Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 192 The Hollywood Murder

   Ronald stepped out of the cabin and waited for his checked luggage next to the baggage carousel at JFK Airport. This time, I asked my agent from Hollywood to collect a batch of scripts for teen movies, and I plan to go back to New York to look it up for reference.

  The luggage will take a long time to get, Ronald is bored watching the TV on the pillar next to him.

   This is a new cable TV station CUU, their strategy is very interesting, rolling news 24 hours. Usually NBC, CBS and other public television stations only have 15-30 minutes of news programs at night, and rebroadcast them at most twice during the day.

   But as soon as you turn on the CUU channel, there are various news programs.

   This brings a lot of convenience to business people. You don't need to wait until the evening to know important news. Knowing the news earlier means a little more money in America.

   So the first channel they enter is the busy big airport. There are many business travelers here. If you look at it, maybe you can call and subscribe to a CUU when you get home.

   There are not many CUU news that just started broadcasting. The two hosts, male and female, broadcast important news, weather forecast, stock market information, and travel news.

   Then entertainment news, Ronald suddenly saw a familiar face on the screen.

   "Playboy Magazine's Girl of the Year, Hollywood actress, model, Dorothy Stratten was found shot to death this morning."

"what?"

  Ronald's mouth was so big that he couldn't close it for a long time.

  Stratten, a former client of his New York agent Eddie Cohen, made a cameo appearance at Ronald's Delta Omega Epsilon fraternity, which exploded the audience and made the fraternity one of NYU's most popular.

"Dorothy Stratten has just finished filming on director Peter Bogdanovich's new 'They All Laugh' and police have confirmed that Miss Stratten died in the shooting, but further interviews with the media will not be granted He commented that the case is still under investigation and the suspect has been identified."

   Several male travelers who were waiting for their luggage together also gathered around the TV to discuss their opinions.

   "I heard she was scheduled to have a large mid-seam spread in the next issue of Playboy."

   "Isn't that the kind of page that has traditionally been published?"

   "Yeah, last year, a **** girl died in a car accident and was removed from the page. The **** said it was disrespectful to the dead."

   Ronald felt uncomfortable for a while, and took two steps away from them, perhaps because he knew Stratten and had spoken to her, and he couldn't listen to such comments.

   "Our reporter contacted director Peter Bogdanovich, his housekeeper said that Mr. Bogdanovich was too frightened, had taken sleeping pills and fell asleep, and could not be interviewed.

Hugh Hefner, owner of   Playboy magazine, also said he would not comment until the police released official information, and hoped that the public would respect the deceased Miss Stratten. "

   took his luggage and went home, Ronald quickly called his agent Eddie.

   "Have you heard?"

   "Have you heard?"

   The first sentence of everyone is to inform each other of the news.

   "What the **** is going on?" Ronald asked Eddie.

   "I'm afraid her husband did it," Eddie said on the phone.

"husband?"

   "It's her former boyfriend, Paul Schneider, who got married some time ago."

  It turns out that some time ago, Dorothy Stratten contacted Eddie to ask if there was any way to get Playboy not to publish that kind of photo of her.

   She has just filmed the new film of the big director, and she doesn't want to let herself be seen by all the men in America.

  Stratten fell in love with director Peter Bogdanovich during filming. Has moved into the director's house in Hollywood.

But Bogdanovich didn't really want her picture taken off the shelves, his two previous films were box office disasters, and this "They All Laughed" meant a lot to his Hollywood career, so expect Stratten's Photos bring free publicity to movies.

   "But she and her boyfriend are already married, now living with the big director Bogdanovich, and wanting to divorce her husband. This girl is always impulsive."

   Ronald was also a little speechless.

   "I persuaded him to let a divorce lawyer handle the divorce case, but Stratten still felt sorry for her husband and hoped to break up with him peacefully and remain friends."

   "That's a little childish, isn't it?"

   "Hey, in fact, she just turned 20 years old. You can imagine a 12th grade teenager (Teenager), especially the style of beauty in high school, full of fantasies about love and romance, thinking that her beauty can solve all difficulties."

   "Yeah." Ronald disagreed, I was only 20 years old, and there were many mature-minded classmates in high school, "Why do you say her husband might be the murderer?"

"Her husband, Paul Schneider, is notorious in Beverly Hills. She often uses Dorothy's husband's name to get in and out of celebrity mansions and do some insufferable things, such as pimping and selling illegal drugs. I Heard some rumors about him in New York."

"And Dorothy went around asking about divorce methods, and I'm afraid the news has already reached her husband's ears. It's an endless cash machine, and just hit the big director, how could he let her divorce so easily ?

   I advised her to let the divorce lawyer handle all the issues, this is the way that affects her the least. And the house where Bogdanovich lives is on the mountain, and there are plenty of police and security, so maybe it won't happen..."

   Ronald knew that the hill Eddie was talking about was Beverly Hills. Peter Bogdanovich directed a series of blockbusters in the 1970s, such as "Paper Moon," "Love Tracker," and "The Last Movie," which not only made big hits, but also won a bunch of Oscars. There was a lot of wealth accumulated at that time.

   "Speaking of business, Calvin Klein has signed Brooke Shields' advertising contract, and the shooting of the commercial is just around the corner. You are ready."

   "What preparations do I need to make?" Ronald was a little puzzled. Brooke Shields has signed, isn't she just waiting to start work?

   "There's a competitor, and I'll get it done for you."

Eddie explained the situation. When Ronald went to Los Angeles to discuss the transfer of the script, Calvin Klein met the famous photo photographer Richard Avedon (Richard Avedon), and he asked him to shoot Brooke Shields. jeans ad.

   However, Calvin Klein, who was closely watched by Eddie, still rejected his proposal and finally chose Ronald.

   "Didn't he take pictures? Why do you think you can do TV commercials?"

   "It is said that he is Kee and has a close relationship with David Geffen in the music industry, and Calvin is good friends with David Geffen."

   This is a real mess. Ronald had heard Richard Aveton's name, and his male "partner" had also discovered a girl named Kelly Preston who had auditioned for the heroine of "Endless Love."

   "What gave him the courage? A graphic photographer also came to compete with me to shoot a TV commercial?" Ronald was annoyed. This commercial can earn a lot of labor fees, and his studio has not started for a long time.

"Don't worry, Richard Avedon is a famous photographer who has shot for major fashion magazines and has a mansion on Long Island. This time it's mainly Calvin Klein's impression of your gum ad. Profound, and at a critical moment, the news that your script sold for a sky-high price was in the New York Times. Put your name on it for the second time."

   "Oh, did you? Did you keep a copy for me?"

  Ronald turned his anger into joy. This was the first time his name had appeared in a newspaper.

   "Yes, I will read it to you."

"Columbia Pictures has bought the rights to a Vietnam War film starring Jane Fonda for $3.65 million, more than three other studios have bid. Miss Fonda will receive $2 million regardless of whether the film is completed.”

   "Huh! Even the name of the script has been changed?" Ronald said angrily.

  “Perhaps the most unusual aspect of the deal is that, as of now, not a single word of the story has been finalized. The film is being sold on the basis of screenwriter Ronald Lee’s 45-minute sales pitch.

  Columbia will get Miss Fonda for $3.65 million. As well as Mr. Lee, Miss Fonda Productions director James Bridges, and producer Bruce Gilbert joined. "

   "The following are flattering speeches to CAA President Michael Ovitz and Columbia President Frank Price. Do you want me to read on?"

   "Forget it, you can keep it. Bring it to me next time when you have time. I originally planned to frame this report and hang it at home."

"Hahaha……"

   After the phone call, Ronald walked to the house where his aunt lived.

   "Ronnie!" Donna knew he was coming and waited for him at the door.

   "Donna, I brought you a present." Ronald dug out the Sony Walkman from his bag and handed it to Donna.

   "Walkman! How nice of you, Ronnie." Donna hugged him happily, kissed the cheek, and went to the tape test machine.

   "Where's my gift?" Diane Lane lived at Donna's house, so she worked hard. have passed the equivalency test. Her father, Burt, helped him choose a private high school not far away, so he could start his normal high school life after the holidays.

   "You too." Ronald quickly took out the second Walkman and handed it over.

   "Thank you!" Diane's income can afford this little toy, but she prefers the family atmosphere of giving each other gifts. Especially with a mom character like Aunt Karen, and a sister like Donna.

   "Ronnie, you're here." Aunt Karen heard Donna's happy laughter and came out to hug Ronald.

   "I brought you a scarf, Auntie."

   "It's beautiful." Aunt Karen looked at the scarf. "I talked to your wrestling teammate Douglas Jr. and he didn't recommend that we open a leg warmer factory right now."

   "I think so too, but what did he say?"

"He said that the market trend is difficult to grasp. If the sales volume is unstable, it will be invested in fixed equipment, and I am afraid it will be idle. Especially, leg warmers are a popular fashion. Blow."

   "I'll talk to him."

  Ronald thought for a while, and the suggestion made sense. Don't stay vacant like the studio of the Diorama Company in San Francisco. A big director like Coppola can't afford to lose money.

   (end of this chapter)