Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 135 Buying a House

The famous tough guy star in Hollywood, Steve McQueen (Steve McQueen) was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of 1979. Everyone said that it was related to his heavy smoking all year round. The amount of two packs a day.

McQueen is a strong tough guy, tortured to death.For a while, people who smoked in the entertainment industry were a little scared.Although the cigarette factory still cites the latest research, lung cancer has nothing to do with smoking, but no one believes in the integrity of capitalists.

Peter Guber had already pulled out his cigarette, and thought it best not to smoke, at least until the matter of Steve McQueen was over.

"What's your reason?"

"Reason? Every boy in America is crazy about her." Ronald felt that Guber was also out of the fun of the lower class. Brooke Shields is the dream girl of all high school boys. Is there any reason for that?

"And she just finished 'Blue Lagoon,' where she played a young girl who was stranded on a deserted island with a boy because of a shipwreck, and they got married and had kids. Lots of nudity, think what boy wouldn't want to be stranded on a desert island alone with Brooke Shields?"

"What's your name?"

"Ronald Lee, I'm also an advertising director and screenwriter." Ronald finally had a chance to introduce himself, and hurriedly handed over his business card.

"I remember your name, Ronald." Then Peter Guber called everyone, "Contact Brooke Shields' mother Terry as soon as possible, we must finalize the contract before Blue Coral Reef is released."

Director Franco Zeffirelli had nothing to do with the heroine.Shirley Knight had a look of grief and indignation. Who told her not to finalize a heroine as soon as possible after rejecting Brooke Shields?
In this way, the casting of the heroine has basically been finalized, and the actor Franco Zeffirelli also has several candidates.Ronald was busy shooting commercials again.

The countess of the hair country, the skydiver, the girls of the cheerleading team... have filmed nearly 10 commercials one after another, and Darcy Maguire, who is wearing formal trousers, often comes to the set to hold the lineup.Ronald found that for professional women who often run business, it is really more convenient to wear pants than skirts.The so-called feminism was originally a practical need.

Spike Lee and cinematographer Dickinson made a lot of money for their labor.With some money, they flew to Los Angeles to find funding for a movie.

Now helping Ronald to shoot is Catherine Bigelow of Columbia University and Persian photographer Amir.

Before the Grand Commander issued an order to expel more than 140 Persian college students who had flawed procedures and studied mechanical, electronic, and nuclear engineering.Art students like Amir survived the disaster, and his family's assets on Wall Street did not suffer any losses. Relatives in the family were also planning to detour back to the United States through a third country.

Both Ronald and Catherine Bigelow sympathized with his Persian compatriots who were innocently deported. Because of their home country, the overseas students were affected, and they felt that the commander-in-chief was a little venting his anger.At the beginning, it was the Grand Commander who did not support the Persian Shah, which gave the Grand Ayatollah the opportunity to return to China.

The Grand Ayatollah made a condition that as long as the Shah of Persia is allowed to return to China for trial, the hostage crisis can be ended and oil exports can resume.But the commander-in-chief didn't want to bear the reputation of being immoral, so he sent the Shah, who was being treated in the hospital, to Panama by military plane.

Now that Persia can't be dealt with, driving away old friends and venting anger on innocent students is a bit unlike what a leader of a superpower can do.

The income from advertising shooting is considerable.The equipment rental and personnel service fees given are a small part compared to the money received.Ronald took a check from Director Darcy Maguire, happily credited it at Wells Fargo, and notified Lawrence, the accountant.

"You have to invest the money again, otherwise your federal income tax and state income tax will eat up half of your income when tax season comes." Lawrence, an accountant, reminded Ronald.

"What? I don't remember the tax rate being so high?"

Lawrence began to explain to Ronald that income tax includes both federal and state levels, as well as corporate income tax and personal income tax, all of which are progressive.Ronald's filming company took over 10 series of advertisements in a short period of time, and the income has already exceeded the next highest tax rate, and that part of the money has to pay a tax rate of more than 50%.For most of the rest, 30-50% also applies.

"Wade, this is too high." Ronald felt a little uncomfortable, which I didn't feel before.

"In the past, you were a low-income class receiving subsidies, and you relied on these taxes." Lawrence said with a smile.

"Okay, what should I invest in? Stocks? Bonds?"

"You decide for yourself. Apart from these, houses are also a good investment and can resist inflation. Stocks may lose money, bonds can't beat inflation, and houses can beat inflation, but basically they won't lose money. That's why Chinese people like to buy houses the most. ’ said Lawrence.

"You're right, you should buy a house." Ronald thought of his aunt and Donna, and they should also have a place to live in Manhattan.Renting a house is not bad, but you still have to buy a house if you can afford it.

I found a real estate agent and asked, Ronald really can't buy a good house with this little money.The only option is a condominium.All the residents in a building form an owners' committee, pay for water, electricity, gas and security together, own the property rights of the apartment, and pay the annual property tax by themselves.

The advantage of co-ownership apartments over traditional apartments is that the owners' committee is only a management organization and has no power to decide whether to accept new residents. It can be resold and rented out by itself.Of course, the downside is also here. If a large number of blacks flood in, the housing prices will drop.

Ronald considered it over and over again, and finally it was Catherine Bigelow's party that made him make up his mind.She waited in line for a vacancy in a rent-regulated apartment in upper Manhattan, passed the homeowners' committee inspection, and moved into a so-called upscale neighborhood.

The owner committee, which is dominated by white people, is very satisfied with her ethnicity and work, and the people who come and go are also directors and actors in the film industry. Catherine was accepted.

Ronald quietly inquired about the rent. This traditional apartment was built before 1974. According to the law, the annual rent can only be increased by a small margin, such as 1-2%.

After the decoupling of the U.S. dollar from gold, inflation has skyrocketed, but the rent cannot be increased. The rent paid by Catherine is far away from the market price, and it is only about half of the surrounding apartments without rent control. It is conceivable that this ratio will become more exaggerated as time goes by. .

After learning about the difference in rent, Ronald immediately contacted an intermediary and found a house not far from the apartment he was renting.In the name of the production company, this small two-bedroom apartment was bought, and Aunt Karen and Donna lived in it later, while Ronald continued to live in the old place.

Anyway, the two apartments are not far away, a 10-minute walk away.The new apartment is very close to the Academy of Performing Arts, and not far from Stuyvesant High School. Although there are expenses in various aspects such as security and management fees, it is the best choice after comprehensive consideration. Anyway, it is better than IRS taking half of it.

This tax rate is really life-threatening. No wonder the industry in America is in depression. Small and medium-sized enterprises do not want to expand at all, and it seems very difficult to maintain the current scale.Ronald's thinking has changed from a commoner to a small business owner.

"It would be nice if that former Hollywood actor really became the leader, at least he would give tax cuts to the film and television industry." Ronald thought viciously.

In his free time, Ronald still kept practicing writing outlines for old movies.His synopsis got better and better, and he could almost submit it to a weekly TV magazine as a plot introduction.

In addition, he still maintains the habit of sending letters to major screenwriter agency companies every day, and every week he will call several agents who sent him last week to inquire whether he has received his self-recommendation letter and whether he is interested in signing Get yourself down and so on.

But 99 percent of the time, Ronald was talking to his agent's secretary.Chatting with the secretary is a skill. After making a call every day, in addition to the phone bill, there are tons of experience accumulated.

The work of these secretaries is very boring. They answer the phone, type, and make copies every day, which makes them eager to be recognized for their work.

Ronald became familiar with the phone calls, and gradually discovered that there were real people with emotions and desires behind the phone, so he began to learn to joke with them, cared about their work, and gradually made friends with some secretaries.

From getting only official answers at first, to now expertly cracking flirtatious jokes with secretaries, Ronald has become more of a Hollywood animal.

However, there has been no substantial progress in the matter of the agent, although several secretaries have vowed to help him, quietly put his resume at the top of the recommendation list, and helped to mention his name and so on.But after all, Ronald doesn't have any famous screenwriting works, and the secretaries can only do this.

Maybe it will improve after "Fame" is released.

"Ring ring ring ring..."

The phone rang again that day, and it was Julia Taylor who asked him to go to the casting studio, and something happened to the casting of "Endless Love".

"Boji Shields' mother, Terry, suddenly rejected the invitation to audition." Julia said to Ronald, and you have to continue to take pictures of the audition candidates. "

"What's going on? Why did he refuse?" Ronald recommended Brooke Shields to the CEO of Polygram Films. The refusal of the audition meant that he didn't have much familiarity with the boss.

"Her original words were that this script cannot reflect Brooke Shields' acting skills. Her daughter just needs to stand there and perform beautifully. It is not good for Brooke Shields' star development."

"Ha..." Ronald was amused.

"Boji Shields, don't you just stand there and act beautifully? It's purely overthinking about acting skills."

"The real reason may be that the test screening of Blue Coral Lagoon received a good response, and her mother wanted to buy it for a price, and negotiate a contract after the official release, so that she could ask for a higher price."

"Then us?"

"Gubel was dissatisfied and instructed us to continue casting. If there is a good candidate, we will kick her."

(End of this chapter)