Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 1425 Streets of Philadelphia
"Ronald, hahaha, I didn't expect you still remembered me... Did you see my performance when I entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year? I didn't let those two traitors from CCR go on stage... hahaha..."

When John Fogerty heard that Ronald wanted the copyright of his old CCR songs to be used in the new movie, he called him directly.

As soon as Ronald heard his voice, he felt that Fogarty was no longer as cynical as he used to be, and his words were full of the pleasure of revenge.

A few years ago, his brother, the band's rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, died of a blood transfusion infection during surgery. The other two members of the band, bassist Cook and drummer Clifford, also attended the funeral.

But then, major conflicts arose between them.

Saul Zaentz, the man who cheated John Fogerty out of the ownership of his songs and then caused the small bank related to his family to go bankrupt and liquidate, was equivalent to slaughtering John Fogerty all over again.

The reason why he was able to successfully sign the contract to buy out the ownership of all the band's old songs was because the two band members were dissatisfied with John Fogerty taking on all the work of writing lyrics, composing music, and singing. After taking a sum of money from Saul Zaentz, they sold the copyright privately.

After years of fighting, John Fogerty finally made some progress in his battle to get back his copyright. Although for commercial use, you only need to sign a contract with Saul Zaentz's record company, but John Fogerty expressed his dissatisfaction when he was on a talk show two years ago.

His famous song "Who'll Stop the Rain" was sold at a low price to a company that produces roof waterproofing paint as an advertising song.

This talk show had a lot of viewers, and the subsequent interview clips were also included in some news talk shows as a gossip about a past popular band.

This interview was seen by the general manager of Wrangler, a jeans company that used CCR's famous anti-war song "Fortunate Son". He used it as an advertising song because he liked the song and John Fogerty.

Although he had signed a usage agreement with Saul Zaentz, his record company and the distribution company, he still felt something was wrong because the songwriter and original singer John Fogerty were not satisfied.

After conducting market research, talk shows and interviews, they found that more people sympathized with John Fogerty's situation, so Wrangler immediately changed its advertising song. Their reason was to respect the original author.

This incident caused some discussion in the media, and also brought up some very dirty things that Saul Zaentz did in his early years. He used various means to deceive John Fogerty into depositing his money in a local San Francisco bank with a relatively high interest rate, and then he went bankrupt all at once and could only get the minimum savings insurance... After the matter was exposed, he bribed other members of the band to sign a contract to sell the copyright at a low price while John Fogerty was away, etc.

Although Saul Zaentz has produced two Oscar-winning films in Hollywood (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus), his dark history in the record industry still scares many people in the industry who were previously unaware of it.

Saul Zaentz is a typical black-hearted boss with talent but no morals. Although his actions are legal, once this kind of thing is brought up for discussion, the huge number of CCR fans at the time will automatically put him on the cross of moral judgment.

Soon, his connections in Hollywood were no longer popular, and no one wanted to work with him on new films. To make matters worse, CCR was a rock band as famous as the Beatles, and many artists who are doing well now, including many popular singers, grew up listening to John Fogerty's songs.

For example, blue-collar rock star Bruce Springsteen reacted angrily after watching the interview. As a rock star with great influence, he directly recommended John Fogerty to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and announced his induction on television.

The official ceremony and the live performance of the election were also performed by Bruce Springsteen's band, with John Fogerty playing bass and drums, and Springsteen himself playing rhythm guitar.

The other two surviving members of CCR did not get a chance to perform at this show. Moreover, during the live performance, John Fogerty did not pay Saul Zaentz any copyright fees as required by the contract.

To a certain extent, it can be said that the traditional conservative blue-collar white fan group collectively gave a huge middle finger to Saul Zaentz, a foreigner.

After this, John Fogerty could be said to have gained the sympathy of public opinion, and he began to think of ways to get back his copyright through a two-pronged approach, using legal means and pressure from the media.

Ronald didn't know about this part, but he knew John Fogerty. In order to avoid trouble, he found Fogerty himself and asked for his consent to use his copyright in "Forrest Gump".

This is the second copyright buyer after Wrangler jeans who ignored Saul Zaentz's copyright ownership and dealt directly with the original creator John Fogerty. By doing this, Ronald did John Fogerty a big favor in the media...

"I hope this can make the news... I hope you can do me a favor..." John Fogarty expressed his thoughts on the phone.

"Of course, no problem. I'm currently preparing for a new movie, so I probably only have time to accept written interviews from the media. My colleagues will have to go on TV..."

"Hi, Ronald, thank you very much. I'm very grateful that you agreed..." John Fogarty didn't expect Ronald to agree so readily, and he was quite touched.

"John, I haven't forgotten the guitar chords you taught me in San Francisco. Besides, this is an extreme act. Like you, I hate unscrupulous businessmen like Saul Zaentz. It's hard for me to imagine that an American businessman would do such a thing as killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. For a little bit of profit (which is of course not small), how much time would a genius like you waste? We could have heard more of your new works and your live performances..."

To be honest, Ronald was quite disgusted with such people. John Fogerty was not a singer who would run out of ideas after one or two pop songs. He was a great talent who continuously produced several albums that topped the charts. He was the soul of the only local band that could compete with the Beatles in terms of charts and sales.

"Damn Polish Jews..." John Fogarty ended the conversation with a word that Ronald was reluctant to say.

"Hey, wait a minute, let me talk to this heroic knight, Ronald? I'm Bruce Springsteen, I heard everything just now..."

Ronald didn't expect that next to Fogerty was Bruce Springsteen, who had helped him a lot. He had just finished his world tour and returned to America to talk to his spiritual mentor Fogerty.

Bruce Springsteen also dislikes Saul Zaentz very much. He is like Fogerty's better-off younger cousin, taking on all the responsibilities of his former brother and praising Ronald...

Finally, Bruce Springsteen suddenly remembered something, "Oh, I think I accepted an invitation to compose the soundtrack for one of your movies. Now that I have finished my tour, I have time..."

……

"Jonathan, Bruce Springsteen has agreed. He just finished his tour and saw the plot of Philadelphia Story. He was so moved that he wanted to direct it himself. Can you give him some movie clips for reference?

Yes, yes, he also said that he wants to learn how to compose film scores, so you need to give him some specific requirements. I’ll give you his agent’s phone number, you can talk to him yourself…”

"Oh, he said he could try but couldn't guarantee anything. I've been waiting for months and almost gave up hope. This is also your help, right? It's none of your business? You can say whatever you want, anyway, this movie is very suitable for his songs.

Yes, yes, I don’t have any requirements. It would be best if the song is one that can be played in stores. OK, I’ll write down his agent’s phone number first.

This is so exciting..."

Jonathan Demme, the director of "Philadelphia Story", is close to completing the post-editing and mixing. He is very excited about this unexpected good news. The film is shot in the ancient city of Philadelphia, and Bruce Springsteen's style as a blue-collar singer fits the theme of the film that the old country is experiencing a new tear.

As long as the tempo is a little slower, coupled with his magnetic voice, it is always very exciting. When the time comes, the powerful combination may resonate with the audience and repeat the situation of Ronald's best song and movie marketing.

Ronald really has a wide network of connections. Things that I couldn't handle by myself, he suddenly got them done...

……

"Tom, we're in big trouble..."

Ronald has finished the theme song of "The Philadelphia Story". Bruce Springsteen has the temperament of an artist. When he meets someone he likes, he works very efficiently. It is estimated that a demo will be released soon.

But there was another big problem with the accent of Michael Connor Humphries, the young actor in "Forrest Gump".

After all, little Michael is not a professional child actor. He can perform naturally in other aspects, but as Tom Hanks said, when it comes to reducing his Southern accent, Michael Connor Humphries encounters great difficulties as an amateur actor.

This guy had never left his hometown in Mississippi since he was a child, and people there all spoke that way. It was difficult for him to correct his accent in a short period of time. The accent teacher assigned to him was also helpless.

Generally speaking, accent correction is for adult actors, who already have the foundation for changing their accents, and some key points of guidance can achieve twice the result with half the effort. But for young actors who have only been exposed to one accent their entire lives, it is difficult for them to understand where the problem lies.

Just like Schwarzenegger's thick Austrian accent can never be changed, people who have not been exposed to multiple accents will have a problem, that is, they are not sensitive to certain pronunciations in the accent. The accent teacher tried many times to get Michael Connor Humphries to remove the very hard G at the end of the word, but failed.

Now, Ronald had to make a decision. When the filming was about to start, Michael Connor Humphries couldn't get rid of his accent. Should he recast the role or persuade Tom Hanks to adopt a southern accent to play Forrest Gump?
Anyway, Ronald had already said that he wanted Tom Hanks to have some say in how to play Forrest Gump, and it would be difficult to force him to give up his ideas.

Ronald tried to persuade him to spend more time with Michael, the actor who played Forrest Gump, and let him think of ways to eliminate the typical characteristics of Mississippi pronunciation.

……

"My father makes oils and fats. Oils and fats can be used to make many products, such as lipsticks..." On TV, little Michael shook his head and said what his father did for a living.

Tom Hanks is an expert in this field, and he was also optimistic about the potential of Michael Connor Humphries in playing little Forrest Gump. As a "collaborator", he was also very anxious about this, and immediately agreed to Ronald's request. He stayed with little Michael and his mother for two days, trying to teach him to speak in various ways.

But the result went against his will. Perhaps because of his nervousness, Michael Connor Humphries lost all the progress he had made with his accent teacher. Not only did his accent return to his comfort zone, but sometimes when he got nervous, his head would tremble and he would shake his big head as he spoke.

On the third day, Tom Hanks couldn't bear it anymore. He took some videotapes of little Michael talking and went to Ronald's house to discuss it with him.

"I was watching these tapes last night, and it suddenly occurred to me that instead of asking him to learn to speak standard American English, I should learn his accent and facial expressions..."

"Are you sure?" Ronald thought to himself. He is indeed a dedicated actor. He figured out the way I wanted him to do it so quickly.

"Yes, Ronald, I tried it today. See if I can do it well enough..."

Hanks cleared his throat and began to shake his head gently. "My father makes oils and fats. Oils and fats can be used to make many products, such as lipsticks..."

"Huh?" Ronald didn't expect that Tom Hanks's imitation ability was so good. Not only was his accent 60% similar to Hanks's, but his shaking head movement was also a sign of mental retardation.
There is also the typical country boy physique of little Michael, with his neck straight as if there was a ruler pressing against it from behind. The stubborn, kind-hearted Forrest Gump, who knows he is not very intelligent, seems to have suddenly possessed Hanks.

"Good fellow, this approach is indeed correct..." Ronald clapped his hands and praised, "Diane, Diane, come and see your old partner..." He quickly asked Diane to come along so that he could also see this wonderful performance...

"Oh, this is the role in your new film?" Diane glanced at Ronald and regretted it a little. "This is what it's like to be a director's wife. There are no good roles that can be played, only those fire-fighting roles..."

"Oh, Diane, I was wrong..." Ronald knew that Diane was addicted to acting. With such a wonderful performance, how much did she want to appear in the movie herself?

"Ding dong..."

Fortunately, the doorbell rang in time and someone came to rescue Ronald. Ronald went to open the door and it was Jonathan Demme and his wife Joan who came to visit.

"Bruce Springsteen's theme song demo has been sent to you. You have to listen to this..." Demi was anxious to let Ronald listen to the interlude as soon as he entered the room. "Tom, you are here too? It's the theme song of Philadelphia Story..."

"Oh? Let me listen too..." Hanks also became interested.

The tape was put into the Sony player, and after a burst of white noise, the music started.

“Boom…boom…boom…boom…”

A soothing and powerful drum beat sounded, and Bruce Springsteen's voice, like steel, sang out the faint sadness...

“I am exhausted and it is hard to describe my feelings.
Even I can't recognize my own appearance.

In the reflection of a window, I saw a strange face.
Oh, brother, will you let me die on the streets of Philadelphia?

No angel came to greet me,

Just you and me, my friend.”

The song only has three sections. At the end, the powerful drum beats at the beginning gradually fade away, as if foreshadowing the death of the protagonist Andy...

"Hey……"

Ronald, Diane, Demi, and Hanks all burst into tears. This song is very touching and it fits in well with the plot of the Philadelphia story. It is really moving...

"When can we release the ensemble version, Ronald? We have to get this song no matter what..." Jonathan Demme felt that he was lucky. This song could at least make the movie a better one...

"Well, let me see what I can do... Artists are not easy to rush..."