The Apprenticeship of Frank Yablans

Note from the editor: The original story was published in the September 23, 1974 issue of New York. In Barry Diller’s recent memoir, titled “Who Knew“, he discloses that he served as an anonymous source for author Andrew Tobias. According to Diller, the article published was “more critical and impactful than I had anticipated.” At the time, Diller was only 32 years old and working in television; however, soon after its publication, he was appointed CEO of Paramount, leading to Yablans’ departure a few weeks later. For another excerpt from Diller’s book about his relationship with Diane von Fürstenburg, please click here.

A sampling of the cast, for flavor:

In a different scenario, Charles Bronson, portraying the character Paul Kersey, intentionally positions himself for an attack in the park. As the muggers repeatedly draw near, he retaliates by firing shots at them instead.

Dino De Laurentiis is the producer behind this film, affectionately titled “Debt-a-Weeesh.” He’s been diligently working on arranging three large advertisements for its premiere on July 24.

Frank Yablans, undoubtedly the main figure in our narrative and indeed the president of Paramount Pictures, carries a unique name – Yablans.

Rex Reed appreciates ‘Death Wish’ after witnessing Bronson apprehend muggers in the park, calling it “excellent.” Yablans humorously notes that this implies Rex believes the film was masterfully created.

Bob Evans, a key figure at Paramount’s Hollywood studio who is both a colleague and friend to Frank Yablans, can be seen as a rival, nemesis, potential successor, or equal partner, depending on who you’re speaking with. Similar to the Corleone family, they are both competing for approval in their professional sphere.

On the 42nd floor of the Gulf+Western Building, the enigmatic Austrian, Charlie Bluhdorn, resided in the chairman’s office. In this secluded space, we imagine him with an armful of a feline companion, his gaze fixed on the stock market and his back turned to the camera. This individual, Charlie Bluhdorn, served as the sole leader of Paramount for some time following Gulf+Western’s acquisition in 1968; Frank Yablans, who reportedly mimics Bluhdorn exceptionally well, has since managed to regain a more supervisory position from the boss.

In the revised script, the mechanical shark from another studio’s upcoming Jaws remake causes delays on Cape Cod, preventing Richard Dreyfuss from promoting the release of Paramount’s The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz this summer. This film joins a list of other Paramount releases such as Death Wish, Chinatown, The Parallax View, Gatsby, Sonny Carson, Daisy Miller, The White Dawn, The Conversation, and The Longest Yard. No other movie studio comes close to competing with Paramount in this season. Frank Yablans laments that if the shark had consumed the dolphin and perished instead, both films would not have been produced. He also chooses to omit a specific seagull from discussion.

Frank Yablans has a knack for being both amusing and engaging, yet with a touch of toughness, whenever he chooses to. In my presence, he seems to embrace this side of himself. Perhaps it would benefit him to spend more time with people like me.

Switch to: My question to Ted Zephro, who was once closely associated with Frank until October last year, was about whether Frank genuinely behaves normally with his team when a journalist is present. “Does he seem genuine?” I inquired. “Oh yes, he did,” Ted replied. “Then that wasn’t Frank.” (Implying: Only someone who doesn’t truly act like themselves would behave so pleasantly around a reporter.)

Transition (commonly used in movies): A gathering of high-ranking staff members, to which I was invited. Frank appears cheerful. As the meeting concludes, I eavesdrop on his colleagues in the corridor – they’re puzzled and discussing amongst themselves: “What’s changed with Frank? Why is he so upbeat?

Frank has a friendly and youthful demeanor hidden beneath the surface, but seldom shows it to those less powerful than himself. While some leaders manage their executive teams similar to a supportive high school coach, watching from the sidelines and trusting they’ll deliver due to the fear of disappointing him, Frank acts more like the team’s star player. He is deeply involved in every aspect, from organizing schedules in Buffalo to deciding whether to include comment cards at a sneak preview in Houston. In essence, he is closely engaged with his team and holds high expectations for their performance.

Addressing the plump and burdened Norman Weitman, general sales manager who’s back in our gathering with data you need, Frank asks, “Are you considering a trip to Houston for the screening of ‘The Longest Yard’?

“No.”

“Well, plan on it.”

Norman, with a sense of resignation, replies – imagine Zero Mostel in the role – ‘Alright, I’ll take care of that.’ I’d love to be a fly on the wall during their evening conversations after Norman comes home from work.

“Are there going to be comment cards at the screening?” Frank asks.

“Bob Aldrich [the director] doesn’t want them,” someone volunteers.

“Well, I want comment cards,” Frank snarls.

Alright, we’ll be using feedback slips instead. Now, this prominent figure in the movie industry often refers to Frank as both the distribution chief and the company president, which seems fitting. Since his arrival, things have become more streamlined. There are fewer decision-makers now, they’re putting in more effort, collaborating better, and they’re all working under him. He, too, puts in long entrepreneurial hours and excels at his role. To be honest, I wouldn’t enjoy working for him (I can almost hear him saying something like, ‘After this ax job, you fool, you never will’), but I wouldn’t mind backing one of his ventures. I’m not suggesting he’s a genius or superhuman in any way – just very capable.

The scene opens in the executive conference room on the 33rd floor of the Gulf+Western Building, home to Paramount Pictures. A large sailfish, looking rather misplaced, adorns one expansive wall; facing it are two posters from “The Godfather” framed in simple wood, hanging opposite. Frank is presenting a promotional video showcasing a revolutionary photographic process that Paramount has the rights to.

In my perspective, much like Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Tatum O’Neal, and Robert Redford, as well as Ted Ashley of Warner Bros., Roman Polanski of “Chinatown”, and Abraham Beame of New York, Yablans is a man of modest stature. Unlike these individuals, he has cleverly designed a split-level office that provides him with a six-inch advantage in height. He maintains a Brooks Brothers wardrobe, perhaps not fully comfortable in his executive role within the movie industry yet. Just five years ago, upon joining Paramount, he was titled as “assistant general sales manager.” Similar to Barbra Streisand, Woody Allen, Bobby Fischer, Bernie Cornfeld, Isaac Asimov, and Abraham Beame, Yablans is among those lower-middle-class Jewish kids from Brooklyn (Williamsburg in his case) who have ascended to the pinnacle of success.

The promotional video, quite inventive, lasts for several minutes, demonstrating how with “Magicam,” regular-sized individuals can act on miniature dollhouse sets. The actor is filmed on an empty set, accompanied by a few life-size props for reference; at the same time, another camera overlays the small set, synchronized with the initial one. Indeed, it’s quite clever. The concept revolves around the cost-effectiveness of building miniature sets compared to real ones, and the Magicam process enables special effects. Frank proposes incorporating a scene featuring a replica Oval Office and a Nixon impersonator delivering a speech. During his presentation, a giant hand should appear to remove one item of furniture at a time, eventually clearing the stage and disappearing the president as well. This idea is approved.

MAGICAM EXECUTIVE, addressing Frank as the movie concludes: We’ve included an exclusive tag specifically for you, sir. This feature isn’t present in the other versions of the film.

Announcer on Screen: Dear audience, it gives me great joy to present to you the chief of Paramount Pictures, who will share his thoughts about the Magicam technique.

As the president here at Paramount, let me make it clear: Today’s demonstration aims to underscore that Magicam is nothing short of revolutionary. I sincerely hope we have managed to convey this to you. If, by any chance, our efforts fell short and doubts linger, all I can do is express my deepest regret – if not for you, then for missing out on this game-changing innovation.

The Magicam executive insists urgently that this tag should not be found on copies meant for external sharing, but Frank is thrilled by it. “You absolutely must use it!” he exclaims, finding it fantastic. In fact, he jokes, “This phrase has now become Paramount’s signature: ‘If you don’t like it, too bad!’

Not being a symbol of a feeble organization, it brings no small amount of pride to Frank that the organization he acquired in 1971, initially weak, has since risen to become arguably the most robust company in the movie industry. This season, Paramount has reportedly had more prints distributed than any other company has since the glory days of Hollywood. Recently, NBC purchased the television rights for The Godfather for $10 million, shattering previous records. The second installment of The Godfather is set to premiere at Christmas, while anticipated blockbusters such as The Day of the Locust (Easter), The Last Tycoon (focusing on Thalberg’s final days at MGM), Marathon Man (from an unpublished novel by William Goldman), Six Days of the Condor (starring Redford), and even Project X, a potential Walter Winchell Story starring Bob Hope, are in the pipeline.

Additionally, as with Jonathan Livingston Seagull and The Little Prince, another potential flop might be on the horizon, orchestrated by Lerner and Loewe for Christmas at Radio City (Nelson Riddle may be brought in to rearrange it). However, this isn’t set in stone. If anything, it could be scrapped entirely. Nevertheless, the substantial profits from Paramount’s major productions have consistently outweighed the occasional losses, thanks in part to their budget-friendly approach. In 1973, Paramount’s profits reached a staggering $38.7 million, which accounted for a significant 22% of Gulf+Western’s total earnings on sales of $277.5 million. This indicates that Frank is doing an excellent job, though it doesn’t necessarily prove it. It does, however, hint at his growing influence. And he seems to enjoy having this power.

It seems that Frank isn’t fond of the attention his friend and studio boss, Bob Evans, has been receiving in recent times. In fact, when I mentioned to several individuals that “I’m working on a feature about the president of Paramount Pictures,” their response was often, “Oh, is that Bob Evans?” Making Frank agree to this story has proven to be quite simple due to this association.

Over lunch at ’21’, three of Frank’s PR representatives are attempting to influence a Newsweek staff member who suggests Bob Evans could grace the cover of Newsweek. The purpose of this expensive caviar-and-Champagne lunch, funded by Gulf+Western shareholders, is to convince him that Frank, not Bob Evans, should be on the cover of Newsweek instead (neither have been featured so far). The total bill comes to $245.

The scene opens in Frank’s luxurious corner office, boasting an impressive view, with a golden Oscar won for “The Godfather” proudly displayed near his sophisticated multi-function phone. With a button for every important contact, a touch activates the phone and signals to them that it’s he who’s calling. The office is also equipped with a button that subtly closes the door when Frank presses it (“Just the wind, I presume”), another for accessing the private bathroom, and of course, a button to control each drape.

In a few days, Frank, who’s a Jewish cabdriver’s son like the protagonist in “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz,” will be meeting with three Canadians. The story revolves around a young man who struggles to escape the ghetto and transform himself into a sharp, business-suited individual. Frank shares this background. He’s energetic, charming, and always up to mischief. However, he’s also ambitious, self-centered, cunning, relentless, and strategic. He doesn’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to get his way. Interestingly, Bob Evans is known for being the first to label this film as “The Frank Yablans Story.

The Canadians are requesting that Frank minimizes the fact that the movie is a Canadian production. In response, Frank suggests they should underplay the film’s win at the Berlin Film Festival – he thinks it’s best not to give the movie a distinctive “auteur” image, he says.

The Canadians also inquire about why the film is premiering on a Wednesday. Frank clarifies that he found out there were originally four Paramount releases planned for the same day. He has arranged for them to be spread out so each will receive more focus. Who should they deal with at Paramount, they ask? They should deal with him, Frank explains sarcastically, or else they won’t get any replies.

Frank then reads a note and, irritated, responds firmly – “Tell him I won’t be up in five minutes.” I will be up when I finish my meeting.”

The scene transitions to a tomcat being petted in the crook of an unidentified arm.

Canadians are puzzled as to why “Duddy” (similar to “goody”) is making his debut at the Forum, a Broadway theater, and also the Baronet. They wonder if Broadway audiences might not be as refined as those on Third Avenue? However, Frank disagrees vehemently, stating that the first day’s earnings at the Forum are expected to reach $5,400. He recalls that when he opened Chinatown on both Broadway and Third Avenue, his partner Bob Evans sat in a corner for an entire month, seemingly uncertain about the audience’s tastes.

But — Frank pulls out the exact figures — Broadway outgrossed Third Avenue.

Frank buzzes.

“Yes, Frank?”

“Bring in the schedules on Duddy Kravitz.”

In the production of “Duddy Kravitz,” Norman Weitman presents the performance schedules. Frank disapproves of these and modifies them accordingly. Instead of having different show times staggered at the two theaters, Frank insists that the last performance should not start later than 10:30 PM, even if it means reducing the number of performances per day from six to five. Unfortunately, it’s too late to alter the Sunday newspaper advertisement, but the Monday one will be adjusted. It turns out that the president of the company, surprisingly enough, was the one who made the decision to push back the show time by half an hour. Those who used the Sunday ad and found themselves arriving to a show that had already started 30 minutes early can now understand why complaining directly to the head of the company would have been pointless.

The Canadians are curious about how successful the movie will be. In this meeting, Frank, who’s feeling quite confident, shares that the movie could potentially earn $10 million or possibly only $1 million. He admits candidly that the film has its flaws, but then adds that every movie has its share of imperfections. Despite the flaws, he maintains a positive outlook for the film’s performance.

In the end, the Canadians passed a highly valuable piece of property to Frank for him to review. Without even glancing at it, he informed them that he had already gone through it two months prior and declined the offer. However, as it turns out, Frank had indeed read it: He was well-informed, knew what they were about to present, and always does his due diligence.

However, while we might not be entirely in awe of Frank like the Canadians seemed to be, it’s worth mentioning that on its opening day at the Forum, the box office earnings were $809. After being there for ten days, Duddy was then transferred to the Little Carnegie, a venue some believe caters to a more refined audience.

If Frank isn’t officially an oracle, he is still convincing in his speech. Moreover, if he tends to be quite self-important – he harbors political aspirations and believes becoming a congressman would be effortless – he also has a sense of humor about himself. Peter Maas, author of Serpico, shares that during their first meeting, Frank was so impressive that within five minutes, Maas found himself at a loss for words. Despite his initial intention not to be swayed by Frank’s request [for a snake coiled around a nightstick on the cover of Serpico – Maas dislikes snakes], he couldn’t come up with any objections.

In a face-to-face meeting, I found myself directly across from him, receiving an intense sales pitch that was overwhelming. He seemed to be very skilled at selling, and it felt like he was trying to sell me. I didn’t know how to react, and in situations like this, my usual response is to shift my feet. However, I noticed something unusual – I was six inches shorter than him due to the design of his office, which has a split level. The view and his charisma had distracted me initially, but when I adjusted my position to be at his eye level, he had to look up. He joked, “Sometimes I’m not as tall as I appear,” which made everyone laugh, including Frank, and that helped to ease the tension.

BRIEF RECAP: YABLANS is asking if there’s a record from the previous gathering where it was noted that Norman Weitman’s estimates were inaccurate or problematic?

NORMAN: Those comments are regularly documented in our meeting minutes, Frank.

SETTING: A typical summer day in mid-July. Yesterday evening, Frank watched a movie at home in Scarsdale and worked late into the night, reading through the Magicam status report, as he claims. He arrives at his office this morning, driven by a chauffeur, at 7 a.m., following which he had a three-hour breakfast meeting with the chairman. Upon exiting the meeting, Dino De Laurentiis is there, ready for the Magicam presentation. (Following this, there will be lunch at La Grenouille with David Merrick, an advertising/publicity meeting, a visit from his tailor, a business dinner, and another movie screening at home.)

Frank jokingly inquired about the unique style of a staff member’s shirt as they walked by his office,” said Dino and I. “He playfully commented that the person resembled the mayor of Puerto Rico.” With my presence, Frank was back to being friendly and charming.

Dino and Frank start bantering playfully over the box office earnings of the movie ‘Walking Tall’, likening it to ‘Death Wish’. Dino claims that it made $40 million, while Frank wagers $100 that the figure is actually around $14 million. To back up his bet, Frank pulls out a $100 bill. Finding this acceptable, Dino breaks five twenty-dollar bills to demonstrate that he has the money on hand.

Buzz. “Barry, what’s the latest gross on Walking Tall?”

The response is $14.3 million, which makes Frank leap around excitedly, but he doesn’t take the $100 prize.

Dino continues to advocate for a complete three-page spread for the title “Death Wish“. Frank responds, “Dino, haven’t I ever disappointed you?

“Som-a-time,” Dino says, like a hurt child.

“Never! Come on, Dino, never!”

“You-a try,” Dino offers, by way of compromise.

Frank features prominently with a full-page ad on Sundays, half a page on Wednesdays (launch day), and if the reviews are positive, another full-page ad on Fridays. These ads are put together all night long. Dino departs, commenting, “Frank doesn’t perform well unless I help him every morning.

Dino De Laurentiis, Europe‘s most prolific film producer who ventured into America, has produced or been associated with close to 600 films throughout his career and boasts a fortune in tens of billions of Italian lire. His journey began, as he reminisced, by gathering discarded bottles on Capri, filling them with tap water, and labeling them as “Capri’s Renowned Water of Life.” Frank, in describing their relationship, said it was an unstructured partnership: “There is no fixed formula with Dino; it’s project-by-project. I view him as bound by a moral obligation to bring me everything he has, and I see myself as obligated to turn down anything I don’t favor.

Frank responds, “It’s plausible,” regarding the question of whether “Death Wish” might incite a real-life vigilante to take justice into their own hands against muggers. One may wonder if any entity monitors and edits films to address such potential issues.

According to Frank, it’s on us to take the responsibility. Has any script been rejected due to social responsibility concerns? None, as far as we know.

Additionally, I’d like to bring up another point that ties in with this topic. I inquired from Charles Glenn, who is Frank’s chief marketing strategist, about what action Paramount might take if they had a film so terrible that the executives were certain no one would find it enjoyable, but believed they could still attract enough viewers to recover their investment by employing an appealing title, advertisements, and so on. “We would go ahead and release it,” Glenn responded honestly.

In essence, this business is no exception; our marketing team has been compiling a list of locations with the most street crime, planning to intensify their focus on these areas, aiming to create a stir and attract attention by using the controversial title “Death Wish“. The goal is to generate interest at the box office.

Transition: Switched Scene: We find ourselves with Ted Zephro, the man I mentioned earlier who played a crucial role in Frank’s sales organization. In a heated discussion about terms (since every deal is unique in this line of work), Ted, in a dramatic gesture, pushes one of the chairs across a partition to emphasize his point. The exhibitor, maintaining his composure, regards Ted, raises his eyebrows subtly and puckers his lips, suggesting an evaluation of Ted’s actions, before remarking, “You’re not quite there, but you’re coming close to Frank.

Frank followed a career path in field sales, starting at Warner, then moving on to Disney, Filmways, and ultimately landing at Paramount. He’s intimately familiar with the dimensions, atmosphere, and break-even points of virtually every significant theater across the nation.

According to Zephro, Frank boldly declared on the day he joined that he aimed to become the company’s president – a claim I found amusing. He said something like ‘follow my lead, and I’ll ensure your success.’ Fast forward less than two years, and Charlie Bluhdorn, who had initially brought him on board to navigate through challenges such as Paint Your Wagon and Catch-22, promoted him to the presidency.

“We got our money back on those films,” Frank notes with satisfaction.

According to Zephro’s memory: “Frank refused to let anyone else watch ‘Catch-22’. He was the only one who would see it. So, we waited for him outside the screening room, and when he came out, I swear if he doesn’t win an Academy Award, no one will. His eyes were glossy – I asked him, ‘Frank, how’s the movie?’ He replied, moved me so much that I couldn’t even speak to you at the moment.’ And he just walked away, as if into the sunset. I believe he didn’t let others see it because he knew it was a tough sell, see? That’s how clever the man is. He managed to get my and some of his other top team incredibly excited about this movie to such an extent that when we went out in the field, we were successful in our missions. We thought it was the second coming, this movie. He created a distribution policy for this film that was the harshest ever imposed on exhibitors. He aimed to raise $12 million in advance – something never before achieved. I told him, ‘Frank, I can’t accept those terms.’ He replied, ‘Zeph, I’m counting on you.’

In summary, Zephro commented, “Despite raising $8 million for the film and striking deals, I was appalled when I saw it. I voiced my concerns to Frank, who responded brusquely, ‘Be quiet, for goodness sake – I know what I’m doing.’ I asked about the exhibitors, to which he replied, ‘I know how to manage them. We have another film in the works, and they’ll need to pay for that one as well. They’ll eagerly await your next production.’ As it turned out, Frank was correct because our subsequent film was ‘Love Story,’ and once again, he faced the same ordeal – but this time, he allowed us to see the picture.

they didn’t pay, they didn’t get the movie. This method has proven effective, as we collected $18 million before the release of “The Great Gatsby” and are set to collect $32 million for “Godfather Part II”, with $5 million already in hand, four months before the premiere. However, he notes that this doesn’t imply that if “Godfather II” underperforms, we won’t have to return some of the advance money, as it’s not beneficial for us to cause financial distress for the theater.

Switch to: Ben Sack, proprietor of major Boston theaters, shares his forecast that about 40% of all exhibition businesses will file for bankruptcy within the next six months to a year. “Exhibitors are being taken advantage of by the industry,” he remarks, “as they’re required to secure deposits for films yet to be produced.” Furthermore, he notes that building a new theater now costs three times as much as it used to.

Returning to Frank, he clarifies: “However, what this deal guarantees us is that if we show the movie for 20 weeks in a theater, before they recoup any money, they must play it for 20 weeks. In those 20 weeks, we’ll likely earn almost as much as their initial investment, even if the film isn’t successful. Frank also points out that they won’t receive ‘The Godfather II’ until all other debts are settled, so they can’t really compete with it. He adds with a smile, ‘They might not be paying other companies, but they are paying Paramount.’

In my perspective as a supporter, if on average, Paramount is bringing in its approximately $300 million annual revenues about 90 days earlier than a less efficiently-run company would, then with today’s one percent monthly interest rate, this accelerated cash flow boosts Paramount’s pretax profits by around $9 million.

Another way to phrase this could be: Yablans’ unique approach, starting with the novel Catch-22 and refined through Gatsby, involved generating massive hype around select films that were merely average in quality. For instance, according to Frank, Love Story was “a rather light and small film. Yet, we transformed it into a cultural sensation.

Initially, there was a book involved, but unfortunately, that didn’t clarify things regarding “Jonathan Livingston Seagull.” Additionally, Ted Zephro’s sales pitch came into play. Frank further explained, “We kept the picture hidden; we cultivated an air of mystery. Our slogan, ‘Love Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry,’ was a crucial element, as nobody understood its meaning… Then, there was the romantic tale of Bob and Ali… ” Furthermore, careful planning in marketing and distribution strategies was also employed.

The adjustments made a significant impact. For instance, Buffalo stepped out of line with ‘Chinatown’. As Frank explains, advancing the screening by an hour significantly boosted the box office earnings. In Memphis, the initial week gross was $6,800, but after modifying an overly complex ad, they managed to increase it to $8,000 within just three days. Similarly, ‘Gatsby’, like ‘Godfather’, premiered in five New York theaters initially. Frank reflects that perhaps only opening in one or two theaters might have created massive queues for ‘Gatsby’. These long lines could have overpowered negative reviews from critics such as Vince Canby. People would question either the 5,000 people waiting in line or the critic’s judgment, thus creating a self-feeding buzz around the movie. Frank is convinced that launching ‘Gatsby’ in a single theater could have added millions to the film’s total earnings in the long run.

KEY POINT: In an exclusive and confidential arrangement for the executives at the film studio, both Evans and Yablans have reportedly been granted a share of the profits from the movie “Chinatown,” which may have been approved by the chairman of Gulf+Western, if not the shareholders. If each man indeed holds 10% of the profits, as speculated, and if the film earns over $20 million as predicted (on a production budget of $3.3 million), then each man’s six-figure salary could be significantly boosted by a substantial seven-figure bonus. Frank is aggressively promoting “Chinatown.

BATTLE SCENE: Beyond just financial rewards, job contentment involves other factors too. As this article is published, the ongoing power struggle at Paramount Studios continues to escalate. It appears that Frank plans to relocate his headquarters to the West Coast, a move that would place him in the heart of the glamour industry, give him tighter control over studio operations, and potentially weaken Charlie Bluhdorn’s grip on the company. However, it seems that Charlie is resisting this move. Bob Evans, on the other hand, fears that from afar his value might not be fully recognized by Charlie Bluhdorn (although it’s reported that this isn’t the case). Yablans has even suggested the idea of going independent, not as a genuine intention but to underscore his irreplaceable role within the company hierarchy. It’s negotiation time for contract renewals.

In the field, an experienced professional who’s collaborated with Frank extensively, claims that among the industry heavyweights, no one has managed to estrange as many colleagues as Frank. For instance, Paul Newman publicly declared he would never work for Frank, but later on, Robert Redford – who had also made a similar vow – agreed to star in Six Days of the Condor, a joint production with Dino.

Frank expresses that those individuals who seem distant or estranged, in his opinion, may lack maturity and fail to understand that he holds no personal grudges against them. He pauses for thought before adding that there are certain people whom he does harbor negative feelings towards because he believes them to be unkind. He asserts that he has likely amassed just as many enemies as figures like Cecil B. De Mille, Jack Warner, L.B. Mayer, or Harry Cohn, and made no more friends than they did. Frank states that he approaches his work in the manner he does, and admits that he’s not known for being popular. However, he emphasizes that he is far more decent than some of the well-liked individuals, as he is involved in a business that often involves rejection, and he quickly gives either a ‘no’ or ‘yes’. He acknowledges that it can be challenging not to create tension when delivering negative responses.

Switch to: Showing Stanley Jaffe, who was previously in charge. Stanley is eager to produce a film based on a screenplay titled “Polo Lounge.” (In Los Angeles, it’s common for people like Frank to stay at The Beverly Hills Hotel, where the bar is called “The Polo Lounge.”) Evans and Yablans both dislike the script. With a dramatic flair (let me explain this as movie industry folks often do), Stanley, in an emotional state — let’s say excited — approaches Frank and proposes, “If I can secure George C. Scott for the lead role, would you consider it?” To which Frank quickly agrees. Stanley queries how much they could offer Scott, who has been earning $1 million or more recently. Frank suggests $100,000. Stanley, angered but not defeated, vows to cover the remaining $900,000 himself and seals the deal with Scott for $1 million. Returning to Frank, Stanley exudes a hint of triumph, announces that he’s secured George C. Scott. “Stanley,” Frank candidly states, “you’re in trouble.” “We won’t make the movie even with George C. Scott on board.

Frank continues, “I know I have some issues to work on, and I’m making an effort to soften my rough edges. However, I won’t compromise the mission I believe in… I’m essentially a good person. I am not a violent individual. I am not a violent individual. Instead, I prefer helping others over hurting them. But when needed, I can also be very detached and strategic.

Frank’s intercom buzzes. “What?!” he demands. “I’ll call him later.”

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I find myself pondering over your question regarding F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel, “The Great Gatsby.” Frank muses, “How do we take such an esteemed story, perform the extravagant actions and make bold declarations, secure $18 million in advance, and manage to not rub other presidents the wrong way?” He then humorously adds, “It’s unfortunate that Redford perceives our adaptation as a circus, and I must admit it irks me when he voices his opinions about it. However, let’s face it, if we follow the critics’ assessment – that they would have disliked the movie regardless of the hype – then the film would have earned only $3 million instead of an impressive $35 million. Frank often jokes, ‘I wish for two critical failures like Gatsby every year.’

Frank claims that many of the tales about Yablans circulating are false. For instance, attributing Paul Newman’s dislike for him to his being a fascist is absurd since he identifies as a liberal, not a fascist. Frank and Paul Newman only met once, which explains the nature of their business – it’s ruthless. Despite this, Frank acknowledges that he has made a conscious effort to rectify any mistakes he might have made. He concedes that there were indeed things he did wrong, like not making certain calls that should have been made. Perhaps if he had taken the time to reach out and clarify misunderstandings over the phone, things would have been different, but in reality, it’s impossible to do so due to the demands of his profession.

In his own words, some of the things he’s said or done were actually just a reflection of his unique, sometimes sharp sense of humor. For instance, he was invited to a columnist’s home, and she was proudly showing it off. He remembered saying, “Well, to me, it looks like early-Mediterranean Queens.” He thought this was quite clever, but the woman was furious. So, he had to call her later and ask, “Can you really be angry about that?

One well-known director from Paramount Studios characterizes Frank as “extremely driven, utterly self-centered, and craving public attention – he aims for immense power and wealth, even if it means trampling on others. To put it simply, he’s tolerable if you’re aware of his nature. However, I don’t admire that type of person.

Peter Bogdanovich considers Frank as a “wonderful individual.” He expresses that he has no issues with Frank. Here’s something an actor friend of his mentioned about him: “When you gaze into Frank’s eyes, there’s vitality present. Many business people usually have rather lifeless, chilly eyes. Frank radiates playful mischief and warmth.

Well, half-full, anyway.

By the Way, Dino made it big with a three-page spread in The Times, while Charles Bronson – bang, bang, bang, bang – claimed another three lives of drug addicts.

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2025-07-07 17:59