Barry Diller entered the office, didn't say hello or offer a polite morning nod as he marched straight toward the desk, smiling.
Duke didn't move an inch, his fingers laced loosely behind his head as he leaned back in his leather chair.
Simpson, Duke's assistant, hurried in right behind Diller, with a silver tray loaded with black coffee, morning papers, and a ledger printout from accounting.
"Set those right here, Simpson," Diller ordered, gesturing to the center of the desk. The young assistant placed the things and left, closing the door behind him.
"Read them out loud, Barry," Duke said, reaching forward to grab his hot coffee mug. "Don't keep me in suspense. Let's hear what we did over the weekend."
Diller cleared his throat. He held the paper closer to his face, "8 million dollars, Duke. 8 million in just three days. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday."
Duke let out a low whistle, "Not bad for a movie about a Shark," he murmured, remembering how Jaws, was probably single-handidly the thing he wrote that helped him the most in his path to his current status.
Jaws gave him his first million and then the IRS robbed him.
Jaws was his first book, and the reason he even got invited to the party where he meet Mike Nichols and joined The Graduate crew.
Diller laughed, tossing the printout onto the desk. "The studio is flooded with invitations, Duke. Every single producer in town is calling our reception desk, begging for Paramount to check their projects. The Jaws Effect is real, and it is hitting the industry."
Duke reached over and pulled the morning papers toward him, flipping open the Los Angeles Times.
The front-page entertainment headline read out in bold text. "Don't Go Near the Water", the review was notably negative, criticizing the movie's violence and arguing that the PG rating was misleading for young audiences.
He turned to the Hollywood Reporter next, finding a article titled, "Ripping Response to Jaws", a positive article, with a critic that loved the film... Paramount did pay for this review.
Daily Variety featured a column with the title "Film Review: Jaws. Did Hauser gamble paid off?".
The publication declared the movie "an artistic and commercial smash" and a "consummate suspense, tension and terror." Duke appreciated them.
"Technically, you know, we haven't covered the full production budget just yet," Diller noted, his business instincts kicking in as he leaned against the desk.
"The theater chains are taking their standard split of the ticket sales for the first week. We only get a portion of that initial 8 million."
Duke waved a hand through the air, unfazed by technicalities. "The theater split is standard business, Barry. What truly matters right now is the momentum we just built."
"The word of mouth is spreading faster than we can print posters. How many screens are we expanding to for the upcoming weekend?"
Diller flipped a page in his folder, "600 screens by next Friday morning, Duke. The theater chains are already begging our distribution guys for more film prints. We are going to be in every single major market in the country within 2 weeks."
Duke leaned back in his chair as he stared at the ceiling.
"This is the big moment, Barry," he said.
Diller reached back into his briefcase, pulling out another thin folder filled with neatly typed telephone logs.
"The phone has not stopped ringing since 7 am this morning, boss. Investors want in, and directors want meetings."
"Even the major New York banks are calling us directly, offering to refinance our existing corporate debt at lower interest rates. Chase in specific is very interested, with Nelson Rockefeller himself wanting to meet."
Duke shifted his gaze back down, "Which directors are we talking about, exactly?"
Diller looked down at his list, running a thumb across the names. "Martin Scorsese wants to schedule a sit-down to talk about his next project. Robert Altman is circling, looking for a development deal."
"Even old John Huston called our office personally. He says he has a fantastic Western script he wants to direct for Paramount."
Duke smiled, "Tell all of them that we are interested, but schedule the actual meetings out over the next month. We have a lot of irons in the fire right now."
Diller nodded, scratching a note onto his legal pad.
Just as he finished writing, a soft knock broke the consversation.
"Excuse me, Mr. Hauser," the assistant said. "Warren Beatty's assistant just called our office again."
Duke raised a curious eyebrow, setting his empty coffee cup down on the tray. "An apology?"
Simpson nodded, "Yes, sir. He said Mr. Beatty was simply 'caught up in the heat of the moment' back during the Oscar ceremony. He wants to convey his deepest regrets and mentioned he would love to sit down with you to discuss some future film projects."
Duke let out a chuckle, shaking his head as he looked over at Diller. "Tell his assistant that I am busy managing the Jaws release right now, but let him know I might consider a brief meeting sometime after the summer."
Simpson nodded politely and exited the room, closing the door.
Diller smirked, leaning back against his chair. "You are really going to make the guy sweat, aren't you?"
Duke shrugged his shoulders casually, "The man stood up and called me a Hick in a suit in front of industry people, Barry. He can wait in line with everyone else. I have bigger things to focus on today."
By late morning, Nolan Bushnell walked into the corner office.
The Atari founder wore a strange dress shirt that looked like a hybrid between a button-down and a bowling shirt. Dark circles hung around his eyes.
Duke stood up from his chair, extending a hand across the desk. "Nolan. Good to see you, pal. You look like you haven't slept a single wink in over a week."
Bushnell let out a laugh, shaking Duke's hand with a firm grip before lifting a heavy case from the floor and hoisted it onto the desk.
"Because I haven't, Duke. My engineering team has been working around the clock on this prototype. We've been living on cold pizza and hot coffee."
He popped the latches on the case, swinging the lid open to reveal a metallic device packed with wires, gears.
"This is the newest Ampex VCR prototype," Nolan said, tapping the metal proudly.
Duke leaned closer to inspect the machine.
In his past life, he had used plenty of video players, but he had never actually seen nor used a VCR.
He knew that Ampex held several patents for consumer video recording and had been collaborating with JVC over in Japan to develop the VHS format.
Nolan wiped a hand across his face, leaning against the desk. "The situation in Tokyo is getting very tight, Duke. Sony has already private-demoed their Betamax system to all the major electronics manufacturers over there."
"They are trying to force everyone in the industry to adopt their specific technical standard before we can even get our foot in the door."
Nolan gestured to the prototype machine. "The Japanese ministry of Trade is getting involved now too. They want to force all the companies to adopt a single format to avoid a market war. We have to move fast if we want our system to stand a chance."
Duke listened intently, keeping his calm expression as he studied the device.
"Which of the two formats is actually superior from a technical standpoint?" he asked, he truly did not know too much aobut this.
He knew that according to film history, VHS would win, but didnt know why nor how.
Nolan shrugged his shoulders, "Technically speaking? Sony's Betamax has a sharper picture quality on screen. But our VHS format has a much longer recording time on a single tape and its cheaper to produce."
"We can do a full two hours, while Sony can only manage one hour. Consumers are going to care a lot more about tape length than a few extra lines of resolution."
Duke nodded slowly, "Then let's see how this prototype actually runs."
Nolan quickly connected a set of cables from the back of the VCR into the office television set.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a plastic cassette tape, and slid it into the front slot of the machine and pressed a plastic button down.
(can be imagined as a JVC HR-3300)
The television screen flickered to life, and the classic opening scenes of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo began to play in full color.
Duke watched the monitor for a moment, impressed by the quality of the analog playback.
It was amazing to see movie history being created right inside his office.
Suddenly, the color picture began to flicker, and the screen went dark.
Inside the prototype casing, a noise came to a sudden stop, followed by a faint scent of burned electronics.
Nolan and his assistant started pulling tools from their pockets as they hovered over the machine.
They checked wire connections, twisted dials, and adjusted the tape alignment but nothing worked.
Duke simply watched them while drinking his coffee, he didn't want to spike his cortisol.
After a long moment of silence in the room, "Can Ampex honestly compete with Betamax right now, Nolan?...or well anytime soon?"
Nolan wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead, sighing as he stepped back from the prototype.
"We are close, Duke. We are really close to getting it right. But Sony has a head start on production, and their engineering teams have way more funding than my guys."
"What exactly do you need from me to bridge the gap?"
"Time," Nolan said honestly, "And a real corporate commitment from the top."
"If we are going to bet the studio's tech future on the VHS format, we need to go all in on development. We cannot afford any half-measures against Sony."
Duke pointed toward the leather guest chair. "Sit down, Nolan. Take a breath, man. You look like you're about to fall over."
Bushnell collapsed into the chair, letting out a sigh as he rubbed his tired eyes. "I am just tired, Duke. I love Atari, and I love building the arcade business. But this video format war is a war on my sanity."
Sony had already announced and launched the Betamax video format in Japan on May 10, 1975, a month before. And well, Nolan was not taking the news happily.
He looked up at Duke with a weary grin. "Honestly, after we get this tech stuff settled, I think I want to take a breather for a few months."
Duke let out a laugh, "That is a great idea, Nolan. But first, let's keep our focus locked on winning this VHS battle."
Nolan laughed with his eyes watering for a moment before he cleaned them, looking at the broken machine. "You really think VHS even has an opportunity to win the market?"
"Trust me on this one, Nolan. We are going to win."
Duke leaned back in his chair, looking at the metal prototype. "We cannot afford to fall behind in Japan. Sony is going to dominate the entire Asian market if we do not act soon."
"I am going to pack a bag and head to Tokyo in a few weeks. I'll meet with the JVC executives directly and maybe the US ambassador to speak with the Ministry of Trade."
Nolan looked up, "You are going to Japan yourself?"
"I am," Duke confirmed. "I have been wanting to go back to Tokyo for a while now. I'll leave as soon as this initial Jaws frenzy settles down a bit. I also must visit my Animation studio while i'm there."
After Nolan packed his broken prototype back into its case and departed, Duke yawned as he though of if taking Bradley to Japan would be too irresponsible in regards to keeping him private.
A knock on the door broke hiss train of though, George Lucas walked into the office.
The young director looked slightly disheveled, his hair a bit longer than usual, carrying a briefcase under his arm.
Duke stood up, offering a smile and a handshake. "George. Good to see you, man. Sit down. How is the pre-production going on the Flash Gordon project?"
Lucas took a seat, opening his briefcase and showing his storyboards. "It's moving forward, Duke slowly. To be honest, I need to build a dedicated special effects company for Flash Gordon, and for whatever movies come after it."
Duke looked over the sketches, nodding slowly. "And you want Paramount to provide the seed funding for this new venture."
Lucas nodded. "I want to call it Industrial Light and Magic, Duke. It would be an effects house."
"Not just for my own films, but for any director at Paramount who needs high-end visual work. Jaws proved that practical effects can make or break a movie."
Duke considered the proposal for a brief moment, liking the long-term potential. He actually liked more of the fact that future Pixar would come from this.
"I'll fund it, George," Duke agreed . "But I want a solid stake for the studio, you know how things are"
Lucas let out a breath, a wave of relief washing over his face. "That is more than fair, Duke. You have always been good to me, and I don't forget that kind of support."
Duke smiled,"You know, George, after THX-1138 came out, almost everyone in this town thought Zootrope were finished."
"The critics tore that movie apart, and people thought you guys were crazy."
Duke chuckled. "And look at you both now. Francis just won Best Picture, American Graffiti changed the landscape of youth movies, and you are about to direct Flash Gordon."
American Zoetrope was/is a privately run American film production company founded on 1969, by filmmakers Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas before they were famous.
Their first feature film, THX 1138, directed by George Lucas, was released in March 1971.
It was a massive critical and commercial disappointment upon release.
Displeased with the results of THX 1138, Warner Bros. canceled its development deal with Zoetrope and demanded immediate repayment of $400,000.
This debt left the studio on the brink of bankruptcy, forcing Coppola to seek "work-for-hire" projects to save his independent venture.
And thats how American Zoetrope ended up on Paramount, and why Coppola directed the Godfather despite hating the book.
Lucas offered a grin. "We managed to prove them wrong, Duke."
"You did," Duke agreed. "And I'm happy to back you."
"I still laugh thinking about my own directorial debut on Love Story. We made that picture with almost no experience, dodging security guards on location just to get our shots."
"Renting aparments and people thinking we were recording porn cause of the cameras."
Lucas shook his head with a smile. "It was a hit. Sometimes I wonder how different our lives would be if you hadn't done that movie."
"Sometimes you have to bet on yourself, George," Duke said simply.
As Lucas stood up to gather his things, Duke reached into his desk drawer. "Before you head out, I have a little something for you."
He slid two brand-new books across the desk, 'The Princess Bride' by William Goldman and Clavell's 'Shogun'.
Lucas picked them up, examining the covers with interest. "What are these?"
"Great stories," Duke explained. "The Princess Bride is a love story and Shōgun is a historical epic full of samurai, and politics. Read them when you get a chance."
Lucas tucked the books under his arm, "I will read them, Duke. Thank you."
He paused by the door, reaching back into his own worn briefcase. "Oh, I almost forgot. I brought something along for you too."
He pulled out a slightly creased paperback and placed it on the desk. It was a signed copy of Joe Haldeman's The Forever War.
Duke picked up the book, looking at the author's signature on the title page.
"Haldeman is a Vietnam veteran," Lucas explained from the doorway. "He wrote this story based on his own experiences over there. It deals with alien warfare, and endless human conflict. Since you served, I thought you would really appreciate it."
"It also reminded me of that other book you like... what was it? Starship Troopers."
"Thank you, George. I'm going to start reading it tonight."
Lucas nodded waving farewell as he stepped out.
___
'Losing health units. Must rest.' Rex, Toy Story 2