Weird Fax Stories: One in a Series

People in Hollywood get scores of faxes each day, but not many like the one that “Air America” producer Daniel Melnick zapped around last week. “Dear lovers, friends and other strangers,” the faxed letter began. “I write this to apologize for the unreturned phone calls, the canceled appointments, and the crankiness I’m sure I exhibited if we ever did make contact. I have been neglectful, which troubles me and for which I most sincerely apologize.”

The letter continued: “Many, many thanks to those of you who have been understanding and again, my apologies, even to those of you who have sent messages to me to ‘lose my number.’ For better or worse, I, or what’s left of me, will surface the week of August 12th.” (Two days after the opening of the Mel Gibson movie “Air America.”)

Even in the land of strange faxes, this one was stranger than most, so we called Melnick and asked, “What gives?”

The producer--known to colleagues as a flamboyant personality in the best of moods--explained in the phone call that his rude behavior had been caused by a heavy workload, what with the post-production and marketing of “Air America,” the filming of the Steve Martin comedy “L.A. Story,” and the usual wheeling and dealing that producers have to go through.

So, where will Melnick be? And why did he feel the need to send out an apology?

“My intention was just to apologize to numbers of friends and business and acquaintances for not being as meticulous as I like to be by returning phone calls, filling requests, scheduling meetings. I’ve been distracted,” said Melnick, who was surprisingly easy to reach by telephone since he says he’s just going to be in his office for the next month.

Melnick said he sent the letter to dozens of friends, agents, producers and the like, “from Ray Stark to Sherry Lansing, from Don Simpson to Johnny Carson.” He picked the Aug. 12 date to resurface, he noted, because “that’s after ‘Air America’s’ opening, and after we do a final wrap on ‘L.A. Story.’ I’ll be able to resume a normal life then.”

Melnick admitted that reaction to the letter has been “a lot of amazement. I’ve gotten some very funny notes back and also sarcastic messages. One friend of mine who’s a psychologist said, ‘I would like to speak to you before you descend,’ which is a Moses reference, I think.”

But the real question is, will people accept his apology? “I’m not really sure,” Melnick mused. “I assume that anybody who knows me and is a pure professional will.”

An agent at one of Hollywood’s bigger talent agencies who received the letter said he would accept Melnick’s apology, “but it had better be a chain letter.”