American comics: You're asked to fish, but you catch a Superman template?

Page 675

The mystery of wax figures

On the script prepared by Xu Fu, William Paley saw the title of the final episode of the radio drama "The Adventures of Superman".

In this episode, a boy in a red uniform and wearing an R-shaped cape appears. He claims to be Robin, Batman's partner, and that he has come to Metropolis to seek help from Superman because Batman has gone missing.

This is the first time Batman has been mentioned in "The Adventures of Incredibles," and it is also Batman's first appearance in a radio drama.

As the head of CBS radio, William Paley was also familiar with the Superman radio drama.

Looking at the script for the latest radio drama lying before him, William Paley put aside his inner thoughts about reading the script and focused his attention back on his conversation with Xu Fu, who was standing in front of him.

"So, William, did you come looking for me this time?"

Although deep down, Xu Fu understood perfectly why William Paley, or rather CBS, which he represented, had arranged to meet with him.

But outwardly, he still put on an incomprehensible expression when asking the question.

"Is it because the proposal for cooperation has already been considered?"

Upon hearing Xu Fu mention the collaboration, William Paley's expression turned somewhat bitter.

Naturally, if possible, William Paley would prefer the television partnership to be postponed, at least until the patent lawsuit between Xu Fu and American Broadcasting Corporation is resolved, so that CBS can make a decision.

But it was clear that Xu Fu, who stood before them, had no intention of giving them that kind of time.

“CBS has had a heated discussion about the partnership, and I believe it won’t take long to answer you, Mr. Xu Fu, with an answer that should satisfy you.”

With that in mind, William Paley offered a thoughtful answer.

From William Paley's words, Xu Fu roughly understood CBS's cooperative attitude. He nodded and did not dwell on the issue to avoid being too aggressive, but instead returned the topic to the meeting's main theme.

William Paley breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Xu Fu was no longer pressing him about the cooperation, and soon after, the fine was waived.

God opened the radio script lying in front of him and asked Xu Fu in an uncertain tone, "So far, 'The Adventures of Superman' has aired 19 episodes on CBS radio, consistently ranking number one in listenership and generating considerable advertising revenue..."

"It can be said that we have been working hard to work with you, Mr. Xu Fu. Whether it was your previous changes to the radio drama or the end-of-episode commercials, CBS has had no complaints. It was part of the Incredibles radio drama collaboration."

After careful consideration, William Paley decided to use emotional graphics in his collaboration with Xu Fu on "The Adventures of Superman".

I am also very grateful for the cooperation and help from CBS Radio. The success of "The Incredibles" is not only due to my own efforts, but also to the efforts of CBS and the Mercury Theatre Company. Without them, the radio drama of "The Incredibles" would not have been successful.

Since William Paley wanted to play the emotional card, Xu Fu naturally went along with it.

In front of William Paley, he expressed his gratitude, while also vaguely mentioning the difficulties he was currently experiencing.

"However, as you know, I'm working hard on the weekly radio show, The Incredibles, and not just on the radio. I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed."

Given Xu Fu's current physical condition, he will not have the problems he described.

But that didn't stop him from using it as an excuse to tell William Paley in front of him.

I am not clear about Xu Fu's actual situation, but from a purely practical perspective, William Paley gained some persuasiveness from Xu Fu.

After all, if I were the other person, it wouldn't be an easy task to be responsible for so many things every day.

Seeing the hurt expression on William Parly's face, Xu Fu smiled inwardly and said with a troubled look.

"So even without this meeting, I plan to find time to discuss with the CBS television department the future of the radio series 'The Adventures of Incredibles,' which may have to be canceled."

"What? It's over! Absolutely not!"

Upon hearing that Xu Fu wanted to cancel "The Adventures of Superman," William Paley immediately voiced his opposition.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Xu Fu, I was a little worried when I heard this news.”

He then realized what was happening and apologized to Xu Fu, but his attitude remained firm.

Taking a deep breath and suppressing his emotions, William Paley looked at Xu Fu standing in front of him. He didn't know the real reason why Xu Fu had stopped broadcasting the radio drama, but the thought of the commercial interests behind it, especially the problems between advertisers and the subsequent impact on radio listeners after "The Adventures of Superman" was taken off the air on CBS, gave William Paley a headache.

The Incredibles radio show should never end, at least not during his time.

Moreover, when the "Incredibles" radio drama airs on CBS and then on other stations such as NBC, its impact on CBS will be as significant as ever.

Suppressed by this terrifying possibility, William Paley tried to restrain himself and turned to Xu Fu, asking, "Mr. Xu Fu, have you decided or... about whether you want to stop the Superman Adventures radio show?"

"This is just my current personal opinion."

Fortunately, Xu Fu gave William Paley a somewhat reassuring answer: at least it wasn't a certainty.

"Ultimately, CBS and you have had a very pleasant working relationship, and I hope this positive relationship continues not only now but also in the future. More importantly, this working relationship..."

It might not just be radio dramas; as you said, Mr. Xu Fu, television collaborations are also a direction…

"Regarding the issue of television patents, CBS has already consulted with lawyers and found that the American radio station's practices regarding official patent protection are not legal. Therefore, even if the radio station cooperates with you, it will not have a significant impact."

"This is what CBS radio said in its closing remarks," the station said.

William Paley watched Xu Fu leave, the smile on his lips gradually fading.

Regardless of whether Xu Fu's accusation that he wants to stop "The Incredibles" is true, he has stated his position, and CBS must respond, otherwise the "The Incredibles" radio series may really be canceled.

"television..."

William Paley's expression turned even more helpless whenever he thought about what Xu Fu had mentioned, consciously or unconsciously, throughout the conversation.

He sighed silently and then composed himself.

In any case, he has done what he was supposed to do; the rest is up to the management of CBS.

The heart on the moon has been stolen.

Chapter 801 Preparing for the Auction

"Long time no see, Hughes."

When Xu Fu left CBS radio, he met Howard Hughes, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Hughes was filming Titanic in Los Angeles when the other party took him back to New York in the Hughes One.

Character determines destiny; this is the core of his perfectionist nature.

Determined to make a film about a large ship, Howard Hughes naturally paid close attention to every detail. For example, he sent the ship across the ocean to film the iceberg scene, and then, upon discovering the color discs, destroyed all the film and reshot the iceberg footage in color.

Howard Hughes did the same thing in the movie Titanic.

He practically bought the ship to film his movie.

"It's been a long time."

Standing on the dock in New York Harbor, looking at the giant ship in front of him, Hughes turned to Xu Fu and said, "Next, I'm going to sink it in New York!"

If it were anyone else, no one would believe what he said.

But Howard Hughes, his name means madness.

Xu Fu believed him without hesitation and added with a smile, "Then I will definitely tell everyone in New York this news."

Upon hearing Xu Fu's reply, Howard Hughes' smile deepened.

Stepping aside, Louise watched the conversation between the two men with a turbulent expression. As a former Broadway dancer, she recognized Hughes immediately—the Hollywood director and producer, to whom Jean Harlow had been just an extra before she joined "Hell's Angels."

However, Howard Hughes boldly set himself apart by choosing her as the film's female lead.

When "Hell's Angels" was released, it became a sensation, and Jean Harlou went from being unknown at the beginning of the film to becoming the sexiest actress at the time.

At the time, the whole of Broadway was abuzz with the news that Jean Harlow had become an overnight sensation.

Louise Walton has seen too many actors trying to find a way to match Howard Hughes and become the next Jean Harlow.

Louise was one of those actresses, and if she had met Hughes at any other time, she would have definitely seized the opportunity without hesitation.

But today, things are different.

She left Broadway and got together with Jenny.

Louise's face softened at the thought of her beloved Jenny; she now had a different life, and not just for herself.

"...My original idea was to sail the ship to the site where the Titanic sank to film, but unfortunately, the production crew disagreed with my idea."

Howard Hughes’s tone betrayed regret as he said this.

In fact, not only the production crew, but also the actors involved, and even the New York City Council disagreed with his actions.

After all, the world was already reeling from the sinking of the Titanic, and the New York authorities certainly couldn't allow Howard Hughes to take the ship anywhere and orchestrate another sinking.

Even though Howard Hughes swore that it was just for making a movie, no one was willing to take responsibility for the possible consequences.

In the ensuing conversation, Xu Fu also learned that Howard Hughes' purpose in coming to New York was to film "Titanic".

Since the decision was made to film the sinking of this large ship, a suitable location naturally needed to be found.

Although Los Angeles is located on the coast, there are not many ports suitable for ships to dock, especially since more than 90% of the scenes in this film were shot on a ship.

If Howard Hughes cannot ensure the ship docks properly, he will not be able to get the shots he wants.

For the perfectionist Hughes, this was clearly an unacceptable fact.

on the other hand

Although the ship was purchased, it wasn't the real Titanic that sank, so he needed to do a lot of preparatory work to transform the giant vessel into the likeness of the Titanic. To this end, Howard Hughes assembled a special team, including people who had previously worked for the White Star Line (the original manufacturer of the Titanic), to recreate the authentic scene before the ship sank.

Such specialized teams, especially those working for the White Star Line in the United States, are very time-consuming, with tasks such as transporting equipment for films and arranging shots in corners on Howard Hughes's to-do list.

However, I am not anxious or worried about this.

On the contrary, he felt a sense of anticipation; he hadn't felt this enthusiastic about a film in a long time since "Hell's Angels."