The Kid Stays in the Picture

417 00:32:02,406 --> 00:32:05,603 "Cut!" says Hiller. "That's it. We've got it." 418 00:32:05,928 --> 00:32:09,157 You did a good job, Ali. You had me in tears. 419 00:32:09,287 --> 00:32:13,028 She runs over to me, smothers me with kisses. 420 00:32:13,158 --> 00:32:17,052 "Evans, did you really like it? The tears, they were for you." 421 00:32:17,191 --> 00:32:20,868 My eyes start to swell. I actually start crying. 422 00:32:20,998 --> 00:32:25,405 Crying about happiness, and feeling that I'm the luckiest guy in the whole world. 423 00:32:25,573 --> 00:32:27,462 Camelot was ours. 424 00:32:27,623 --> 00:32:30,371 Well, at least I thought it was. 425 00:32:32,389 --> 00:32:37,758 "Evans, there's a big problem. The board of directors, they want me out of Paramount. 426 00:32:37,893 --> 00:32:41,635 They can't afford it anymore. It's turning a cash flow into a cash drought. 427 00:32:41,765 --> 00:32:44,993 They've had it. They want me out too, out of show business. 428 00:32:45,285 --> 00:32:48,481 Get back to what I do best. Making money, not movies." 429 00:32:48,613 --> 00:32:53,249 Charlie was not prone to making practical jokes, and this was no joke. 430 00:32:53,379 --> 00:32:56,031 Fuck them, Charlie. Stall them if you can. 431 00:32:56,164 --> 00:32:59,263 With your eyes closed, you can buy another quarter. I know you can. 432 00:32:59,396 --> 00:33:02,047 Give us one more shot at the table. You can do it. 433 00:33:02,210 --> 00:33:03,837 "The board's already decided. 434 00:33:03,973 --> 00:33:06,841 They called an emergency meeting a week from tomorrow. 435 00:33:06,979 --> 00:33:09,598 The studio will be closed by the end of next week." 436 00:33:09,732 --> 00:33:14,335 Damn it. This couldn't be happening to me. And we were just on a roll. 437 00:33:14,563 --> 00:33:16,318 Then it hit me. 438 00:33:16,450 --> 00:33:18,872 Give me a half-hour, Charlie, with the board. 439 00:33:19,010 --> 00:33:20,986 Just one half-hour, that's all I need. 440 00:33:21,123 --> 00:33:25,695 "Evans, the one person they don't wanna see is you. Are you crazy, Evans?" 441 00:33:25,857 --> 00:33:27,995 Yeah. But crazy good, Charlie. 442 00:33:28,129 --> 00:33:30,944 <i>I've got one ace in my hand: Love Story.</i> 443 00:33:31,074 --> 00:33:33,627 And I'm gonna build a hand around it. 444 00:33:34,050 --> 00:33:38,359 "All right, Evans. You got a half-hour. That's all, just a half-hour. 445 00:33:38,496 --> 00:33:40,953 Be in New York next Monday at the board meeting. 446 00:33:41,090 --> 00:33:43,610 And buy a one-way ticket, and don't be late." 447 00:33:43,969 --> 00:33:46,303 Peter Bart asked Mike Nichols for an afternoon... 448 00:33:46,465 --> 00:33:50,011 ...to film a reel for his boss to deliver to the board of directors... 449 00:33:50,176 --> 00:33:51,704 ...of Gulf and Western. 450 00:33:52,769 --> 00:33:56,543 Mike directed me in, I'm sure, the best performance of my life. 451 00:33:57,089 --> 00:34:01,115 Where were you, Mike, when I needed you 10 years ago, when I was an actor? 452 00:34:03,393 --> 00:34:06,294 That Sunday at 6 p.m., I caught the redeye into New York. 453 00:34:06,464 --> 00:34:09,562 No luggage, but a can of film under my arm. 454 00:34:09,856 --> 00:34:12,726 This was our one and only chance. 455 00:34:12,863 --> 00:34:18,046 If the film didn't play, the board would shut down the studio, effective immediately. 456 00:34:18,783 --> 00:34:21,304 As I walked into the Gulf and Western building... 457 00:34:21,438 --> 00:34:23,828 ...Bluhdorn handed me my walking papers. 458 00:34:24,352 --> 00:34:26,652 "Well, Evans, at least we tried." 459 00:34:26,814 --> 00:34:28,703 I pushed him away. 460 00:34:28,991 --> 00:34:31,892 Hold these for another 20 minutes, will you, Charlie? 461 00:34:34,014 --> 00:34:37,811 I walked into the boardroom, a 100-to-1 shot. 462 00:34:37,982 --> 00:34:41,877 Before me sat 16 of America's finest non-smilers. 463 00:34:42,014 --> 00:34:45,463 Gentlemen, I apologize for not being better dressed. 464 00:34:45,631 --> 00:34:47,965 When you've got a one-way ticket and no hotel... 465 00:34:48,254 --> 00:34:51,188 ...it ain't that easy to keep up with the style of the room. 466 00:34:51,325 --> 00:34:55,189 No laugh. Not a crack. Not even a white of a tooth in sight. 467 00:34:56,894 --> 00:34:59,064 Quickly, I stepped out of the room... 468 00:34:59,197 --> 00:35:01,880 ...and handed the projectionist Paramount's future. 469 00:35:03,899 --> 00:35:06,967 Good afternoon. My name is Robert Evans... 470 00:35:07,133 --> 00:35:10,515 ...and I'm senior vice president of Paramount Pictures. 471 00:35:10,652 --> 00:35:14,448 By the way, this is not my office. 472 00:35:14,621 --> 00:35:16,693 We tried to shoot this scene in my office. 473 00:35:17,021 --> 00:35:21,21