Chapter 182: Palace Pictures

Arthur was not one to endure threats. When Michael Ovitz dared to threaten him, he had no hesitation in retaliating. Targeting CAA was just the beginning.

Ovitz had made many enemies. Among them were Lew Wasserman and David Geffen, both wealthy individuals who had no fondness for Ovitz.

After leaving the Four Seasons Hotel banquet hall, Jennifer Connelly, who had just returned from New York, came to pick up Arthur. "Did you enjoy your vacation in Asia?"

"It was great," Arthur said, kissing her.

"Did you finish your scenes in Scent of a Woman?" Connelly had a few minutes of screen time dancing the tango with Al Pacino, the lead actor.

"The director was very satisfied. I stayed in New York for a week. If all goes well, the film should wrap next month," Jennifer said with a smile. "Shall we go home now? Or maybe hit a bar for some fun?"

"Let's grab a drink," Arthur said, patting Jennifer on the thigh.

At a nightclub on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, they ordered cocktails. Arthur took a sip and asked, "Mrs. Doubtfire starts filming next month in London. Are you ready?"

Jennifer nodded. "I'm all set. I'll head over mid-next month and return to the Los Angeles studio in early May."

Arthur reflected. "Scent of a Woman wraps next month. A Few Good Men will finish shooting either at the end of this month or early next. Schindler's List should be completed by early March at the latest. Emma will also wrap this month, and the British film The Crying Game shouldn't take much longer to finish."

...

At that moment, in CAA's headquarters in Beverly Hills, nicknamed the "Death Star," President Ronald Meyer glared at Michael Ovitz. "What did you do to Arthur Smith?"

"Tom Hanks, Jonathan Demme, Winona Ryder, and Meg Ryan have all switched agencies and refused to renew with us. Do you understand the influence Arthur Smith has among new actors? Galaxy has explicitly targeted CAA now!"

Young actors like Brad Pitt from Thelma & Louise were flocking to UTA, and British actor Hugh Grant had done the same.

"How dare he?" Michael Ovitz's face turned pale.

"Why wouldn't he?" Ronald Meyer slammed his hand on the table. "I just asked you to test the waters, maybe use client fees as leverage. We could have negotiated calmly. When we pressured Lew Wasserman, we got our pay raises, didn't we?"

Ronald Meyer knew Ovitz had little respect for Arthur Smith. Years ago, Ovitz had endured Wasserman's insults without daring to retaliate, forcing Universal to increase pay for the director of Back to the Future.

Ovitz stood up, slamming the table. "Ronald, shut up. I'm the chairman of CAA. I don't need to report my actions to you."

"CAA belongs to all of us. You're ignoring everyone's interests," Ronald Meyer retorted. "You underestimate Galaxy. CAA has made too many enemies over the years. We're just an agency, not even on par with major studios. Do you think we can fight Galaxy and still have support?"

"Spielberg owes Arthur for Schindler's List. Tom Cruise is very pleased with A Few Good Men developed by Galaxy. Robin Williams starts filming Mrs. Doubtfire next month, another Galaxy project. These stars don't care about CAA's tactics. There are plenty of agencies willing to replace us."

Ovitz had believed he was truly powerful after being named Hollywood's most powerful person by a tabloid in 1989 and again in 1990. But Arthur Smith's keen eye for developing blockbuster films made him a formidable adversary.

"Ronald, if there's nothing else, get back to work," Ovitz said, realizing he had gone too far. If CAA's senior partners united against him, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Ronald Meyer didn't say anything more. He glanced at Ovitz one last time before leaving.

...

With the Golden Globe Awards ceremony approaching, Arthur stayed in Los Angeles, postponing his trip to Park City, Utah. The annual Sundance Film Festival was about to begin, and Galaxy needed to increase its film releases.

"I heard Barry Diller announced he would resign as chairman of 20th Century Fox Entertainment next month and leave Hollywood," Amy Pascal remarked in Galaxy's office.

"Barry Diller is leaving 20th Century Fox? The Fox Broadcasting Company took off," Arthur said, putting down his pen. "Leaving Hollywood? Where is Barry Diller going?"

Diller, known as the "Hollywood Kid," was the mastermind behind the creation of TV movies and had led Paramount's revival from 1977 to 1984.

"I heard he's heading to QVC, the largest home shopping company in America. Diller has had numerous dealings with QVC," Amy Pascal said, sounding a bit regretful.

Arthur smiled. Diller didn't want to be a subordinate anymore; he wanted to be the real boss. At Paramount, he was under Martin Davis of Gulf and Western. At 20th Century Fox, he answered to Rupert Murdoch of News Corp.

"His era is over unless he returns to Hollywood," Arthur said, shaking his head and changing the subject. "How's our UK division doing?"

Amy Pascal smiled. "I'm planning to acquire Palace Pictures as Galaxy's UK branch."

"Belle Epoque?" Arthur chuckled. "The company developing The Crying Game, with two theaters and heavy debt?"

"Exactly. Palace Pictures is on the verge of bankruptcy and won't last until The Crying Game is released," Amy Pascal explained, planning to use Palace Pictures as the foundation for Galaxy's UK operations.

"Don't forget France. It's an art film hub," Arthur reminded her.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.