Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Dangerous Liaisons" is a play adapted from the British, staged by the old drama troupe, the Royal Shakespeare Company of Britain.

The original work of this play is written in the form of letters, written by the male protagonist, Viscount Valmont, and the female protagonist, Marquise de Merteuil.

The story tells about the aristocratic circle before the French Revolution.

Marquise de Merteuil's lover abandoned her, and she asked Viscount Valmont to seduce her lover's fiancée, Cecil, who had been fostered in a monastery since childhood and was very innocent.

Valmont, who believed that the meaning of life was to be romantic and dissolute, felt that this challenge was too easy, and he still wanted to seduce Madame de Tourville, a chaste woman who was famous for keeping her chastity for her husband. He also wanted to spend the spring breeze with Marquise de Merteuil.

Marquise de Merteuil promised that as long as Valmont seduced Madame de Tourville and then broke Cecil's chastity and avenged his ex-lover, she could let Valmont get her.

Valmont committed adultery with Cecil and made the other party pregnant. He also used his romantic means to seduce the chaste woman Madame de Tourville. Unexpectedly, when Valmont seduced her, he actually fell in love with her.

The Marquise de Merteuil mocked Valmont for losing his reputation as a love saint out of jealousy. And refused to fulfill his promise to go to bed. And told Denis, the music teacher who had an affair with Cecil, about Valmont and Cecil's affair.

In the end, Valmont died in a duel with Denis, and Cecil was returned to the monastery. The chaste woman Madame de Tourville also died of grief. The Marquise de Merteuil was disfigured, lost her greatest asset, and returned to the countryside.

Three female characters, a slutty marquis with a heart as vicious as a scorpion, a simple girl who grew up in a monastery longing for sex, and another young woman like a saint. All three were overwhelmed by the love saint Viscount Valmont, and it turned into a tragedy in the end.

The Royal Shakespeare Company is worthy of being the number one troupe in Britain to perform Shakespeare's plays, and the actors are very strong.

The three actresses were very talented, and they played three different women to the fullest.

The most amazing one was the actor who played Valmont, who was around the three women, sometimes a love expert who was in cahoots with each other, sometimes a teacher who taught girls how to socialize, and sometimes a pure man who fell in love.

This British actor was able to switch between the three faces freely. What was even more rare was that he had a high level of skill in dialogue, and he could easily let the audience get into the emotions of the character he wanted to convey by just speaking the words.

However, Ronald felt that his greatest strength was that he could still perform well. This play was shown in the West End Theater in London two years ago. According to the introduction in the pamphlet distributed to the audience by the theater, he played the male protagonist in his first performance.

After performing hundreds of shows in a row, it went on tour to Broadway in New York. This kind of play that can be performed instinctively, in his hands, still reacted very naturally, and the emotions were full, moving the audience to tears.

Ronald is a film director. He saw that the male lead not only had a first-rate reaction, but also inspired the three female leads in the performance, passing on this natural reaction to them.

Acting is acting reaction, and this sentence is even more true on the stage of drama. The stronger the stimulation the male lead gave to his opponent, the more natural the stimulation in return was, and the more enjoyable the audience was.

"Bravo, Bravo!"

After the whole play was over, the audience stood up and applauded, and they must let the leading actors come out to take a bow.

"Valmont, Valmont!" The ladies in the audience screamed like fans seeing a star when they saw this handsome actor with blond hair and a little beard.

It was not until the male lead smiled charmingly, blew a kiss to the audience, and then bowed that the excitement gradually subsided.

"This male lead is a very good actor." Ronald noticed that many of the audience around him were very excited. The male lead's smile and eyes were very controlled, and every lady sitting there felt that he was smiling at her alone.

"I thought you would appreciate Lindsay Duncan who played the Marquise de Merteuil." Helen answered Ronald in her ear while clapping. "She won the highest award in the British theater industry last year, the Laurence Olivier Best Actress Award."

"It's equivalent to the Tony Award in Britain." Helen saw that Ronald didn't understand, so she quickly explained. Sir Laurence Olivier is not only one of the greatest British film actors, but his reputation is even more dazzling on the stage of drama, so much so that it was used to name the country's highest drama award.

"No, I think the male lead is better. He is the central fulcrum of the drama. The three female protagonists can only shine through his different interpretations. And this light does not cover his own role. I think the American audience is still knowledgeable and knows how to appreciate him."

"Hahaha, you mean that Broadway audiences are shallow and only look at handsome guys." Helen laughed. The two cousin countries actually have very different views on drama art. Many British drama actors are top students from Oxford and Cambridge. Drama is a kind of elegant art, which is highly sought after and appreciated by the upper class.

America has brought the hobbies of the working people to the pinnacle. Even tap dancing performed by manual workers is now a long-lasting classic on Broadway. Most of the audiences on Broadway are tourists from all over the world, who appreciate this kind of acting that does not require profound knowledge to appreciate.

"Do you want to meet him? I'm very familiar with the manager of the Music Box Theater. Our theater club often borrows their rehearsal hall." Helen saw Ronald's appreciation for the male lead and offered to take him backstage to meet the actors.

"Okay," Ronald didn't expect Helen to be so familiar with Broadway, and he quickly stood up and let her lead him to the backstage quietly.

Lindsay Duncan, who played the Marquise de Merteuil, had a very British temperament. She wore a classical costume, a bustle and a corset, which made her waist very thin. Now she can finally relax backstage.

"Valmont, today is your triumph again."

Lindsay Duncan still called the male lead by the name of the character in the play. He was more popular with the audience on Broadway, and everyone had long been accustomed to it. However, everyone's performance today was particularly outstanding. The actors in the play always understand each other's status.

"Marquise de Merteuil," the male lead also made a classical bow, and then Lindsay returned the kneeling. Everyone laughed.

"It's a pity that apart from the live audiences on Broadway, the rest of America can't appreciate your acting skills in person." Lindsay Duncan is also trying to squeeze into the film and television industry to gain greater fame and income. However, the film she made has no chance to be released, so she can only continue to act in the theater circle.

"Well, I heard that there are other directors willing to try to adapt this "Dangerous Liaisons", maybe we can continue to cooperate."

"Of course, I am willing to do so. I wonder if you are willing to play this role in the movie?" Ronald and Helen were personally taken backstage by the theater manager and happened to hear this sentence.

Ronald originally liked their performance, which reminded him of the wonderful performance of Broadway actors led by Olympia Dukasky when he directed "Moonlight". As a director, it is very comfortable to use such a drama actor who can accurately convert your ideas into acting skills.

In addition, the plot of this drama is also very tortuous, and Ronald couldn't help but think about it.

"Who are you?"

"Ronald, Ronald Lee, I just shot..." Ronald stepped forward to shake hands with the male and female protagonists and introduce himself.

"Oh, you are the director of Dirty Dancing?" Lindsay Duncan is more familiar with Hollywood and immediately recognized Ronald's name.

"It's me." Ronald admitted with a smile.

"I like your performance very much and hope to have the opportunity to cooperate with you. I think American audiences should not miss such a wonderful performance."

Ronald was very sincere. He took out a business card with his agent's phone number, "If you are interested, you might as well ask the manager of the theater company to talk to me. There is my personal number on it. I really want to adapt "Dangerous Liaisons" to the screen."

"You are late, Ronald." The hero and heroine looked at each other and saw ambition and disappointment in each other's eyes.

"Screenwriter Christopher Hampton has sold the film adaptation rights, and it will be distributed by Warner Bros."

"Oh, that's a pity." Ronald was stunned when he heard that someone had taken the lead. He didn't investigate in advance and made a fool of himself.

"But thank you for your appreciation of our play. Let's go have a drink together." The male lead reached out his hand and shook hands with Ronald. "Call me Alan. We'll come after we change our clothes."

After everyone changed their clothes, Ronald went to the bar where the actors often went with them. Everyone gathered together and drank beer and grilled sausages.

It takes several hours to perform a play. During this time, the actors seem to have done a full warm-up. After the performance, the nervous system is like a racing car, and it is impossible to stop quickly. So they often have dinner here after the performance.

In addition to delicious food, this place also has a small open mic stage for stand-up comedy talk show performers to perform on stage. The spotlight shone on the side of the stage, and it was just halftime.

"Alan, Lindsay, have you ever considered developing in Hollywood?" Ronald asked the two protagonists.

"Lindsay is very interested." The male lead Alan pointed at Lindsay Duncan.

"Hey, I've acted in two movies, but no distribution company in America is willing to take it over."

"That's how it is here. You're not famous yet. But I think you'll soon be recognized by many people here based on your strength, and your past movies can be released based on your fame." Ronald talked about the operation of the American business system.

"You just said that 'Dangerous Liaisons' will be made into a movie, so will you still star in it?"

"The production company will look for Hollywood stars, just like you said, no one here knows us." The male lead Allen shrugged casually.

"It's hard to say, maybe you'll be the next Julie Andrews."

Ronald also said something auspicious. The Broadway dance drama "My Fair Lady" was starred by Julie Andrews. But when it was remade into a movie, the film company also replaced her with Audrey Hepburn because she was not famous enough.

But a blessing in disguise. Andrews later played the lead role of Mary Popps in "Mary Poppins" and won the Oscar for Best Actress, beating Hepburn, who had other people dub her parts. Then she starred in "The Sound of Music" and soared to fame.

This choice of whether to use a Broadway cast or brand new Hollywood stars has both success and failure.

Ronald felt that with the looks and acting skills of these two, even under the harsh close-up of the movie lens, they would not be worse than the current Hollywood stars.

But who made America a contractual society? Ronald had not watched new Broadway plays for a long time, and there was nothing he could do if the adaptation rights he was optimistic about were taken by others.

"My invitation is valid for a long time. If you have a schedule and time, I will have a lot of roles to audition." Ronald still thought that Broadway actors could be used.

The two protagonists, Allen and Duncan, looked at each other again, and were lucky to find them. "We will perform until early November, and the tour in America will end. We will have time then."

"That's great." Ronald raised his glass and toasted with them.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." A deep, magnetic male voice appeared on the stage, interrupting Ronald's words.

He looked up and saw a man in a white turtleneck sweater and jeans walking onto the small stage, holding a microphone in one hand and a stand in the other, greeting the diners.

"Hey, Alan, you're here too, you who stole my leading role." The man who was doing stand-up comedy saw the leading actor Alan and greeted him on the stage.

"Hi, Kevin." Alan raised his beer to greet him.

"He's also an actor on Broadway. His leading role ended this year. He usually does imitation shows here to make money." Alan introduced the people on the stage to Ronald.

"Hey, who's next to you? Isn't he the boss of a movie company? What do you think of me? Although I don't have as much hair as him, my acting is better than his."

Ronald was amused. These Broadway actors are versatile and have big mouths. Are they better than this Alan who just met? Is the Music Box Theater a place where movie stars are sold wholesale?

"Kevin, come on, Jack Lemmon." An old audience member next to him began to call him.

"Hi, hello, Johnny from Little Italy, I know you. I know you... you make me... how should I say it, you make me uncomfortable."

Ronald turned his head and looked at Alan, and saw him nod to confirm with him.

This Kevin is very good. The words he just said are imitations of the lines of the movie star Jack Lemmon in "The Bachelor's Apartment". He imitated Lemmon's middle-class tone vividly. If it weren't for the fact that his mouth shape and the lines on the stage were perfectly matched, Ronald would have suspected that Jack Lemmon was playing a double act with him backstage.

Ronald put his fingers in his mouth and blew a loud whistle. Attracting Kevin on the stage to look here.

"Who else can you imitate?"

"Who can I imitate? I can do anyone. But my friend, shouldn't you tell me if you are from a film company?" Kevin was still interacting with him in Jack Lemmon's tone.

"Of course, I'm impressed." Ronald put his arms in front of his chest and made a look of watching your performance.

"Oh, everyone here tonight is a member of the Elephant Party. Honey, I forgot to hide."

Kevin changed his tone to the president's tone and imitated his famous words when he was shot and pushed into the emergency room when he took office.

"You have to do better." Ronald knew that the president had been a TV host for decades and the president for seven years. There were numerous videos of his speeches and many people who imitated him. He wanted to test Kevin's background, so he raised the difficulty.

"Who do you want to listen to?"

"A female star," Johnny at the table started to order again.

"Yes, a female." Ronald raised his beer to the old man.

"Ah, Johnny. You make me feel disgusted, stay away from me." Kevin actually imitated the old Hollywood actress Katharine Hepburn. What was even more surprising was that he actually imitated Hepburn's head shaking constantly after she became ill in her old age, and her voice was also shaking.

"Bravo!"

Ronald was also surprised. In just one or two sentences, he could capture the most impressive characteristics of the person being imitated, and then let the audience quickly recognize his ability, which is the characteristic of a great actor.

Kevin continued to imitate a series of stars and politicians. After more than ten minutes, the audience was very satisfied. He left the microphone to the next actor and ran to Ronald's table to say hello.

"Kevin? You're really nice." Ronald ordered a beer and handed it to him.

"So, you're really from a film company?"

"He's Ronald Lee, the director of Dirty Dancing." Lindsay Duncan introduced.

"Oh, I heard about you from Olympia. She said you're a very good director and doesn't mind her ugly appearance."

"Oh hahaha..." Ronald spit out his beer. Kevin is very humorous on and off the stage.

The few people talked happily. Seeing that they all wanted to act in movies, Ronald talked about some Hollywood rules.

Generally speaking, the looks of these drama actors are not as good as movie stars. But their acting skills are better.

So generally speaking, the best opportunity for transformation is a role that suits their characteristics, or starting from a supporting role. Broadway character actors are best at quickly establishing a distinctive image in the eyes of the audience, just like Kevin.

"This is my business card. You can give it to your agent and ask him to contact my agent. I will take care of you if there is a chance." Ronald also had a good impression of Kevin and took out a business card and handed it to him.

Ronald chatted with them for a while, then stood up and said goodbye. Helen was going back to her father's mansion in Upper Central Park to discuss the new movie.

He asked her to drive the new car with her bestie first, and Ronald called the taxi company.

"Hello, I need a car. I'm next to the Broadway Music Box Theater and I want to go back to the Essex Hotel."

After the call, Ronald waited by the door of the bar with a cigarette.

"Ronald's girlfriend seems to have left? Let's go talk to her?"

In a corner of the bar near the door, two beauties, one with blond hair and one with black hair, were talking. They also came to see "Dangerous Liaisons" today, and found Ronald in the bar very early. But with Helen around, they didn't rush to say hello.

"Let's go!"

The black-haired one was Jennifer Beals, the heroine of "Flashdance" that Ronald had worked with. The blond woman holding her hand was her Yale classmate, Jodie Foster, who once caused the oil company's rich second-generation Hinckley to shoot the president.

"Ronald!"

"Hi, Jennifer, Judy, are you here to watch the play?" Ronald heard someone calling him and put out his cigarette in the ashtray. It turned out to be two female students from Yale. He found the information of his ancestors in Yale thanks to Judy.

"Yes, we saw you just now. You were with your friends and didn't come over."

"Long time no see, are you still in Yale now?" Ronald and Bills are also close friends.

"We both graduated." Bills with black hair stroked her hair.

"She's married." Foster added, "Alex is a university professor, screenwriter, director, and producer."

"Congratulations!" Ronald looked at Bills. He remembered that the two lived together when they were in Yale, and now Bills is married and still so close.

"I heard that you are meeting actresses everywhere in New York now. Is it for "The Catastrophe"? " Jodie Foster said it clearly, "Why didn't you find Jennifer?"

"That's not an easy role to play. Jennifer has already refused." Ronald talked about the controversial plot of "The Catastrophe".

"I thought you and them were just talking about this movie. Will you direct it?" Jennifer Beals' big eyes were watery and looked intoxicated.

"I can't direct it. To be honest, I have no confidence in this plot. I feel a little uncomfortable when I read the script, so maybe your judgment is right. I was just asked by a friend..."

"Is it Kelly McGillis? We heard that she will play the role of the district attorney."

"If you can find a role to play the victim." Ronald smiled at them.

"It's a pity that you can't be a director. If you were the director, I would be very confident." Jennifer Beals said half a sentence to Ronald. She still remembered that when filming Flashdance, Ronald was very good to her dance double and fought for her to sign and recommend.

In addition, everyone has seen the scene of "Dirty Dancing". This is an upright and artistic person. It would be great if he directed it.

"It's a pity that I'm not. If you are still interested, you know who to find." Ronald stood and chatted with the two beauties for a while, and his taxi arrived.

"My car is here. We will continue to chat when we have a chance." Ronald waved to the driver, and when he stopped at the door, he politely said goodbye to the two, opened the back door and sat in, "Essex Hotel, thank you."

"It's a pity that he can't direct. If he didn't direct this role, there would be a lot of controversy." Beers looked at Ronald's leaving figure with regret.

"Yeah..." Jodie Foster's eyes flashed.

...

"Beep beep..."

After Ronald took a shower, the phone rang.

"Mr. Capra Wilder? There is a Miss Judy Foster here who wants to see a Ronald..."

The concierge reported Ronald's pseudonym, and Judy Foster hurried over. She didn't know what pseudonym Ronald used to register, nor did she know his room number, but she still rushed in bravely.

"Please let her come up." Ronald knew what she was here for.

"Ding Dong", after a while, the doorbell rang.

"Ms. Foster, Mr. Wilder." The concierge introduced Jodie Foster to Ronald, and seeing that they knew each other, he tactfully stepped back.

"Come in, what would you like to drink?"

Ronald let Jodie Foster in.

"Coffee, tea..."

Ronald went to get a cup, and when he turned around, he saw Jodie Foster closing the door and starting to unbutton her skirt, "Coffee, tea, or me?"

"Oh... don't do that." Ronald reached out to stop Foster from doing this, but he hadn't reported it to his agent.

"Why, don't you like me? It was the same last time, am I not attractive to you?" Jodie Foster sat down on the sofa dejectedly, covering her face with her hands.

"I assume you came here for the role of Baojie Lihua?"

"Yes, no one wants me to act in movies now. If I can't get a role in a big production, I will be forgotten by the audience soon. Look, the concierge at the hotel didn't recognize me. Have I gained weight? Woohoo..."

"Don't be like that, this role may not be suitable for you, you will not be forgotten by the audience." Ronald looked at her and sighed.

She was born as a child star, and at the critical moment of transformation, she was implicated by the shooting case and was in college. The movies she filmed during this period did not perform well at the box office.

"Do you think I am not suitable for this role?" Jodie Foster is a graduate of Yale University. She is not the kind of brainless blonde who thinks that she can get a role just by relying on her looks.

Ronald is a director who respects the rules of drama. Last time, she was willing to pay him back, but she still didn't get the role. If Ronald still thinks she is not suitable for the role this time, he will not recommend it.

"It's not that your acting skills are not suitable, but the role of the victim in this movie is too much. I am not lying. Let alone acting in this movie, I even feel physically sick when I imagine the scene. You are a good actor..."

"I am unwilling, I can act. I can act in the role in "Taxi Driver" before. There is nothing I can't act in this." Jodie Foster seemed to have found a life-saving straw. She could play the leading role in a movie produced by seven major production companies. For her, there is nothing to choose.

Besides, the more controversial it is, the more momentum it can create, right? I am already 25 years old. If I don't seize the opportunity, I will really be forgotten.

"Are you sure?" Ronald looked at Foster's determined eyes and knew that she would do anything to continue her acting career. "Okay, I'll make two calls."

"Kelly, I found an actress who is willing to play the victim. Her acting skills and image are fine. She has been nominated for an Oscar before. The little girl who was a taxi driver in 1977, Jodie Foster. I asked her to go to Los Angeles to find you."

Jodie Foster tilted her head and looked at Ronald with passionate eyes. She was really handsome. One phone call gave her a great opportunity. Men are not all annoying...

"Well..." Ronald, who had just put down the phone, was kissed by Foster who jumped up.

"Hehehe..."

Ronald pulled her arm off, "Theoretically you don't owe me anything, Judy. I just made a phone call. Whether you can get the role or not is your own business. I have no say in this project, do you understand?"

Things still need to be made clear. Ronald feels that he can't let her have unrealistic fantasies, otherwise if she doesn't get the role, it will be troublesome.

"Are you afraid that your girlfriend will hear something in New York? I know the rules. Anyway, I have to go to Los Angeles, and you can get it there if you want. Or, do you want more?" Jodie Foster seemed to have a misunderstanding. She licked her lips and smiled at Ronald provocatively.

In fact, if Jennifer Beals hadn't been competing with her, she could have called her. Jodie Foster thought in her heart, who does she know in Los Angeles?

"I'll call you when I get to Los Angeles." Jodie Foster also asked Ronald for a business card, hugged and kissed him again, and left.

"She has a really good figure," Ronald touched his lips, recalling the feeling of Jodie Foster, who was still a little fat at the end of puberty, pressed against him.

This blonde girl was a top student at Yale, and even if they were to be swapped, they had to make it clear.