Exploiting Hollywood 1980

  Chapter 723 Michael Douglas speaks

  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.

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

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

   "Good house", Little Bud exclaimed in admiration for the house he drove to the depths on the boulevard of the main road.

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

   Ronald agreed, the gate was less than a mile from the house, all the reporters were blocked from taking pictures, and there was a tree in the middle blocking the view of the telephoto lens.

  The big trees on both sides of the main road in the mansion are tall and sturdy, Ronald thinks they are all at least fifty years old.

   There are also very few places to build houses on the hills. This mansion is in the best position on the mountainside, with views of the coastline, the town, and the hot springs flowing through.

   "This was bought by Deandra and I in 1979, after we got married. We also found a designer and remodeled the swimming pool. Just because the hot spring water here is very good, we brought him into the house."

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

   "I didn't know you and Danny were friends yet." Ronald saw the host standing with the hero of "The Bad Man".

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

   No wonder he's going to the premiere of "There's a Husband in the House", so he's supporting friends, Ronald thought to himself.

   "Ronald, you have to go to some 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 the uncle Ronald you really want to see, the director of Top Gun." A little boy ran in, heard Michael Douglas greeting, and came up to ask Ronald for his autograph.

   "This is a really good scrapbook," Ronald signed for Douglas' son, and there were many other directors and stars on the scrapbook.

"thanks!"

   sent his son away, and Douglas brought Ronald into the happy part of the house.

   As soon as you enter this party hall, which is far from the quiet, residential part of the house, there is a commotion.

   Ronald had the illusion of walking into the set of "The Great Gatsby," too much like a dedicated ball hall in the golden age of the 1920s.

   "Have fun and enjoy the fun that Hollywood should have." Michael Douglas handed a glass of wine, and Danny DeVito was also beside him as an escort.

   Ronald received an invitation from Michael Douglas during the day. The other party said that some things in the movie should be discussed with him face to face.

   and Douglas met several times, Ronald felt good about the second generation of the most promising actor in the famous Jewish acting family in Hollywood, so he agreed to invite him to his house.

  Many handsome and beautiful men and women at the party were talking loudly. Ronald also quickly became the center of the crowd, and people kept introducing themselves.

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

   As an actor, he has a bad appearance and always plays supporting roles. So it quickly became apparent that Ronald didn't like such noisy occasions.

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

  Michael Douglas got a signal from his friend, put his arms around Ronald's shoulders, and the three walked into an aisle together and chatted about business in a small room next to him.

   "Ronald, we have only met a few times. I heard Danny say that you are a director who understands the balance between art and business..." Michael Douglas praised Ronald first when he came up.

   "Michael, can I call you Michael? Each other, I also like watching your movies. You said you were looking for me on the phone?" Ronald smiled.

  Michael Douglas got it too, Ronald is a guy who can get straight to the point.

"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 a distribution contract, and several eventful people called about this matter. my father.

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

   "What do you mean? What do they want you to say?" Ronald seemed to understand, and the content of the discussion still revolved around the movie "Dancing Hot".

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

  Ronald's body relaxed, no matter what, those people found a suitable person to speak. This is a friendly gesture.

   "So, what are they trying to say?" Ronald took a sip. "Wait, let me guess, doesn't it mean that the Seventh Congress won't sign a distribution contract with me?"

   "It was just an accident, Ronald. No studio executive can turn you down. They don't want to be held accountable for missing Ronald's film." Douglas also sat relaxed diagonally across from him.

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

   "You want me to quit?"

   "No, like I said, I hate people meddling with my creative freedom, and I won't let them do it to you."

   "So..." Ronald didn't know what Michael Douglas meant. He was not familiar with Hollywood's way of saying "no" in words, and turned his head to look at the Italian-born DeVito.

"Michael isn't in the same league as those old antiques. You can't imagine a producer who made 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo' Nest, doing this." Dewito lived up to Ronald's expectations and came out to speak, reflecting Michael Douglas's intentions , explained in more detail.

   "Michael would like you to tone down the controversial plot of the Jewish young women in the script a little bit. That way you can give the oldies an explanation and bypass their complaints..."

   Ronald understood roughly. There was a small circle of Jewish executives, and they were still worried when they learned that Ronald was selling the film everywhere. It's always possible for a popular, blockbuster director to find producers who take risks against unspoken rules.

   And they didn't really want to have a bad relationship with Ronald. After all, other blockbuster movies are still waiting for Ronald to help them make them.

   So, they approached the head of the Jewish gang in Old Hollywood, Kirk Douglas' son Michael, to spread the word.

They want to ask Ronald to slightly revise the love story between a Jewish girl and a poor Irish ghost in the script, otherwise, after the release, with Ronald's ability to sell well, he might secretly encourage young girls to imitate this kind of behavior in the Jewish community. Behavior.

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

   "So as long as the audience doesn't think of girls from rich Jewish families interacting with poor Irish-born ghosts, they won't interfere with my filming?"

   "That's it."

   "The release contract for the Seventh Congress?" Ronald put forward a condition, hoping that the Jewish people could give him a release contract, so that the shooting of "Spicy Dance" could be approved.

   "My father is just famous and fair, so some old friends remember him. You have to talk to them about the specific release contract."

   "So I just didn't interfere, 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 Dewito saw Ronald 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, to lower the audience's view of Baby and Johnny's love, and I also promise to not interfere with my affairs."

   "That's great," Michael Douglas gulps down his glass. "Now we can talk about real art."

   "What real art?"

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

  The director is Adrian Lane, you worked with him in 'Flash Dance', what kind of person is he? "

  Michael Douglas was not very used to the atmosphere of this kind of communication. Seeing Ronald nodded and agreed to the conditions, he was relieved and began to chat about the real movie.

   "Adrian is a real visual master, he will make the passion beautiful." Ronald thought for a while and objectively commented on the old friend of director Ryan.

  …

   "Are you really going to revise the script?" Nisita learned of Ronald's message at the party and asked Ronald's plan.

   "I have my own solution, the script will not be modified. Anyway, as long as the needs of those Jewish guys are met." Ronald has his own solution.

   But the premise of the Jewish gang's commitment to non-intervention is that Ronald wants to tone down the impact of the film on young women in the Jewish community. Are you going to create a fake script and go to the Seventh Congress to deceive the high-level Jewish people and deceive them to invest?

   In short, his strength is not strong enough. If only I had enough money, or knew the Wall Street mogul who helped Minahan raise money.

   Or better yet, what foreign capital is willing to enter the Hollywood distribution channel, so that you don't have to do the distribution yourself.

   (end of this chapter)