Jack Woltz

Jack Woltz
John Marley portraying Jack Woltz
First appearance	The Godfather
Last appearance	The Godfather
Created by	Mario Puzo
Portrayed by	John Marley
Information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Film producer
Children	Chris Woltz

Jack Woltz is a fictional character from the Mario Puzo novel The Godfather and the 1972 film adaptation. In the film he is portrayed by John Marley.

Woltz is a film producer who refuses to cast famous singer/actor Johnny Fontane in a war film that could revive Fontane's flagging career. Fontane asks his godfather, Vito Corleone of the Corleone crime family, to pressure Woltz into giving him the part. Corleone sends his consigliere, Tom Hagen, to Hollywood to "reason" with Woltz.

Hagen offers Woltz a benefactor's help with his upcoming union trouble in return for casting Fontane. Woltz, furious, shouts anti-Italian slurs at Hagen and refuses to bargain. Later, after learning Hagen represents Corleone, Woltz is more receptive, even inviting Hagen to his palatial estate. He still refuses to cast Fontane, explaining that Fontane ran off with one of his young female star-in-the-making (with whom Woltz had been having an affair) and says he made him appear ridiculous. Hagen gives a veiled warning in response, which Woltz ignores.

The following morning, Woltz awakens to find the head of his prized thoroughbred horse, Khartoum, in his bed and screams in horror. Realizing the risk, he relents and casts Fontane in his movie.

In deleted footage included in The Godfather Trilogy; before Hagen and Jack Woltz start talking, Woltz holds a birthday party for a young actress named Janie, and presents her with a pony as a gift. Present at the gathering are the girl's mother and several others involved with her current film. After Woltz kicks Tom out after dinner, he walks to the exit, looks up, and sees Janie, crying at the top of the staircase, being retrieved by her mother; the implication is that Woltz raped her. Another additional footage of Tom, Sonny and Vito discussing the Woltz situation before the horse head scene. Vito asks if Woltz is "so tough," to which Tom responds, "You mean is he a Sicilian? Forget about it." Vito then asks if the story between Woltz and Janie is true, and calls Woltz’s pedophilia an "infamia." Vito tells Tom to summon Luca Brasi to "see if we can find a way to reason with this Mr. Jack Woltz."