Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 135 Buying a House

  The famous Hollywood star, Steve McQueen, was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of 1979. Everyone said that it was related to his heavy smoking all year round, two packs a day.

  McQueen was a strong tough guy who was tortured to the bone. For a time, people who smoked in the entertainment industry were a little scared. Although the tobacco factory also cited the latest research, lung cancer has nothing to do with smoking, but no one believes in the ethics of capitalists.

  Peter Guber had taken out his cigarettes, and thought it might be better not to smoke, at least not until the Steve McQueen thing was over.

   "What's your reason?"

   "Reason? Every boy in America is crazy about her." Ronald felt that Guber was also out of touch with the lower class. Brooke Shields is the dream lover of all high school boys. Do you need to ask for a reason?

"And she just finished filming a 'Blue Coral Reef', she played a girl who was stranded on a desert island with a boy because of a shipwreck. The two became husband and wife and had children. I heard that the film has Lots of nudity, think what boy wouldn't want to be stranded on a desert island alone with Brooke Shields?"

"What's your name?"

   "Ronald Lee, I'm still an advertising director and screenwriter." Ronald finally had a chance to introduce himself and hurriedly handed over his business card.

   "I remember your name, Ronald." Then Peter Guber called everyone, "Contact Brooke Shields' mother Terry as soon as possible, we must finalize the contract before the release of Blue Coral Reef."

  Director Franco Zeffirelli had nothing to do with the heroine. Shirley Knight looked sad and angry. Who told her to not finalize a heroine as soon as possible after rejecting Brooke Shields?

  The casting of the female lead has basically been finalized, and the male lead Franco Zeffirelli has already had several candidates. Ronald started working on this commercial again.

   The countess of the hair country, the skydiver, the girls in the cheerleading team... Nearly 10 commercials have been filmed one after another, and Darcy Maguire, who is wearing formal trousers, also often comes to the studio to fight. Ronald found that for professional women who often run business, it is really more convenient to wear pants than skirts. The so-called feminism is also a practical need from the beginning.

  Spike Lee and photographer Dickinson earned a lot of labor fees. They had some money and flew to Los Angeles to find funding for the film.

  Now helping Ronald shoot is Kathryn Bigelow of Columbia University, and Persian photographer Amir.

   Previously, the commander-in-chief issued an order to expel more than 140 Persian college students who had flawed procedures and studied mechanics, electronics, and nuclear engineering. Art students like Amir survived, and his family's assets on Wall Street did not suffer any loss, and his family's relatives were also preparing to come back to the United States through a third country.

  Ronald and Catherine Bigelow both sympathized with his Persian compatriots who were innocently expelled. Because of their home country, the international students were implicated, and they even felt that the commander was a little out of anger. At the beginning, it was also because the Great Commander did not support the Persian Shah, that the Great Ayatollah had the opportunity to return to China.

  The Great Ayatollah offered conditions that as long as the Persian Shah returned to his country for trial, he could end the hostage crisis and resume oil exports. But the commander didn't want to be blamed for being unethical, and sent Shah, who was being treated in the hospital, to Panama on a military plane.

   Now that Persia can’t be dealt with, the old friends will be driven away, and the innocent students will be vented. It’s really not like a superpower commander.

  The revenue from advertising shooting is considerable. The equipment rental and personnel service fees given are a small part of the money received. Ronald took a cheque from Director Darcy Maguire, happily booked it at Wells Fargo and notified Lawrence, the accountant.

   "You have to invest that money again, or your federal and state income taxes will eat up half of your income when tax season comes," Lawrence, an accountant, reminded Ronald.

   "What? I don't remember the tax rate being that high?"

  Lawrence began to explain to Ronald that income tax includes both federal and state levels, as well as corporate income tax and personal income tax, all of which are progressive. Ronald's filming company took 10 series of commercials in a short period of time, and the income has exceeded the next highest tax rate, and that part of the money has to pay the tax rate of more than 50%. For most of the rest, 30-50% also applies.

   "Wadhan, this is too high." Ronald was a little uncomfortable, I didn't feel it before.

   "In the past, you were a low-income class on subsidies, and you depended on these taxes." Lawrence said with a smile.

   "Okay, what should I invest in? Stocks? Bonds?"

"It's up to you to decide. In addition to these, a house is also a good investment and can fight inflation. Stocks may lose money, bonds can't beat inflation, and houses can beat inflation and basically won't lose money. That's why Chinese people like to buy houses. ” Lawrence said.

   "You're right, you should buy a house." Ronald thought of his aunt and Donna, who should also have a place to live in Manhattan. Renting a house is not bad, but if you can afford it, you still have to buy a house.

   asked the real estate agent, Ronald really can't buy a good house with this money. The only option is a condominium. All residents in a building form an owner committee, and the water, electricity, coal and security expenses are jointly paid, the property rights of the apartment are owned by themselves, and the annual property tax is paid by themselves.

The advantage of   community condominiums over traditional condominiums is that the owners' committee is only a management agency, and it does not have the power to decide whether to accept new tenants. Of course, the disadvantage is also here. If a large number of black people pour in, then the house price will fall.

  Ronald thought again and again, and finally made up his mind was Katherine Bigelow's party. She waited in line in Upper Manhattan for a rent-controlled apartment vacancy, passed inspections by the owners' committee, and moved into a so-called upscale neighborhood.

  The predominantly white homeowners committee was satisfied with her ethnicity and job, and the people she dealt with were all directors and actors in the film industry, and Catherine was accepted.

   Ronald quietly inquired about the rent. This traditional apartment was built before 1974, and the law stipulates that the rent can only increase by a small amount, such as 1-2%, every year.

After the decoupling of the U.S. dollar and gold, inflation has skyrocketed, but rents cannot rise. The rent paid by Catherine is now far from the market price. It is only about half of the surrounding apartments without rent control. It is conceivable that this ratio will become more exaggerated as time goes on. .

   After learning about the difference in rent, Ronald immediately found an agent and found a house not far from the apartment he rented. In the name of the production company, I bought this small two-bedroom apartment, and later let Aunt Karen and Donna live in it, and Ronald continued to live in the old place.

   Anyway, the two apartments are not far apart, just a 10-minute walk away. The new apartment is very close to the Academy of Performing Arts, and not far from Stuyvesant High School. Although there are various expenses such as security and management fees, it is the best choice after comprehensive consideration. Anyway, it is better than half of the IRS.

  This tax rate really kills people. No wonder America is in recession. Small and medium-sized enterprises simply do not want to expand, and it is difficult to maintain the current scale. Ronald's thinking has changed from a commoner to a small business owner.

   "It would be great if the former Hollywood actor really became the chief commander, at least he would give the film and television industry a tax cut." Ronald thought viciously.

   In his spare days, Ronald still keeps his practice of writing synopses for old movies. His synopsis got better and better, and he could almost contribute to a weekly TV magazine as a plot introduction.

In addition, he also maintains the habit of sending letters to major screenwriters' brokerage companies every day. Every week, he will call several brokers who sent them last week to inquire whether he has received his self-recommendation letter and whether he is interested in signing it. Wait for yourself.

   But 99% of the time, Ronald was chatting with the agent's secretary. Chatting with a secretary is a skill. I make a phone call every day and accumulate tons of experience in addition to the phone bill.

  The work of these secretaries is very boring. They routinely answer the phone, type, and copy every day, which makes them eager to be recognized for their work.

  Ronald got familiar with the phone, and gradually found that there were real people with emotions behind the phone, so he began to learn to joke with them, cared about their work, and gradually made friends with some secretaries.

  From the beginning with only official answers, to now skillfully flirting with secretaries, Ronald has become more of a Hollywood animal.

   However, there is no substantial progress in the agent's affairs, although several secretaries have sworn to help him, quietly putting his resume at the top of the recommendation list, helping to mention his name and so on. But Ronald didn't have a famous screenplay after all, and that was all the secretaries could do.

  Maybe it will improve after "Famous in the World" is released.

  “Bell bell bell…”

   The phone rang again that day, or Julia Taylor asked him to go to the casting studio, and the casting work for "Endless Love" went wrong again.

   "Terry, Brooke Shields' mother, suddenly declined the invitation to audition." Julia said to Ronald, you have to continue to take pictures of audition candidates. "

   "What's the matter? Why did he refuse?" Brooke Shields, who Ronald recommended to the CEO of Polygram, refused to audition, which meant that he didn't have much familiarity with the big shots to get along with.

   "Her original words are that this script cannot reflect Brooke Shields' acting skills. Her daughter just needs to stand there and perform beautifully. It is not good for Brooke Shields' star development."

   "Ha..." Ronald was amused.

   "Bo Ji Xiaosi, isn't it just standing there and acting beautifully? Acting skills or something, I just think too much."

   "The real reason may be that Blue Coral Reef's preview response was very good. Her mother wanted to wait for the price. After the official release, they can negotiate the contract, so that they can ask for a higher price."

   "What about us?"

   "Guber was dissatisfied and instructed us to continue casting, and if there was a good candidate, he would kick her."

   (end of this chapter)