The Bishop's Weekly Column from the Parish Bulletin

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

CATHOLIC CHURCH

A Night at the "Oscars"

October 8th, 2009

Shot by the wall (Casablanca)

Some people command a great deal financially when it comes to Hollywood. Some people deserve a large portion of the profits based on their acting ability. However, there are times in Hollywood when some people priced themselves out of a motion picture because they asked too much. A lot, moreover, were over-paid for such a poor performance. Once in a while Hollywood turns out a few duds but usually the Hollywood moguls, the "studio bosses", don't fail to back a winner.

After a movie premiere there is usually a gala dinner (or lunch) and studio bosses never miss them otherwise clause 401 paragraph 2 of their studio contract might be rigorously applied. Yes, indeed, David O. Selznick was kept awake for weeks on end by Benzedrine to complete the making of "Gone with the Wind" but all of the Oscars which that film garnered were probably worth the physical toll on his body. Strangely, however, Clark Gable failed to secure the Oscar for best actor that year. That accolade went to a much understated performance by the soft-spoken British actor Robert Donat in his memorable performance as an English schoolmaster in "Goodbye Mr. Chips" opposite Greer Garson who made her screen debut in the same film.

Now retirement for studio bosses comes at 75, that's also in the contract, but ill health and "other issues" are covered in the afore-mentioned clause. Quite a lot of studio bosses have recently lost their jobs for that particular clause, and all of them men, but from different nationalities a couple of months ago: one from Pennsylvania claimed ill health as the "reason", though the press conference footage gave the lie to that; and most recently a Canadian "mogul" was the latest victim of the same contract clause but for an entirely different reason.

One studio boss made national headlines some years ago - something to do with a press secretary as I recall. The severance pay seemed to quiet nerves as did the promise he would step down himself when he turned 65.

In the film "Casablanca" there is a memorable scene were a man who is stopped and questioned about his identity papers. When the police indicate his papers are not in order, the man makes a run for it only to be gunned down in front of a large billboard with the head of Marshall Pétain on it and the words: "Je tiens mes promesses et même celles des autres." Since it's in French the meaning was probably lost on most English speaking audiences: "I keep my promises and even those of others."

Almost a year ago confidences and promises were shared with a studio boss who would purport to share the sentiments of Marshall Pétain, however, history amply demonstrates that confidences and promises were never a strong suit in his case. Indeed, confidences were shared with the entire studio, even though written assurances were received that confidentiality would be maintained even with the boss's assistant general. Obviously, now, in such a climate of mistrust, contracts (of any kind) will never be signed with this boss at the helm. Well as one friend tells me often, we can always wait for the "biological solution" (the first paragraph of clause 401). There is also the "excuse" of another boss who fell down the stairs and said he was surrounded by "the little people". Well any amount of stories are always available in Hollywood, just as they are in the Vatican Press office. Personally I think it would take Divine intervention alone...now........

+TF

P.S. It seems I'm not alone in these sentiments. Even the mighty Fr. Z is a prey to melancholy these days:

"The news is so grim and the snarling of dissent in the Church is so bad on some days, that it is nice just to have a view of something beautiful before gritting the teeth with a smile and getting back to work."