Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Four
The next morning we sailed to London.It's been a smooth, flawless journey, and it's like a reflection of my current state of life.I'm married to the woman I love, I'm signed to a big company, I'm doing what I love, and I'm off to Europe for my second honeymoon.
After the ship arrived, we took the shuttle train to London, where we wandered for a few days before heading on to Paris.We stayed at the beautiful Lancaster Hotel on Bailey Street.There is a beautiful garden in the hotel where you can drink and dine.
The first thing I did after moving in was call United Artists' Paris office.It was the manager, Mr. Burns, who answered the phone.
"Mr. Spiegel told us to wait for your call, Mr. Sheldon. When do you plan to see the film?"
"It doesn't matter, anytime."
"Could it be tomorrow morning? Well—how about ten o'clock?"
"Can."
Joya and I walked around and went to the legendary Maxim restaurant for dinner.
When I woke up the next morning, Joya was still in bed.
"We're going to see that movie at ten, honey. You'd better hurry."
She shook her head, "I'm a little tired. Go on your own. I want to rest in my room today. Let's go out to eat and watch a theater in the evening."
"Okay. I won't be out for long."
United Artists sent a car to take me to their office.Mr. Burns was a tall, kindly-looking man with silver hair.
"Nice to meet you," he said. "Let's go straight to the screening room."
We walked into the theater where United Artists was showing the film.Including us, there are only three people in the huge auditorium.The other man was short in stature and plain in appearance.The only attractive thing about him is his eyes, which are bright and sharp.Mr. Burns introduced us, though I didn't catch his name.
The movie begins, a shoddy French Western that I bet Sam Spiegel wouldn't be interested in.
I looked down the aisle. Mr. Burns was having a pleasant conversation with the stranger.
Stranger said: "...I told Zanuck, this is absolutely not okay, Darryl...Harry Warner wants to work with me, but that guy is such a jerk...At dinner, Darryl told me ..."
What is the origin of this guy?
I walk over. "Excuse me," I said to him, "I didn't catch your name just now."
He looked up at me and nodded, "Harris, Jed Harris."
I must have had a big smile on my face, "I know someone who really wants to meet you!"
"yes?"
"Are you busy now?"
He shrugged, "It's nothing."
"How about coming back to the hotel with me? I want you to meet my wife."
"of course can."
Fifteen minutes later we were seated in the gardens of the Lancaster Hotel.I called Joya downstairs.
"Hi."
"Hi, you're back. How's the film?"
"No impression. Come out into the garden. We'll have lunch here."
"I'm not dressed yet, dear. Shall we eat in our room?"
"No, no. You have to come down. I want you to see someone."
"But……"
"No but."
Fifteen minutes later, Joya came down.
I said to Jedd, "This is Joya."
I said to Joa, "Joya, this is Jed Harris." I spoke slowly, watching the joy appear on her face.
We take our seats.Joya was so excited, they talked about the drama for half an hour, and then we started ordering.Jed Harris is very attractive.He's smart, funny, and very courteous.I think we've made a new friend.
Over dinner, he said to me, "I'm very impressed with your work. Would you like to write a Broadway musical for me?"
Writing a musical directed by Jed Harris meant I was working with a master. "Very happy," I hesitated, "but I'm afraid I don't have an idea right now."
He smiled, "I have." He began to tell me about his various ideas.Every time I heard one I said, "I don't feel it", "I'm not interested in this" or "It sounds too generic".
The seventh idea he talked about finally attracted me.A female productivity expert comes to a company for a review, throws people out of the loop, and ends up falling in love with one of them, and everything changes.
"That's worth writing about," I said, "but Joia and I are leaving tomorrow. We're traveling around Europe."
"That's not a problem. I'll go with you, and we can write the script together."
I was a little surprised, "Okay."
"Where are you going first?"
"Go to Munich first, and see our friend, a Hungarian playwright called..."
"I hate the Hungarians. Their scripts don't have much flavor and the characters aren't vivid enough."
Joya and I exchanged a look.
"Then Ged, maybe you still..."
He raised a hand. "No, it's fine. I hope we can start writing the script quickly."
Joya looked at me and nodded.
That's it.
As soon as the three of us checked into our hotel in Munich, Racine and Marika came to see us.I'm a little concerned, I hate Hungarians.Their scripts have no aftertaste, and the characters are not vivid enough. I later found out that there was nothing to worry about.Jed Harris exemplifies the word charisma perfectly. As soon as Racine came in, Jed took his arm and said, "You're a brilliant playwright. I think your accomplishments are above and beyond." Racine was blushing. "You Hungarians have a very special gift," Ged said. "It's a great fortune to know the two of you." Joya and I looked at each other. Racine looked happy, "I plan to take you to a very famous restaurant in Munich. They have red wine from all over the world." "It's wonderful." Jed went to his room to change, and I exchanged love with Racine and Marika. Half an hour later, we arrive at an elegant restaurant on the banks of the Isar.We sat down to order and the waiter handed us the menus.On the menu is a wide range of wines from around the world. The waiter asked: "What kind of red wine do you want to taste?" Before we could speak, Jed said, "I'd like a beer." The waiter shook his head, "I'm sorry, sir. We don't serve beer, only wine." Jed glared at him angrily, and jumped up, "Let's go." I couldn't believe my ears, "But Gedd..." "Come on, let's go. I don't want to eat in a place that doesn't even have beer." We were all so embarrassed that we had to get up and follow him away. Ged snarled, "Damn German." Joya and I were terrified.We took a taxi back to the hotel and had dinner at the hotel. Racine apologized to Gedd, "I'm sorry, but I know of another place that has good beer. Let's go tomorrow night."
The next day, Ged and I started working on a new script.Sometimes we write in the garden, sometimes in our room.I worked out different scenarios based on the original idea, and Gedd made suggestions from time to time. That evening, the Bush Fickerts came to pick us up for dinner. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were led to a table and sat down. The waiter gave us the menu, "What would you like to order first?" Jed spoke again: "I want red wine." The waiter said, "I'm sorry, sir. We only have beer here. Beer from almost every country has..." Jed jumped up again, "Let's not eat in this bloody place." I was shocked again, "Jedd, I miss you..." "Hurry up, I don't want to eat in this ghost restaurant, I can't order anything I want." He went straight out and we had to follow him.Mr. Charming is now the devil. The next day, Jedd came to my room to write the script, as if nothing had happened. When Joya and I went downstairs for breakfast in the morning, the hotel manager stopped us. "Mr. Sheldon, may I excuse you for a moment?" "of course can." "Your guests are being rude to your waiters and administrators. They are all getting annoyed. Would you please..." "I'll tell him," I said. As a result, his response: "They're too sensitive. God, they're just waiters and administrators."
As an actor, Joya was fascinated by Harris' talent.She kept asking him questions about the drama.Over dinner one night, Joya asked, "Remember, there's a part in 'The Witches of Salem' where Madeleine Sherwood walks off the stage, and she walks off in that amazing part. How did she do it?" What? What did you let her think in her heart at that time?" Jed looked at her and snapped, "Think of the money she got." That was the last time he called Joya by his first name. The next day, the three of us went to Baden-Baden, a luxurious spa resort in central Furtenberg, in southeastern Germany. Gedh hates this place. Then we went to the charming Black Forest, a majestic mountain range stretching for ninety miles between the Rhine and Neckar rivers in southwestern Germany, covered with black pine forests, interspersed with deep canyons and small lake. Ged hates it here. I've had enough.We were also very slow on the script.Instead of thinking about the main story line, Gedd focused on a scene we had already written, re-read it endlessly, and changed a few lines from time to time that didn't need to be changed. I said to Joya: "Let's go back to Munich by ourselves, without taking him." I looked at the notes I wrote about the script, and it seems so boring now. When Jed came to my room to start work, I said, "Jed, Joy and I have to go back to Munich, we're going to separate from you." He nodded, "Okay. Anyway, I don't plan to cooperate with you on this script." A few hours later, Joya and I boarded the train back to Munich.
When I got back to the hotel, I wanted to make a call to Racine, and when I went to get the microphone, I had a herniated disc.I fell to the ground, in pain and unable to move. Joya was terrified, "I'll call the doctor." "Nothing," I said. "I've been like that before. If you'll help me to bed, I'll just lie still, and in a day or two, it'll be all right." She managed to help me onto the bed and lay down, "I'll call Racine." A moment later, Racine came. "I'm so sorry," I said, "I had brilliant plans." He looked at me and said, "I can help you." "How to help?" "I know there's a man here named Paul Horn." "Doctor?" "No, a physical therapist. But he has seen some of the most famous and important people in the world. They all come to seek medical treatment themselves. He can cure your problems." I spent the next two days in bed.On the third day, Racine took me to Paul Horn's consulting room at 5 Via Pilatus. Paul Horn was a tall, unshaven man in his forties, with unkempt hair. "Mr. Bush Fickett told me about you," he said. "How often do you have this problem?" I shrugged. "Maybe. Sometimes it happens twice a week, sometimes it doesn't happen all year." He nodded, "I can cure your illness." A wave of panic hit my heart.Doctors at Cedar Hospital in Lebanon and UCLA have said that there is no cure for my disease.The operation should be postponed as much as possible, and we will operate on you after the pain is unbearable.And the gentleman in front of him wasn't even a doctor. "You're going to be here for three weeks. I'm going to heal you every day. Seven days a week." That doesn't sound very promising. "I don't know," I said, "maybe we'll let it go. I'll go back to the doctor..." Racine turned to me and said, "Sidney, this gentleman has treated the leaders of many countries. Give him a chance." I looked at Joya, "Then let's try." The next morning, treatment begins.I went into the consulting room and lay on a table with a blazing lamp roasting my back, and after two hours I took a break and went back to the roasting.It's like that all day. The next day, some more content was added.Paul Horne had me lie down in a hammock he had designed in which my back muscles were completely relaxed.I lay like this for five hours.Every day. The waiting room was always packed with people from all over the world, some of whom spoke languages I couldn't make out. Three weeks later, on the last day of therapy, Paul Horn asked me, "How does it feel?" "Feeling good." But I think I would feel good now without the treatment. "You're cured," he said happily. I was dubious.But he was right.Since then, I haven't had a herniated disc in many years.It appears that this non-doctor Paul Horne has cured me. It's time for us to head home too.
Coming back to MGM feels like returning to a long-lost home. "A homecoming gift for you," Dole said. "We're going to have a test run of The House of Dreams at the Egyptian Theater." Dole looked at my happy face and said, "This movie will be a big success."
There is a custom in Hollywood that the industry media "Variety Show" and "Hollywood Newsletter" will publish reviews about new films before other media.We all look forward to the review with great anticipation.It's all about success and failure. The Egyptian theater was full of people, and everyone was full of expectations for the film.The film started, and we looked at the screen and happily listened to the audience's laughter from time to time. Joya squeezed my hand, "That's great." After the film was screened, there was thunderous applause in the theater.We've created another blockbuster.We went to Musso Frank's for a celebratory dinner.This time, only industry media "Variety Show" and "Hollywood Newsletter" will publish film reviews.We're guessing whose comments are better.Early the next morning, I went out to get the newspaper. Joya was still in bed when I got home.She smiled and looked at the newspaper in my hand. "Read the comments out loud. Slow down, I'm going to enjoy it." I handed her the newspaper, "You read it." She looked at my face and hurriedly read it. "First of all, Variety..." Here's an excerpt from a Variety review: "...a far-fetched plot and boring lines, thanks to a talented cast who cover the script's holes with their impassioned performances, but director Sidney Shelton lets it go Every scene becomes a slapstick farce. This kind of disorganized treatment is also occasionally reflected in the actors, especially Grant's performance." "Dream House is produced by Dole Shari himself, and Cary Grant's performance is very funny, but the script itself does not have that much humor. The humor is not so far from the low-brow funny A well-coordinated fusion that makes for a barely funny comedy. Sidney Sheldon puts together multiple acts of comedy that don't quite work out." The reviews in The Hollywood Reporter were even worse than that.I'm completely devastated. Howard Stricklin, director of public relations at MGM, called. "Sidney, I have some bad news for you. I've been notified that this film will be blocked." I was shocked, "What did you say?" "Dole pulled the film from Radio Music Hall. We're not going to promote it anymore, it's just left to its own devices." "Howard, why—why?" "Because the producer's name is Dole. As the director of the company, he has to instruct other producers to do this and not to do that. He can't let his name appear in a failed movie. He wants to make "Fantasy" "Beautiful Wife" disappeared as soon as possible." I am furious.No more previews, bookings, interviews, or commercials.The ship has started, but all the people on board were buried in the sea because of someone's arrogance.It was Dole himself who offered to credit the film, and because of that credit, he was going to destroy the film. I called Joya and told her the whole thing. "I'm very sad," she said. "so terrible." "Joya, I can't play for such a person." "Then what are you going to do?" "I'm resigning. Do you think it's okay?" "Any choice you make is fine with me, honey."
Fifteen minutes later, I walked into Dor Shari's office. "I want to terminate the contract with the company." A few months ago, this guy said he didn't want me to leave the company for another job, and now he's saying, "Okay. I'll let the legal department know." The next day, I officially terminated my contract with MGM. I'm not too worried about finding a job.After all, I've won an Oscar once, and it's been great.I believe that the doors of every studio in Hollywood will be open for me. Facts have proved that my thinking was very wrong.The elevator has descended to the bottom floor.
Notes:
As soon as the three of us checked into our hotel in Munich, Racine and Marika came to see us.I'm a little concerned, I hate Hungarians.Their scripts have no aftertaste, and the characters are not vivid enough. I later found out that there was nothing to worry about.Jed Harris exemplifies the word charisma perfectly. As soon as Racine came in, Jed took his arm and said, "You're a brilliant playwright. I think your accomplishments are above and beyond." Racine was blushing. "You Hungarians have a very special gift," Ged said. "It's a great fortune to know the two of you." Joya and I looked at each other. Racine looked happy, "I plan to take you to a very famous restaurant in Munich. They have red wine from all over the world." "It's wonderful." Jed went to his room to change, and I exchanged love with Racine and Marika. Half an hour later, we arrive at an elegant restaurant on the banks of the Isar.We sat down to order and the waiter handed us the menus.On the menu is a wide range of wines from around the world. The waiter asked: "What kind of red wine do you want to taste?" Before we could speak, Jed said, "I'd like a beer." The waiter shook his head, "I'm sorry, sir. We don't serve beer, only wine." Jed glared at him angrily, and jumped up, "Let's go." I couldn't believe my ears, "But Gedd..." "Come on, let's go. I don't want to eat in a place that doesn't even have beer." We were all so embarrassed that we had to get up and follow him away. Ged snarled, "Damn German." Joya and I were terrified.We took a taxi back to the hotel and had dinner at the hotel. Racine apologized to Gedd, "I'm sorry, but I know of another place that has good beer. Let's go tomorrow night."
The next day, Ged and I started working on a new script.Sometimes we write in the garden, sometimes in our room.I worked out different scenarios based on the original idea, and Gedd made suggestions from time to time. That evening, the Bush Fickerts came to pick us up for dinner. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were led to a table and sat down. The waiter gave us the menu, "What would you like to order first?" Jed spoke again: "I want red wine." The waiter said, "I'm sorry, sir. We only have beer here. Beer from almost every country has..." Jed jumped up again, "Let's not eat in this bloody place." I was shocked again, "Jedd, I miss you..." "Hurry up, I don't want to eat in this ghost restaurant, I can't order anything I want." He went straight out and we had to follow him.Mr. Charming is now the devil. The next day, Jedd came to my room to write the script, as if nothing had happened. When Joya and I went downstairs for breakfast in the morning, the hotel manager stopped us. "Mr. Sheldon, may I excuse you for a moment?" "of course can." "Your guests are being rude to your waiters and administrators. They are all getting annoyed. Would you please..." "I'll tell him," I said. As a result, his response: "They're too sensitive. God, they're just waiters and administrators."
As an actor, Joya was fascinated by Harris' talent.She kept asking him questions about the drama.Over dinner one night, Joya asked, "Remember, there's a part in 'The Witches of Salem' where Madeleine Sherwood walks off the stage, and she walks off in that amazing part. How did she do it?" What? What did you let her think in her heart at that time?" Jed looked at her and snapped, "Think of the money she got." That was the last time he called Joya by his first name. The next day, the three of us went to Baden-Baden, a luxurious spa resort in central Furtenberg, in southeastern Germany. Gedh hates this place. Then we went to the charming Black Forest, a majestic mountain range stretching for ninety miles between the Rhine and Neckar rivers in southwestern Germany, covered with black pine forests, interspersed with deep canyons and small lake. Ged hates it here. I've had enough.We were also very slow on the script.Instead of thinking about the main story line, Gedd focused on a scene we had already written, re-read it endlessly, and changed a few lines from time to time that didn't need to be changed. I said to Joya: "Let's go back to Munich by ourselves, without taking him." I looked at the notes I wrote about the script, and it seems so boring now. When Jed came to my room to start work, I said, "Jed, Joy and I have to go back to Munich, we're going to separate from you." He nodded, "Okay. Anyway, I don't plan to cooperate with you on this script." A few hours later, Joya and I boarded the train back to Munich.
When I got back to the hotel, I wanted to make a call to Racine, and when I went to get the microphone, I had a herniated disc.I fell to the ground, in pain and unable to move. Joya was terrified, "I'll call the doctor." "Nothing," I said. "I've been like that before. If you'll help me to bed, I'll just lie still, and in a day or two, it'll be all right." She managed to help me onto the bed and lay down, "I'll call Racine." A moment later, Racine came. "I'm so sorry," I said, "I had brilliant plans." He looked at me and said, "I can help you." "How to help?" "I know there's a man here named Paul Horn." "Doctor?" "No, a physical therapist. But he has seen some of the most famous and important people in the world. They all come to seek medical treatment themselves. He can cure your problems." I spent the next two days in bed.On the third day, Racine took me to Paul Horn's consulting room at 5 Via Pilatus. Paul Horn was a tall, unshaven man in his forties, with unkempt hair. "Mr. Bush Fickett told me about you," he said. "How often do you have this problem?" I shrugged. "Maybe. Sometimes it happens twice a week, sometimes it doesn't happen all year." He nodded, "I can cure your illness." A wave of panic hit my heart.Doctors at Cedar Hospital in Lebanon and UCLA have said that there is no cure for my disease.The operation should be postponed as much as possible, and we will operate on you after the pain is unbearable.And the gentleman in front of him wasn't even a doctor. "You're going to be here for three weeks. I'm going to heal you every day. Seven days a week." That doesn't sound very promising. "I don't know," I said, "maybe we'll let it go. I'll go back to the doctor..." Racine turned to me and said, "Sidney, this gentleman has treated the leaders of many countries. Give him a chance." I looked at Joya, "Then let's try." The next morning, treatment begins.I went into the consulting room and lay on a table with a blazing lamp roasting my back, and after two hours I took a break and went back to the roasting.It's like that all day. The next day, some more content was added.Paul Horne had me lie down in a hammock he had designed in which my back muscles were completely relaxed.I lay like this for five hours.Every day. The waiting room was always packed with people from all over the world, some of whom spoke languages I couldn't make out. Three weeks later, on the last day of therapy, Paul Horn asked me, "How does it feel?" "Feeling good." But I think I would feel good now without the treatment. "You're cured," he said happily. I was dubious.But he was right.Since then, I haven't had a herniated disc in many years.It appears that this non-doctor Paul Horne has cured me. It's time for us to head home too.
Coming back to MGM feels like returning to a long-lost home. "A homecoming gift for you," Dole said. "We're going to have a test run of The House of Dreams at the Egyptian Theater." Dole looked at my happy face and said, "This movie will be a big success."
There is a custom in Hollywood that the industry media "Variety Show" and "Hollywood Newsletter" will publish reviews about new films before other media.We all look forward to the review with great anticipation.It's all about success and failure. The Egyptian theater was full of people, and everyone was full of expectations for the film.The film started, and we looked at the screen and happily listened to the audience's laughter from time to time. Joya squeezed my hand, "That's great." After the film was screened, there was thunderous applause in the theater.We've created another blockbuster.We went to Musso Frank's for a celebratory dinner.This time, only industry media "Variety Show" and "Hollywood Newsletter" will publish film reviews.We're guessing whose comments are better.Early the next morning, I went out to get the newspaper. Joya was still in bed when I got home.She smiled and looked at the newspaper in my hand. "Read the comments out loud. Slow down, I'm going to enjoy it." I handed her the newspaper, "You read it." She looked at my face and hurriedly read it. "First of all, Variety..." Here's an excerpt from a Variety review: "...a far-fetched plot and boring lines, thanks to a talented cast who cover the script's holes with their impassioned performances, but director Sidney Shelton lets it go Every scene becomes a slapstick farce. This kind of disorganized treatment is also occasionally reflected in the actors, especially Grant's performance." "Dream House is produced by Dole Shari himself, and Cary Grant's performance is very funny, but the script itself does not have that much humor. The humor is not so far from the low-brow funny A well-coordinated fusion that makes for a barely funny comedy. Sidney Sheldon puts together multiple acts of comedy that don't quite work out." The reviews in The Hollywood Reporter were even worse than that.I'm completely devastated. Howard Stricklin, director of public relations at MGM, called. "Sidney, I have some bad news for you. I've been notified that this film will be blocked." I was shocked, "What did you say?" "Dole pulled the film from Radio Music Hall. We're not going to promote it anymore, it's just left to its own devices." "Howard, why—why?" "Because the producer's name is Dole. As the director of the company, he has to instruct other producers to do this and not to do that. He can't let his name appear in a failed movie. He wants to make "Fantasy" "Beautiful Wife" disappeared as soon as possible." I am furious.No more previews, bookings, interviews, or commercials.The ship has started, but all the people on board were buried in the sea because of someone's arrogance.It was Dole himself who offered to credit the film, and because of that credit, he was going to destroy the film. I called Joya and told her the whole thing. "I'm very sad," she said. "so terrible." "Joya, I can't play for such a person." "Then what are you going to do?" "I'm resigning. Do you think it's okay?" "Any choice you make is fine with me, honey."
Fifteen minutes later, I walked into Dor Shari's office. "I want to terminate the contract with the company." A few months ago, this guy said he didn't want me to leave the company for another job, and now he's saying, "Okay. I'll let the legal department know." The next day, I officially terminated my contract with MGM. I'm not too worried about finding a job.After all, I've won an Oscar once, and it's been great.I believe that the doors of every studio in Hollywood will be open for me. Facts have proved that my thinking was very wrong.The elevator has descended to the bottom floor.
Notes: