A salute to executives behind desks

In this thread we pay tribute to Alan Ladd Jr., to 20th Century Fox, and to people who worked there in the mid-70s.

They did not come up with the timeless story.

They did not contribute to the striking images that have entered film history.

They did not perform as actors in the movie.

They did not offer creativity or inspiration in the writing, design, directing or post-production.

You won't even find their names in the credits.

But they are the unsung heroes of Star Wars.

Film is not just art, as much as filmmakers would like it to be. Making movies on this scale is every bit as much business as it is art. And if 20th Century Fox, and Alan Ladd Jr. in particular, had not seen potential in George Lucas and in the unfinished vision of "Star Wars", forget it. There would have been nothing.

Of course we must praise directors and artists and actors and musicians and technicians. But let us not forget these executives behind desks, without whom none of this could have happened. They are the Obi-Wan Kenobi figures, wandering the deserts of Hollywood, reaching out to a young Jedi to fulfill his destiny.

THANK YOU.



Rick McCallum loves you!

 

EVIL executives behind desks are even better. In a movie, the real bastard is not the guy with the gun, but the one sitting behind the desk telling the guy with the gun what to do.

But yes, we do owe quite a bit to the people who took a risk with this film in the 70's.

I mean, if they hadn't worked so hard...we might all be watching... Star Tre.....no I'm sorry I can't finish it. Its too hard.

 

Absolutely. Lucas is the mastermind, but it's very much a team effort for all involved.

Special props to Alan Ladd Jr. Without his backing amongst the Fox executives, ANH would've never got the go-ahead.

 

Go desk jockeys!

 

[image=http://www.cottondalebaptist.org/Randy%20behind%20Desk.jpg]

::

 

We love you executive person!!!!


[image=http://www.boreme.com/bm/DEC02/a/office/pic1.jpg]

Thanks. Yeah, I get all this, "Oh, David, you're a brilliant filmmaker, you're stuck in Slough, while George Lucas is off making the prequels, and they're rubbish compared to the OT". And I go, "Don't slag them off". I say, "I've been there, I've done that. That's behind me". The thing is, we're both good in our own fields. I'm sure George couldn't run and manage a successful paper merchants, and I couldn't...y'know, do what...actually I could do what he does, and I think he knew that even back then. Probably what spurred him on...

 

A salute to executives behind desks

What an original and creative thread you have created, AdamBerocci.

They are the Obi-Wan Kenobi figures, wandering the deserts of Hollywood, reaching out to a young Jedi to fulfill his destiny.

And they are very much appreciated.



Alan Ladd Jr. loves you!

 

LOL at JenX!!!!!!

The Brentmeister General is SSOOOOO funny!!!!

 

In my best Han Solo impression:

"I sit behind a desk; I care"

 

I salute you executives who believed in George Lucas.

 

I believe that they realy didn't care one way or another. Until Star Wars, Science Fiction was the redheaded stepchild.
It could be that they did not want to have their names mentioned in the credits. Which is too bad.

 

Makes you wonder how many great stories/movies never get to see the light of day because a very small handful of people think it's just a bad idea and because the person with the great idea doesn't have the money to make it happen.

Yet, it's amazing to see so many horrible movies getting all the funding they need, Lost in Translation comes to mind (sorry, but that was 2 hours of my life I can never have back!)

But THANKS for having the faith in Star Wars guys!!

 

I read somewhere that the excutive gave Lucas the funding he needed only because he like American Grafitti. So, without Grafitti, where would we be today. So, not only do this exectives need thanks, but we must also thank the exuctives that gambled on American Grafitti. Thanks to ALL who made A New Hope possible. Thanks to the top of 20th Century Fox down to the person who swept the floor of the sets.

 

The folks at Universal HATED AG when they saw it, so don't thank them. Coppola offered to buy the movie from them when they bitched about how bad it was - he SHAMED them into releasing it. So thank (or blame) Coppola for it all.

 

Having shot my film last weekend, I am feeling grateful to the grant board who gave me the money and resources to do it.

With that in mind, up.



Rick McCallum loves you!

 

I hope you got full ownership of the merchandising rights.