A FABLE (sort of)

Once upon a time in Hollywood----three or four years ago, actually--a ferocious band of movie makers called the Independents came out of Nowhere to take the town by storm.

Talk about chutzpah!

For eons and eons, Hollywood--the movie capital, where the River of Bankability flowed with glitz and celluloid--had been ruled by the Major Studios. All was calm in the land between the Sea of Red Ink and the Ocean of Profit.

According to legend, there were seven fearsome Majors. Or maybe there were 10. (In Moviedom, a lot depends on who does the counting, not to mention the accounting.)

In any case, they had built huge and menacing castles with some help from the $4-billion-a-year Box Office income, as well as revenue from videocassettes, pay TV and foreign sales. the Majors were invincible, echoed one and all from the deep Cave of Studio Accounting to the Desert of Development.

But a pair of bold Cannonites, Menachem and Yoram, slipped into the sleeping movie capital one night and returned with good news.

“The Majors are actually tired and old,” they reported. “Just keep your costs down, and cover your flanks with video pre-sales.”

“You can’t lose.”

Soon, every Tom, Dick and Dino in Nowhere was armed to the teeth with stocks and debentures from the wizards--sometimes known as Investment Bankers--from the Land of Eternal Optimism--a.k.a. Wall Street.

The ensuing battle raised a terrible ruckus.

The Big Producers, a mercenary bunch from the outpost of Malibu, sold their services to the highest bidder, adding considerably to the mayhem. Everyone bled money at a horrifying rate, and the battlefield was glutted with profitless pictures.

But when the dust finally settled . . . things were pretty much the same as before.

The Majors still reaped 90% of the Box Office--and their battlements were a little higher, thanks to the wizards of Wall Street, who made war loans to both sides with wonderful impartiality.

As for the Independents, well, some--Carolco, Imagine, Castle Rock, Nelson and Hemdale, for example--just pitched their tents with the Majors, much as producers had been doing for years.

Others bravely kept up the fight.

And still others, at last report, were headed back to Nowhere.

As well you can see. . . .

The Key to the Kingdom

A few notes of explanation: Calendar’s map of moviedom is based largely on information provided by the major studios and independent producers. It illustrates the contours and relative positions of many--but not all--of the film community’s principal players.

The map depicts corporate affiliations among the major movie companies, along with some of their producer alliances as of last week. These affiliations are in constant motion and some of the names are not well known. To make identification easier we’ve listed film titles in cases where producers have a movie(s) to their credit. However (is nothing simple?), just because a producer and a movie are listed under the heading of a particular major studio, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the movie was a product for that major studio. Take the case of Hemdale Film Corp., now affiliated with Tri-Star Pictures: “Platoon” is listed after Hemdale to help identify the firm, but “Platoon” was distributed by Orion Pictures.

Calendar’s map doesn’t claim to be a complete rendering of all movie-making companies and alliances. (Whaddaya want, the moon?) Many independent producers aren’t depicted. And some independent releasing companies--for instance Lorimar, which has accounted for about 3% of the national box office this year--may have company affiliations that aren’t shown. The list of independent distributors was drawn from Exhibitor Relations’ Composite Release Schedule.

Then, of course, there are the buyouts, the mergers and changing players that can alter the map at any time.

Bearing all this in mind, welcome to Hollywood!

MAJOR STUDIOS COLUMBIA PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT INC.

(49% owned by Coca-Cola Co.)

President: Victor Kaufman

Corporate ties:

--Co-owns the Burbank Studios with Warner Bros.

Producer alliances:

Price Entertainment. Frank Price.

Weintraub Entertainment Group. Jerry Weintraub. 12% owned by Columbia and distributes through Columbia-owned Triumph Releasing Corp.

Columbia Pictures

President: Dawn Steel

1987 filmed entertainment revenue: $1 billion (for Jan. 1 through Dec. 17).

1988 movie releases: 20.

Producer alliances:

Castle Rock Entertainment (“The Princess Bride”). Alan Horn, Glenn Padnick, Rob Reiner, Andy Scheinman, Martin Shafer. 40% owned by Columbia Pictures Entertainment. Co-finances films with Nelson Entertainment.

Nelson Entertainment (“Switching Channels.”) Barry Spikings. Co-finances films with Castle Rock.

Martin Ransohoff Productions (“The Big Town”).

Rastar Productions (“Biloxi Blues,” “The Secret of My Success”). Ray Stark.

Scott Rudin.

Gareth Wigan (“American Flyers”).

Frank Yablans (“Mommie Dearest,” “Star Chamber”).

Tri-Star Pictures

President: David Matalon

1987 filmed entertainment revenue: $300 million (for the first nine months of 1987, fiscal year ended Feb. 29).

1988 movie releases: 22.

Producer alliances:

Carolco Pictures (“Rambo” series, “Angel Heart”), Andy Vajna and Mario Kassar.

Hemdale Film Corp. (“The Last Emperor,” “Platoon”), John Daly.

Merchant Ivory/Hendler Productions (“Room With a View,” “Maurice”), Ismail Merchant. James Ivory. Gary Hendler.

Rastar Productions (“Peggy Sue Got Married,” “Nothing in Common”).

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

(100% owned by Walt Disney Co., which is 17% owned by the Bass group.)

Chairman: Jeffrey Katzenberg.

1987 filmed entertainment revenue: $875.6 million (fiscal year ended Sept. 30).

1988 movie releases: 14.

Corporate ties:

--Owns Disney-MGM studio tour in Florida, under a licensing arrangement with MGM/UA Communications Co.

Producer alliances:

Jim Abrahams (directed “Ruthless People”).

Antonacci Productions (TV’s “Brothers” series), Greg Antonacci.

Jim Kouf (“Stakeout”) and David Greenwalt (“Class”).

Jim Cruikshank and James Orr.

Lauren Schuler-Donner (“Fugitives,””Ladyhawke”).

Terry Louise Fisher.

Tom Hanks.

Hill & Obst, (“Adventures in Babysitting”), Debra Hill and Lynda Obst.

Interscope Communications (“Three Men and a Baby,” “Outrageous Fortune”), Ted Field and Robert Cort.

Kalola Productions, Carol Burnett.

David Letterman.

Shelley Long and Marty Mickelson.

Paul Mazursky (“Down and Out in Beverly Hills”).

Bette Midler, Bonnie Bruckheimer-Martell, and Margaret Jennings South.

Leonard Nimoy.

Dan Petrie Jr. (“Shoot to Kill”).

Mark Rubell and Dorrie Pierson.

Tom Smith.

Paul Witt and Tony Thomas.

Laura Ziskin (“D.O.A.”).

MGM/UA COMMUNICATIONS CO.

(79% owned by Kirk Kerkorian.)

Chairman: Lee Rich.

1987 filmed entertainment revenue: $349.1 million (fiscal year ended Aug. 31).

1988 movie releases: 17.

Corporate ties:

--Co-owns United International Pictures, a foreign-movie distributor, with MCA Inc. and Paramount Pictures.

--Licenses rights to Disney Co.’s Disney-MGM studio tour in Florida.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.

Chairman: Alan Ladd Jr.

Producer alliances:

Brooksfilms. Mel Brooks (“Spaceballs”).

Bruce Gilbert (“Morning After,” “9 to 5”).

Norman Jewison (“Moonstruck”).

National Lampoon Films.

Turman/Foster (“Running Scared,” “Short Circuit”), Lawrence Turman and David Foster.

Harry Ufland (“Streets of Gold””).

Joe Wizan (“Tough Guys,” “Iron Eagle”).

Zanuck/Brown Co. (“Cocoon,” “The Verdict”). Richard Zanuck, David Brown, Lili Zanuck-Fini.

United Artists Pictures

Chairman: Anthony Thomopoulos.

Producer alliances:

Eon Productions (James Bond series), Cubby Broccoli.

White Eagle Enterprises, Sylvester Stallone. (Domestic rights only. Foreign distribution belongs to Carolco Pictures.)

Irwin Winkler (“Rocky” series, “ ‘Round Midnight”).

ORION PICTURES CORP.

(39.5% owned by John Kluge and other investors, 26.8% owned by Sumner Redstone and other investors.)

Chairman: Arthur Krim.

1987 filmed entertainment revenue: $380 million (fiscal year ended Feb. 29.)

1988 movie releases: 14.

Producer alliances:

Woody Allen (“September,” “Hannah and Her Sisters”).

David Anspaugh (directed “Hoosiers”).

Larry Brezner and Buddy Morra (“Throw Momma From the Train”).

Kevin Costner.

Jon Davison (“RoboCop”).

Jonathan Demme (“Swimming to Cambodia,” “Something Wild”).

Dennis Hopper (directed “Colors”).

Michael Hausman (“House of Games”)

Dennis Quaid.

David Mamet (directed and wrote “House of Games”).

Management Company Entertainment Group. Jonathan Krane. (“You Can’t Hurry Love).

John Schlesinger (directed “The Believers”).

Susan Seidelman (directed “Making Mr. Right,” “Desperately Seeking Susan”).

PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORP.

(100% owned by Gulf + Western Inc.)

Chairman: Frank G. Mancuso.

1987 filmed entertainment revenue: $1.6 billion (fiscal year ended Oct. 31).

1988 movie releases: 16.

Corporate ties:

--Paramount co-owns USA network with MCA Inc.

--Gulf + Western co-owns Cinamerica Theatres Ltd. with Warner Communications, but the sale of a 50% interest to Warner is pending court approval. Includes Mann, Trans-Lux, and Festival Enterprises theater chains.

--Paramount co-owns Cinema International Corp., a foreign video and theater venture, with MCA.

--Paramount co-owns United International Pictures, a foreign-movie distributor, with MGM/UA Communications Co. and MCA.

Producer alliances:

Harve Bennett (“Star Trek” series).

Charles/Burrows/Charles (TV’s “Taxi,” “Cheers”), Glen Charles, Les Charles, James Burrows.

Konner/Rosenthal. Larry Konner and Mark Rosenthal.

Fair Dinkum Productions, Henry Winkler.

Larry Ferguson (writer “Beverly Hills Cop II”).

Pee-wee Herman.

Paul Hogan/John Cornell (“ ‘Crocodile’ Dundee”).

Hometown Films (“Permanent Record,” “Friday the 13th” series), Frank Mancuso Jr.

Isis Productions, Cher.

Jaffe-Lansing Productions (“Fatal Attraction,” “Racing With the Moon”), Stanley Jaffe, Sherry Lansing.

Howard W. Koch Productions, (“Airplane!”).

Art Linson (“The Untouchables.”)

Mann Productions, (“Krull,” “Brubaker”), Ted Mann.

Chris Meladandri and Mark Gordon.

Neal Moritz.

Eddie Murphy Productions (“Beverly Hills Cop II,” “Raw”), Murphy, Bob Wachs and Mark Lipsky.

Gary Nardino Productions (“Star Trek III”).

Patrick Palmer (“Children of a Lesser God”).

Pari Passu Productions, Nicholas Meyer and Steven-Charles Jaffe.

Walter Parkes and Larry Lasker (“Project X”).

Tony Scott (directed “Top Gun”).

Simpson/Bruckheimer Productions, Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer. “Top Gun,” “Beverly Hills Cop II.”

Snowback Productions, Michael J. Fox.

TDF Productions, Ted Danson and Dan Fauci.

Ubu Productions, Gary David Goldberg.

Lisa Weinstein (“Shoot to Kill”).

Wings Productions, Mark Harmon.

Ralph Winter. “Star Trek IV.”

Jerry and David Zucker (“Top Secret”).

20TH CENTURY FOX FILM CORP.

(100% owned by Fox Inc., which is 100% owned by News Corp., which is 49% owned by Rupert Murdoch family.)

Chairman: Barry Diller.

1987 revenue: $887.7 million.

1988 movie releases: 14.

Producer alliances:

Gladden Entertainment (“The Sicilian,” “Mannequin”), David Begelman.

Gordon Co. (“Predator”), Lawrence Gordon.

Gracie Films (“Broadcast News”), James L. Brooks.

Laurence Mark Productions (“Black Widow”).

Pacific Western/No-Frills (“Bad Dreams”), Gail Ann Hurd

Tech Noir (“Aliens”), Gail Ann Hurd, James Cameron.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

(100% owned by MCA Inc., which is 15.5% owned by Lew Wasserman and various trusts over which he has voting authority.)

Chairman: Thomas Pollock.

1987 filmed entertainment revenue: $1.3 billion.

1988 movie releases: 12.

Corporate ties:

--Owns 49% of Cineplex-Odeon Corp., a movie exhibition, distribution, and production company, which in turn is allied with New Century/New Visions, a production company overseen by director Taylor Hackford. New Century/New Visions co-owns New Century/Vista with the Vista Organization.

--Co-owns USA Network with Gulf + Western Inc.

--Co-owns United International Pictures, a foreign movie distributor, with Paramount Pictures and MGM/UA Communications Co.

--Co-owns Cinema International Corp., a foreign video and theater company, with Paramount.

Producer alliances:

Amblin Entertainment (“Back to the Future,” “Harry and the Hendersons,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”), Steven Spielberg.

Badham/Cohen Group, John Badham (directed “Stakeout”), Rob Cohen.

Hughes Entertainment (“Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “The Breakfast Club”), John Hughes.

Imagine Films Entertainment, (“Like Father, Like Son,” “Splash,” “Cocoon”), Brian Grazer and Ron Howard.

Mirage Productions (“Bright Lights, Big City,” “Out of Africa”), Sydney Pollack.

Martin Scorsese (directed “The Color of Money,” “After Hours”).

Wildwood Enterprises (“Milagro Beanfield War”), Robert Redford.

WARNER BROS.

(100% owned by Warner Communications Inc., which is 17% owned by Chris-Craft Industries.)

Chairman: Robert Daly.

1987 filmed entertainment revenue: $1.4 billion.

1988 movie releases: 22.

Corporate ties:

--Warner Bros. co-owns the Burbank Studios with Columbia Pictures.

--Warner Communications co-owns Mann and Trans-lux theater chains with Gulf + Western, pending court approval.

Producer alliances:

Amblin Entertainment (“Empire of the Sun,” “The Color Purple”), Steven Spielberg.

Barwood Films (“Nuts”), Barbra Streisand.

Richard Donner Productions (“The Lost Boys,” co-produced “Lethal Weapon”).

Guber-Peters-Barris (“The Witches of Eastwick,” “Innerspace”) Peter Guber, Jon Peters, and the George Barris Co.

Light Motiv, Roland Joffe (directed “The Mission,” “The Killings Fields”).

Stanley Kubrick (“Full Metal Jacket”).

Malpaso Productions, (“Heartbreak Ridge,” “Pale Rider”), Clint Eastwood.

Paul Maslansky (“Police Academy” series).

The Mount Co., (“Frantic”), Thom Mount.

David Puttnam (“The Mission,” “Chariots of Fire”).

Silver Pictures Productions (co-produced “Lethal Weapon”), Joel Silver.

David Wolper Productions.

INDEPENDENTS

(Distributors)

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

Lorimar-Telepictures Corp.

Cannon Group Inc.

New World Entertainment Inc.

Alive Films

Ascot Entertainment Group

Atlantic Entertainment Group

Cinema Group

Cinecom International Films

Cinetel Films

Circle Releasing

Concorde Pictures

Crown International Pictures

Empire Entertainment

Film Dallas

F/M Entertainment

Galaxy International Releasing

Samuel Goldwyn Co.

HandMade Films

International Film Marketing

Island Pictures

Kings Road Entertainment

Miramax Films

New Line Cinema

Skouras Pictures

Spectrafilm

Transworld Entertainment

Triax Entertainment

Troma

Vestron Entertainment

Some of the Big Producers:

Arkoff International Pictures. Sam Arkoff.

Davis Entertainment. John Davis.

Lucasfilm Ltd. George Lucas.

Taft-Barish. Keith Barish.

Blake Edwards Ent.

Ed Pressman.