Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Want to know what's between me and Calvin? Nothing (Nothg)"

The CK jeans advertisement of Brooke Shields appeared on TV. Ronald shot a series of this advertisement, but only this one was played repeatedly by the TV station.

"I heard that she is the most popular young girl in America now?" Menahan Golan raised his thick finger and pointed at Brooke Shields on TV and asked.

"Yes, her Blue Coral Lagoon is very popular. I heard that she is now starring in a new movie "Endless Love." Yoram replied.

"We also want to invite her to film. She looks very classical, and our Cannon can make her an Oscar winner."

Ronald used the excuse that he was not hungry and did not touch the fast food with the pagoda pattern, which was eaten by Menahan and Yoram.

When the two Israelis first saw the slogan, they laughed loudly. It seems that even foreigners have no problem understanding the hint of this slogan.

It makes sense. Menahan also arranged for the beautiful heroine to sing a song called "I'g" in the failed blockbuster "Apple". It can be seen that no matter what foreign language you learn, the first thing you learn is dirty words and that kind of words.

Ronald didn't want to let others know that he shot this vulgar advertisement, so he didn't say anything. The TV station picked this one out and played it repeatedly. It seems that Brooke Shields and her daughter will be under great pressure.

...

"Want to know what's going on between me and Calvin? Nothing (Nothg)"

Michael Eisner, president of Paramount Studios, was also talking about this advertisement.

"People in the distribution department are reluctant to go to the cinema to promote this CK jeans advertisement. They use the excuse that there is no precedent for inserting advertisements before the movie is played, but in fact they are just unwilling to accept changes and have no motivation."

Michael Eisner, president of Paramount Production, sat opposite a bald head with a bigger head and thicker neck than him at his desk and reported to him.

"Michael, we know each other. To be honest, do you think it's a good idea to play advertisements before the movie starts in the cinema?"

The speaker is Barry Diller, chairman and CEO of Paramount. Diller is Eisner's old superior. After he jumped from ABC to take over Paramount in 1974, he also poached Eisner and arranged him to be the president of the studio, and he is his right-hand man who reports directly to him.

In recent years, Diller has focused on producing TV series for TV stations, and he has gradually handed over film affairs to this subordinate who had outstanding performance at ABC but had a rough style. .

This style tends to get worse at Paramount. Recently, many people from the film production department and external investors of the film have complained to him and stated many of Eisner's arrogant actions.

Barry Diller knew that Eisner offended many old stubborn people and partners when he promoted the strategy he formulated. In fact, he was very satisfied with Eisner's ability to promote it, but things were a little beyond control, and he needed to remind him in person.

"I think there is no essential difference between movies and TV. TV stars can naturally make movies. And there is no problem with the advertisements on TV programs being played in theaters." Eisner talked freely. This is the film and television integration strategy promoted by his boss Diller, and he must keep up with it.

"I heard that you want to fire Marion Dorothy, the vice president of casting at the studio?" Barry Diller suddenly mentioned a personnel arrangement.

"Marion, she always makes trouble for me." Others may rarely see Eisner's complaining side. Only in front of this boss and mentor, he still retains some of his former frankness.

"I actually like Marion Dorothy's casting. She is the first woman to add the title of independent casting director in the subtitles. In the previous year's "Grease" and last year's "City Cowboy", she personally discovered John Travolta. "Eisner first praised her.

"But she is an old stubborn, unwilling to implement the strategy of film and television integration, always opposed to TV actors participating in movies, and still belongs to

I have no opinion on her personally, but we poached her from the New York Casting Studio that year, not to let her be a casting director, but to be the vice president in charge of casting. This is blatantly against the established strategy, I have no choice but to let her go. "

Eisner explained his motivation for firing Marion Dorothy as being against the company's strategy. He knew that this was Barry Diller's bottom line, and his boss always valued the TV business over the movie business.

"And Robert Stewart, he also came to complain to me, saying that you didn't like Andy Gibb, the protagonist he chose for the Grease sequel."

Barry Diller nodded again.

"Come on, Andy Gibb can't act at all..."

"I don't mean to blame you." Barry Diller stopped Eisner's explanation, "We are old acquaintances, Michael, you did a good job. "

Returning to his studio president's office, Eisner was in high spirits and easily defeated the rumors about him from Barry Diller's side. He whistled and practiced golf putting on the artificial turf in the office.

"Snap", another putt into the hole. Eisner hummed a song, walked forward, bent down and took out the golf ball from the hole.

When bending down, blood flows to the brain. Eisner looked down at all the furnishings in the office, which were all turned upside down, with the desk on top and the chandelier on the bottom.

Suddenly, a doubt arose in his heart. Eisner put down the putter and sat back in his chair to think about it.

"Why did Barry Diller specifically mention Marion Dorothy and Robert Stewart?" Eisner touched his chin.

"Did my opponents in the studio system hear that I was going to fire Marion?" Since taking office, I have adopted a strategy of splitting and attacking, never letting the person who opposes the most fiercely have the most supporters.

However, Marion Dorothy, the vice president in charge of casting, is the leader of many Oscar-winning actors and has deep connections in the industry. And the casting studio she founded is still running in New York. She often quarrels with me in person and is not afraid of my threat to fire her.

And Robert Stewart, with the power of several hit movies, began to dictate to me. This lucky record salesman thought he had found the secret to the success of movies and was trying to do it again.

Eisner first called his spy in the Brothers Company, "Okay, has Warner Bros. met her? She didn't agree to change jobs? Thank you, I see."

Marion Dorothy had actually contacted Warner Bros. and had not agreed to the other party's poaching. If she agreed to the other party, there would be one less vice president who opposed him in the company. But he might be able to use her upright character to make her remember it and establish his prestige within the company.

"Please ask Ms. Dorothy to come to my office." Eisner thought again and again, and first pressed the call button to order the secretary. He decided to talk to Marion Dorothy first.

Eisner and Dorothy have accumulated deep conflicts. In the high-level meeting, the two of them had no intersection of eyes.

Marion Dorothy was also surprised to learn that Eisner was looking for her, and she walked towards the long-lost president's office.

"Marion, please don't leave us." Eisner unexpectedly waited outside the office door and held Marion Dorothy's palm with both hands. "I heard that you have the idea of ​​leaving Paramount? Although we have some disagreements on some things, we can't live without you."

Eisner welcomed Marion into the office and said some irrelevant words. Ten minutes later, he personally sent her out.

Marion Dorothy had a guess in her mind. After returning to the office, she called Julia Taylor, her former subordinate who took over the New York Casting Studio after her.

"Julia, it's me, Marion... Eisner is afraid that I will be fired. I will accept the invitation of Warner Brothers and work there. You should know where I am going first."

Michael Eisner was very satisfied with his operation. If Marion was smart enough, she would resign on her own and accept the invitation of Warner Brothers. If she was stupid enough to stay, it would be even better. The effect of public dismissal would be more shocking to the company than resignation, and her power in Paramount Studios would be more stable.

"Put Katzenberg in my hands." Eisner answered the phone of the subordinate in charge of production.

"Jeffrey, this is Eisner. How is the sequel to Grease going?"

Jeffrey Katzenberg was on the other end of the phone, feeling a little surprised. Eisner rarely asked about the details of the specific production.

"Sterwood has found a screenwriter, and he still insists that the film can be completed before the end of the year. As long as they get to the start of filming, we must invest the agreed production costs according to the contract."

"Agree to his request, and don't start filming after getting the script. I will go to Sidney from MCA, understand?" Eisner explained a few words and hung up the phone.

Sidney from MCA refers to Sidney Sheinberg, the president of MCA, the parent company of Universal Pictures.

Since the early 1970s, Paramount and Universal have formed a joint venture, and the two studios share distribution channels outside North America. Therefore, the two studios often exchange projects. If Paramount is not optimistic about the project, Universal may buy it and take it over, and vice versa.

"How did Robert Sternwood, the owner of the record company, offend Eisner?" Katzenberg knew Eisner's plan. Stewart wanted to make Andy Gibb, his singer, famous. However, his contract stipulated that the sequel to Grease must start shooting at the end of the year in order to get automatic investment from Paramount.

Eisner first pretended to agree to the filming plan, then found a reason to stop it, put the script on the rotation list, and let Universal take over. With such an urgent time, Stewart was under pressure from investment and would most likely be forced to give up Andy Gibb as the protagonist, which would be a loss.

"Anyway, Andy Gibb really can't act, and that long face doesn't look good on camera." Katzenberg picked up the phone, "Put me in Ovitz from CAA and ask their screenwriter to come to discuss the script contract for 'Son of Grease' tomorrow."