Reflections on Success, Failure in Hollywood

Patrick Goldstein’s article on envy in the film business was generally right on target (“Where They Root for Failure,” Aug. 7). However, I wonder if he jumped the gun in his criticism of MGM studio chief Chris McGurk.

Is it possible McGurk’s comment that “Legally Blonde” did not have “any $20-million actors with high-gross participation” wasn’t intended as a snipe at Joe Roth’s “America’s Sweethearts”? Could it have been simply a reminder to Wall Street that MGM will not have its profits diluted by payouts to key cast and/or creative people?

Ever since McGurk came on board, MGM has been focused on profitability. Goldstein should have taken that into account.

JESS MONEY

Redondo Beach

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Thanks for the schadenfreude tip, Patrick, but you don’t have to travel that far to turn a phrase on Hollywood’s dark side.

F. Scott Fitzgerald said it all when he wrote, “In Hollywood, it’s not enough that you should succeed, but all of your friends must fail as well!”

That was back in the ‘30s, so it seems that the so-called shared immigrant experience wasn’t all that pure and noble either.

MICHAEL CHASE WALKER

Walker Entertainment Arts

Beverly Hills

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I enjoyed Goldstein’s article but must disagree that such behavior is either (1) unique to the movie business or (2) a contemporary phenomenon.

I spent 28 years as part of ABC’s pre-Disney public relations department, the last 61/2 of it as head of the West Coast department. I vividly recall that one of our two major competitors, some 25 years ago, routinely serviced the national press--on a weekly basis--with ratings “reports” that offered a full page of tips like, “Did ABC tell you that Series X got its lowest rating in six years last week? ... Did ABC forget to mention that Series Y took a 23% drop from the previous week?” etc. These “press releases” were printed on blank paper and mailed in blank envelopes from another state, with dozens of them forwarded to us from press members around the country, amazed at the venality of the practice.

Since my early retirement nine years ago, at least two friends still in the TV PR game (neither with a network) have told me that they now “have to spend at least 60% of my day” planting negative items with the press about competitors. So, that lamentable mind-set is neither new--nor, apparently, a fleeting phenomenon, alas.

BOB WRIGHT

Los Angeles