Chapter 54: 5 Minutes

The editing for Home Alone was finally complete, just waiting on some reshoots. Hopefully, Toronto would see some snow soon. If there's still no snow by November, they'd have to shoot in Montana. Christmas gifts were very important. Even the stingy parents would be generous during this time. As long as kids behaved, they'd receive some nice presents. If you didn't have religious beliefs, Christmas might not mean much. Many people went to church on this day. There were plenty of performances, often telling the story of Jesus, which could be quite interesting. The good thing about the faith is you could mess up, then repent, hoping for forgiveness. ... White Films started casting for its third movie. Though it was a male-driven film, it attracted a lot of attention. Police Academy film didn't just make Eddie Murphy famous; almost all supporting actors got noticed too. Even if they weren't leads yet, they at least got lines. For numerous struggling actors, this was already a big deal. Casting actors was fun. Even without the infamous casting couch, it was quite an eye-opener. The boss liking what he saw made others uncomfortable. If the boss couldn't control himself, they didn't want to be a third wheel. Today's auditions weren't open casting calls. If the boss approved, then the roles were pretty much decided. "Hey, how's she here?" William White was curious. She was a hardworking Hollywood actress; how come she was starting her career now? Many may not know Elizabeth McGovern. This lady starred in Once Upon a Time in America and later Downton Abbey. Of course, in Downton Abbey, she was already an older lady, but right now, she still looked quite good. Since she showed up, William White didn't mind giving her a chance. She was a prolific actress, remaining neither too popular nor unknown, for reasons unclear. Was her looks not enough? Maybe. The young version of Meryl was stunning; unfortunately, she was too mature. William, still youthful, felt at a disadvantage. "Elizabeth, right? Here's a script, you have five minutes." William casually handed her a script, pointing where she'd perform. She seemed hesitant, but William just sipped his coffee. When he looked up, she was already starkly present before him. "Cough," coffee spewed from William's mouth, leading to a fit of coughing. "Stop, stop." Using a folder to cover his face, he hastily called a halt. This woman was too straightforward; apparently, the young William couldn't handle it. Though initially flustered, seeing William's reaction, she relaxed. Maybe the rumors were wrong -- he didn't seem the jerk people described. Truthfully, William was not that kind of jerk. He wasn't used to such blatant exchanges; despite a past of foolishness, he had a bit of a literary air, unlike Hollywood's old-timers. "Miss, we don't shoot action films here; these are comedies." William White wearing a wry smile, looked at Elizabeth. He wasn't mad at all. It wasn't like he lost anything; quite the contrary, it all seemed intriguing. "Oh, sorry, director, let me put on clothes right away." Her embarrassed rush made William chuckle. Was he that desperate? Well, kind of. If not for the table, he'd have embarrassed himself. Despite failing to seduce, she landed the role. Though not heavy on screen time, it was a step forward. Thinking of her own predicament, Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh. Five minutes for a performance -- what could she do? Just enough for quick undressing. Didn't Monroe say the same? If you didn't strip, plenty of prettier girls lined up outside. Everyone did the same thing. If you didn't want to get your hands dirty, Hollywood wasn't the place; find a husband instead. Hollywood didn't really change much. The infamous casting couch was nearly extinct, replaced by dinner dates and hotel script meetings. Today's mess nearly derailed the plans. Did he come across as unreliable? It boiled down to age. Older guys took time to prep. Young ones didn't have that issue. Thus, no wonder minds wandered elsewhere. "Darn, is this why I'm the only one here? Were they all thinking that?" William fretted. His secretary knocked and entered. "Boss, two more." "Hm, follow the order. Find a seat and stay." The secretary chuckled inside. Earlier, she saw the actress leaving red-faced, suspecting she was close to reversing the roles on him. With extra company, things stayed calm; the girls just shot flirtatious glances. Flirting was something he could appreciate; everyone had a bit of vanity. This film wouldn't be rushed. It would start shooting in November, mostly in Hollywood, with some scenes in Detroit. This movie would be Eddie Murphy's breakthrough. He was plain lucky. Originally, Sylvester Stallone was set to act. However, adding multiple action scenes made the budget skyrocket. Excessive costs left producers broke, unwilling to scrap the film, hence opting for an unknown actor. The unknown was Eddie Murphy. ***** https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.