Tinseltown Riff Read Free Page A

may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case you’ll head straight out of town.’
    â€œDoctor Seuss,” Ben said in the sudden stillness. “When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with good ol’ Doctor Seuss.”
    This gem was greeted with stone silence.
    Ben studied their faces. Most of them were at least in their fifties. And, actually, it was no surprise what he was in for. He’d seen them milling around, tapping away and spreading their fingers on their iPhones. Doubtless spending all their spare time microblogging on Twitter, networking, and scooping up the latest copy of the trades. Also, doubtless, having plunked down hundreds of dollars, champing at the bit at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. There they were, about to give a three-minute pitch to junior executives from second-tier production companies. Moreover, they had every tip from Sure-fire Killer Scenarios memorized. And the last thing they wanted to do was actually write, let alone listen to Ben talk about classic films.  
    At the same time, Ben knew this was his own last-ditch pitch. If he couldn’t get past these dilettantes, he would wind up driving a night-shift cab to and from LAX, bleary eyed, disheveled, hustling for tips. Remembering this very moment when he blew it all big time.    
    As the stone-cold stillness shifted to a sense of unified puzzlement and Gillian’s cosmetic façade faded from blasé to blank, Ben jumped back in.  
    â€œIdeally, I mean,” said Ben, winging it. “The lesson from Dr. Seuss is a call to bypass the road well traveled.”   
    The unified puzzlement switched back to unease as the chairs began to squeak.
    â€œThink about it. Every prequel and sequel, every spin on the mismatched cops routine has been kicked around and hung out to dry. But you take another route, leave your comfort zone and go out of your way. Maybe shift gears from mismatched cops to mismatched pair.”
    Totally reaching now, Ben said, “I mean classic doesn’t mean retread. You can still have a blundering rookie who hooks up with a mentor. But does our hero have to be a cop?  Does his crusty but benign mentor have to be in uniform and does he have to be crusty and benign?” On a roll, Ben carried on about Dr. Suess’s title, Oh the Places You’ll Go . “Now if that rallying cry isn’t apt, I don’t know what is.”                    
    Agitated murmuring followed by more determined chair-squeaking as though some fuzzy inside information had indeed been leaked.
    Sashaying to his side, Gillian added, “Well now, how about that?  I mean puh-lease. Take a look at him. Average height, slight build, two eyes, a nose and a mouth.  A throwback to the defunct nice guy from MGM. But he just opened the door to the new retro. Right, Benjy?”
    â€œYou bet,” said Ben, wincing, hating her for calling him that. “Turner Classics meets leading edge.”
    â€œExactly,” said Gillian, continuing to affect her best Hollywood hostess tone. “Boy next door latches on to seasoned pro and takes off. Sounds like a plan. Everyone agreed?  Terrific. We have to count ourselves lucky that Mr. Prine was available at the last minute. Because he’s a busy man, took a few minutes away from his tight schedule and, needless to say, if he keeps playing his cards right, the sky’s the limit.”
    â€œYes, ma’am,” said Ben, anxious to learn what Gillian had up her sleeve.  “Always nice to have those timeless clichés applied to me.”
    â€œAnd what’s the key to those timeless clichés?  What’s always the key?”
    Answering her own question, Gillian stepped to the side, erased Ben’s notes with a flourish and began listing links that were all over the map. Like unexpected connections between reruns, YouTube and