Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Steve McQueen, a famous Hollywood tough guy star, was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of 1979. Everyone said it was related to his long-term heavy smoking, two packs a day.

McQueen was a strong tough guy, but he was tortured to a emaciated state. For a time, smokers in the entertainment industry were a little scared. Although the cigarette factory also cited the latest research that lung cancer has nothing to do with smoking, no one believes in the ethics of capitalists.

Peter Gubel has taken out the cigarettes, and thought it would be better not to smoke, at least not before the Steve McQueen incident is over.

"What is your reason?"

"Reason? Every American boy is crazy about her." Ronald felt that Gubel was also out of touch with the interests of the lower class. Brooke Shields is the dream lover of all high school boys. Is there any need to ask for a reason?

"And she just finished filming 'Blue Coral Lagoon'. She plays a girl who is stranded on a desert island with a boy because of a shipwreck. The two become husband and wife and have children. I heard that this movie has a lot of nudity. Think about it, which boy doesn'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 a screenwriter." Ronald finally had the opportunity 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 Lagoon is released."

Director Franco Zeffirelli was originally indifferent to the heroine. Shirley Knight was angry. Who told her not to finalize a heroine as soon as possible after rejecting Brooke Shields?

So the casting of the heroine has basically been finalized, and Franco Zeffirelli has already had several candidates for the male lead. Ronald started to shoot commercials again.

The countess of the country of hair, the parachutist, the cheerleader... Nearly 10 commercials were shot one after another, and Darcy Maguire, wearing formal trousers, often came to the set to support. Ronald found that it was more convenient for professional women who often ran business to wear pants than skirts. The so-called women's rights were just a practical need at the beginning.

Spike Lee and photographer Dickinson earned a lot of labor fees. They had some money and flew to Los Angeles to find funds for filming.

Now helping Ronald shoot are Kathryn Bigelow of Columbia University and Persian photographer Amir.

Previously, the president issued an order to expel more than 140 Persian college students with flawed procedures and those studying mechanical, electronic, and nuclear engineering. Art students like Amir survived, and his family's assets on Wall Street did not suffer any losses. Relatives at home are also preparing to go to the United States through a third country.

Ronald and Kathryn Bigelow both sympathized with his innocently expelled Persian compatriots. They felt that the President was venting his anger because of the motherland. It was because the President did not support the Shah of Persia that the Grand Ayatollah had the opportunity to return home.

The Grand Ayatollah offered a condition that as long as the Shah of Persia returned to his country for trial, the hostage crisis could be ended and oil exports could be resumed. However, the President did not want to be branded as unethical, so he sent the Shah, who was being treated in the hospital, to Panama by military aircraft.

Now that he could not handle Persia, he drove away his old friends and vented his anger on innocent students. This was really not something that the President of a superpower could do.

The income from the advertising shoot was considerable. The equipment rental and personnel labor fees given were a small part of the money received. Ronald took the check issued by Director Darcy Maguire, happily deposited it into the Wells Fargo account, and notified the accountant Lawrence.

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

"What? I remember the tax rate was not that high?"

Lawrence began to explain to Ronald that income tax includes two levels, federal and state, as well as corporate income tax and personal income tax, which are all progressive. Ronald's filming company took on 10 series of advertisements in a short period of time, and the income has exceeded the second highest tax rate. That part of the money has to pay a tax rate of more than 50%. Most of the remaining money is also subject to 30-50%.

"Wang Defa, this is too high." Ronald felt a little uncomfortable. Why didn't I feel it before.

"You used to be a low-income class living on subsidies, relying on these taxes." Lawrence said with a smile.

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

"You decide. Apart from these, houses are also a good investment and can resist inflation. Stocks may lose money, bonds cannot beat inflation, but houses can beat inflation and basically will not lose money. That's why Chinese Americans like to buy houses the most." Lawrence said.

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

After asking the real estate agent, Ronald really couldn't buy a good house with this money. The only option is a shared-ownership apartment. All residents in a building form an owner's committee, and water, electricity, gas and security fees are paid together. The property rights of the apartment belong to themselves, and the annual property tax is paid by themselves.

The advantage of shared ownership apartments over traditional apartments is that the owners committee is just a management organization and does not have the power to decide whether to accept new residents. It can just resell and rent the apartments by itself. Of course, the disadvantage is also here. If a large number of black people flood in, housing prices will fall.

Ronald thought about it again and again, but what finally made his decision was Kathryn Bigelow's party. She waited in line for a rent-controlled apartment vacancy in upper Manhattan, passed the inspection by the homeowners committee, and moved into a so-called upscale community.

The predominantly white owners' committee was satisfied with her ethnicity and work, and the people she interacted with were directors and actors in the film industry, so Catherine was accepted.

Ronald quietly inquired about the rent. This traditional apartment was built before 1974. The law stipulates that the rent can only increase by a small amount each year, such as 1-2%.

After the dollar was decoupled from gold, inflation skyrocketed, but rents could not rise. The rent paid by Catherine was now far from the market price, only about half of the surrounding apartments without rent control. It is conceivable that as time goes by, this ratio will become even more exaggerated. .

After learning about this difference in rent, Ronald immediately called an agent and found a house not far from the apartment he rented. In the name of the production company, the small two-bedroom apartment was purchased for Aunt Karen and Donna to live in, while Ronald continued to live in the same place.

Anyway, the two apartments are not far apart, a 10-minute walk. The new apartment is very close to the Academy of Performing Arts and not far from Stuyvesant High School. Although there are expenses for security, management fees and other aspects, it is the best choice after all considerations. Anyway, it is better than half of it being taken away by the IRS.

This tax rate is really killing people. No wonder all industries in America are depressed. Small and medium-sized enterprises don't want to expand at all. It seems that it is very difficult to maintain the current scale. Ronald's thinking has changed from a civilian to a small business owner.

"It would be great if that former Hollywood actor really became the commander-in-chief. At least it would reduce taxes for the film and television industry." Ronald thought viciously.

In his free time, Ronald still practices summarizing old movies. The synopsis he writes gets better and better, and he can almost submit it to a weekly TV magazine as a plot introduction.

In addition, he still maintains the habit of sending letters to major screenwriting agencies every day. Every week he will call several agents to whom he sent letters last week to find out whether he has received his cover letter and whether he is interested in signing it. Get off yourself and wait.

But 99% of the time, Ronald was chatting with his agent's secretary. Chatting with a secretary is a skill. If you make one phone call every day, you will accumulate not only phone bills, but also tons of experience.

The work of these secretaries is very boring. They have to answer the phone, type, and copy in a routine every day, which makes them eager to be recognized for their work.

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

From getting only official answers to now expertly making flirtatious jokes with his secretaries, Ronald has become more like a Hollywood animal.

However, there has been no substantial progress in the agent's affairs, although several secretaries have vowed to help him, quietly putting his resume at the top of the recommendation list, helping to mention his name, etc. But after all, Ronald didn't have any famous screenwriting works, so that was all the secretaries could do.

Maybe things will improve after "Famous" comes out.

"Ring ring ring ring..."

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

"Brooke Shields' mother, Terry, suddenly declined the invitation to audition." Julia said to Ronald, you have to continue taking photos of the audition candidates. "

"What's going on? Why did he refuse?" Ronald recommended Brooke Shields to the CEO of PolyGram Pictures. Refusing to audition meant that he had no familiarity with the big boss.

"Her original words were that this script could not reflect Brooke Shields' acting skills. All her daughter had to do was stand there and look beautiful. It would be detrimental to Brooke Shields' stardom."

"Ha..." Ronald was amused.

"Brooke Shields, can't you just stand there and look beautiful? Acting and stuff like that are just overthinking."

"The real reason may be that the test screening of Blue Coral Reef was well received. Her mother wanted to wait for the price and wait until it is officially released before negotiating a contract. This way she can charge a higher price."

"What about us?"

"Gubel was dissatisfied and instructed us to continue with the casting process. If there was a good candidate, we would kick her out."