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Authors: Sam Moffie, Vicki Contavespi
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a fifth member of the group, who Oscar later found out was someone who
wanted to be
a screenwriter and had at least 20 unfinished manuscripts to his credit.
“I have a better question,” Oscar Millard asked the small group he was conversing with. “How come liberals are from the left and conservatives from the right?” Oscar wanted to change the subject, because he liked John Wayne and also knew that John Wayne was great for the movie business.
“That’s a good question,” the poet replied.
“I’ll do some research and get back to all of you later,” said the fiction writer.
“I already know the answer,” said the man who had written, but not finished, at least 20 screenplays. “It comes from the French Revolution. At the first meeting of the new parliament, the most radical of the group sat at the left and the most conservative of the group sat at the right. In between both groups were the moderates.”
“It can’t be that simple,” the poet said.
“Hasn’t changed much… has it?” Oscar asked.
“The French know their stuff when it comes to changing social order,” a listening member of the small group replied.
“And their seating arrangements, too,” Oscar Millard pointed out.
And everyone laughed at that.
“Can we get back to Wayne?” the fiction writer asked.
“How about I end the discussion on Wayne and we all go back to the party?” Oscar said to the group.
They all nodded. After all, the booze and food was not only good… they were free; and the women at the party were all attractive.
“Wayne makes money for Hollywood. We all want to be a part of Hollywood. In that respect he is very good for all of us. Furthermore, as long as Wayne lives and Ford makes him movies that fit his hero image — the Duke could be 70 and still be a hero to Americans. There is something about that guy that no other actor will ever have,” Oscar continued.
“No one has been a leading man in as many pictures… and I mean a lot of
bad
pictures, and survived like Wayne. This place eats up old actors, but look at Wayne again. He didn’t get his huge presence on screen until his 30’s, and he is still going strong,” said the guy who had at least 20unfinished screenplays. And everyone agreed with him, because he had supplied a credible answer to the question on why liberals were from the left and conservatives from the right.
When Oscar Millard told Dick Powell about the guy with 20 unfinished screenplays’ obvious research instincts, Dick Powell hired him for the research department.
“Dick, I’m sure glad to see you. What’s it been, a few months?” the Duke asked his good friend.
Powell nodded.
“But at least it means we are both busy, and that’s a very good thing,” the Duke said as he stopped embracing his friend and let Dick walk over to the couch.
Again Powell agreed.
“What are you working on now?” Wayne asked.
Powell pointed to the script and was just about to start telling the Duke about his plane flight, when Miss Burchett came running into the office.
“Excuse me Mr. Powell and Mr. Wayne, but there is a fire on the back lot. It’s under control, but the fire chief wants to talk to someone in charge, and everyone who could talk to the chief is on the way to Southern Utah with the first haul,” the secretary blurted out in one breath.
Powell turned to John and excused himself.
“Don’t worry. I’ll read this,” Wayne said as he pointed to the script of The Conqueror.
“I’m only worried that neither one of us heard the engines,” Powell said.
“That’s because the executive offices are sound proof. Don’t forget I worked on this lot long before you did,” Wayne bellowed to his friend as he buried himself in the manuscript.
Rumor had it that the office windows were also bulletproof because the previous studio owner — Joe Kennedy — had made a lot of enemies who used real guns and bullets, not Hollywood props.
When he got off the little golf cart
wanted to be
a screenwriter and had at least 20 unfinished manuscripts to his credit.
“I have a better question,” Oscar Millard asked the small group he was conversing with. “How come liberals are from the left and conservatives from the right?” Oscar wanted to change the subject, because he liked John Wayne and also knew that John Wayne was great for the movie business.
“That’s a good question,” the poet replied.
“I’ll do some research and get back to all of you later,” said the fiction writer.
“I already know the answer,” said the man who had written, but not finished, at least 20 screenplays. “It comes from the French Revolution. At the first meeting of the new parliament, the most radical of the group sat at the left and the most conservative of the group sat at the right. In between both groups were the moderates.”
“It can’t be that simple,” the poet said.
“Hasn’t changed much… has it?” Oscar asked.
“The French know their stuff when it comes to changing social order,” a listening member of the small group replied.
“And their seating arrangements, too,” Oscar Millard pointed out.
And everyone laughed at that.
“Can we get back to Wayne?” the fiction writer asked.
“How about I end the discussion on Wayne and we all go back to the party?” Oscar said to the group.
They all nodded. After all, the booze and food was not only good… they were free; and the women at the party were all attractive.
“Wayne makes money for Hollywood. We all want to be a part of Hollywood. In that respect he is very good for all of us. Furthermore, as long as Wayne lives and Ford makes him movies that fit his hero image — the Duke could be 70 and still be a hero to Americans. There is something about that guy that no other actor will ever have,” Oscar continued.
“No one has been a leading man in as many pictures… and I mean a lot of
bad
pictures, and survived like Wayne. This place eats up old actors, but look at Wayne again. He didn’t get his huge presence on screen until his 30’s, and he is still going strong,” said the guy who had at least 20unfinished screenplays. And everyone agreed with him, because he had supplied a credible answer to the question on why liberals were from the left and conservatives from the right.
When Oscar Millard told Dick Powell about the guy with 20 unfinished screenplays’ obvious research instincts, Dick Powell hired him for the research department.
“Dick, I’m sure glad to see you. What’s it been, a few months?” the Duke asked his good friend.
Powell nodded.
“But at least it means we are both busy, and that’s a very good thing,” the Duke said as he stopped embracing his friend and let Dick walk over to the couch.
Again Powell agreed.
“What are you working on now?” Wayne asked.
Powell pointed to the script and was just about to start telling the Duke about his plane flight, when Miss Burchett came running into the office.
“Excuse me Mr. Powell and Mr. Wayne, but there is a fire on the back lot. It’s under control, but the fire chief wants to talk to someone in charge, and everyone who could talk to the chief is on the way to Southern Utah with the first haul,” the secretary blurted out in one breath.
Powell turned to John and excused himself.
“Don’t worry. I’ll read this,” Wayne said as he pointed to the script of The Conqueror.
“I’m only worried that neither one of us heard the engines,” Powell said.
“That’s because the executive offices are sound proof. Don’t forget I worked on this lot long before you did,” Wayne bellowed to his friend as he buried himself in the manuscript.
Rumor had it that the office windows were also bulletproof because the previous studio owner — Joe Kennedy — had made a lot of enemies who used real guns and bullets, not Hollywood props.
When he got off the little golf cart
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