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"Because of Superman and Mickey."
When Xu Fu heard Hughes's reply, a look of surprise appeared on his face.
He had speculated on various reasons why Hughes had to reshoot, but he clearly did not expect that his decision this time would be about himself and Disney's animated short films.
"When I returned from Greenland, I planned to start making this film immediately, until I saw your short film. The colors in it made me abandon the idea of making a black and white film. Compared to the great world of cinema, black and white films are too monotonous and boring. A black and white film."
Xu Fu clearly did not expect that color animation would have such a huge impact on Hughes.
This even changed his opinion of the film.
"After watching Superman and Mickey Mouse in a private theater, an idea popped into my head: If animation can be done in color, why not make movies? Since color is going to be the trend, why should I continue to make black and white movies?"
Color technology has always been a part of the film industry, but due to its cumbersome and expensive process, it has always been more of a decoration on Hollywood sets.
In many films, this technology is often used only in a few scenes, such as weddings or dances.
Before this, black and white films remained the mainstream of film production. Just like sound films in the silent film era, when sound technology emerged, film professionals worried that the appearance of sound might make films strange and distract people from the themes of the story.
Before that, Hughes wanted to make a complete film using color film, which was obviously a rather time-consuming and expensive task.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee that films made in color will be profitable.
This time-consuming and risky approach is something most people wouldn't consider, but Hughes was clearly no ordinary person. As Lloyd Disney pointed out in his letter, he was unconventional and reckless.
Therefore, after deciding to shoot the film in color, Hughes prepared to set sail again.
Even when holding a movie in his hand, he can still convey colors through color transfer technology.
However, for Hughes, this simple process could not enable him to realize the true color film he envisioned.
Only there, against the backdrop of magnificent icebergs, could he gradually refine the colors he had conceived.
"So, have you made any travel plans yet?"
If Xu Fu were truly the producer of this film, he would likely be shocked by Hughes's outrageous behavior.
Fortunately, he was only the provider of the script.
Even the initial purpose of handing over the Titanic script was merely to contact the other party in order to achieve his own goals through that contact.
There is no doubt that the plan was executed very well.
On the contrary, he was not as enthusiastic about creating the Titanic as Hughes.
It's alright, though.
Xu Fu remains deeply impressed by Hughes's courage to make the first full-color film in the era of black and white cinema.
"Technicians who can use color technology are not easy to find, so I'll have to wait a while, and maybe I'll have to go to Los Angeles to see the aircraft maintenance hangar that's under construction."
Although Hughes was captivated by the grandeur of the sea, he did not forget his dream of the sky.
During this period, an aircraft maintenance hangar was also built on the ocean, almost in Los Angeles.
"Compared to airplanes and ships, land transportation is terrible. If I can't find a suitable flight in New York, I don't want to take the train back; it's a long journey."
At this point, Hughes couldn't help but complain about the traffic problem again.
Having grown accustomed to the convenience of airplanes and the unimpeded movement of ships on the sea, he had a distinct perspective on transportation like trains.
"Perhaps you could try developing more convenient means of transportation, such as civilian aircraft, which might solve the problem."
Amid Hughes's complaints, Xu Fu continued to speak at length.
"That's a good idea. I'll give it a try if I have time after I finish filming the movie."
Xu Fu's seemingly casual reminder effectively sparked Hughes's inspiration.
He held a cigar in one hand and raised an eyebrow.
Afterwards, they discussed their ideas about watching a movie in the car.
During that period, Hughes did most of the talking, and he clearly had his own original ideas for the film Titanic. Hughes felt his passion for film had returned, especially after he decided to shoot the film in color.
"We are making history!"
These were Hughes's words to Xu Fu in the car, and also proof of his desire to make a color film.
When the conversation about the movie fell into a brief silence, Xu Fu turned to him and asked.
"Stock manager?"
Inside the car, in response to Xu Fu's question, Hughes shut his mouth, took a puff of his cigar, and said, "Now is not a good time to enter the stock market."
Even for Hughes, the stock market during the Great Depression was too unpredictable, despite his wealth.
But he had no intention of investing in the stock market. After all, even if he lost money, if he used it to make movies, at least he could see something, whereas if he invested the money in the stock market, it could be swallowed up without a trace.
"Financial swamp"—that's how Hughes defines the current stock market.
In addition, as someone who started his career in the industrial sector, Hughes instinctively had a certain aversion to the stock market.
Chapter 645 Stock Manager
"I just want to have some understanding of the current stock market trends."
Xu Fu did not intend to reveal his thoughts.
In fact, even if he told Hughes his thoughts, the latter wouldn't believe him.
After all, the New York stock market had fallen after the Great Depression, and the bodies of stock managers who suffered the most losses were already scattered throughout the brokerage buildings.
Most of the surviving investors and businesspeople were already terrified by the stock market crash during the Great Depression, and the sharp drop in stock prices made them lose confidence in the market.
Today, the New York Stock Exchange is still teeming with ambitious speculators or complete madmen.
As for that fool, he would have jumped off a building the moment the Great Depression began.
"I know someone."
Hughes took a puff of his cigar and looked at Xu Fu standing in front of him.
He felt that the other person wasn't telling him the truth, but so what?
Hughes himself is not someone who cares much about what others think; he only cares about what he cares about.
I like movies, I like women, I like airplanes, and now of course, I like the sea.
"Ross 11, he worked for me on the eucalyptus tree, in charge of Hughes Tools' stock buybacks, and he didn't become a homeless man during the Great Depression, so he must be a good stock manager."
The next day, The Messenger quickly responded to the popularity of the radio drama "The Adventures of Superman".
According to JimmytheGazette, this issue of the newspaper sold faster than any previous issue.
Some readers who didn't normally buy the Messenger newspaper asked him about it, and when they heard it was the newspaper where Superman was serializing, they immediately bought it.
Clearly, the promotional material at the end of The Incredibles movie had an effect.
On the other hand, sensing the success of the radio drama, CBS quickly made adjustments.
CBS not only moved The Incredibles radio show to prime time, but also notified late-night listeners that it would be rebroadcasting The Incredibles on Monday nights at 11 p.m.
Obviously, it is quite rare for a radio drama to be confirmed for rebroadcast after only one episode has been aired.
Furthermore, this is the first time in the short history of radio dramas.
This shows how popular Superman's adventure stories are among audiences.
While the Superman radio drama was in full swing on one side, Xu Fu shifted his attention elsewhere on the other.
"Hello, Mr. Xu Fu."
On Wall Street, in front of the New York Stock Exchange building, Xu Fu met the pleasant stock manager that Hughes had mentioned.
Rostrand was a middle-aged man who looked quite professional. He wore a well-fitting suit, and the thinning hair on his head seemed to testify to his experience in the stock market.
Only with superhuman vision could Xu Fu clearly see the shameful truth beneath the glamorous exterior of a stock manager.
Although he tried his best to protect his suit, the wear and tear on the cuffs suggested that the man was not well-off. It's possible that the suit Rostrand was wearing was the only garment he could afford.
This is a fact, and it was most common during the Great Depression. Large numbers of unemployed people lost everything in the economic crisis: their cars, their houses, and only suits to barely maintain social decorum. When they had no clothes left, their only option was homelessness.
Rostrand's situation was bad, but at least he had something to do, even though being a stock manager was not a good career in an increasingly depressed stock market.
But at least he can use it to fill his stomach and support his family.
Instead of becoming a corpse at the entrance of the brokerage firm or a pauper in Hooverville like his other colleagues.
"Hello, Mr. Rostrand."
Turning his gaze, Xu Fu reached out and shook hands with Rostrand, who was standing in front of him.
“Mr. Howard Hughes, tell me what you are doing.”
Unaware that he was living in poverty, Rostrand tried to appear professional, like a stockbroker.
"The overall market is currently performing poorly, remaining sluggish since the Great Depression. However, a few stocks continue to perform well and are unaffected by the overall market, such as precious metals."
During the Great Depression, Rostone's customer base shrank by 90% or more compared to its peak.
Therefore, he desperately needs new guests, otherwise he will not last long in his current situation and will become part of a wandering army.
Of course, he could follow the tradition of his predecessors and perform a high-altitude fall.
However, influenced by the suicide trend, most high-rise hotels in New York City now have receptionists at the front desk to remind arriving guests not to plan to jump.
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