When Woltz discovered who exactly Hagen worked for, he invited him over to his palatial estate for dinner, and showed him his prized horse, Khartoum. During the dinner, when Hagen again demanded that Woltz give Fontane the role, Woltz erupted at him and revealed that Johnny would never get the career-making role because of his ruination of one of Woltz's brightest up-and-coming female stars. Later on that night, men stole into Woltz's stables and decapitated Khartoum, then proceeded to place the horse's severed head and a large amount of its blood in Woltz's bed. Shortly afterwards, Johnny was given the role by Woltz.
While he loved all the Corleones, Hagen always idolized Sonny, and when Sonny was murdered, Hagen blamed himself. After becoming the new head of the family, Michael Corleone removed him as consigliere, restricting him to handling the Family's legal business in Nevada, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Hagen grudgingly accepted this decision and remained loyal.
After an attempt on the life of Michael in The Godfather, Part II, Hagen (whom Michael felt was the only one both intelligent and trustworthy enough) took over as Don whilst Michael tried to find out who in his organization had betrayed him and aided the assassins. Hagen was instrumental in both securing the friendship of powerful Senator Pat Geary and defending Michael during the Senate hearings on the Mafia. After the fall of Cuba to the communists and the killing of Fredo Corleone, Hagen retook a more active role in the Corleone family. In the novel The Godfather Returns, Hagen was instrumental in the election of fictional President Jimmy Shea and the death of Chicago boss Russo.
The fall of Cuba forced Michael to abandon his dream of becoming a legitimate businessman and retake his place as the Don of the Corleone family. As a result, Hagen was given back his old position as consigliere for the family.
According to The Godfather, Part III, Hagen died sometime around 1972. Duvall had been unable to reach agreement with the film's producers on financial terms for him to reprise the character. Francis Ford Coppola has stated that Part III was originally planned to have the eventual split between Michael and Tom as its central plot. Exactly what led to his breaking off from the Corleone family is unknown, but Coppola has mentioned, for what was supposed to be the plot for Part II, that Hagen had an affair with Sonny's widow, causing some friction between him and Michael, who felt it looked bad for the public image.
Hagen and his wife Theresa had four children: Frank, Andrew, and two daughters. Andrew becomes a priest in The Godfather Part III.
[edit] Family
- Vito Corleone — Unofficial adoptive father; played by Marlon Brando
- Carmella Corleone — Unofficial adoptive mother; played by Morgana King
- Teresa Hagen — wife
- Andrew Hagen — Older Son; played by John Savage as an adult in Part III.
- Frank Hagen — Younger Son
