Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"There was a little problem. Our filming ended late last night and Melanie didn't arrive on time, so today will be delayed a little."

Ronald was on the set and explained to the visiting executives from 20th Century Fox. Ronald is responsible for all things related to the performance of the crew. If such a blatant lateness is exposed, it will only make people feel that he does not have enough control over the crew.

"I'm going to rest first." The senior executive smiled and said nothing.

The crew's technical staff were still arranging the camera brackets as usual, and several actors over there had already put on costumes and came to the set in advance. I saw the director sitting on a chair nearby without saying anything, his face looking gloomy and scary. Everyone asked what happened.

The cast and crew were all messing around, passing gossip around to each other. Today's shooting was a big scene, and many actors who played wedding guests came. It is difficult for Ronald to control it like a parlor drama, and it may be difficult to stop the rumors of Melanie Griffiths acting like a big star.

The filming of "Working Girl", which had always gone smoothly, turned out to have such a big problem today. Ronald thought for a long time that this was not an accident that he could have expected, so he had to deal with it according to the situation.

The "director," Alec Baldwin, who turned down Melanie last night, comes over to be questioned by Ronald.

"What happened between you after the filming was completed last night? Do you know where she went?" Ronald stared into Baldwin's eyes and invited them to have dinner together last night. Both of them abnormally refused. Invitation, now that I think about it, it seems like there was something wrong with the two of them.

"I don't know? I went back to the hotel by myself." Baldwin quickly cleared the relationship.

"Really?" Ronald felt that the two of them left with such a tacit understanding. Did they make an appointment to get together...

"Listen, director. I had a female friend in New York last night. We made an appointment to talk tonight. I haven't seen Melanie since the crew left..." Alec Baldwin called out to Qu, as he had another party. Object……

"Did you hear what she said?" It was not convenient for Ronald to continue to inquire into the actor's personal privacy, so he had to ask Baldwin if he had noticed anything unusual about Melanie Griffiths.

"Melanie is an actor who is easily affected by the emotions of the character. She kind of mistook me for Mick. If you understand what I mean..." Baldwin thought for a while and tried not to reveal his privacy. Make things clear.

"Thank you, you can go." Ronald roughly understood what was going on.

Melanie Griffiths is a talented actor. She does not have many acting skills, but her imagination is beyond ordinary people.

Such an actor can rely on imagination to find the emotional state of a character without anything else, and then throw himself into it, making himself become that character. This way every move fits the character.

However, the disadvantage of this is that some actors who do not have a stable daily life are more susceptible to the influence of the plot, confusing the boundaries between their characters and themselves.

Just like the two beauties Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell played in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". Jane Russell has a stable family in Hollywood. She can go home and enjoy life with her family every day. Marilyn Monroe was alone and still immersed in the role after returning home. This kind of shooting schedule without the adjustment of normal life soon made Monroe, who was originally sensitive, become a little mentally abnormal.

Ronald, who was thinking about how to make Melanie Griffiths more stable, was awakened by the artistic director Polly Platt who came over.

"Phyllis Carlisle is here with Melanie..." Polly put her hands on Ronald's shoulders and whispered in his ear, "But Melanie's condition is very problematic. I asked them to come from behind. Get into the trailer, you go there and see her.”

After calling the assistant director to continue preparing for the scene, Ronald and Polly walked quickly behind several trailers parked across the street, one of which was dedicated to Melanie Griffiths.

"Melanie..." After Ronald got in the car, he saw a woman slumped on the small bed in the trailer. It was Melanie Griffiths.

"She is now under the dual influence of alcohol and drugs. I am giving her a lot of water to drink. It may take some time." Manager Phyllis Carlisle covered Melanie's head with a wet towel and then Keep turning her head to drink water.

"Fuxk! What's the matter with you? Did you know that a senior executive from 20th Century Fox came over today? I thought you would cherish this opportunity? You were in good condition during the previous filming. Did it give you the illusion that you can act like a big name?"

When Ronald saw this, he felt a little paralyzed. The daily cost of shooting a big production is hundreds of thousands. It would disrupt the shooting schedule and cause a small loss of money. If it delays the schedule of a big star, then The loss is huge. Fortunately, there is no Harrison Ford scene today, so it does not count against his schedule.

"Let me tell you, Phyllis, your client has disappointed me. Fox's senior management just came to ask me if I want to replace someone. It's not that I don't have this option." Ronald decided to make the matter more serious, otherwise This little confused actor will still miss work in the future.

"No...no..." After hearing Ronald's words, Melanie Griffiths, who was lying drowsily on the bed, suddenly woke up and sat up.

"Don't replace me, Ronald. I'm willing to pay any price for Tess. Please, don't replace me. I like the character of Tess so much. She and I have so many similarities. I Promise, I promise that nothing like this will ever happen again."

Although weak, Melanie Griffiths finished her words in one breath, and then looked at Ronald pitifully.

"What do you think?" Ronald ignored her, pulled Polly Pratt aside, and asked this well-informed Hollywood veteran for his opinion.

"I have seen countless such talented actresses who were eventually destroyed by alcohol and drugs..." Polly Platt criticized Melanie at the beginning. She knew that Ronald had to bear a very important responsibility. Responsibility, this kind of thing is not impossible for her.

Anyway, she didn't film many scenes opposite Harrison Ford. She changed actors to save the scene and filmed the scene with Harrison Ford first, and then went back to reshoot the scene after it was completed. This is not unprecedented in Hollywood.

But Polly is also a woman, and she understands Griffiths' psychology very well, and she wants to save her.

"I want to say that in her current condition, she can still perform in this movie with high quality, but if she continues to indulge herself like this in the future, she will be kicked out of Hollywood within five years."

"Melanie, Melanie...how should I treat you?" Ronald murmured to himself, looking at her and making a decision in his heart.

"Polly, ask the doctor to come over and take a look at her... By the way, before entering the trailer, you must sign a confidentiality agreement. I will explain it to the Fox executives."

"Mr. Goldberg wants to speak to you." As expected, the Fox executives who came to visit had already asked their boss for instructions. Because of the jet lag, Fox President Goldberg, who was still sleeping in bed at home in Los Angeles, was not in a good temper after being woken up.

"Ronald, what's going on? Does Melanie Griffith have an attitude problem? I have long thought that she is not good. Now I contact Michelle Pfeiffer, what do you think? I still think we need two A star, this kind of appeal is powerful enough."

"Mr. Goldberg, today was an accident. This kind of thing will never happen to Melanie again. Of course, the doctor is checking her now. I don't know if she can catch up today. But I am very excited about the previous samples. Satisfied, you can watch it, it is definitely a top-notch performance and we will succeed at the box office."

"Ronald, are you sure? If you give her a vote of confidence, then if something like this happens again..."

"I will be responsible..." Ronald replied without hesitation. Replacing Michelle Pfeiffer would definitely not be as effective as Melanie, whose appearance can switch between ordinary and sexy, making the audience believe in the story. And the chemical reactions filmed before are excellent performances that are hard to come across.

Melanie Griffiths was also thirty years old, ambitious, had not yet tasted career success, and needed a miracle. In a way, she and Tess became one. Whoever replaces her will not be able to perform better than her. As long as she can control her future performance on the crew, she will not abuse alcohol or drugs again during filming.

"Okay, okay, you have the final say. I have absolute trust in you. If you think it's okay, then that's okay." Goldberg replied on the phone.

"You won't be disappointed. I know it. The performances in this movie will surprise the audience."

"Listening to what you said, I can report the progress to Mr. Barry Diller with peace of mind. By the way, I forgot to tell you that Mr. Diller is very concerned about your project and he will mention you in every meeting. "

With the studio end settled, Ronald returned to the church where the filming took place.

The doctor from the crew came over and reported to Ronald that he was checking Melanie Griffith's physical condition. He had given her a shot to remove the combined effects of alcohol and drugs.

"Can she shoot today?" Ronald asked.

"This situation is the result of a mixture of two influences. Everyone's tolerance is different. I don't know if she can shoot today. But fortunately, her manager Phyllis discovered it early and took care of it. , it will be back to normal tonight at the latest. You can have a qualified actress tomorrow."

"Thank you, doctor."

"By the way, director. If she continues to drink or abuse drugs later, she will be in big trouble. You have to find a way to keep her sober."

"What can you do?"

"You can do a blood test. I can arrange it at a hospital in Manhattan and the results will be available in two hours."

"very good……"

Melanie Griffiths looked pale, and with the support of her manager Phyllis, she came over to apologize to Ronald again.

"Director, I'm sorry. I promise that nothing like this will happen again... um... vomit... vomit..."

Melanie Griffiths ran to the side and vomited, retching and spitting out only some water.

The magic light in the morning could no longer keep up, and Ronald signaled the photography director to abandon the early morning sunlight and shoot with normal light instead.

"!"

Joan Cusack and the actor who played her new husband emerged from the church with a large group of extras. The camera was mounted on a high stand, and the action of pulling the lens backwards and upwards gave the scene an epic feel.

"If only there was a magic light..." Ronald started to get angry again.

"Director, I'm so sorry." Melanie Griffiths apologized again, wearing the ugly green dress of the bridesmaid. Next to her was another bridesmaid actor, the fat little Ricky Lake, the heroine of "Hairspray". Also wearing an ugly dress to support her.

Ronald stopped her from talking with his hand and went back to confirm with the director of photography.

The panoramic shot can be used, but with Melanie Griffith's ghostly face and her current state, it seems impossible to take satisfactory close-ups and close-ups.

"Come here." Ronald's face was livid, and he waved to Melanie Griffiths. She walked over pitifully, still a little dazed, and didn't remember her lines clearly.

"Get your manager Phyllis to come too."

As soon as these words were said, Melanie Griffiths immediately turned pale.

"Oh... no..." Melanie covered her face with her hands, and tears burst out uncontrollably. He made his debut at the age of fifteen, and now he is thirty years old. Finally, he has a movie that may make him a star. He acted well, and he feels that he will become the focus of the news media and critics.

Just like that, I was screwed by myself...

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu" Melanie Griffiths rushed to the trailer and cried to her manager Phyllis.

Ten minutes later, Melanie Griffiths, who had cried all over her eyeshadow, came to Ronald's trailer with the support of her manager Phyllis Carlisle.

"Be strong, this is your own destiny, face it bravely." Phyllis Carlisle also felt very sorry for this client. However, an actor must always be responsible for such unprofessional behavior...

Behind Ronald sat Polly Platt and the executive from Twentieth Century Fox. The three of them had serious expressions.

"Do you know how much damage your irresponsible behavior has caused?" Ronald said to her.

"You can't shoot any of your scenes today. You have to find another time to reshoot. It's an ensemble scene again. We rented a church. We have to rebook the time. We have to re-schedule so many extras. You alone have caused more than 100,000 US dollars in losses. .

Not to mention, because of your accident, when these actors regrouped for reshoots, their condition would definitely be different from today. what about you? This scene is the part where Tess hits rock bottom and then enters the third act and gets up again.

The audience needs to empathize with Tess and feel sorry for her. Originally, it was the best for you to shoot continuously today. Now on the screen, the audience may have missed Tess at her best.

Think about it, this is a loss for the filming, a loss for the finished film, and ultimately a loss for the audience. Speaking of you, it is still your own loss. "

"Oh..." Melanie Griffiths covered her face...

"This is really a very unprofessional performance...Originally I wanted to replace you, but both Polly and Fox felt that your previous performance was excellent. It would be a pity to replace you because of this accident, so..."

Melanie Griffiths and manager Phyllis Carlisle both looked up sharply when they heard this. The light shone in his eyes again.

"So I'll give you a second chance..."

"Oh..." Melanie Griffiths took a deep breath and leaned back as if she had collapsed. The huge pressure was instantly released from the body, and the whole person seemed to be filled with a warm current.

It's great to be able to continue playing Tess without being replaced.

"But you have to pay a corresponding price. There are conditions for you to continue playing this role..." Ronald said seriously:

"First, if you delay filming again due to personal reasons, you will leave the crew with immediate effect. There are no conditions."

"Sure, I'm sorry"

"Second, you have to bear the cost of reshooting today. I will deduct one hundred thousand US dollars from your salary as the cost of reshooting the wedding scene. Can you accept it?"

Melanie Griffith's total salary was only $800,000, minus one-eighth of it. Manager Phyllis Carlisle squeezed her hand tightly, urging her to agree quickly. If you become famous with this movie, you will be paid everything in the future.

Melanie Griffiths nodded immediately.

"Third, I will arrange for a nurse to supervise you on the set every day. She will take a blood test on you every morning. If it is found that your alcohol and drug levels exceed the legal limit, I will also fire you immediately."

Melanie Griffiths, who agreed to all the conditions, returned to her trailer, drenched in cold sweat.

A fat woman wearing a white nurse uniform knocked on the door and walked in. She came over and grabbed her hand and took out the blood drawing device...

"I am the nurse hired by the director. Every morning from now on, I will come here to take blood tests for you. Don't worry, dear, I will be very gentle." As she said that, the fat nurse inserted the needle.

"Ouch..."