The Dreams

Dream 167

This was a production company: here was the managing director informing me that text I had presented to them had been read by the director and that he was satisfied with it.

“Here’s the contract and the check,” he said, “although we have apportioned the text thus: your name is on the story, while the distributor’s name is on the scenario, and my name is on the dialogue. This is all for the sake of the film’s box office success.”

I accepted this grudgingly, when the film’s director entered, and looked over the contract. “Where am I in all this?” he shouted.

“Maybe we can put your name on the story along with the author’s,” the producer replied.

Anger overcoming me, I said, “I give up any claim to the story whatsoever.”

But then the managing director told me, “We’re honest and dependable in how we treat people — so we won’t permit your name to be cut.”