Altman Page #3

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and won another $6000.

But if it had gone the other way

I might not be here to tell you this story.

My first film I did after

years of television

was a thing called "Countdown"

with Warner Brothers.

They sent it to me and I liked the story.

It was about going to the moon,

but Jack Warner was very

reluctant to hire me.

He thought I was a bit of a smartass.

He told me so.

I went up to his office and

sat there and he said listen,

everybody wants to put you on this picture

so I told them they can do what they want,

but I gotta tell you, you're gonna fail.

He says I don't like your work,

I don't think you get it

and I don't think you'll

do a good job on this.

But I'm going to let you do it and so.

I said well I hope I can prove you wrong.

Five, four, three, two, one, fire.

Lee, this is Chiz, do you read?

What's the story?

You'll be awhile.

Now listen, we believe that...

some arc... at the launch.

Repeat.

At the launch there was some arching

and you're losing electrical power.

There's no way to repair without

a risk of the retros firing

and sending you out of trajectory.

You'd never get back.

What?

Jack Warner was out of town

and the last day of shooting he came back

and the phone rang and it was Bill Conrad.

It was the producer of this

little movie and he said listen,

don't come in Monday because Jack...

They won't let you in the studio.

Jack Warner called for your

dailies and he ran them,

uh...

Sunday and he's barred you from the lot.

And I said what do you mean

he's barred me from the lot?

I have the Directors Guild.

I get my first cut.

He says you can do any of

that legal stuff you want

and they'll let you do it, if

that's what you want to do.

But nobody's going to look at what you do

and it's all going to be changed.

He said, if you want to hear

what he said that fool,

meaning me, has actors

talking at the same time.

Two days more and we could

of had an unbeatable edge.

I know...

Those men should of been brought in...

I couldn't bring them all

in, they don't trust me.

Mr. Nogritty's calling from Washington.

I was just trying to get

the illusion of reality

and so I got fired from that

because of the overlapping dialogue.

Making your own rules.

Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau

speaking with church leaders today

said U.S. Conscientious

Objectors to the war in Vietnam

have his complete sympathy

and that Canada should be

a refuge for militarism.

Somehow Bob found backing

for an independent film

to be shot in Canada, "That

Cold Day in the Park".

Action.

He loved Canada and talked

about moving there.

He was mad at America

because of the Vietnam War.

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