Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Dangerous Liaisons" is a drama adapted from China and rehearsed by the old theater company, the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The original work of this play is an epistolary, written in the form of correspondence between the hero, Vicomte de Valmont, and the heroine, the Marchioness de Merteuil.

The story tells the story of the aristocratic circle before the great revolution of the country.

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

Valmont, who believes that the meaning of life is to be dissolute, finds this challenge too easy. He still wants to seduce Madame de Tourville, a chaste woman who is famous for her husband's chastity. He also wanted to spend the spring breeze with the Marchioness de Merteuil.

The Marquise de Merteuil promised that Valmont would have her as long as Valmont, after seducing Madame de Tourville, would in turn destroy Cecil's chastity and take revenge on her former lover.

Cecil Valmont committed adultery and got her pregnant. He also used his romantic methods to get the virgin Madame de Tourville. Unexpectedly, when Valmont seduced the other party, he actually developed true love and fell in love with the other party.

Out of jealousy, the Marchioness de Merteuil laughed at Valmont for losing his reputation as a lover. And refuses to fulfill a promise to get laid. He also told Denis, the music teacher who was in love with Cecil, about the affair between Valmont and Cecil.

In the end, Valmont died in a duel with Denis, and Cecil was returned to the monastery. The virgin Madame de Tourville also died of grief. The Marchioness de Merteuil lost her appearance, lost her greatest capital, and returned to the countryside.

There are three female characters, one is a slutty Marquis with a snake heart, one is a simple girl who grew up in a convent and longs for things between men and women, and the other is a young woman who is like a saint. The three of them were all smitten by their lover, Vicomte Valmont, which eventually turned into a tragedy.

The Royal Shakespeare Company is indeed the number one theater company in Britain that performs Shakespeare's plays, and the actors are very strong.

The three actresses are so talented that they portray three women with different looks vividly.

The most powerful actor is the actor who plays Valmont. He is surrounded by three women. Sometimes he becomes a colluding and competing love expert, sometimes he becomes a teacher educating young girls on social interaction, and sometimes he is an innocent man who falls in love.

This British actor can change between three faces with ease. What's even more rare is that his line skills are very good. He can easily enunciate the words and let the audience enter the character emotions he wants to convey.

but,

Ronald felt that his greatest strength was still surviving after practice. This play was released at the West End Theater in London the year before last. Looking at the introduction in the brochure sent to the audience by the theater, he played the leading role in the first performance.

After performing hundreds of performances in a row, it went on tour on Broadway in New York. In this way, the drama that can be acted instinctively, in his hands, still reacts very naturally, and the emotions are so full that the audience is moved to tears.

Ronald is a film director. He saw that the male protagonist not only had first-class reactions, but also inspired the three heroines in his performance and passed on this natural reaction to them.

Acting is about acting out reactions. This saying is actually even more true on the drama stage. Over and over again, the stronger the stimulation the male protagonist gives his opponent, the more natural the stimulation he returns will be, and the more enjoyable it will be for the audience.

"Bravo, Bravo!"

After the whole play ended, the audience stood up and applauded, and the leading actors must come out for the curtain call.

"Valmont, Valmont!" When the ladies in the audience saw this handsome actor with fluttering blond hair and a slight beard, they all screamed like fans who saw a star.

It wasn't until the leading actor smiled charmingly, blew kisses to the audience, and then bowed in greeting that things gradually subsided.

"This male protagonist is a very good actor." Ronald noticed that many viewers around him were very excited. The male protagonist's smile and eyes are so controlled that every woman sitting there feels that he is smiling at her alone.

"I thought you would appreciate Lindsay Duncan as the Marquise de Merteuil." Helen replied in Ronald's ear while applauding. "She won last year's highest award in British theater, the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress."

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

"No, I think the male protagonist is better. He is the central fulcrum of the drama. It is through his different interpretations that the three heroines can shine dazzlingly. And this light does not obscure his own role. . I think the American audience is knowledgeable and knows how to appreciate him."

"Hahaha, you are saying that Broadway audiences are shallow and only watch handsome guys." Helen laughed. The two cousin countries actually have very different views on theatrical art. Many British theater actors are top students from Oxford and Cambridge. Drama is an elegant art, highly sought after and appreciated by the upper classes.

America, on the other hand, has brought the hobbies of working people to the fore. Even the tap dance performed by manual workers is now a long-running Broadway classic. The vast majority of Broadway audiences are tourists from all over the world, and they appreciate this kind of acting skills that do not require advanced knowledge to appreciate.

"Do you want to meet him? I'm very familiar with the manager of the Music Box Theater. Our drama club often borrows their rehearsal hall." Helen noticed Ronald's admiration for the leading actor and offered to take him backstage to get to know him. Meet the actors.

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

Lindsay Duncan, who plays the Marquise de Merteuil, looks very British. She wears a classical costume with a bustle and a corset. The waist is very thin. Now she can finally loosen it backstage.

"Valmont, today is your triumph again."

Lindsay Duncan still calls the leading actor by the name of the character in the play. He is more popular with the audience on Broadway and everyone has long been used to it. However, everyone's performance today was particularly outstanding. The theater actors always understand each other's status very well.

"Marquise de Merteuil", the actor also made a classic bow, and then Lindsay curtsied in return. Everyone laughed.

"It's a pity that except for the live audiences on Broadway, the rest of America can't experience 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 he made has no chance to be released, so he can only continue to act in the drama circle.

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

"Of course, I'm very willing. I wonder if you would like to play this role in the movie?" Ronald and Helen were taken backstage by the theater manager, and they happened to hear this sentence.

Ronald already liked their performances, which reminded him of the wonderful performances of the Broadway actors led by Olympia Dukaski when he directed "Moonlight". As a director, it is very comfortable to use the kind of theater actor who can accurately translate your ideas into acting.

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

"Who are you?"

"Ronald, Ronald Lee, I just filmed..." Ronald stepped forward to shake hands with the hero and heroine and introduce himself.

"Oh, you're the director who directed Dirty Dancing?" Lindsay Duncan was 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 I really hope to have the opportunity to cooperate with you. I think the American audience 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 chat with me. It has my personal number on it. I would like to 'Dangerous Liaisons' adapted for screen."

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

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

"Oh, that's such a pity." Ronald was stunned for a moment when he heard that someone had already arrived first. I made a fool of myself by not investigating in advance.

"But thank you for your appreciation of our drama. Why don't we go have a drink together." The actor stretched out his hand to shake Ronald's hand, "Call me Allen. We will change clothes and come."

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

Acting in a play requires several hours of dedication, and during this time the actors seemed to have fully warmed up. After the performance, my nervous system was like a racing car that was racing and couldn't stop quickly. So they often come here to have dinner after the show.

In addition to delicious food, this place also has an open stage for stand-up comedy talk show performers. The spotlight shines on the edge of the stage, and it's halftime.

"Alan, Lindsay, haven't you considered developing in Hollywood?" Ronald asked the two protagonists.

"Lindsay is very interested." Allen pointed at Lindsay Duncan.

"Hey, I've been in two movies, but no distribution company in America wants to take it on."

"That's how it is here. You are not famous yet. But I think that with your ability, many people here will soon know each other. By then, your past movies can also be released based on your fame." Ronald said about Ami. The operation of this business system.

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

"The production company will look for Hollywood stars. As you said, no one here knows us." The actor Allen shrugged coolly.

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

Ronald also spoke auspicious words. The Broadway dance drama "My Fair Lady" that year starred Julie Andrews. But when it was remade into a movie, the film company also replaced her with Audrey Hepburn because of her lack of fame.

But a blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise. Andrews later took on the role of the fairy nanny Mary (Mary Poppins) in "Mary Poppins Returns" and won the Oscar, beating Hepburn, who had others dub the arias. Then he took on "The Sound of Music," which skyrocketed.

This choice of whether to use a Broadway cast or brand new Hollywood stars has its successes and failures.

Ronald feels that with the looks and acting skills of these two, even in the harsh close-up of the movie camera, they will not be worse than the current stars in Hollywood.

But who made America a contract society? Ronald has not watched new Broadway plays for a long time, and there is nothing he can do about it when someone else grabs the rights to adapt the show he is promising.

"My invitation is valid for a long time. If you have the schedule and time, I will have a lot of roles here that need to be auditioned." Ronald still thinks that Broadway actors can be used.

The two protagonists, Allen and Duncan, looked at each other again, and luckily found them. "We will perform until early November, and the tour in America will be over. There will be time then."

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

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

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

"Hey, Allen, you're here too, you guy who stole my leading role." The man who talked about stand-up comedy saw the male protagonist Allen and greeted him on the stage.

"Hi, Kevin." Alan greeted him, raising his beer.

"He is also an actor on Broadway. His play as the protagonist ended this year. He usually performs imitation shows here to make money." Allen introduced the people on the stage to Ronald.

"Hey, who is next to you? Isn't he the boss of a film company? What do you think of me? My hair is not as thick as his, but my acting skills are better than his."

Ronald was amused. These Broadway actors are all versatile and have loud voices. Are they better actors than Allen, who he just met? Is the Music Box Theater a place that wholesales movie stars?

"Kevin, do some Jack Lemmon." An old audience member next to him started calling to him.

"Hi, hello, Johnny from Little Italy, I recognize you. I recognize you...you make me...how do I put it, you make me miserable."

Ronald looked back at Allen and saw him nodding to confirm to himself.

This Kevin's level is very high. The words he just said are imitating the lines of actor Jack Lemmon in "Bachelor's Apartment". He perfectly imitated Lemon's tone of middle-class citizen. If it weren't for the perfect match between his mouth shape and his lines on stage now, Ronald would have suspected that Jack Lemmon was playing a double act with him backstage.

Ronald put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. Attracting Kevin on the stage to look over here.

“Who else could you imitate?”

"Who can I imitate? I can do anyone. But my friend, should you tell me if you are from a film company?" Kevin was still interacting with himself in a Jack Lemmon tone.

"Of course, impress me." Ronald folded his arms in front of his chest and made a show of watching your performance.

"Oh, the people here tonight are all Elephants. My dear, I forgot to hide."

Kevin changed the tone of the commander-in-chief and imitated his famous words when he was wheeled into the emergency room after being shot when he took office.

"You have to do better." Ronald knew that the commander-in-chief, Ronald Sr., had been a TV host for decades and the commander-in-chief for another seven years. There were countless videos of his speeches, imitating them. He also has many people. Determined to test Kevin's background, he increased the difficulty.

"Who do you want to hear?"

"Let's have a female star." Johnny on the table started ordering again.

"Yes, here's a girl." Ronald raised his beer and toasted to the old man.

"Ah, Johnny. You disgust me, stay away from me." Kevin actually imitated the veteran Hollywood actress Katharine Hepburn. What's even more disgusting is that he actually imitated Hepburn's old age disease. After that, my head kept shaking, and my voice also trembled.

"Bravo!"

Ronald was also shocked. The ability to capture the most impressive characteristics of the person being imitated in just one or two sentences and then be quickly recognized by the audience is exactly the characteristic of a great actor.

Kevin continued to imitate a series of celebrities and dignitaries. After more than ten minutes, the audience was very satisfied. He stepped off the stage, leaving the microphone to the next performer, and ran over to Ronald's table to say hello.

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

"So, are you really from the film company?"

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

"Oh, I heard Olympia talk about you. She said you are a very good director and you don't mind her being ugly."

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

The few people chatted happily, and when Ronald saw that they all wanted to act in movies, he talked about some Hollywood principles.

Generally speaking, the looks of these theater actors cannot compare to those of movie stars. But the acting is beyond that.

So generally speaking, the best opportunity for transformation is to find a role that suits their characteristics, or to start with a supporting role. What Broadway character actors are best at, like Kevin, is quickly establishing a distinct image in the eyes of the audience.

"This is my business card. You can give it to your agent and ask him to contact my agent. If there is a chance, I will take care of it." Ronald also had a good impression of Kevin and took the initiative to take out one The business card was handed to him.

Ronald chatted with them for a while longer and then stood up to leave. Helen is going back to her father's mansion in Central Park Uptown to discuss the new movie.

Let her drive her new car and go with her best friend first, while Ronald called the taxi company.

"Hey, I need a car. I'm on Broadway next to the Music Box Theater and I'm going back to the Essex Hotel."

After making the call, Ronald waited at the door of the bar smoking a cigarette.

"Ronald's girlfriend seems to be gone, right? Shall we go talk to him?"

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

"Walk!"

The black-haired one is clearly the heroine of "Flashdance" with whom Ronald worked, Jennifer Beals. The blond woman holding hands with her was her Yale classmate, who once caused Hinckley, the rich second generation of the oil company, to shoot the leader Jodie Foster.

"Ronald!"

"Hi, Jennifer, Judy, are you here to see the play too?" Ronald heard someone calling him and put out his cigarette in the ashtray. It turned out that it was two female top students at Yale who found the information about their ancestors at Yale, thanks to Judy.

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

"Long time no see, are you still at Yale now?" Ronald and Beers are also very close friends.

"We have both graduated." The black-haired Biers stroked his hair.

"She is also married." Foster added next to him, "Alex is a university professor, screenwriter, director, and producer."

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

"I heard that you are meeting actresses everywhere in New York to 'rob pear blossoms'?" Jodie Foster made it clear, "Why didn't you meet Jennifer?"

"That was not an easy role to play. Jennifer has already rejected it." Ronald explained the controversial aspects of the plot of "The Robbery of Pear Blossoms".

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

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

"Is it Kelly McGillis? We got wind that she's going to play 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 of what Ronald said. She still remembers that during the filming of Flashdance, Ronald was very kind to her dance doubles and obtained signatures and recommendations for her.

In addition, everyone has seen the "Dirty Dancing" scene. This is a man of integrity and artistic ability. It would be great if he directed it.

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

"My car is here. We have a chance to continue chatting." Ronald waved to the driver. When he stopped at the door, he politely said goodbye to the two of them, opened the back door and sat in, "Essex Hotel, thank you. .”

"It's a pity that he can't direct. If this role was not directed by him, there would be a lot of controversy." Beers looked at Ronald's departure with regret.

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

…

"Dududu..."

After Ronald took a shower, the phone rang.

"Mr. Capra Wilder? There is a Miss Jodie Foster here to meet a Ronald..."

The concierge reported Ronald's false name, and Jodie Foster hurried over. She didn't know what false name Ronald had registered under, nor his room number, but she still rushed in bravely.

"Please let her come up." Ronald understood her purpose.

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

"Miss Foster, Mr. Wilder." The concierge introduced Jodie Foster to Ronald. Seeing that they knew each other, he stepped away knowingly.

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

Ronald brought in Jodie Foster.

"coffee Tea……"

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

"Oh... don't do this." Ronald stretched out his hand to stop Foster from doing this, but he did not report it to his agent.

"What, don't you like me? It was the same last time. Don't I look attractive to you?" Jodie Foster sat slumped on the sofa and covered her face with her hands.

"I assume you are here to rob Pear Blossom?"

"Yes, no one is looking for me to film now. If I don't get a role in a big production, I will be forgotten by the audience soon. You see, the concierge in that hotel didn't even recognize me. Am I fat? Woo hoo..."

"Don't be like this. 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 her transformation, she was involved in a shooting and was in college again. The movies she shot during this period did not do well at the box office.

"You also think I'm 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 looking at her looks.

Ronald is a director who respects the rules of drama. I was willing to back him last time and didn't get the role. This time, if Ronald still thought he was not suitable for the role, he would not have recommended it.

"It's not that your acting skills are not suitable, it's that the role of the victim in this movie is too much. I'm not lying, let alone acting in this movie, I feel physically sick even imagining the scene. You are a good actor …”

"I'm not willing to do it. I can play it. I can play the role in 'Taxi Driver' before. There's nothing I can't do." Jodie Foster seems to have found a life-saving straw and can play a seven-year-old movie. For the heroine produced by a big production company, she has no choice.

Besides, the more controversial it is, the more momentum it can build, doesn’t it? 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 firm 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 both good. She was nominated for an Oscar before. The little girl in Taxi Driver 1977, Jodie Foster. I asked her to go to Los Angeles. Looking for you."

Jodie Foster tilted her head and looked at Ronald with passion in her eyes. He was really handsome. One phone call gave him a huge opportunity. Men are not all annoying...

"Well..." Ronald just put down the phone when Foster jumped up and sealed his mouth with a kiss.

"Hee hee hee……"

Ronald pulled her arm off. "Theoretically you don't owe me anything, Judy. I just made a phone call. Whether you get the part or not is up to you. I had no say in the project. Quan, do you understand?"

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

"Are you afraid of what your girlfriend will hear in New York? I know the rules. Anyway, I'm going to Los Angeles. You can receive the goods there if you want. Or do you want more?" Judy Fosse Te seemed to have a bit of a misunderstanding, she raised her lips and smiled provocatively at Ronald.

In fact, if Jennifer Beals hadn't been competing with him, he could have gotten it by calling her over. Jodie Foster thought about it, who did 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.

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

This blond girl is a top student at Yale, so even if there is an exchange, it must be made clear.

Please remember the first domain name of this book: . :