Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 759 Ronald's Ace
"Oh, I see. It's okay, thank you anyway." Ronald hung up the phone.

"Hmm...and...?" Release Manager Michelle Kannold looked at Ronald's face and asked cautiously.

Seeing Ronald nodding, general manager Eddie, distribution assistant Dolly Bernstein and others let out another "hey" in unison.

But they knew that they couldn't complain about the boss Ronald. After half a sentence of "hey", they immediately stopped talking and began to pretend that they didn't care much about this failure.

Ronald had already made three calls in his office, to Ned Tannen at Paramount, Weintraub at MGM, and Joseph Farrow, a vice president at Twentieth Century Fox.

The three of them were very enthusiastic about Ronald, but when they heard about the MPAA rating, they all expressed their helplessness.

The reason they gave is also very simple. MPAA's ratings are handled by its subordinate rating committee. In order to maintain objectivity, member film companies generally do not interfere with the ratings of copies sent by other film companies.

"Ronald, this will take time. Why don't we take two steps. On the one hand, we need to edit some scenes and submit them for review again. On the other hand, we need to find some people who have the right to speak out and speak for you."

Nisita, who has been in the industry the longest, knows that influencing the MPAA ratings agency takes time and very careful detours.Ronald didn't get an immediate response when he called, which is actually very normal.

"Yes, Rick is right. Even if they want to help you, they can't use their company's relationship to help another company's film. I'll make an appointment with their secretary to see if I can take a break. Talk to them somewhere outside the company." Richard immediately agreed, and then went to the next office to start making calls.

"Okay, you can make another appointment with them for me." Ronald nodded.

"Then I'll inform Mr. Murch to deal with the low-scoring shots in the first rating opinion, and see if I can modify a version first." The general manager Eddie said that he would also deal with the re-cutting.

"Then let's contact the MPAA's rating department, talk to them again, and find out if there are any other reasons for some of them being rated as R. The foul paragraphs written on those documents may not be the real reason." Publishing Department The two people also went to their office to contact and submit for review again.

Ronald sat in the chair and didn't speak for a while.He looked neither angry nor depressed, but rather calm.

"However, being calm on the outside does not necessarily mean that there is no frustration in the heart." Nisita was the last person left in Ronald's office. He knew that the young client had been going smoothly, but he encountered a setback of some sort by chance. It is also admirable to be able to not show it on the face.

Ronald was very nice to his subordinates and never spoke to them condescendingly.So the employees have always liked this boss very much. The relationship Ronald found was useless for this rating, so they didn't want to embarrass Ronald, so they all chose to ignore these few calls.

A group of people in the office silently packed up their documents and things, and retreated out without making a sound.When they exited, they tried not to make any noise.As if afraid to disturb Ronald who was meditating behind his desk.

Seeing that his subordinates had left, Nisita came over and held Ronald's shoulders again, "Relax, this is just a temporary retreat. I think you can handle it well."

"Close the door and lock it." Ronald said to Nisita suddenly, and then changed from lying backwards to leaning forward, moving the chair to the desk.Then he took out the key from the briefcase, opened the door of a safe at the bottom of the desk, and found something inside.

"Uh, okay." Nisita felt that he still underestimated Ronald's determination. This guy really didn't take setbacks as a big deal. The relaxed and natural just now, it seems that he is definitely not pretending.

Seeing that the door was closed, Ronald nodded and signaled Nisita to sit down with his eyes. Then he took out a hardcover address book from the drawer, and Ronald began to flip through it. There were no contact information of several people in it.

"I don't want anyone else to know about this contact, so only you are left." Ronald found the phone number he needed and began to pick up the phone to dial.

"Hi, hello, is this Wendy? Hello, I'm Ronald, Ronald Lee, we met when I accompanied Mr. Jack Valentine to the other side of the Pacific Ocean.

Yes, yes, it was the director who filmed breakdancing, and he first met him in Cannes, the country of hair.

Is Mr. Valenti free?I'm going to talk to him about something... Well, thank you, Wendy. "

Ronald wrote down the scheduled meeting time in his notebook. Later tomorrow morning, he went to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to meet their president, Jack Valenti. .

"You know Jack Valentine?" Nisita jumped up from her chair when she heard the name.

"Yeah, I accompanied him to the other side of the Pacific Ocean. He owes me a small favor. I'll go talk to him." Ronald winked at Nisita, "Be careful, keep it secret, this is my trump card .”

……

The headquarters office of the American Film Association (MPAA) in Los Angeles is not far from the Hollywood Walk of Fame, not far from the New World founded by Roger Corman.

Since 1966, Jack Valenti has left his position as an assistant to President Lyndon Johnson and joined Hollywood as the president of this industry self-regulatory organization. This year is No. 20.

During his tenure as president, Valenti did a lot of promotion and beneficial industry development for the MPAA, and was known as the number one salesman in Hollywood.

Jack Valenti's recent goal is to open up other film markets around the world, especially the ancient country on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.Ronald's reputation over there is very good. The delegation formed with Gregory Peck last time was highly praised there.

For such a young director who can represent Hollywood and have a good relationship with the overseas film market, Jack Valenti did not hesitate to come to the gate to greet him in person.

"Hi, Ronald. You're still so vibrant, I always feel old when I see you young."

"Ha, Mr. Valenti, I envy your energy. Last time you visited the Great Wall, you climbed faster than me."

Ronald went up to shake hands and hug Jack Valentine.

The president of the MPAA for 20 years is already 65 years old, and there are no wrinkles on his face.Her hair was already grey, and it was combed meticulously and properly.

Valenti is of Italian descent and has great enthusiasm for everyone. Nisita said to Ronald that if he was not persuaded by the then president of Universal to join the Film Association, his qualifications are more than enough to be a politician.

"This is a photo of the earliest film association. This man is the famous Hayes, the Hayes of the Hayes Code. At that time, the association was also called MPPDA, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association.

After the war, the Association hired Eric Johnson, the former Secretary of Commerce, and began to change its name to the Motion Picture Association (MPAA).This is Secretary Johnson. "

Jack Valenti took Ronald to visit the historical exhibition of MPAA first. Under the explanation of the current president, many old photos have a feeling of witnessing history.

"Ha, this is a photo of me being interviewed by reporters when I took office in 1966. At that time, Hollywood was seized by TV dramas, and many practitioners demanded that the rigid provisions of the Hayes Code be abolished to give creators greater freedom. Let them make the movies they want to make.

We switched to a grading system, giving parents full information disclosure, the movie is rated R, and there are places where it is not suitable for minors to watch alone.Then the PG-13 classification was introduced, so that some less outrageous shots have more space..."

Ronald kept echoing that the first major thing this Mr. President has done since he took office was to untie Hollywood, and the subsequent New Hollywood movement had the possibility of appearing technically.Otherwise Roger Corman's harbinger of the new Hollywood movement, "The Wild Angels" would not have been possible.

There was no such thing as the beginning of the New Hollywood movement that everyone later recognized, the "Easy Rider" that reflected the stories of marginalized hippies, and the "Male and Female Robbers" that used bank robbers during the Great Depression as the protagonists.

"Thanks, Wendy."

After visiting the history of the MPAA, sitting in Jack Valenti's office, and thanking the secretary Wendy who brought coffee, Jack Valenti looked at Ronald and asked with piercing eyes:
"So, Ronald, what are you coming to me for? Are you trying to sell movies across the Pacific? There's a quota of 10 movies a year."

"Haha, no. My film is not suitable for that side. I am here because a new film made by my production company has encountered some problems in the MPAA rating, so I want to ask you for details."

"Heh..." Jack Valenti couldn't help laughing, "I didn't expect that you have already opened your own production company and started making movies yourself. Is it your own investment? What's the name?"

"Dirty Dacing, a romantic comedy about a Jewish girl in the 60s who falls in love with a dancer at a resort."

"For this kind of thing, you should go through the dissenting channel and fill out a form to apply for re-rating." Jack Valenti said so, but he still pressed the intercom, "Wendy, please send Rona German company...Daydream, send the file of Dirty Dancing ratings produced by Daydream to my office."

"What do you want? Ronald. We are old friends. You can tell me that I will help wherever I can. But you want me to change the rating from R to PG-13. .

I am just a manager hired by the MPAA to serve as the president. I am responsible to all practitioners in Hollywood, film producers, distributors, theater owners, and movie audiences across the country.I have to be fair.

I can only tell you where and what modifications to make to maximize your chances of getting the rating you want. "

As soon as Jack Valenti opened his mouth, he was indeed a salesman known as the number one salesman in Hollywood.Everything he said was impeccable, and he made the other party feel good, as if Valenti was on his side and the person who considered him the most.

"Fair, I just want a fair treatment, nothing else." Ronald heard the other party talking about fairness, and quickly answered.

"Oh?" Just at this time, the secretary Wendy sent in the files for Dirty Dancing. Jack Valenti looked at Ronald with confidence, thinking that he was rated R, but he just suffered from unfair treatment. It made me a little suspicious.He took out his reading glasses and began to read the documents carefully.

"You let the daughter of a Jewish surgeon in New York fall in love with a poor Irish dancer... Hahaha." Jack Valenti laughed. He couldn't hold back when he saw the synopsis.

"I think directors and actors in Hollywood always have their own creative freedom, our First Amendment..."

"Stop talking, I just want to see the expressions on the faces of those Jews." Jack Valentine didn't want to hear Ronald, a young man who was about the same age as his grandchild, preach the First Amendment.

"Mr. Valenti, can you look at the graded comments, backside nudity, a small amount of kissing, and some dancing, isn't that very normal PG-13 content in Hollywood? Some major studios, You can even get PG..."

Jack Valenti used his hand to stop Ronald from continuing to talk about the unfairness of the rating, "I will let people watch this movie again." He also felt that the rating of R was a bit too much, it seemed that those Jews were still in MPAA. play tricks.

"This kind of thing, why did you come to tell me. Your distributor should handle it for you. Which distributor did you find? Ambassador Pictures? Or Orion? They are still new in America, I will let People care about it."

"Uh... no, this is a movie released by my daydream."

"What?" Jack Valenti raised his head and stared at Ronald in surprise, and quickly turned the file to the introduction on the first page. Sure enough, none of the seven major companies or any medium-sized company undertook Ronald's distribution business. .

No wonder this young man is coming to complain. The distribution business is very risky. The introduction seems to be a movie for teenagers. It is classified as R-rated. The new entrant Daydream Company may even find a movie theater that is willing to show it. Less than a few.

"Mr. Valenti, I don't want to compare with the seven major distribution films. As you said, the medium-sized distribution companies, such as Orion and Ambassador Pictures, will not suffer such unfair treatment. What I want is also Just a relatively fair treatment."

"Tuk-tuk..." Jack Valenti repeatedly tapped his fingers on the table a few times.

"Ronald, we are good friends. You helped me in Cannes and there, and provided me with good weight in the negotiation of the market opening agreement. So I will be honest with you and share everything The factors that affect the rating of your new film are all laid out on the table."

"Thank you, Mr. Valenti."

"That's right, this year, three medium-sized production and distribution companies have just joined the MPAA and become full members of the Film Association.

They are the Ambassador Films I mentioned earlier, Orion Films, and a De Laurentiis Films.Before they became members, they all encountered strict scrutiny on the ratings, and after three to five years..."

Before Valenti finished speaking, he was interrupted by Ronald. Ronald raised his tone and volume, and accused Valenti loudly:
"What is this? The American Film Association, willing to favor that Neapolitan Dino De Laurentiis, rather than give me a fair treatment for this American company?"

"What happened to Naples?" Jack Valenti's anger towards Ronald was a little unclear. So, did he discriminate against Italians?Nope?When I was chatting with Coppola, he was still admiring Ronald.

"Dino is a villain. He found someone to expose my private life and exposed my ex-girlfriend in the newspaper, which caused a very bad influence. Several of them had boyfriends or were married at the time."

"Oh", Valenti understands the source of the young man's anger, it is a personal grudge, "Ronald, let's not talk about Dino, I just explain the rating process to you, can you listen to me patiently ?"

"Of course, I'm sorry, Mr. Valenti. Please continue." Ronald immediately stopped his anger, and changed into a sincere obedience to the instruction.

"This Ronald, his acting skills are also good." Jack Valenti suddenly felt a sense of sympathy.

“Grading is a very complex process, our experts have written instruction manuals, but the regulations are always behind the boundless imagination of the artist.

A senior judge in California once said, I don't know how to clearly judge that the pictures of those movies are X-rated, but let me see them, and I will know.

Do you understand what I mean? "

"I understand, please continue, Mr. Valenti." Ronald looked very humble.

"For a newly established production company, the rating committee of the MPAA must have a mutual understanding process. After three to five years, the number of films sent by the new company has accumulated to dozens, then we can establish some mutual understanding. trust, we can also put it into the fast lane of ratings, some pictures are for artistic storytelling, not pure sensory stimulation, teaching bad children, you understand?"

"Yes, I know."

"So when rating the first few films of the new company, our committee experts will inevitably be a little stricter, because trust has not yet been established."

"I understand what you said, but I think which rating a movie is suitable for should ultimately be viewed from the audience's point of view. You can also watch these shots, Mr. Valenti, all for plot narrative and emotion Mobilization, we don't have anywhere, is stimulating for the sake of stimulation.

Moreover, at the end of the movie, it is a very positive attitude towards life.Love and life should be decided by oneself, and the consequences of the decision should be borne by oneself.

Can't this kind of movie teach our young audience a little bit?

In conclusion, I think it is very inappropriate for Dirty Dancing to be rated R. "

"Why not?" Jack Valenti wanted to laugh when he heard Ronald's angry look.

"I can point to a similar film, Maximum Overdrive by De Laurentiis, where there's a horrific scene where it's almost like an offense to the audience, and the actor gets razed in the middle of the shoot. Eyes lead to blindness. This kind of violent movie is rated R, can two young men and women dancing, hugging and kissing be compared to this?"

Jack Valentine wanted to stop Ronald. He didn't want to discuss specific cases, but he couldn't hold back Ronald's angry speech, which was like a burst of machine guns.

"And that blue velvet, which was also produced by De Laurentiis, so offended America, no, the common values ​​​​of mankind, and was also rated R? Is the ten-second frontal nudity of kidnapping and rape imprisoning, It’s also the same as the beautiful first love of young men and women, the flashing back naked, and the kissing scene that is just right? What kind of value lessons can you give the audience who watched these two movies?”

"It can be seen that you have a sense of justice, Ronald." Jack Valenti said.

"Eh...", Ronald scolded vigorously, scolding several enemies with personal grievances, and suddenly hearing this sentence, he was a little bit embarrassed.He himself is not an idealist like Henry Fonda, nor is he a defender of the American spirit like John Wayne. In the final analysis, he is not for money.

"Um...yes, I love our country. My grandfather, great-grandfather, died in both world wars in Europe, both fighter pilots, for America and world peace.

So I cherish my current life very much. If I can be lucky enough to have a little success, I must promote the values ​​of self-reliance, self-improvement, and let my grandfather and great-grandfather sacrifice their lives to protect things that are worth their efforts. "

Ronald took the cold coffee and drank it down.It was a bit far-fetched to ask him to bring out his ancestors to endorse himself, and his forehead was sweating.

"Your grandfather died flying a fighter jet on the battlefield of World War II?" Jack Valenti didn't seem to find Ronald's far-fetched, but asked about Ronald's grandfather.

"Ah... oh... yes, my grandfather, James Lee, flew a P47 fighter jet and escorted the bomber fleet that bombed the German-occupied areas in Europe. His last mission was to cover the return of the bombers, and he attracted the Germans alone. The fighter jet was finally lost over the Atlantic Ocean."

Jack Valentine said nothing, and there was a long silence.

He got up and took out a bottle of good whiskey and two glasses from the liquor cabinet.Poured Ronald a glass.

After the two drank whiskey, Jack Valenti said slowly, "I also served in the US Army Aviation during World War II. I flew a B-25 bomber and carried out more than 50 bombings. Task.

I have encountered the situation of your grandfather several times.When I was on a mission, I did have fighter pilots who would risk their lives to help us hold off the goddamn German planes. "

Jack Valenti hadn't talked about the past for a long time. He talked about the adventures and heroic stories of the year, and the two drank a few drinks.

"Mr. Valenti, please help me. I just want to shoot stories that move everyone. I don't have any bad intentions. If there are any reasonable requirements for the rating of such a movie, we can continue to modify it, but we can't destroy the whole movie. The tone and narrative of the movie..."

Seeing the effect of the emotional card, Ronald hurriedly hit the iron.

Jack Valenti raised his hand to prevent Ronald from further discussing the details, "Ask your release manager to revise the version according to the rating opinion, and then send it."

"Mr. Valenti, I want to ask. If we cut out that bare back shot as required by the MPAA, how likely is it to get a PG-13 rating?"

"Some things can be arranged if you trim according to the association's requirements." Jack Valenti was still tight-fisted.

"Then thank you, Mr. Valenti." Ronald hurriedly poured a glass of wine and toasted Jack Valenti.

"I am also for the American audience, to be able to appreciate your new work Ronald."

Jack Valenti took a sip happily, "By the way, look at the introduction, is this the past of JFK?"

"Yes, it's the story when JFK was still in command and was not assassinated. At that time, everyone was full of ideals and hopes for the future. The Apollo moon landing, the Cuban Missile Crisis..."

"Well... as you may not know, I was in Dallas when JFK was assassinated, and I was on Air Force One when Lyndon Johnson was finally inaugurated in the presence of Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy , next to the two of them..."

……

The two chatted about the past again, and Ronald wanted to leave.

"Ronald, we are friends, and friends need to help each other. It just so happens that I need your help with something here."

"What? I will try my best to do what I can."

"Very well, you want to go to the other side of the Pacific Ocean with me."

"Huh?" Ronald didn't expect Jack Valenti to make this request.

"Over there, there are still great doubts about the opening of the film market. They hope to continue to communicate with us and introduce new technical equipment. On the other hand, they hope to ensure their dominance."

Ronald nodded. The ambitions of big and small countries are different, and the other side belongs to the country with the foundation of ambition.

"Specifically, how can I help you?"

"I heard that you have a lighting equipment factory there, exporting equipment to America?"

"Yes, with a machine that simulates the effect of lightning, that kind of long-arc halogen lamp, only they and the Sowell Alliance can produce it."

"If you can go with me as a representative of the American Film Association and equipment manufacturers. Give them a world-class certification, and we will be more proactive in negotiating with them. Always importing equipment from America will bruise Their pride. If there's one piece of equipment we have to import from them, it's a mutual benefit between friends."

Ronald counted the days, so he nodded and agreed, "Yes, but I can't stay for too long."

"Very good, as long as you stay with me and finish the exchange meeting with them, you can leave. It won't take more than a week"

"No problem, I can still go to Xujiahui to meet old friends. It seems that Spielberg is also shooting new films there."

……

"Ronald, the rating committee of the MPAA, took the initiative to call us and asked us to modify a few shots and send them to the second rating as soon as possible."

When I went to work on Monday, the release manager Michel Cannold received a call from the MPAA. He was a little bit disbelieving that there was such a thing. The MPAA offered to provide amendments and urged the second submission of the application.

"Very well, Michelle, you discuss it with Mr. Walter Murch. After he says OK, you can submit it. I'm going to go abroad for a while, please contact my agent if you have anything to do."

“What a mysterious young man.” Release manager Michelle Cannold put down the phone to chat with Dolly Bernstein about the ratings drama.

"I've heard," Dolly Bernstein looked around and quietly lowered her voice to her boss Cannold, "I've heard a rumor that our boss, Ronald, and the White House His first couple are related. His 'Top Gun' was also praised by the Grand Commander."

"So that's the case... no wonder."

The staff of Daydream Films, from the general manager to the clerks below, were all surprised by this weird treatment.This is the case in America. A capable boss is admired by employees, and they feel proud that they have joined a good company with potential.

There are all kinds of rumors about Ronald's background, which tend to spread in the company.

At this time, Ronald had already boarded the plane to the other side of the Pacific Ocean, and together with Jack Valenti came to another continent in order to open up the Hollywood market again.

(End of this chapter)