Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Gilbert Cates, the chairman of the investigation committee, led the investigation process. He asked many parties involved about the situation at the time, hoping to find an excuse that everyone could accept and end the farce smoothly.

However, on one side, the gay gang believed that they were discriminated against, and on the other side, the old stars who adhered to Hollywood were angry that they ruined Hollywood classics. Both sides were already in a dilemma, and it was not easy to find a suitable scapegoat for both sides to accept.

Ronald did not interfere with the chairman's enthusiasm for investigation. He also had a selfish desire to take over the producer of the next Oscar. So Ronald only showed up at the meeting, browsed Cates's various inquiry reports, and only listened but did not speak.

In this way, the investigation came to a stalemate. Cates kept talking to people every day, but he did not find a reason that both sides could accept, and he was a little exhausted.

Ronald contacted several old Hollywood stars who sent public letters of opposition and listened to their ideas. Prepare to take action when Cates has no play.

If you want to win an Oscar, you have to make friends widely. If you want to overthrow Ovitz's hegemony, you must have enough powerful stars on your side. This is a good opportunity to sell favors.

…

Woo…Gah…

“Mr. Newman, this is really exciting.”

Ronald climbed out of Paul Newman’s car wearing a leather jacket from “Top Gun” and a pilot watch passed down from his ancestors.

Newman is a racing fan. His child with his first wife died suddenly due to drug abuse. After that, Newman’s personality changed drastically. He founded a charity fund and started to hold charity racing competitions to donate money to help young people who have gone astray.

Ronald has a Ferrari himself, but he felt the true strength of a professional racing driver only when he sat in Paul Newman’s Chevrolet racing car. He got up from the co-pilot seat, and he still looked a little uncomfortable. He looked like he had to hold the car window with his left hand to stand firmly.

“Hahaha, you have some talent. Many people will vomit when they get on my car…” Paul Newman is still an old naughty boy and teased Ronald. "Your watch is very nice..."

"Ah, it's my grandfather. He was a fighter pilot in World War II, but unfortunately he crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. I never met him. I only have one of his watches as a relic, which was passed down from my grandmother to my father." Ronald took off his pilot watch and handed it to Newman.

"It's a very old style. You carefully preserved it. It's very precious..." In addition to being a racing fan, Newman is also a watch fan.

"Are you also a watch collector?" Ronald saw that he also had an old watch on his hand.

"My wife Joan gave it to me. I only wear her gifts now..." Paul Newman took off his watch and handed it to Ronald.

A rare Rolex Daytona. Ronald turned it over and saw the words engraved by Newman's wife: "Drive slower..."

"I like you... Ronald. Actually, we just don't want anyone to use the classic image of Hollywood to promote their own views in the future, and they made Snow White too ugly..."

"I understand, Mr. Newman. Let's be frank. Many female stars can't stand the strike of makeup artists and hairstylists. What kind of investigation conclusion can you accept..."

After touching Paul Newman's bottom line, Ronald changed his clothes and went to meet Dane Steele, the president of Columbia, with David Simkins.

"Do you like this movie script?" Dane Steele was very surprised. She put the script on the table and stared at Ronald, as if trying to figure out whether the other party was testing her.

"Yes, my script director David convinced me that if this movie can be in the hands of a capable director, it will have great box office prospects, and film critics will not say bad things about this kind of movie with babies." Ronald was frank.

"I have studied your path to success, Ronald. The screenwriter of this movie is Amy Heckerling. I don't want to make you unhappy because of her, and I have also delayed her production progress and not given her the green light." Dane Steele pressed on the cover of the script called "Look Who's Talking".

Many Hollywood stars have irreconcilable grievances. As the president of a studio, the most important thing is to understand these conflicts from the agent. Otherwise, it is asking for trouble.

It is not uncommon for artists to dislike each other and ruin good productions. Now is not the era when studios can suppress and force stars to cooperate with their enemies.

"Haha, you are thoughtful, Ms. Steele. Amy Heckerling and I don't have any big grudges. As a screenwriter and director, I admire the ability of this colleague. At that time, we were just two young people who had just entered Hollywood, competing for resources..."

Ronald's current status is far beyond the reach of Amy Heckerling. Some of the grudges of the past have been forgotten. The real villain, Tom Mount, has changed from the president of the Seven Majors to an independent producer who can only produce small productions. He is no longer a threat.

Anyway, Simkins approves of this type of film with a wide audience. After the project is established, it will be enough to help his daydream make money.

"Then I'll call her and ask her to thank you in person..." Dane Steele really understands the psychology of powerful men in Hollywood. No one will refuse the feeling of seeing a former competitor prostrating himself in front of him and deciding his fate.

"Amy...long time no see..."

Ronald waited for Amy Heckerling, who had competed with him for the director position. After not seeing each other for a few years, the beautiful director who was once graceful and charming now looked a little dry, but she was still in good spirits.

"Mr. Li..." Heckerling had come with the idea of ​​enduring humiliation and striving for this opportunity, but she didn't expect to be greeted by Ronald's warm embrace.

"We have known each other for a long time, just call me Ronald."

After Amy Heckerling lost the opportunity to replace the role in "Fast and Furious Richmond High School", Tom Mount gave her other opportunities to direct two movies, "Johnny Dangeroly" and "National Lapooion".

These two movies were neither hot nor cold, neither selling well at the box office nor losing money. The critics also gave average reviews. There are too many old movies in Johnny Dangeroly, and probably only the fans of the movie can understand it. National Lapooion is a sequel, and the series was stopped after exhausting its box office potential.

After Tom Mount was kicked out of Universal, Heckerling had no one to take care of her. After weighing the pros and cons, she married director Neil Insel. She soon became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter seven months after marriage.

This script of "Look Who's Talking" is a semi-autobiographical work written by Heckerling based on her anxiety when she was pregnant and was afraid that her child would not have a father.

"So, this script is a collection of problems that many mothers in America will encounter now..." Amy Heckerling talked about her creative ideas for a long time, and the more she talked, the smoother it became. Anyway, she had to explain the creative content to the financial investors. If she met an acquaintance and a capable director, at least the other party could understand...

"Not bad, really good... Which star did you decide to invite to play the leading role?" Ronald flipped the script. Listening to Heckerling's explanation, she really didn't give up her skills during her time as a housewife. It was also a story adapted from her own experience, and many parts could resonate with female audiences.

"I want to invite John Travolta... but his price is too high..." When Heckerling heard Ronald's question, she knew that the other party wanted to let her direct. Restraining her excitement, she said the name of her favorite star, and then glanced at Dane Steele, who refused to give him the green light last year on the pretext that it was too expensive.

"Hmm..." Ronald shook his head in his heart. Heckerling had been away from the Hollywood front line for too long. John Travolta was a popular star when she was active in Hollywood. But since he played in the sequel of Stallone's "Saturday Night Fever", he received countless bad reviews and the audience didn't buy it. He has disappeared in Hollywood for a long time.

Let him play the leading role, it is impossible for the audience to walk into the cinema because of this name.

"Are there other candidates? For example, the heroine?" Ronald asked.

"Kirstie Alley, I have always been optimistic about her acting skills... and she also fits the character of this protagonist..." Amy Heckerling thought Ronald was optimistic about his casting, and immediately began to work hard to promote the heroine she favored. She really looks like herself when she was young.

Ronald raised his hand to stop Heckerling from continuing. His fingers tapped rhythmically on Dane Steele's desk, and then he said, "Travolta's star status is not enough, we need to find a bigger star. Go ask Bruce Willis if he is interested. If not, then we have to choose other male stars, or replace the heroine with a star... If there is a suitable candidate, I will invest in your project..."

"Huh?" Amy Heckerling was stunned. Is she disgusted with her small appetite? How come pie in the sky fell.

"Columbia will also invest the same amount and be responsible for distribution..." Dane Steele immediately followed up. As long as Ronald likes a good movie, she will make additional investments, which is the safest thing.

Amy Heckerling, who was almost in tears of joy, hurried to contact Bruce Willis's agent. Ronald went to watch the horse racing with Gregory Peck again.

"Actually, I've always wanted to act in a western, but they all think I'm more suitable for playing an intellectual..." Peck once owned two racehorses and participated in competitions across California, but unfortunately he didn't win either. However, horse racing has become his lifelong hobby.

"It's a pity that no one is willing to invest in westerns now..." Ronald also expressed regret.

"I have lived my life according to the requirements of a public intellectual, but I am not extreme. I opposed the Vietnam War, but my son went to Vietnam to fight, and I supported his decision. I oppose discrimination against Jews, Chinese, and blacks, but I can't destroy the foundation of Hollywood just because of my own group...

I have been a liberal and supportive of the Donkey Party all my life, but I also have conservative friends like Paris Mayor Jacques.

My bottom line is that Allen Carr must be removed from the Oscars. He can no longer be associated with this award, and the gay gang can't use this kidnapping method to gain support. They don't even dare to speak openly about their demands. They are really a bunch of rats..."

"This can be done..."

Ronald also found out the bottom line of another key figure in the opposition and knew it in his heart. In addition to his personal style, Gregory Peck also served as president and chairman of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

This behavior of wantonly destroying the reputation of the Academy Awards is a great insult to the reputation of the Academy where he once worked, in his opinion.

The two stopped talking about this disappointing event and talked about the past when they went to the other side of the Pacific Ocean together. I was very happy to learn that Yiou, the winner of the Tokyo Film Festival, who I personally presented the award to, later won the West Berlin Golden Bear Award as a director.

"Tell you, Ronald. The people there have the temperament of painters by nature and are also very good at telling stories. They are a group of people who are most suitable for movies..."

"I know you are very popular there. They all love the image of justice you have created. If there is a chance, they will definitely invite you to be the male lead of their movie..."

A round of flattery made Gregory Peck very comfortable. His health is not as good as Paul Newman. It is a great boost to his mental state to have an acquaintance come and talk about some glorious past events.

...

"It is now clear that the stars who signed the open letter have drawn the bottom line. You must disappear from the Oscars, Alan..."

A few days later, when the investigation committee summoned Alan Carr, Ronald bypassed Chairman Katz and directly made conditions for the wilted perpetrator.

"I... I know..." Allen Carr frowned, having long accepted this cruel fact.

"The question is, what method should we use to condemn you..." Kates glanced at Ronald and raised the biggest question. What crime should we accuse him of to satisfy everyone, and then pass on the real reason that cannot be mentioned publicly?

"I think we can blame it on technical reasons... Can you accept it?" Ronald threw out his own plan to condemn Allen Carr technically.

"This..." Allen Carr's face, as pale as death, finally showed a fearful expression. This is more uncomfortable for him than admitting that he stuffed private goods.

If the ratings drop due to technical reasons, the public outrage from many parties is equivalent to sentencing him to death professionally.

He can't even arrange a song and dance performance at the Oscars ceremony, and he will say goodbye to Hollywood in the future. Once this reputation falls on him, who dares to invest in his movies? Who dares to accept his investment?

"Or do you prefer to confess the real reason to the public?" Ronald pressed.

He and David Geffen also discussed that the bottom line of their gay gang was that they could not expose their true intentions to the public this time.

It can be said that this attempt to test the bottom line of public acceptance was hit hard by conservative people. They can forgive Geffen for making his orientation public because he mistakenly thought he had a terminal illness.

But the idea of ​​changing Snow White to a drag queen is really beyond the psychological bottom line of the public. If this continues, do you still want to turn the Little Mermaid into a black person, make Superman like men, and make 007 a woman?

Katz, chairman of the investigation committee, also agreed with Ronald's solution. In the end, everyone forced Allen Carr to accept that reason and let this person who destroyed the classic image get out of Hollywood from now on.

……

“Mr. Katz, the chairman of the investigation committee of the Oscar incident, told our station that the awards ceremony received generally negative reviews, and the reason why he and Hollywood stars jointly opposed it was that the singing and dancing lasted too long.

The twelve-minute song and dance exhausted the enthusiasm of all the audience. Allen Carr, who produced the awards ceremony for the first time, made a mistake that should not have been made…

The Academy Board of Directors said that the next Oscar Awards ceremony will be handed over to Mr. Katz, the chairman of the investigation committee, who is familiar with Hollywood and what kind of awards ceremony the audience needs.

Mr. Katz mentioned to our reporter that he would consult widely and then form a production team with the participation of experts, including directors, stars, and film critics. The first candidate he proposed was Ronald Lee… He believed that during the investigation, Ronald Lee’s understanding of the awards ceremony gave him a lot of inspiration, and his participation in the next gala was indispensable…”

“Very good, very good…”

Michael Ovitz sat in his office and was very satisfied with the way this incident was resolved. Everyone knows the reason, and everyone has carefully avoided the real reason. This reason is acceptable to the audience and people in the industry, and both sides are very satisfied.

The hairstylist and makeup artist union said that they would no longer seek a strike, and the old men who wrote the joint letter also expressed understanding after receiving the guarantee that they would no longer make such sneak attacks. Ovitz pressed the call button, "Please ask Niceta to come to my office..."

"Rick, I have a very good Oscar material project here. Is your client interested in taking it over?"

Ovitz handed over a script from the table. After the awards ceremony, Alan Parker, the director of "Mississippi Burning", and Gene Hackman, the male lead, expressed their attitude of withdrawing from CAA at the same time.

These people don't think about it. They can get the nominations, but they rely on the projects that CAA has arranged for them, the green lights that they have forced the studio to get, and the director and leading roles that they have won against all odds.

Since they don't want to stay in CAA, then they should spit out the projects they originally wanted to shoot and give them to Ronald who is willing to cooperate with them and help them make money.