Bill Mechanic From a Different POV

Regarding the article on Bill Mechanic of 20th Century Fox (“Nuts and Bolts, Yes; Creativity? Maybe,” The Biz, Nov. 5): The easiest shot to take is the cheap one. A little more work by Claudia Eller might have produced the answer to her question.

Did she even bother to visit Mechanic’s office at Fox? Prominent on the wall is a poster of Bertolucci’s seminal film “The Conformist.” Mechanic has not only seen the film many times, but can discuss everything from its politics to its aesthetics, including the work of the cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro.

Filmmakers who have worked with Mechanic at Fox could have given her a sense of who the man really is. I made a film for the studio two years ago called “Sugar Hill,” a dark, brooding story about two brothers, played by Wesley Snipes and Michael Wright. After we’d finished making the film, Joe Roth, who had acquired it, left, and its fate became uncertain.

Then Bill Mechanic came over from Disney. As it happened, one of the films we’d used as a model for “Sugar Hill” was “The Conformist.” Only Bill recognized that and pointed it out. We were amazed.

In short order, Bill became an ardent supporter of the project and became involved in every aspect of completing and marketing the film.

Bill’s ideas were many and brilliant. He called every day to offer updates, ideas and encouragement and something rare--to just talk about the contents of the film, its ideas. Clearly he understood that fragile place that filmmakers inhabit on the eve of the release of something they’ve worked on for years.

The results: “Sugar Hill,” a movie that some predicted would make only art-house profits, earned substantially more and earned Mechanic the respect of everyone involved in making it.

Bill Mechanic doesn’t deserve Claudia Eller’s cheap shot.

RUDY LANGLAIS

Los Angeles