Exploiting Hollywood 1980

The small town of Montecito in Santa Barbara is about an hour and a half drive from the center of Hollywood. Ronald was invited to meet Hollywood star and producer Michael Douglas there.

Bud Jr. drove Ronald to a mansion on a hill in the town.

Outside the two large iron gates on Hot Spring Road, Bud Jr. pressed the call button. After a call, the security guard opened the electric gate. Ronald's car drove into the seven-acre house.

"A good house," Bud Jr. couldn't help but exclaimed as he drove to the house deep in the main boulevard.

"It's really a good house, with great views and privacy."

Ronald agreed. The gate was less than a mile away from the house. All reporters were blocked from taking photos, and there were big trees in the middle that blocked the telephoto lens's view.

The big trees on both sides of the main road in the mansion were all tall and strong. Ronald felt that they were at least fifty years old.

The location for building houses on the hill was also very scarce. This mansion is in the best position on the hillside, with a view of the coastline, the town, and hot springs.

"This is what Diandra and I bought after we got married in 1979. We also found a designer to renovate the swimming pool. The hot spring water here is very good, so we brought it into the house."

Michael Douglas, standing at the gate of his Mediterranean-style mansion, and his good friend Daniel DeVito, greeted Ronald at the gate and introduced him to the origin of his house.

"I didn't know you and Danny were friends." Ronald saw the host and the male lead of "The Evil Husband" standing together.

"Ah, we have a long history. We went to school together at the drama school in Connecticut, and then we went to New York and rented an apartment together." Michael Douglas hugged his friend.

No wonder he went to the premiere of "The Evil Husband", it turned out to support his friend, Ronald thought to himself.

"Ronald, you have to attend more Hollywood parties. My relationship with Michael is no secret in Hollywood." DeVito also came over to joke, and smiled and welcomed Ronald into the big house.

"Cameron, this is Uncle Ronald, the great director of Top Gun, whom you want to meet so much." A little boy ran in and asked Ronald for his autograph when he heard Michael Douglas calling him.

"Your autograph book is really nice," Ronald signed for Douglas' son, and there were many other directors and stars' signatures in the autograph book.

"Thank you!"

After sending his son away, Douglas led Ronald into the part of the house that was responsible for the fun.

As soon as he entered the party hall far away from the quiet home part of the house, a burst of noise came over him.

Ronald had the illusion of walking into the set of "The Great Gatsby". This place was too much like the special dance hall in the golden age of the 1920s.

"Have fun and enjoy the fun that Hollywood should have." Michael Douglas handed over a glass of wine, and Danny DeVito was also there as a guest.

Ronald received Michael Douglas' invitation during the day. The other party said that he wanted to talk to him in person about some things about the movie.

After meeting Douglas several times, Ronald felt okay about this second-generation and most promising actor in a famous Jewish acting family in Hollywood, so he agreed to the invitation to come to his home.

There were many handsome men and women at the party, talking and chatting. Ronald soon became the center of attention, and people kept coming up to introduce themselves.

"Is it a bit noisy?" DeVito was of Italian descent, and Ronald was familiar with several Italian directors and actors. His main agent, Niceta, was also of Italian descent.

As an actor, he didn't look good and always played supporting roles. So he quickly observed Ronald's face and found that he didn't like such noisy occasions.

"Everyone, Ronald and I have something to talk about, you guys have fun."

Michael Douglas got a hint from his friend, put his arm around Ronald's shoulders, and the three of them walked into an aisle together and went to a small room on the side to talk about business.

"Ronald, we have only met a few times. I heard from Danny that you are a director who knows the balance between art and business very well..." Michael Douglas praised Ronald as soon as he came up.

"Michael, can I call you Michael? Same here, I also like watching your movies. You said you had something to talk to me about?" Ronald smiled.

Michael Douglas also understood that Ronald was a person who could discuss issues directly.

"It's like this, in Hollywood, my father Kirk is a good friend of many Jews. This time you found several studios and wanted to sign distribution contracts. Several nosy people called my father about this matter.

He wanted to talk to you in person. But I happened to go to see him that day, so he asked me to bring you the attitudes of those friends."

"What do you mean? What do they want you to say?" Ronald seemed to understand that the content of the discussion was still around the movie "Dirty Dancing".

"Don't get me wrong, I have an average relationship with my father. I just don't like people interfering with the creative freedom of artists. But those people are powerful, and I think I am probably the best person to convey this message."

Ronald's body relaxed. Anyway, those people still found a suitable person to convey the message. This is a friendly gesture.

"So, what exactly do they want to say?" Ronald took a sip of wine. "Wait, let me guess, does it mean that the Big 7 will not sign a distribution contract with me?"

"That was just an accident, Ronald. No senior executive of a studio can refuse you. They don't want to bear the guilt of missing Ronald's movie." Douglas also sat diagonally opposite him in a relaxed manner.

"But I have to say that Hollywood is still occupied by a group of old men, and in many cases, their opinions also have a great influence."

"Do you want me to quit?"

"No, as I said, I hate it most when someone interferes with my creative freedom, and I won't let them do that to you."

"So..." Ronald didn't know what Michael Douglas meant. He was not familiar with Hollywood's way of expression, which never said "no" in words, and turned his head to look at the Italian-American DeVito.

"Michael is not the same kind of person as those old antiques. You can't imagine a producer who made "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" doing these things." DeVito lived up to Ronald's expectations and spoke out to explain Michael Douglas' intentions in more detail.

"Michael hopes you can slightly tone down the controversial plot of the young Jewish woman in the script. This way, we can give those old-timers an explanation and bypass their complaints..."

Ronald roughly understood. There is a small circle of Jewish high-level people. They are still very worried when they learn that Ronald is promoting this movie everywhere. A popular and popular director can always find a producer who will take risks regardless of the unspoken rules.

And they don't really want to make the relationship with Ronald stiff. After all, other popular movies of other themes are still waiting for Ronald to help them shoot.

So, they found Michael, the son of Kirk Douglas, the head of the Jewish gang in Old Hollywood, to pass on the message.

They want Ronald to slightly modify the love story between the Jewish girl and the poor Irish man in the script. Otherwise, after the release, with Ronald's ability to sell the movie, it might be possible to secretly encourage young girls in the Jewish community to imitate this behavior.

As long as Ronald can make concessions, they will not interfere with Ronald's plan.

"So as long as the audience doesn't associate a girl from a rich Jewish family with a poor Irishman, they won't interfere with my filming?"

"That's what you said."

"What about the distribution contract of the Big Seven?" Ronald put forward the condition, hoping that the Jews could give him a distribution contract, so that the filming of "Dirty Dancing" could be established.

"My father is just famous and fair, so some old friends remember him. You have to discuss the specific distribution contract with them."

"So it's just not interfering, and I didn't say I would take the initiative to take over this project." Ronald understood the other party's conditions in his heart.

"So, what do you say?"

Danny DeVito saw that Ronald was lost in thought and didn't speak for several minutes, so he asked for his good friend.

"I can promise not to promote the outrageous behavior of Jewish girls in the movie and lower the audience's view of the love between Baby and Johnny. I also want a promise not to interfere with my business."

"Great," Michael Douglas drank the wine in the glass, "Now we can talk about real art."

"What real art?"

"I've been hesitating recently whether to take a new role in a movie. It's a movie about a married man cheating. I don't want to play the image of a knight in "Emerald" anymore. I like this script very much.

The director is Adrian Lane. You worked with him in "Flashdance". What kind of person is he?"

Michael Douglas was not used to this atmosphere of passing on messages. Seeing Ronald nod and agree to the conditions, he breathed a sigh of relief and began to talk about real movies.

"Adrian is a real visual master. He will shoot passion beautifully." Ronald thought about it and objectively evaluated his old friend Director Lane.

...

"Do you really want to revise the script?" Nicita learned about the message Ronald received at the party and asked Ronald what he planned to do.

"I have my own way. The script will not be modified. Anyway, it's fine as long as the needs of the Jews are met." Ronald has his own solution.

However, the premise of the Jewish gang's promise not to interfere is that Ronald wants to reduce the impact of the movie on young Jewish women. Should I make a fake script and go to the seven major companies to deceive those Jewish executives and get investment?

In short, my strength is not strong enough. If I had enough money, or knew the Wall Street tycoons who helped Minahan raise funds, it would be great.

Or even better, there is some foreign capital willing to enter the Hollywood distribution channel, so that I don't have to do the distribution myself.