Hardy's Hotel began to advertise in major media.
for a while.
Advertisements for Hardy's Hotel were everywhere in the public eye.
The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Financial News and other newspapers have introduced Hardy's Hotel in detail, describing it as a paradise on earth where anyone can freely enjoy the fun of gambling.
Hardy's Hotel has the most luxurious casino. If you are lucky, you can become rich overnight here.
There are also the most luxurious hotels, the most delicious wine and food, countless beauties, and various entertainment facilities.
The hotel is expected to open on October 10, and there will be various preferential policies at that time. No matter where you fly to Las Vegas from, as long as you have your ticket, you can exchange it for chips worth one-tenth of the ticket price in the casino.
Even if you fly from New York and buy a $200 ticket, you will still be given $20 in chips. Of course, these chips are clay chips and cannot be directly exchanged for cash. You need to win the bet before you can exchange them for cash chips.
There are special casino shuttle buses in Los Angeles, and the ticket price is $7. If you go to the casino, the ticket for the day can be exchanged for chips.
The casino also has various raffles, with prizes drawn every 2 hours. By betting just $1, you have the chance to win the ultimate jackpot and win all the bets placed by everyone.
A few days later, the latest issue of Playboy magazine was published, which introduced the Flamingo Casino in five pages with more than a dozen photos, all in color. The casino in Hardy's Hotel was magnificent, like a palace, and much more advanced than any other casino people had ever seen.
Television stations also began to rotate advertisements.
Columbia Broadcasting System and NBC television broadcasting covered the entire United States. After World War II, 2 million of the 30 million households in the United States already had televisions. Hardy knew that the television industry would rise rapidly in the future and become the main form of entertainment for people.
So he invested in a television factory, and televisions would definitely have no trouble selling in the next few decades. In later generations, every family would have one or more televisions, and they would constantly upgrade their televisions.
HD Films produced a total of 6 commercials, each lasting about 3 minutes. In the videos, Ava Gardner and Hedy Lamarr are the casino ambassadors, leading people to appreciate the charm of the casino.
Hedy Lamarr is known as the most charming woman in Hollywood, and Ava Gardner is now known as the new generation of Hollywood sex goddess. The advertisements of these two people are definitely attractive enough.
Hardy invested $500,000 in these ads alone.
However, he felt that the money was well spent. Before a movie is released, it needs extensive publicity, not to mention a casino with a multi-million dollar investment.
According to the survey feedback during this period, it was found that the effect was indeed good. People in many cities on the East Coast knew that Hardy's Grand Hotel and Casino was going to open. Especially in Los Angeles, there were free buses, and many people said that they would go there to play on the weekend and relax.
......
Things are done.
Hardy welcomes leisure time.
It's a pity that the woman is not here.
Ava Gardner is currently filming the movie "Independence Day" and is now in New York. She is even going to the UK to shoot a scene next.
Little Lori Elizabeth Taylor has also gone out. "Léon: The Professional" has been completed and will be distributed by MGM. She is now promoting the film across the United States with the main creative team. It is estimated that she will not be back until next month, and the film will be officially released when she returns.
Just then the phone rang.
Pick up the phone.
It was Hedy Lamarr calling.
"Hardy, Director Nolan and I have selected a group of male actors and have compiled a list. Do you have time to take a look?" Heidi asked.
"Come to my manor when you have time," said Hardy.
After the script of "Ghost" was completed, Hardy handed it over to Nolan and Hedy Lamarr. The preparation of the crew was a very troublesome task, especially since the male lead Sam had not been selected for a long time.
Hedy Lamarr arrived at the manor and found a stack of actors' files in a folder with photos on top for easy selection. The files recorded the actors' lives and past works.
Heidi handed over the first one and introduced it:
"Laurence Olivier, nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor, has given wonderful performances in both stage plays and movies, and is Vivien Leigh's husband."
Hardy looked at Laurence Olivier's resume. He was already 40 years old, but it was no problem for him to wear makeup.
"Have you been invited?" Hardy asked.
Heidi spread her hands and said helplessly, "We have invited her, but something went wrong. Laurence Oliver received the story brief we sent and Vivien Leigh was interested in the role of Mary. Laurence Oliver wrote back and said that if Vivien Leigh played the role of Mary, he would agree to play Sam."
After Heidi finished speaking, she looked at Hardy. Vivien Leigh was too famous. The role of Scarlett in "Gone with the Wind" was deeply rooted in people's hearts, making Scarlett the hottest star. And the subsequent "Broken Bridge" made Vivien Leigh's appeal unparalleled.
If she plays Meili, it will definitely attract countless audiences to the theaters, and at least the box office is guaranteed.
However, this movie was the result of Hardy's hard work, so how could she bear to hand it over to someone else? But Hardy was the investor, and Vivien Leigh had the box office guarantee, so she didn't know what Hardy would choose.
Hardy looked at the picture of Laurence Oliver again and tossed the file aside. "Who's next?"
Heidi was slightly stunned.
"Won't you think about it again?"
Hardy looked at the woman with a half-smile, "Do you really want me to ask him to play the role?"
Heidi was speechless after being asked this question.
Hardy reached out and touched the woman's face, saying, "I always believe that a man can be romantic but not vulgar, can be not noble but not shameless."
"Do you think I will give up my previous promise just for the sake of box office, woman? You are wrong."
Heidi's eyes lit up and she rubbed her face against the man's hand. "I'm sorry, Hardy. I was wrong. I apologize."
The two continued to choose.
"How's Gene Kelly?"
Hardy looked at the information of Gene Kelly, who was 34 years old this year and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in "Eugene Lee's Ballad" in 1945.
Looking at the photo, Hardy felt that the man looked familiar. After thinking about it carefully, he suddenly remembered that this was the male protagonist of the later "Singin' in the Rain". He produced "Singin' in the Rain" in advance and gave it to Johnny Fontaine, snatching the role that made Gene Kelly truly famous.
It seems that Gene Kelly has good qualifications and fits the image of Sam, so Hardy is considering whether he can compensate him with this movie.
However, he did not make a decision immediately. There were still a few files to be reviewed, so he would make a decision after that.
Next is a young handsome man, Montgomery Clift, 27 years old, 1.78 meters tall, handsome, has played several roles but has not won any awards.
Hardy felt some impression of this name, and suddenly dug out a memory from his mind. He remembered that this guy had had a long-term relationship with Elizabeth Taylor in another life.
“No need for this.”
Hardy threw the file aside very neatly.
Next came Lee Bowman, Cornel Wilde, Glenn Ford and other actors who were already well-known in Hollywood. Hardy thought their qualifications were all acceptable, after all, they had already been selected by Nolan and Headey.
There was one last file. Hardy picked it up and took a look. He didn't pay much attention to it at first, but he was stunned when he saw the name of the person on it.
ronald wilson reggen.
Hardy carefully read the resume and looked at the photo, and finally confirmed that this was Reagan, who became the governor of California 20 years later and the president 30 years later.
In 1937, Lee Gen entered Hollywood and played many roles, but they were generally supporting or second-rate roles. After the outbreak of World War II, Lee Gen enlisted in the Air Force, but he did not go to the battlefield. Instead, he filmed training films for the military.
After retiring from the army, Regan returned to Hollywood and played some roles in the past two years, but he did not become famous. Hardy remembered that Regan was an actor until the 1960s, and later joined a political party. Within two years, he participated in the California gubernatorial election and won. From then on, he officially embarked on a political career and served as the governor of California for 8 years.
Li Gen has a title of orator, which is inseparable from his experience in Hollywood and as a radio host.
Li Gen, who is already 36 years old this year, can only be regarded as a second-rate actor in Hollywood.
It was just that this second-rate actor who was not favored by anyone became the President of the United States a few decades later. Who could have imagined that the world would change so much.
Hardy thought about it, picked up the two files and handed them to Heidi.
"Heidi, call these two people to the film and television company tomorrow, and I will go over to introduce them." Hardy said.
Heidi looked at the two people's files.
Gene Kelly, this was not a surprise to her.
Ronald Regan was a little surprised that Hardy chose Regan. She felt that among these male actors, Regan was definitely not outstanding.
But since the big boss chose them, there must be a reason.
"I'll have someone notify them tomorrow," Heidi said.
Putting the file aside, Hardy took Heidi's hand and said, "The weather in Los Angeles is really hot this year. Come on, go swimming with me."
There is a large swimming pool in the manor. The water is turquoise green. Two figures are playing in the pool, splashing violently from time to time.
......
The next day.
hd movies.
In the casting room, Hardy sat in the middle, with director Nolan and Heidi sitting on both sides. Gene Kelly walked in and nodded hello to the three of them.
Nolan asked Gene Kelly to perform a segment. Gene Kelly was a stage actor and had a solid acting background. However, Hardy was somewhat dissatisfied. He felt that Gene Kelly's performance was a little too contrived.
Perhaps this is a common problem among stage actors.
Li Gen walked into the casting room. Li Gen is 36 years old this year, 185 cm tall, looks steady and handsome, and he is getting more and more handsome as he gets older. No wonder some people say he is the most handsome president in history.
Seeing the people sitting behind the conference table, Li Gen nodded and greeted them: "Good morning, Mr. Hardy, Director Nolan, and Ms. Lamar."
I didn't expect Li Gen to recognize me.
"Do you know me?" Hardy asked.
"The New York Times once published a headshot of you when reporting on 'The Miracle of Playboy Magazine' and I remember your appearance," Li Gen said with a smile.
Hardy thought to himself, this guy is really good at dealing with people and talking.
"Well, I just gave you a short script, please perform it for us," said Hardy.
Li Gen nodded, building up his emotions and started to perform.
Hardy found that Li Gen's performance was very genuine, very different from that of actors trained in acting. His emotions were more natural and closer to the original ecology of the character.
Perhaps people nowadays still like performances that have a bit of a performance flavor. For example, in "Gone with the Wind", which is hailed as a masterpiece of the past, one can see a very strong performance flavor, whether it is surprise, joy, teasing or kissing.
Having been influenced by later films, Hardy might be more receptive to a performance like that of Ligon.
Genuine emotions are also Li Gen’s greatest advantage. Perhaps this is why he was able to move so many people when he gave speeches in later generations.
"Mr. Li Gen, are you interested in playing the role of Sam?" Hardy asked.
Li Gen showed a surprised expression.
"Really, Mr. Hardy? Thank you so much for letting me play the leading role. I will definitely play this role well."
Li Gen said excitedly.
"Ok, that's confirmed then."
Although it is not the same world and it is uncertain whether Lee will be the governor and president in the future, Hardy still chooses to invest.
Because he always feels that some people are really lucky, while many people, no matter how hard they try, have very limited achievements. Do you think it is because they don’t work hard? No, they work harder than anyone else, but they just don’t succeed.
But some people can reach extremely high positions just by doing something, and even fate pushes them forward. For example, when Li Gen was elected governor, it was because California did not have a suitable candidate, and people in the party forced him to run for election. At first he was reluctant and was very worried, but in the end he thought he might as well run, and at most he would be a runner-up. But in the end he actually won, and served as governor for two consecutive terms.
Finally, he ran for president and won again.
Can you say that people have no luck?
There is nothing wrong with Hardy investing now, and not just in this movie. After the filming is finished, Hardy will have a deeper contact with him. But there is no rush, as there is still plenty of time, enough for him to develop a person into his own little brother.
"Li Gen, I looked at your resume. It said that you had a seven-year contract with Warner Bros., but you did not renew it after the contract expired. Then you went to the army, and you did not find an agency when you returned from the battlefield. HD Pictures has a dedicated agency. Consider whether you are willing to sign a contract with HD Agency. Don't worry, you will definitely earn more than you are doing now." Hardy said.
Li Gen felt it was quite sudden.
"Ah~~Mr. Hardy, can you let me think about it?" Li Gen said.
"Of course."
Li Gen paused for a moment, "If I don't sign the contract, will it affect my role in the movie?"
Hadi laughed and said, "Don't worry, I won't."
Li Gen looked at Hardy and thought that this young boss was not bad. He did not take advantage of the opportunity to take advantage of him, but only made a sincere invitation. It seemed that he could really consider it carefully when he returned.
......