Peter laughed. “Oh, something I forgot. If the film is released, I think we’ll have to come to some arrangement with the various unions and pay the actors and others at least union scale. I paid each actor a hundred dollars and got a release from everybody.”

“Smart move,” Stone said. “The studio will know how to handle that.”

Peter stood up. “I’ve got some reading to do,” he said. “I’ll see you at supper.”

At half past five Joan buzzed him. “Mr. Janklow on one.”

“Hello, Mort?”

“Stone, I’ve watched the first twenty minutes of the film, and I’m rapt. And, guess who just called me about another matter? Leo Goldman. I mentioned that I have a new client, and when he heard who, Leo went quietly nuts.”

Stone laughed.

“I’m overnighting the DVD to him, but he’s already made an offer, which I did not accept.”

“What’s the offer?”

“Ten million dollars for all the rights, plus five percent of the gross. Don’t worry, when he sees what I’m seeing, with titles and a score, we’ll do better.”

“What did he say about a limited license?”

“Exactly what I thought he’d say, but wait until tomorrow. I’ll hear from him by noon his time, maybe sooner, if he’s really excited.”

“When you talk to him again, tell him he has to make the various unions happy about the release, at his expense, and he has to pay Hattie Patrick, who wrote the score.”

“Good point.”

“Thank you, Mort. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”

“How old is your boy?”

“Eighteen.”

“I want to meet him.”

“Of course; we’ll arrange that.”

“He must be very smart, if he got into Yale.”

“You have no idea,” Stone said.

Chapter 62

62

Shortly after noon the following day, Stone got a call from Morton Janklow.

“Leo got back to me,” Janklow said. “We’re at twenty million and ten points.”

“Wonderful. How about the rights issue?”

“Seven years. I think that’s good. Peter will end up owning his film outright.”

“That’s perfect, Mort.”

“Leo is okay with dealing with the unions, and he likes the score, so he’ll pay Hattie Patrick a hundred grand. If Peter wants to give her or anybody else points, it has to come out of his end.”

“You’ve done a great job, Mort.”

“I’ll send Peter our representation contract to sign, and make sure he understands our commission is fifteen percent.”

“I’ll explain the facts of life to him.”

“If I know Leo, we’ll have contracts in a couple of weeks, and after we iron out the fine print, we should have a check in a month or so.”

“Thank you again, Mort.”

“When the contract is finalized, bring Peter to my office to sign, and he can meet some of our people.”

“I’ll do that.” Stone said good-bye and hung up.