money player

As soon as Sin Yiu-man sat down, Chaplin offered him a cigarette. "Want a smoke?"

Sin Yiu-man took the cigarette and said, "I rarely smoke; I usually smoke cigars."

Chaplin lit a long match and leaned close to Sin Yiu-man. “I’m the complete opposite of you. I rarely smoke cigars, but I can’t live without cigarettes every day.”

Sin Yiu-man put the cigarette in his mouth, lit it over the flame, took a puff, let the smoke swirl in his mouth, and then exhaled it. He then pinched the cigarette butt between his thumb and forefinger, acting like a novice smoker.

Chaplin glanced at Adam's hand holding the cigarette. "Adam, are you interested in Carl's Stanley Kramer shares?"

"Yes."

Chaplin turned to Krim and said, "Arthur, the alliance is now in your hands. You talk to Adam."

Upon hearing this, Krim looked at Sin Yiu-man and said, "Adam, Clay has already spoken with us. Carl and Stanley are both willing to sell Carl's shares to Jorge Guineau, but there is a problem. Stanley Kramer is filming a movie called 'High Noon,' and United Artists is an investor in it, having invested $35."

"What's the problem?"

"The investment agreement must continue to be fulfilled after Jorge Guinno becomes a shareholder of Stanley Kremer."

Xian Yaowen looked at Stanley Kramer, "Stanley, what's your opinion?"

“This is the agreement we reached,” Kramer said. “At the same time, I hope Playboy can offer Noon a discounted advertising slot.”

“No problem.” Xian Yaowen extended his right hand and shook hands with Kramer, then with Carl Forman. “Carl, if you feel it’s necessary, I’ll accept a lower price, such as $8.”

Forman immediately understood what Sin Yiu-man meant. "Adam, I'm planning to go to London for a while."

"I'm quite familiar with banks in London, so I can recommend the best one for you later."

"OK."

Just as Xian Yaowen withdrew his right hand, Krim said, "Adam, Jorge Guinness has a project?"

“Actually, there are two. Which one are you interested in?” Sin Yiu-man replied with a smile.

“I’m not too optimistic about the nun’s project. If you’d like, we can talk about Rome.”

Sin Yiu-man turned to Chaplin and asked, "Would you mind if Arthur and I went for a walk in your garden?"

"Please make yourself at home, but don't stay too long. We'll be waiting for you at the card table."

"OK."

As Xian Yaowen and Krim walked toward the garden, they were processing information about Lianmei Company in their minds.

Since its founding in 1919, United Artists was only relatively active during the last five years of the 1920s and the first five years of the 1930s, when the company's president was the veteran producer Joseph Schenker.

Schenk was a good manager who brought many independent producers to United Artists, ensuring the supply of films for United Artists. In 1933, Schenk and Daryl Zanuk formed a new company called 20th Century Films, which provided four films a year, occupying half of United Artists' schedule.

In addition to United Artists, Schenk and Chaplin collaborated separately, purchasing and building theaters under the United Artists name. They expanded their business internationally, first in Canada, then in Mexico, and by the late 30s, United Artists had offices in more than 40 countries.

In 1935, Schenker was refused ownership of shares and resigned in anger. He facilitated the merger of 20th Century Studios and Fox Film Corporation, forming 20th Century Fox.

In the last five years of the 1930s, United Artists (UMA) enjoyed its most glorious period, building on the foundation laid by Schenk. Independent producers such as Walt Disney, Alexander Korda, Hal Roach, David Selznick, and Walt Wong collaborated with UMA.

Selznick's blockbuster film "Gone with the Wind" was originally intended for distribution by United Artists, but United Artists' shareholders and leadership failed to manage their relationships properly, leading Selznick to join MGM, and the rights to "Gone with the Wind" ended up in MGM's hands.

United Artists was profitable for two or three years, but then fell into losses due to poor film reception. These losses continued until 1950. United Artists brought in former Indiana Governor Paul McNutt as chairman, but he lacked the ability to solve United Artists' financial problems and was replaced after only a few months. Then, United Artists entered the Krim era.

Looking back at the history of Lianmei over the past thirty years, Chaplin did not play a very positive role. On the contrary, his stubbornness, stinginess, and selfishness hindered the development of Lianmei. If he were a shareholder of Lianmei, he would have kicked Chaplin out long ago.

Chaplin's greatest contribution to United Artists was the establishment of the SIMPP (Independent Film Producers Association) in 1941, which he spearheaded. The association aimed to protect the interests of independent filmmakers in the studio-controlled industry.

It is committed to ending the anti-competitive practices of the seven major film studios—MGM, Columbia, Paramount, Universal, RKO, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros.—which control the production, distribution, and exhibition of films.

In 1942, the SIMPP filed an antitrust lawsuit against Paramount's Union Theatres in Detroit, accusing Paramount of conspiring to control first-run and subsequent-run theaters in Detroit.

It was this six-year-long lawsuit that led to the Supreme Court's ruling in the Paramount case, requiring major Hollywood film studios to sell their theater chains and cease certain anti-competitive practices.

It can be said that Chaplin's establishment of the SIMPP ended Hollywood's big studio system, giving independent producers more room to survive and expanding United Artists' market. However, for the Big Seven studios, Chaplin was someone who ruined their plans, and they would definitely retaliate against him personally.

Regarding both men and women, Chaplin had a terrible reputation, which was certainly due to his own moral failings and numerous flaws. However, there was also likely some exaggeration and sensationalism involved. Chaplin was probably not as bad as the rumors suggested.

Objectively speaking, even if the rumors are true, it's not necessarily that bad. Hollywood is a mess, and if we were to compare him to someone like Sin Yiu-man, he would probably be considered a "perfect man."

Given the current environment, it is clearly abnormal that certain individuals are being targeted and criticized for seemingly trivial matters. Someone must be playing a role in this, and it's not hard to guess who it is.

Smearing his personal morality is probably just an appetizer. The enmity is so deep that even if they don't hire a ghostwriter to give Chaplin a quick death, they should at least wipe out his space in Hollywood. And how to do that is not hard to guess.

From the silent film era to the sound era, Chaplin's works transformed from comedic performances of ordinary people into sharp satires with strong political undertones.

For example, "Modern Times" depicts the tragic fate of workers alienated by industrialized society, and even includes a scene where the protagonist raises a red flag.

For example, "The Great Dictator" directly satirizes Hitler and delivers an anti-war speech at the end, calling for global peace.

Satirizing capitalism, fascism, and the war machine, "The Great Dictator" contradicted the American stance and ideology at the time. Had it been released two years later, it would have been a politically correct masterpiece.

In the current McCarthyist storm, it's too easy to label Chaplin a "red," and his troubles are far from over. It's only a matter of time before he's driven out of Hollywood and even the United States.

Sin Yiu-man had designs on Lianmei, otherwise he wouldn't have rushed over just because Chaplin wanted to see him, especially to a party he didn't like. If Chaplin was turned away, his shares in Lianmei would have to be sold.

If Huashe can acquire absolute control of Lianmei and turn a profit within two years, it will coincide with Huashe's listing plan, at which point it can tell an even more exciting story.

Of the seven major Hollywood studios, RKO is the weakest, with an estimated value of around $50 million. The others are valued at nearly or over $100 million, seemingly powerful, but in reality extremely weak.

The valuations of the seven companies include too many components that cannot be equated with cash. Each of them has very tight cash flow and is burdened with a considerable amount of debt, ranging from tens of millions of US dollars to as much as seventy or eighty million US dollars. RKO's debt exceeds 3000 million US dollars, and its debt ratio has exceeded 60%. If they are not careful, such as if they fail to invest in a blockbuster, they could go bankrupt in no time.

It can be said that the Big Seven are all paper tigers, constantly mired in difficulties, but it is very difficult to squeeze into their ranks. Film library resources, connections and other things need to be accumulated bit by bit. Going from zero to become one of the Big Seven is not only difficult in itself, but also takes a very long time.

Starting from scratch is not advisable; the only shortcut is mergers and acquisitions. And looking at the whole of Hollywood, the most suitable merger target is United Artists, with RKO ranking second.

Howard Hughes was an amateur when it came to film, but he was quite obsessed with it. He originally acquired RKO's shares with the intention of making promotional videos and product placements for his TWA.

However, after acquiring a 25% stake in RKO for $900 million in 1948, he continued to increase his stake in order to realize his film dream, until it exceeded 50%. RKO finally became his personal fiefdom, where he could do whatever he wanted.

Howard Hughes was a perfectionist. He always pursued the highest standards in his films, and if he was not satisfied, the film would be reshot. One take wasn't enough; two takes weren't enough either.

RKO Pictures released "Something from Another World" this April. Howard Hughes was dissatisfied with the ending and reshot it three times, with the budget soaring to $160 million. However, the box office performance was quite dismal, and it has not yet exceeded the budget. It is certain to lose a lot of money; the only question is how much it will ultimately lose.

Howard Hughes has done similar things more than once; even the strongest RKO team can't withstand this kind of turmoil.

Moreover, Howard Hughes was a staunch anti-communist fighter. Before the Committee on Non-American Activities even spoke up, he had already launched a major purge within RKO, firing many writers and actors and paying huge sums in breach of contract penalties.

For example, Herman Mankiewicz, the screenwriter of "Citizen Kane," and John Huston, the director of "The African Queen," were involved in three years of turmoil. RKO suffered a severe loss of talent, a depletion of creativity, and a near-depletion of working capital.

Simpson just mentioned today that Raiden is selling off some of the rights to its film library at low prices to raise funds for its new movie, including "King Kong" and "Citizen Kane." It's outrageous; these are huge IPs, golden goose assets.

RKO would never do well under Howard Hughes. With its predicament unresolved, it was only a matter of time before it was sold off. Moreover, such an operation would not necessarily be a loss for Howard Hughes himself, whether in terms of investment or personal enjoyment.

Over three years, Howard Hughes, taking advantage of RKO's connections, slept with quite a few Hollywood actresses. If you were to create a list of the actresses he slept with, it would be much easier to create a list of the actresses he didn't sleep with. That would be much simpler. Once RKO couldn't hold on any longer, he could sell the company and make a profit. It's practically a perfect investment case of "making money while playing around with women," and it's worth discussing in detail in business schools.

After receiving a call from Simpson in the early hours of the morning, Sin Yiu-man had been pondering the matter of Flower Company establishing another IP. If Flower Company's subsidiary became one of the seven major Hollywood studios, this concept would be reflected in the stock price, unleashing tremendous energy and raising a massive amount of funds in the stock market. Flower Company could then immediately plan to sell "one of the seven major studios" at a high price.

Hollywood is not Hong Kong. Being one of the Big Seven sounds impressive, but the operational pressure is immense. The existence of organizations such as the Writers Guild and the Screen Actors Guild makes it impossible to drastically reduce the production costs and personnel costs of Hollywood films. Unless every project can be a high-risk, high-reward venture, large and comprehensive studios can only live on thin ice at all times. A single investment mistake can lead to bankruptcy, a curse they cannot escape.

From an investment perspective, large film studios are not likely to make huge profits; they can only generate a steady stream of income. Running a large film studio is like a narcotics officer who only earns a few hundred dollars a month, stripped of all prestige, risking his life for just a few hundred dollars. Only a fool would do that.

If he put in the effort, Sin Yiu-man could indeed come up with a lot of story outlines about making big profits from small investments. It wouldn't be difficult for him to make a profit running a large film studio, or at least not on the verge of collapse. However, producing a project is extremely time-consuming, and unexpected events can happen at any time. Even if a highly profitable project is replicated, the outcome is not guaranteed to be highly profitable.

Even if high profits are guaranteed, he can only obtain high profits, not high profit margins. Time, energy, and massive investment may seem like a good way to make a considerable profit, but there are actually better options.

He presented his story and sought collaboration with production companies. He didn't need to invest too much time, energy, or capital. He handed over the production and distribution to others and waited for his share of the profits. Although the final profit couldn't compare to self-production, the profit margin was high, almost equivalent to making a fortune with no investment. Why not?

As for the "bookkeeping" skills that are commonplace in the industry, does he need to be afraid?

He's not some Hollywood nobody who can be easily manipulated. Leaving aside ruthless retaliation and other forms of attack, even the most direct and powerless option, a lawsuit, is something he can afford the costs of and the time commitment to. He can fight it out for eight or ten years, and it won't be over until he gets a huge sum of compensation.

Given his current state, he must have a plan for the big picture and stick to it firmly, but he must be flexible in the details and seize any opportunity. Chaplin showed him the opportunity to "tell more captivating stories," so he must climb up the ladder and not let any chance slip by.

Sin Yiu-man and Krim went to a corner of the garden away from the women, and Krim said directly, "Adam, have you thought about the independent film project, Rome?"

"Arthur, did you know I also own a film and television company in Hong Kong?"

“It’s no secret that I not only know about Friendship Films, but I also know that you have already established distribution channels in France and the UK.”

The core companies and figures in the film industry of every country are limited, and the film industry places great importance on personal connections. When Friendship Publishing is making a concerted effort, its actions will naturally fall directly or indirectly into the eyes of those who are interested.

Deliu worked incredibly hard in Paris for Aud deliu's business. Some of the people she approached were always interested in who "Aud" was, and even if she wasn't asked, Deliu would proactively explain that the Asian market was a crucial part of Aud deliu's overall competitiveness, and she couldn't help but boast about it.

With Caroline Duncan establishing Odd Queensland in Australia, Hollywood's backyard, Friendship Films became more likely to catch the eye of Hollywood people. With the help of seven major information channels, it would be easy to dig out Sin Yiu-man and connect Friendship Films with Flower Society.

“Yes.” Sin Yiu-man nodded. “I have prepared a lot of good ideas, which will be produced and released globally one by one in the next few years. This is my ambition.”

"An idea like Rome?"

"uh-huh."

What are your thoughts on releasing it in the United States?

“Arthur, I need to explain. I am just one of the shareholders of Friendship Pictures. There is a larger shareholder above me. I am just an employee.”

The same goes for the Flower Company; I sold a significant number of shares to Jorge Guinno and another shareholder.

Therefore, Friendship Pictures and Flower Company are actually unrelated, and *Roman Holiday* was a project of Jorge Guinness's agency.

Krim nodded slightly. "I completely understand. Let's talk about the Roman Holiday project first."

"Do you have any idea?"

“Lianmei can invest in 'Roman Holiday' and provide publicity and distribution services and channels.”

“Arthur, Flower Company has no shortage of funds or distribution channels. The major shareholder of Friendship Pictures is a good friend of Mr. Rank. I established a friendship with Universal a long time ago. Universal and Paramount are already aware of the Roman Holiday project and are very willing to cooperate, but…”

"A disagreement over the lead actress?" Krim said with a smile. "You insist on having Audrey Hepburn, a newcomer, play the role."

Sin Yiu-man shrugged and gave a forced wry smile, “It seems Hollywood really doesn’t have any secrets.”

"Adam, I'm actually very curious why you insist on this, because of your personal relationship with her?"

"No, I'm not Howard Hughes. I'm just a businessman. Movies are just a business to me. Of course, I have some ambitions, but all my actions in the film industry are aimed at making a profit."

I insisted on casting Audrey Hepburn as Princess Anna solely because she was the most suitable choice; my personal relationship with her was only a secondary factor.

“I’m sorry, I’ve met Audrey Hepburn and I didn’t find anything special about her.”

Sin Yiu-man chuckled and said, “That’s because you’re looking at it from the wrong angle. I plan to go to Universal and Paramount with Audrey next Monday to show them the real Princess Anna.”

"Roman Holiday" is not the original "Roman Holiday". Only the storyline remains the same. He could not remember all the details. The screenwriter in charge was innovative, and he also made minor adjustments to some details according to his own understanding. It can be said that the current "Roman Holiday" is tailor-made for Audrey Hepburn's characteristics.

"Adam, before you go to Universal and Paramount, I would like to see Princess Anna first."

"I'd be delighted. I'll be preparing Princess Anne's outfit tomorrow, and we can arrange a time the day after tomorrow."

"no problem."

“Arthur, I have a very presumptuous question to ask.”

"It's okay. Please go ahead."

Are you currently a shareholder of Lianmei?

Krim shrugged. "No, but it will be in the future."

"How to say?"

“Robert, Marty Fox, and I proposed an idea to UnitedMer's shareholders: let them take over UnitedMer for ten years. If UnitedMer is profitable in any of the next three years, we can choose to buy back half of UnitedMer's shares at a fixed price within ten years. The shareholders agreed, and we did a good job. I believe UnitedMer will be profitable this year.”

“I heard that Lianmei is short of working capital.”

"Yes, we received a $3 million loan from Spiros Skoulas (President of 20th Century Fox), and United Applied is currently well-funded."

Sin Yiu-man said with a smile, "Are you lacking partners? Partners who only invest and don't speak up."

Krim asked in surprise, "You're interested in the United States?"

“I’m quite interested. After we finish talking about Roman Holiday, I’ll invite you out to sea for fishing, and we can chat then.”

After a slight hesitation, Krim smiled and said, "I'm an expert sea angler."

"I grew up by the sea."

"We can have a match."

"We can have a little prize."

"OK."

“We should go back now. I heard Charlie really enjoys playing cards; they’ve probably already started.”

"You like playing cards too?"

"I rarely play cards; reading is my primary pastime, and women can only come in second."

“Ha,” Krim laughed loudly, “Did you think there was going to be one of those parties at the Aladdin Club today?”

Aladdin Club is a club located in Beverly Hills. It is a brokerage platform that provides clients with various intermediary services, including political, film and television, and various shady deals between male and female celebrities and wealthy and political figures. It also provides venues and props for clients to organize high-stakes card games and parties of all kinds, as well as drugs, sex, and so on.

"Am I thinking too much?"

"Yeah, rumors from the outside world may or may not be true."

Xian Yaowen understood Krim's subtext: "You're just starting out in this industry, and you're already thinking about getting involved in that kind of private stuff? Are you overthinking it?"

Well, it seems Chaplin still has some shame. He's overthinking things. But sooner or later he'll have to come back a second time. The deal with Margarita is still necessary. He doesn't plan to find another new person. It's best to avoid doing things like dragging innocent girls into prostitution.

"So, today is just about playing cards?"

Krim smiled mysteriously, "Perhaps there will be other programs."

As they were talking, the two arrived at the glass door. Sin Yiu-man glanced at where the women had been, but they were no longer there. He entered the reception room, but there was no one in sight.

With a puzzled look on his face, Krim led him into the entertainment room, where a card table came into view. The table was full of people, with men playing the game and women watching from the sidelines. Margarita was sitting next to an empty player's seat.

This should be his seat.

He walked over and sat down, naturally putting his arm around Margarita's waist, and whispered in her ear, "I'm a card expert, want to team up?"

"You know I have no money."

"The chances of losing are slim. You just need to nod. If we win, we'll split it 50/50. If we lose, we'll owe you."

Are you sure you're a card-playing expert?

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"OK, I'll take half."

"make a deal."

Sin Yiu-man released Margarita and looked at the chips on the table. It was the most intense moment of the hand, with no one folding, but there were only a little over $40 in chips on the table. This showed that it was just a game for entertainment, which was consistent with the rumors that "Chaplin liked playing cards but didn't like gambling." It was just a small bet for fun, and the wins and losses wouldn't be too big.

At the end of the hand, Chaplin successfully bluffed, taking all the chips. Sin Yiu-man and Krim joined in, and a new hand began.

Sin Yiu-man's hole cards were a pair of 2 of diamonds and 7 of spades, which were perfect for a bluff, but he folded them and did not join the game.

Undoubtedly, the greatest pleasure in playing cards lies in the prize. For those who dislike gambling but are obsessed with playing cards, the pleasure is definitely not the prize, but more likely the ability to observe people through gambling. Chaplin probably enjoyed understanding other people's minds through card games.

The mind observer hates being observed the most. He first watches Chaplin play a few hands to get a feel for his playing style. He plans to create a Chaplin 2.0 for Chaplin to observe slowly, so as to give the old man a surprise.

While observing Chaplin playing cards, his gaze would occasionally drift to Oona Chaplin's face, taking a closer look at the woman he had almost pinned down on the lawn to see what she really looked like.

Overall, it's not bad, but the mouth can be described as a huge, gaping mouth. It's habitually slightly open, revealing the upper teeth. If you laugh loudly, the upper gums will probably be visible, which isn't very attractive.

However, it's not a big problem if it's not good-looking; it might make someone quick-witted and practical.

When his gaze lingered on Una's face for the second time, her gaze met his, and their eyes met in mid-air. Una smiled broadly, her mouth opening wide to reveal her upper teeth.

Sin Yiu-man couldn't help but comment, "Your teeth are really good, definitely the enemy of dentists. I just don't know if they're sharp. I hope they're not too spongy and don't have any chewiness at all."

He returned the smile, then politely looked away and spoke quietly to Margarita. (End of Chapter)