:34:02
That Sunday at 6 p.m.,
I caught the redeye into New York.
:34:05
No luggage, but a can
of film under my arm.
:34:08
This was our one and only chance.
:34:11
If the film didn't play, the board would
shut down the studio, effective immediately.
:34:17
As I walked into the Gulf
and Western building...
:34:20
...Bluhdorn handed me
my walking papers.
:34:23
"Well, Evans, at least we tried."
:34:25
I pushed him away.
:34:28
Hold these for another 20 minutes,
will you, Charlie?
:34:33
I walked into the boardroom,
a 100-to-1 shot.
:34:36
Before me sat 16
of America's finest non-smilers.
:34:41
Gentlemen, I apologize
for not being better dressed.
:34:44
When you've got
a one-way ticket and no hotel...
:34:47
...it ain't that easy to keep
up with the style of the room.
:34:50
No laugh. Not a crack.
Not even a white of a tooth in sight.
:34:55
Quickly, I stepped out of the room...
:34:58
...and handed the projectionist
Paramount's future.
:35:02
Good afternoon.
My name is Robert Evans...
:35:06
...and I'm senior vice president
of Paramount Pictures.
:35:09
By the way,
this is not my office.
:35:13
We tried to shoot this scene
in my office.
:35:16
We brought the cameras up, but my
office is too small to get the cameras in.
:35:20
I came down to the studio to borrow
a set from The Young Lawyers...
:35:24
...and that's where we are now.
:35:25
As a matter of fact, I don't even
have offices at the studio anymore.
:35:30
Last year, we packed up our gear,
cut down our staff...
:35:34
...tightened our belts, moved into small
quarters at little offices in Beverly Hills.
:35:39
They're good enough for us.
:35:41
These past few years
have been rough for Hollywood.
:35:45
We've made a lot of mistakes.
:35:47
Some people have learned from them
and some people haven't. We have.
:35:51
Money we spend is not gonna
be through extravagances.
:35:54
It's gonna be on the screen.
:35:56
And speaking of the screen, I think
maybe that's the reason we're here today.