Chapter 12
Hi everyone, so I am going to be blunt here. I am sick and beta this from my bed, so I didn't clean it as much as I'd hoped. I still hope you all enjoy it.
That said, let's answer some comments.
Taoist_yuri, that's fine that you don't have Discord; you keep leaving reviews, and I will try to answer them.
Dao_8teh, I plan to have her cover Film noir, or at least have the studio cover it. They will be hiring a new director in the coming chapters. Most likely, Billy Wilder has yet to hit his stride. For those who don't know, Billy Wilder, the man, won 7 Academy Awards among 21 nominations. Right now, however, he is basically a no one. I also added a bit of slice-of-life in this chapter. After all, I don't want it all to be business, and I want to show the hardship of stardom and everything else as well. Those fashion ideas are great, and I can see someone like Muhammad Ali wearing Ric Flair's robes. She doesn't go too deeply into fashion, as most of her stuff is made for her or lose friends, lovers, and so on, but she will leave a mark for sure, as well as help many rise to fame. I don't want to steal from Steven Spielberg, but Schindler's List would be a great movie to come out during the Civil Rights Movement, I think.
D_eta0157, would you like a Discord invite? We will see time skips. More likely than not, however, for months at a time. The bigger ones will be in between when Ruth is making music or movies. VeggieBlue, that is what I am thinking. I do have some plans for Toby's behavior. I am unsure which way I am going, but he will get in trouble down the line, but nothing compared to the worst people in Hollywood. In fact, Toby would more than likely beat the shit out of Harvey.
Groomable7, I will have to have her buy into Lockheed Corporation.
Lazy_w7, I am unsure what else to do, but I do have plans set for the Concerned Japanese Citizen.
Hope_is_all_we_got, it definitely was, and I plan to have Ruth start battling against it as soon as she can, but till the Civil Rights movement, all she can do is give African Americans more exposure to white audiences. Better roles, outside those of servants. It won't be easy to fit the setting I have to make, so it's just enough to make it clear she isn't overstepping. I expect seeing more than one of her films banned in certain towns in the south, regardless.
Again, that isn't everything, and there is more at the bottom of the page to explain a few things. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-The Kefauver Hearing 1950 - 1951-
"Mr. Franzese, are you honestly going to sit there and tell us that Ruth Luciano had no dealings or influence within the criminal organization commonly known as the Mafia?" Estes Kefauver asked.
"Mr. Kefauver, I do not have any knowledge of what you are referring to," Sonny replied.
"Is it true, then, Mr. Franzese, that between the years 1940 and 1941 you worked for Miss Luciano?" Estes inquired.
"I did," Sonny confirmed.
"Would you care to explain how you came to work for her?" Estes asked.
"Of course. My grandmother was the godmother of a friend of Ruth's father; they asked Ruth to give me a job as a favor," Sonny explained.
"So you're saying your connections with the organization known as the Mafia had nothing to do with your hiring by Miss Luciano?" Estes presses the question.
"Senator, I will repeat myself: I have no idea what you are referring to. Ruth gave me a job as a favor to my grandmother. That's all there is to it," Sonny replies.
"Yes, we heard you," Estes responds.
"Did you? Because it doesn't seem like you understand what I'm saying. Let me make things clear. Ruth hired me back in 1940 to oversee security at Lucky Pictures—a position I was not qualified for, and I ended up stealing equipment from the studio. That was a crime for which I was later fired and arrested," Sonny explains.
"Yes, I see that here. I also see that all charges were later dropped. Would you like to explain why?" Estes asks.
Leaning back and locking eyes with the man, Sonny replies, "She was convinced to drop them."
"Convinced, how?" Estes questions.
Taking a moment to respond, Sonny said, "I plead the fifth." He then smiled as he watched the room fill with gossip, reflecting on how Ruth was right. People will quickly jump to the conclusion you want, so long as you set the stage for it.
-1940-
-Raimondo POV-
Looking back, it shouldn't have really come as a surprise that Ruth wouldn't be satisfied simply being a movie dictator. Sure, that was her passion and her love, but it would never be enough for her. She once told me she hated the concept of being limited. If there were one word she could erase from the dictionary, it would be "limited." For her, the sky wasn't the limit, and space was just the beginning.
Still, I hadn't anticipated what she would do at the Academy Awards. I knew the plan—I had helped craft it, after all—and I had negotiated the deal with MGM for the film's release. Like everything else, Ruth had orchestrated it all in great detail: her outfit for the night, Liz's dress, the songs she would sing, and so on. I just didn't realize that all those years, Ruth had been holding back.
How could I have known how talented Ruth truly was as a singer? As a kid, she loved to sing. Whenever the other boys and I were getting ready to play ball, she wouldn't let us start until she sang the national anthem for us. In our minds, it felt like we were playing in the big leagues. Those were some of my favorite moments from childhood, among many others. However, that was years ago, and I hadn't heard her sing since Smalls left for Detroit, when she performed a kind of goodbye and good luck song for him. That was the last time I heard her sing out loud like that.
Ruth was talented, there was little doubt, but I didn't think she could match the likes of Judy Garland or Nat King Cole. However, I was mistaken. Ruth proved to be even better, and it seemed the world agreed with me. As soon as the film hit theaters, the studios began receiving phone calls. Every record label from here to New York was eager to sign Ruth to a deal. I couldn't blame them, as it was Ruth's powerful singing that helped the film gross $2.7 million at the box office, from which Lucky Pictures received 25 percent in royalties.
It made me chuckle a bit. The film, which had cost $100,000 to produce, earned us over $500,000 in profit. MGM was understandably upset, as they had intended to use the film to promote Judy Garland. Clearly, that didn't happen, but they weren't too angry since they still made over a million dollars from it. In fact, they were eager to discuss the possibility of using Ruth's songs in their movies. However, what they really wanted was the rights to "Kiss from a Rose," which they would not obtain, as Ruth had already copyrighted it before she even performed it. It seemed she was always two steps ahead of everyone else.
Ruth wasn't the only one to benefit from the attention at the Awards. While her music certainly made an impact, it was the outfits she and Liz wore that garnered the most buzz. Many called Ruth's outfit lewd and indecent, claiming that it was inappropriate and that she should have been made to change or leave the event. Although they didn't directly label her a slut or a whore, the implications were there, and of course, Ruth loved every minute of it.
As for Liz, the situation was quite the opposite. The media not only adored the dress she wore, but they also loved her. They described her as elegant and sensational, calling the outfit a dress for a lady's night out. The level of attention Liz received even surprised Ruth, putting Lucky Pictures at a disadvantage. We were unprepared for the overwhelming number of offers from people eager to have Liz model for them. Designers like Bonnie Cashin, Claire McCardell, Norman Norell, and Coco Chanel sought her out as their model.
This situation essentially forced both Liz and us to make a decision. We had to offer her a significant contract, one that nearly matched Alan's. In total, she would make $15,000 a year for 3 years, plus 1 percent of box-office earnings. The contract, of course, wouldn't take effect until her previous one expired, but it clearly communicated a message: if you wanted Liz, you had to go through Lucky Pictures. This worked out well since most of Liz's scenes for "Boom Town" were already completed. Soon, Liz would be heading to New York to model for Harper's Bazaar, which was offering her a lucrative deal for her time.
What they were offering was insignificant compared to what the record labels were presenting to Ruth. At that moment, the best deal came from ARC, which was offering Ruth 12 cents per record sold. Samuel, who was a math genius, estimated that at least a million records would be sold. This estimate was based solely on ticket sales for the film of the Awards themselves. Therefore, 12 cents per record multiplied by a million records would amount to $120,000 for Ruth.
If it were anyone else, they would jump at this chance. However, Ruth was different; she didn't care about the money. Even if they offered her 25 or 50 cents, she would still refuse if they didn't provide her with the one thing she truly wanted: her master recordings. The songs themselves were already copyrighted, but any recordings she made would belong to the label she had signed with. This was something she simply wouldn't accept. The record labels, however, didn't seem willing to accommodate her, likely because they believed Ruth would eventually bend to their demands.
Actually, it wasn't Ruth who was causing the delays; it was me. That's how we were presenting it. The executives at the record label believed I was the one holding things up, viewing Ruth as nothing more than talent. In their minds, I had drawn the line in the land at Ruth getting to keep her masters, and Ruth would have been happy to sign right away. Master's or no master's, she just wanted to get her music out there. But she was also unwilling to go against my wishes and wouldn't sign without my say-so.
It was total bullshit, of course. They had no idea how badly they were being manipulated. I'm sure they thought I was unaware they were meeting with Ruth in private, trying to persuade her to sign the contract without my consent. Ruth, however, rejected their advances, playing the part of a weak woman unwilling to oppose the man who controlled her company. Just the thought that they believed that made me laugh. Ruth was the puppeteer, and they were the puppets.
In her own words, it didn't matter whether they agreed to my terms or not, or if "Kiss from a Rose" was released this year, next year, or the year after. It was a great song, and the longer they waited, the more they stood to lose when we launched our own record label—something we had been planning from the very beginning, assuming everything continued to work in our favor.
Hearing a knock on my door, I turned to see Naru Naoki walking in with a tray of tea. She was truly a blessing. Toby could say what he wanted about Ruth hiring the "devil's daughter," but Naru was a fantastic addition to our team. I have to admit, my organizational skills were abysmal, and Toby's weren't much better. Ruth and Samuel were decent, but before Naru joined us, our offices looked like pigpens—if not worse. Once she was hired, she transformed our workspace and organized everything. Now, I could actually find things.
So what if she brought us tea instead of coffee, which Toby detested? I gladly accepted whatever she offered because of the incredible work she did. It was unfortunate that her time with us would likely be short, as she had dreams of stardom. I was beginning to realize what Ruth already knew. She had a natural charisma about her; there was something about the way she walked, talked, and looked that made you notice her, but in a very subtle way. She was perfect for the movies, and right now, all she lacked was acting ability, which she could learn in time.
"Mr. Carlin, I have Miss Blake's contact information here," Naru says, a smile on her lips.
That smile always seems to put me at ease.
"Ah, good. Did she sign it?" I ask.
"Yes, sir," she replies.
"Great, now maybe Ruth will stop pressuring me about signing the girl," I say aloud.
"Are you still not fully convinced about hiring her, Mr. Carlin?" Naru inquires.
Leaning back, I respond, "It's not that. I'm just uncertain whether she is worth the money."
"Do you not think she has enough talent to justify it?" Naru asks.
Shaking my head, I replied, "No, even a blind man can see her talent. However, I'm just unsure whether now is the best time to sign another actress, especially an unknown one. After all, there are others we could consider."
"Ah, you're referring to Miss Temple," Naru said.
"Among others," I responded.
Although we were still a new studio with only one film to our name, we had already made waves in the industry. First, *Shane*, which had made over 6 million at the box office. Then Alan won Best Actor at the Academy Awards, followed by Ruth's idea to film the Awards themselves, which earned another $2 million. Followed by Ruth showcasing her singing talent, and now the news of Liz being pursued for modeling opportunities. All this combined got a lot of people talking, and many actors looking to sign on board—the percentage deal was also the icing on the cake, so to speak.
Mostly, the only people showing interest were minor actors whose contracts were expiring or who had no contracts at all. However, some bigger names were starting to come around to talk. Among them were Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, and Olivia de Havilland. It was all just conversation—not even about business, mind you—but I wasn't naive. You don't start discussions with the head of a studio without a reason.
"Mr. Aronthal cleared it, didn't he?" Naru asks.
"He did, surprisingly," I reply.
Naru nods, understanding what I mean by "surprisingly." As the secretary for all four of them, she has a clear insight into the power dynamics at Lucky Pictures. Ruth is undeniably the boss; there's no question about that. This is her show, and that's the end of the story. However, she doesn't overrule the men in their positions. If Samuel says no to something, that's pretty much final.
A good example of this is the $100,000 spent on filming the Awards. Naru, as their secretary, knows that Ruth actually wanted $200,000 to film the event in color, but Samuel nixed that idea. He forced her to settle for $100,000—$50,000 more than he was initially willing to allocate. It's an unusual balance of power, but somehow it works.
Waving off any unnecessary thoughts, Naru moves the conversation along. "Your 1 o'clock appointment is here."
Raising my eyebrow, I ask, "Already?"
"Yes, sir," Naru replies.
"They're early," I say, contemplating how I want to approach this situation.
On one hand, I wasn't in a hurry to have the meeting. Today would be the third meeting with RCA. They were undoubtedly eager to make a deal, especially since I had hinted that Ruth was very interested in signing a limited agreement with ARC. That was a lie, of course; Ruth didn't care who she signed with. Right now, ARC was offering the best deal, but it was Decca that seemed most willing to negotiate and grant Ruth her master recordings. They hadn't said it outright yet, but in our latest meeting, they appeared closest to meeting her demands.
There's no doubt that RCA had recognized the situation and was eager to strike a deal. Their last offer was decent—sixteen cents per record, along with complete creative control. However, like everyone else, they were unwilling to part with the masters. So, what should I do?
"Should I send them in or make them wait, sir?" Naru asked.
After a moment of consideration, I replied, "Go ahead and send them in, but in 20 minutes, come back in and whisper something urgent in my ear—maybe that ARC is calling. Just make it sound important."
"Yes, sir," Naru said before leaving the room.
What followed was nearly an hour of negotiations—a continuous back-and-forth—until we finally reached an agreement. Ruth would sign with them for nine cents per record, retain complete creative control, and keep her masters. Of course, we didn't sign right away, but unless someone else came along with a better offer, it was essentially a done deal.
-Ruth POV-
They say you should never date people you work with. It's an old saying whose origin I'm not entirely sure about. However, one should heed the wisdom behind it. Don't get me wrong; I love working with Liz and getting to see my girlfriend every day on set while she does her thing. What more could a person want?
In this case, it seems that not being the director is one of those things. Today wasn't a good day. We were entering the latter half of filming and nearing the end. All that was left were a few more scenes and the fight between the two male stars. I was holding off on filming the fight because I was prioritizing realism above all else. However, unlike in *Shane*, I didn't have an ex-professional boxer to rely on. So, if Alan or Humphrey got hurt, we would fall behind schedule. Neither of them had a problem with taking a real punch, but I was still unwilling to risk it until the very end.
But getting back to the topic at hand, dating someone you work with—especially when that person is technically under your supervision—was not a good idea. As soon as Liz and I stepped through the door, she slammed her purse down hard. It was one of those rare days when I got to leave the studio early, and now I regretted not staying longer. Maybe if I had given her some time to cool off, it would have helped, because she was clearly angry at me.
Once we entered the living room, she fixed me with a glare. Her eyes were like daggers, and while I wasn't scared, I knew I was treading on dangerous ground.
"What the hell was that?" Liz demanded in an angry tone.
At that moment, I had two options for handling the situation, neither of which seemed favorable. I could act like I didn't know what she was talking about, which would definitely not end well. Alternatively, I could be straightforward and let her express her frustrations. Regardless of which route I took, I was certain I would end up with a very pissed off girlfriend.
Eventually, I decided to be blunt. "I think you know what that was about, love."
Shaking her head, Liz says, "No… no, I don't know what that was about. You were nitpicking everything I did today."
"No, I was correcting your mistakes," I respond in a calm voice.
"I wasn't that bad," Liz replies, her voice heating up. She felt angry and embarrassed today, remembering how often Ruth had called for a cut during her scenes, forcing her to redo them.
"Really? Is that what you truly believe?" I ask, adopting a somber tone.
"Yes!" Liz nearly screams back at me.
"Alright, let's review then. You missed your cues on multiple occasions, forgot your lines, had stiff facial expressions, and your body movements were dull. Overall, you performed poorly. In fact, it was so bad that Mr. Bogart lost his temper, and I had to calm him down," I say in a calm yet stern voice.
Each of my words seems to hurt her more than the last, until she finally says, "Enough. Maybe I wasn't bad; maybe you suck at directing."
I raised an eyebrow and said, "If that's the reason, then why is it that you're the only one holding everyone back, Liz? Maybe you're not cut out to be the lead actress."
*Slap.*
I saw the slap coming. I could have dodged it or grabbed her wrist before she had a chance to hit me. My face snapped to the side, but I didn't react; I just took it. I don't want to sound manly, but I chose to endure the hit because I knew Liz wasn't really angry at me for calling her out on her nonsense. That's also why I let her storm into our now-shared bedroom and slam the door without chasing after her.
Running my hand through my hair, I honestly have no idea what to do next. I had a feeling something was wrong, but I couldn't quite place it. Everything seemed to be going wonderfully until a few weeks ago, so what had changed?
"Shit, I can't just leave it like this, can I?" I ask aloud before making my way to the bedroom.
I knock on the door and say, "Liz, can I come in?"
When I receive no answer, I sigh and open the door. I find Liz sitting on the bed, wiping tears from her eyes.
Looking at me, she says, "What took you so long?"
I smile softly and reply, "Sorry, I wasn't sure if you wanted me to follow you."
Sniffling a bit, she says, "I'm sorry I hit you."
Was now a good time to joke and tell her that I barely felt it? My past self had taken self-defense classes, and while I was not an expert at taking blows to the face, Liz had no training on how to hit someone. In private, I had Jake help me get back into shape, especially with my reflexes for turning my head before a hit landed. When Liz slapped me, she might as well have hit air, given how little it actually hurt, but maybe telling her that wasn't the best idea.
I let out a sigh as I sit down next to my girlfriend. I look at her and ask, "Babe, what's wrong? And don't say nothing is wrong; I'm not that naive."
Liz remains silent for a moment, shivering as if she's cold. Finally, she says, "We're going to have to move soon."
"What?" I respond, confused by her statement.
She looks at me, her eyes red from crying, and adds, "Ruth, we can't stay here."
Then it hits me what's bothering her.
"Ah," I say, leaning back in realization.
With a sad expression on her face, Liz says, "Is that all you have to say?"
Taking a deep breath, I reply, "Honestly, I didn't want to think about it."
Liz looks down and says, "Neither did I. I thought we would have more time."
"I thought so too," I replied. And wasn't that the truth? Boom Town was supposed to be Liz's breakthrough movie, her big break, but that was it. Honestly, I expected it would take at least two or three more projects before she became a household name, and people started reaching out to her. My plan for the Academy Awards was to make a splash and create a sensation. While I knew Liz would attract some attention—that's why I made that dress for her—I didn't anticipate just how much attention she would actually receive. That was an oversight on my part. More attention meant more people delving into her personal life. While I might have been able to write off having a female roommate to the papers for a while, Liz's situation would be much more challenging to hide. Already, people were beginning to ask when she would move out of her boss's apartment now that she was a rising star.
"Damn it," I muttered under my breath.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Liz said. "I thought I was ready to move out. I kept telling myself it wasn't a big deal, then you had to go and sing that damn song."
I rubbed my eyes, suddenly feeling foolish. I had chosen that song for Liz to express how much I loved her. I never imagined it would turn into a negative.
"I feel so stupid." I look at Liz and gently cup her face. "Babe, I'm really sorry. I wasn't thinking when I sang that song. I just wanted to show the world, even if they would never know it, how much I love you."
"You are stupid," Liz replies before leaning in and kissing me softly.
"Now what do I do?" I wonder to myself as I hold my girlfriend for the rest of the night.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Okay, so first thing, the deal that is being made on Ruth's behalf wink-wink, lol. I couldn't find any good information on what the typical deal was back then. So I am basing it on the movie Ray, where Ray Charles got 5 cents a record. In Ruth's case, because she is signing with a major label of the time, and it's a limited deal, she is getting 7 cents a record and her masters. I think that is fair, especially as the record people have nothing to hold over her. As Raimondo said, a year from now, 2 years from now, it doesn't matter, as she will be using her music for her movies down the line. But I don't want to make everyone else seem stupid; that is why she is only getting 7 cents a record instead of more. Not sure how many records are sold, but I am feeling at least a million.
Next, the part about Ruth and Liz's relationship. I didn't just put that in for the hell of it. I wanted to show the first crack in their relationship. They are not done yet, but the signs are there as both gain fame. Especially Liz, who I feel is the real weak link in this relationship, because she is your typical 1940s woman.
And that is it till next time.