Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Hello, this is 'Good Morning America'. We will bring you the news on time at 7 o'clock every morning Eastern Time..." Ronald became more and more like a New Yorker, while he was busy with breakfast and listening to ABC's Morning time news.

"Meg, I made you a ham and egg sandwich, and here's orange juice."

After the events of the past few days, Meg became more silent than before.

"Thanks, Ronnie, I'm fine." Meg picked up her breakfast and took a bite. It took a while before I took another bite.

"Drink some orange juice. It's the Sweet Tree brand advertised by the football star nicknamed 'Orange Juice'. It tastes very good." Ronald handed over the orange juice.

"Thank you" Meg still ate slowly.

"Rona Barrett, what do you think of 'Apocalypse Now'? Can it compare to the two-part 'Godfather'?" The TV was talking about "Apocalypse Now", and Ronald looked back.

"Good Morning America" ​​is not just a news program, it also invites some guests to talk about current affairs every day. Today I invite a gossip entertainment reporter.

"I think it's a disappointing failure, it's Coppola's Waterloo..."

She went on a nationally syndicated show to lash out at director Francis Coppola.

"I'm done, Ronnie"

Ronald turned around and looked at Meg, who was still a little numb, and felt a little sad.

"I'm going to help you register for Stella Adler's training class today, can you go with me?"

"Okay, Ronnie, I can go." Meg regained her energy after hearing about the acting class.

Help register for Stella Adler's actor training class, $280/8 classes. You can also go to a training class to practice when there are no classes. The price is much more than that of Lee Strasberg.

Meg happened to run into Eileen, and Eileen pulled her in for a chat, and then made an assessment to see if Meg's mental state could participate in acting studies normally.

Ronald, who had nothing to do, went out and found some newspapers at the front desk to read.

"Daily Variety" published another article, supporting "Apocalypse Now", calling it Coppola's weird and magical masterpiece, worth the wait.

"It's no problem. Meg has basically recovered from that blow. Never use the emotional memory method again in the future. You have to take good care of her these days, Ronnie." Erin saw Meg recovering. The situation has greatly improved Ronald's attitude.

After that, Meg went to the acting center almost every day. Acting classes actually did not teach much, but required more practice.

While Stella's classes are comprehensive and safe, like any orthodox training method, getting in is not that fast at first. Meg had to do a lot of homework every day. Today she was imagining herself as a chicken, and tomorrow she was imitating an elephant's walk.

After browsing the teaching materials that Meg brought back to the apartment, Ronald gradually understood that acting is a profession that requires experience. If you have not experienced it, you must also have strong observation skills and learn from others.

The method of emotional memory is actually a bit opportunistic.

Meg is Ronald's peer and has always liked ballet classes since she was a child. She uses ballet to escape her stepfather. Because she practiced a lot and danced well, she won a scholarship to enter ballet school.

After spending a long time in ballet training, Meg didn't come into contact with many people and things. Many of the so-called experiences were learned from her sister Jennifer.

For example, when we went to the Lee Strasberg School of Drama to get a refund. Originally, according to the advertisement, Meg could get a refund for the courses she had not taken. But the staff there argued that Meg had quit on her own and was not within the scope of the refund.

Meg was so angry that she argued with the staff, saying that the emotional memory method had caused her psychological harm, which was caused by their performance methods. The staff took advantage of her and told her that she was not qualified enough to understand.

Ronald grabbed Meg, who was about to come forward to argue, and whispered that he would solve the problem.

Following Erin's instructions, I made a call to the FTC, the Federal Trade Commission, to report the Lee Strasberg Theater School's advertising as deceptive. Because they did not indicate this on the advertisement, voluntarily withdrawing from the study is not covered by the refund.

The next day, I received a call from the college to apologize and send a check in full.

The relationship between the two became closer, and Ronald could have dinner with Meg every night.

This is mainly because the "Hot Lunch" crew and the acting high school have made no progress in negotiations. Throughout May, I had to be busy interviewing candidates recommended by various organizations.

As an assistant and driver, Ronald's main job every day is to take Polaroid snapshots and organize files. Just in time to go home with Meg, who is taking an acting class.

Over time, the crew has accumulated a lot of qualified actor files and selected several minor roles. However, no suitable candidates have been found for the eight leading roles.

Meg's improvement in acting skills was recognized by director Parker, who upgraded her role from an extra to a higher-level permanent role. The short-term employment contract of US$225 per day was replaced by a long-term employment contract of US$785 per week.

Although it seems that the daily salary has dropped, the long-term contract means that as long as you are on the set, you will get money regardless of whether there is a scene that day. After Meg is promoted, she will have more scenes, which will probably cover the entire filming time, and she will earn a lot more money.

Meg was inspired to move up a notch to a minor role or a starring role. She also became more active when she went to Stella's studio.

On the last weekend of May, Ronald asked the director for leave and returned to Staten Island to help Aunt Karen prepare for the Memorial Day party.

Unlike the general respect of World War II veterans, Vietnam veterans are discriminated against in America. They generally cannot find good jobs and have no social status.

The anti-war movement in the whole society lasted as long as the Vietnam War. The government's conscription system forced the sons of the people to fight a war thousands of miles away that had nothing to do with America. This resentment was inexplicably transferred to the veterans.

The main force of the soldiers in the Vietnam War was still ordinary middle-class children. The older people had a pitiful mentality towards them, but they were resistant to the news that the army killed innocent people in Vietnam.

The younger generation hated veterans participating in an unjust war, but they were more in favor of anti-war people like "Hanoi Jane".

Vietnam veterans became marginalized people in society, and returning to their families and returning to society became their greatest wish.

The gathering was hosted by the Hansen family, a large landowner and factory owner in Totville. Old Douglas Hansen was a veteran of World War II. He regarded serving the country as his family's duty. One of his sons died in the Vietnam battlefield, so he attached great importance to the veterans and widows in the town, and the factory also hired many of his own people.

Under his influence, the attitude of Totville towards veterans was quite good.

Douglas Hansen III, the grandson of old Douglas, was Ronald's classmate. He was going to work in the family business in the future, so he also went to the public high school in the town and got along well with his classmates.

He was forced by old Hansen to join the wrestling team and was Ronald's classmate and teammate. Speaking of which, Ronald's first car, a Volkswagen Hare, was a second-hand car bought from young Hansen.

The memorial event was held on the lawn of the Hansen family. The pastor led everyone to read a passage of the Bible, and then a veteran dressed in military uniform gave a thank-you speech. Finally, a widow dressed in a black dress gave a speech on behalf of everyone, remembering the deceased.

Then everyone gathered separately and talked about the situation in the past year. Aunt Karen brought some cookies she baked for everyone. Ronald also put on a suit and tie and accompanied his aunt for a whole day of social activities.

Hansen was also very happy to see Ronald back. When he learned that he had entered the film industry, he quickly dragged him aside:

"Are there many beauties in the film industry? Have you seen Farrah Fawcett?"

Farrah Fawcett was the blonde angel in the popular TV series "Charlie's Angels" a few years ago. She was Hansen's dream lover. She withdrew from the TV series last year and entered the film industry.

"No, Hollywood is very big. I just work in a small crew."

"Good boy, when will your movie be released? When you become a big director in the future, don't forget to introduce me to big stars." Hansen punched Ronald, and the two seemed to have returned to the days when they were on the wrestling team.

Aunt Karen also became very talkative and energetic, as if she had returned to her youth. Ronald knew that only on this day of the year did Aunt Karen become the carefree girl she was back then. The rest of the time, she was occupied by work and the role of a mother.

When she returned home and changed her clothes, she would become the waitress again.

Sure enough, Aunt Karen changed into her own knitted sweater when she returned home and resumed her housewife's dress. She asked Ronald to wait for her in the living room.

Aunt Karen took out a bag of old clothes from the closet. She also took out a file bag from the bedroom, which contained various coupons she collected from everywhere. Finally, there was a stack of coins and one-dollar bills, about less than 50 US dollars.

"This is for your uncle Steve's black comrade, Bud Davis' family." Steve and Bud were members of the same combat squad. Mrs. Davis, who was also a widow, lived with three children.

Although Aunt Karen herself was also in a difficult situation, she always collected some coupons and old clothes for them. This time, Ronald was asked to send them to them, as well as a box of cookies baked by himself.

Ronald wanted to add some money, but Aunt Karen said that he couldn't give too much. There was no man in her family to take care of the family, so it was not good to give too much money. Ronald thought about it and added a few small cash bills.

He found out the address of the Bud family, which was in Harlem in northern Manhattan.

Thinking of all the horror legends in Harlem and his experience of being robbed in downtown Los Angeles, Ronald hesitated.

Aunt Karen saw his hesitation:

"Don't be afraid, kid. Harlem is full of poor people like our family, but with different skin colors. What you should be afraid of are the rich people living in the Upper East Side."

"I went there myself in the past few years. You can tell me who you are and who you are looking for. People there are very friendly. Just don't go before sunrise in the morning or after sunset in the evening, and don't go to those government-built public housing areas."

Aunt Karen said.

"Don't go in the morning, don't go in the evening, and don't go to public housing." Ronald thought to himself, this is scary enough, I don't know why Aunt Karen is not afraid.

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