Victor Young, who was nominated for twenty-two Oscars. He wrote the scores for The Wizard of Oz, The Quiet Man, Around the World in Eighty Days, and Shane.
Dimitri Tiomkin, who scored Lost Horizon, It’s a Wonderful Life, High Noon, and many other pictures.
Johnny Green, who wrote more than a dozen hit songs, including “I Cover the Waterfront,” “Out of Nowhere,” “You’re Mine You.” He scored films for all the major studios.
Bronislau Kaper, who wrote the score for Three Guys Named Mike. He went on to score Green Mansions, Butterfield 8, and Auntie Mame.
André Previn, who found fame as the conductor or musical director of films that included Silk Stockings, Kiss Me Kate, My Fair Lady, Porgy and Bess, and Gigi.
It was an impressive group. My date that evening was a young actress who was staying at a motel across the street. After dinner, we all gathered in the living room. I decided to entertain them. I sat down at the little spinet piano and I announced to the group, “I’m taking piano lessons by mail. It’s a new system—learning to play by the numbers.”
I began to play, and behind me I sensed a respectful silence.
In the middle of my playing, my date whispered, “Sidney, I hate to interrupt, but I have an early call tomorrow.”
I rose. “I’ll take you across to the motel, Janet.” Turning to my guests, I said, “I’ll be right back.”
I took my date back to her motel and was gone no more than five minutes. When I returned, I started to sit down at the piano to finish the song. There was no piano. My guests had moved it into the den.
I looked around at their grinning faces and I felt sorry for them.
Jealousy is a terrible thing.
CHAPTER 22
Now that I was a producer, literary material started coming into my office—plays, screenplays, and original stories. But there was nothing that excited me. I was resolved that the first picture I produced would be something I could be proud of. Three weeks after I had been made a producer, Dore Schary’s secretary called me. “Mr. Schary would like to see you in his office.”
“Tell him I’ll be right there.”
Ten minutes later, I was facing Dore.
He hesitated a moment, and then said, “Harry Cohn called.”
“Oh?”
“He asked for permission to negotiate a deal with you to become head of production at Columbia.”
I was stunned. “I had no idea he was—”
“I talked to Mr. Mayer and we decided that we would say no. There are two reasons. First of all, we’re very happy with what you’re doing here. Secondly, we feel Harry Cohn would destroy you. He’s a very difficult man to work with. I called Cohn back and told him our decision.” He looked at me expectantly. “It’s up to you.”
I had a lot to think about. Running a major studio was the most prestigious job in Hollywood. On the other hand, Schary and Mayer were probably right about my working for Cohn. I remembered the scene in Cohn’s office. Harry, I have Donna Reed on the line. Tony’s regiment is being sent overseas and Donna wants to be with him in San Francisco until he leaves.
She can’t go.
Did I want to spend my days working for a man like that? I made a decision. I said, “I’m happy here, Dore.”
He smiled. “Good. We don’t want to lose you.”
When I got back to my office, Harris Katleman, an agent at MCA, the top agency in Hollywood, was waiting for me. “I hear that Harry Cohn wants you to run Columbia.”
News travels fast, I thought. “That’s right. Dore just told me.”
“Our agency would like to represent you, Sidney. We can make a hell of a deal for you and—”
I shook my head. “I appreciate it, Harris, but I’ve decided not to accept his offer.”
He looked surprised. “I’ve never heard of anyone turning down a chance to run a studio.”
“You have now.”
He stood there, trying to think of something to say. There was nothing.
I could not help but wonder what my life would have been like if I had accepted Harry Cohn’s offer, and I was thinking about how far I had come. I thought about the guard at the entrance to Columbia Studios. I want to be a writer. Who do I see?