5,99 €
Mehr erfahren.
DISCLAIMER
Please note that this book contains a summary of the original content, which is a condensation of the key ideas and information found in the original book.
Therefore, it is recommended to read the original book for a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the topics discussed.
This summary is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to infringe upon the intellectual property rights of the original book.
Summary of You Never Know a memoir by Tom Selleck and Ellis Henican
IN THIS SUMMARIZED BOOK, YOU WILL GET:
- Chapter provides an astute outline of the main contents.
- Fast & simple understanding of the content analysis.
- Exceptionally summarized content that you may skip in the original book
Das E-Book können Sie in Legimi-Apps oder einer beliebigen App lesen, die das folgende Format unterstützen:
Ähnliche
Summary of
You Never Know
A
Summary of Tom Selleck and Ellis Henican’s Memoir
GP SUMMARY
Summary of You Never Know a memoir by Tom Selleck and Ellis Henican
By GP SUMMARY© 2024, GP SUMMARY.
Author: GP SUMMARY
Contact: [email protected]
Cover, illustration: GP SUMMARY
NOTICE
Please note that this book contains a summary of the original content, which is a condensation of the key ideas and information found in the original book. Therefore, it is recommended to read the original book for a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the topics discussed. This summary is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to infringe upon the intellectual property rights of the original book.
Please be aware that the ideas and opinions presented in this summary reflect the interpreter's perspective and may differ from the original author's viewpoint. If you wish to explore the original book, it is encouraged to purchase or access it from a reliable source.
We are committed to protecting intellectual property rights and encourage supporting authors and writers by endorsing the reading of original books.
Limit of Liability
This eBook is licensed for personal use only. It may not be resold or distributed to others. If you have received this eBook without purchasing it or without authorization for your personal use, please purchase your own copy. By accessing this eBook, you agree to assume all risks associated with the information provided within.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved.
Prologue
Mulholland Drive
In 1962, the narrator and his girlfriend Vicki Wheeler were involved in a car accident that led to a tragic accident. The car lost traction and went into an uncontrolled skid, causing the narrator to feel a painful crunch. The car then landed on a flat spot on a steep slope, and the narrator turned off the radio and headlights, causing the engine to stop.
Vicki was upside down in the backseat, and the narrator helped her onto the seat. She was soaked with blood and the narrator noticed her blonde hair was soaked with blood. The narrator's friend Steve Lowe, who had driven the car, was not inside the car. The narrator yelled for help, but the couple from the house came running.
The narrator's face swollen up to the size of a bowling ball, and his parents ran in to help. Vicki was treated and released, but Steve had a broken pelvis, and they shared a room. The next morning, the narrator read an article from the Valley News and Green Sheet, titled "Trio Hurt in Auto's Plunge." Vicki and his friends visited daily, and Steve was embarrassed in front of the girls due to his injuries.
Both the narrator and Steve were unable to get out of the hospital for graduation from Grant High School.
The author recounts their childhood experiences, including a major screw-up that led to their parents receiving no repercussions or punishment. They believe their parents passed on the gift of conscience to them, which they found difficult to explain. The author's parents' discipline evolved over time, with their father taking them to the police station and showing them jail cells. The author's father also taught them how to replace a broken window and not play baseball in the street.
The author's parents' discipline was influenced by their own experiences, such as breaking a window in their neighbor's house and not telling their father. The author's father taught them how to measure a broken windowpane and how to replace it. These memories are still vivid in the author's mind, and the author believes that the lessons learned are the most memorable.
Another memorable memory is going off Mulholland Drive, which was later discontinued due to consumer advocacy groups' claims about the Corvair's tendency to roll over. The author personally believes that their car would roll over if driven off a 125-foot cliff.
Just Don’t Let ’Em Change You
The author describes their struggles with academics during their junior year at the University of Southern California. They lived in a Sigma Chi house, which had a pool table, couch, and TV set, and enjoyed playing gin games. One day, they were invited to join a group of women at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house, where they were able to sleep through early classes.
The author's work habits were a recurring theme, and they didn't have a clear approach to academics. Colleges sent grades wherever they told them, which was not good for them. The author's brother Bob, who was on track to graduate, was also on track to graduate in June.
The author was on academic probation since the second semester of their junior year and was about to get bounced from the basketball team. To remain eligible, they needed to carry a course load of twelve units a semester. As the 1966-67 season approached, the thin ice beneath them began to crack.
The author dropped one class in their senior year, dropping one class and taking an incomplete in their statistics class, Quantitative Analysis 1. This made them officially ineligible for Quantitative Analysis. The author went to see a professor to plead their case, but the professor seemed very professorial and somewhat aloof.
The author explained their situation, the importance of the basketball team, and the athletic scholarship they earned for their last semester. The professor gave them a gift, making them eligible for basketball again. However, the long view wasn't getting any better, and the author knew that even after five years of college, they wouldn't have enough units to earn their degree.
The author struggles with academic struggles and a fear of never graduating from college, which led him to seek advice from Dr. William Himstreet, the associate dean of the business school. He advised him to try harder and found an easy A in History of the American Theater. Don Schwartz, a professor at USC, suggested he could make money as a commercial agent. Schwartz offered him a job on an air force training film called The Mental Aspects of Human Reliability, but he never considered it a "job."
The author's Sigma Chi house was known for its easy access to The Dating Game, where contestants were interviewed. They were chosen to appear on the show, which had a reunion angle with a girl who had previously dated one of the three bachelors and then broken up with him. The show didn't seem to have a clue about the contestants, and the author didn't have a girlfriend.
As showtime approached, the author was nervous and nervous. The assistant director suggested smiling when the revolve turned around, and the author smiled. The girl asked the risqué questions, and the author's lame answers led to a loss. The author was not funny or enjoyable on the show, and they were scared to death every second they were up there.
During his time at USC, the author was sent out on interviews for commercials, often with no real idea of what he was doing. One such commercial was for Pepsi, which the author was surprised to get. The director, however, didn't explain why they had to do the scene over and over again, as he thought the client thought the color of the real Pepsi was too dark.
The author then appeared on The Dating Game, where the winners got to go on fancier dates. They were still terrified and didn't seem funny, but they lost again. The author felt that going on The Dating Game was a tiny prestige thing, something girls might notice.
About a week after his second appearance on The Dating Game, the author received a call from Don Schwartz, who suggested a casting director at 20th Century Fox named David Graham had seen him on The Dating Game and wanted to meet him. Don explained that Fox and Universal both had talent-training programs designed to funnel young actors into the studios' movies and TV shows. Fox offered acting classes, voice classes, and dance classes, while Universal signed people and stuck them in shows without any training.
Don's strategy was called "total bullshit" or "good agenting." The author's interview at Universal was a go-see, but the head of the talent program, Monique James, might have popped her head in. When Don called, he couldn't reach the author at home, so he sneaked out of the hotel on Saturday afternoon. Don's client, who had studied acting and had more experience than the author, came back on Sunday and worked with the author again. After rehearsing, the author practiced their lines and expressions in the mirror, swearing they knew the scene better than Neil Simon himself.
The author, Dick Zanuck, arrives at the studio lot in Century City and meets with Jack Baur and Owen McLean, the studio's VP in charge of talent. They meet with the studio president, Richard Zanuck, who is the son of Darryl Zanuck, who co-founded 20th Century Fox. Zanuck asks about his experience in a scene for the studio and how he might have potential. He mentions playing at USC and how he was a huge UCLA fan. Zanuck then reveals that the last time USC faced the undefeated UCLA Bruins, they used a stall ball strategy to slow the game down and win.
The author, who has no acting experience or desire to become an actor, bullshitting with the president of 20th Century Fox and being invited into the studio's New Talent program, is eventually offered college basketball. This story highlights the power of chance and the importance of considering one's own interests and abilities when making decisions about career paths. The author never truly questions why they were offered this opportunity, but it helped them develop a healthy respect for serendipity. The story highlights the importance of finding opportunities and embracing the unexpected in life.
The protagonist, a student at USC, receives an offer to sign a contract with 20th Century Fox, a company he had previously worked for. His father, who was managing the Coldwell Banker office for the San Fernando Valley, offers his advice on the matter. He reminds the protagonist that risk is the price you pay for opportunity and that if you don't pursue it, you might end up in a swamp of wasted lives.
The protagonist's father, who had worked with United Airlines for two years at USC, is aware of the risks of show business and the stories of wasted lives. He advises the protagonist not to let the opportunity change them.
Many years later, the protagonist's father is seriously ill and in the hospital. He shares that he never played sports, but his friend Don, who had played for various teams, had always been interested in sports. The protagonist's father knew something about regret, even with his accomplishments and pride.
The protagonist's father's advice to the protagonist is to not let the opportunity change them, as he had grown up in the Depression and had a strong interest in sports.
In the Program
On his first day in the 20th Century–Fox New Talent program, the protagonist is nervous and unsure of where to go. He decides to take one of the canyons, up Beverly Glen, and crosses Mulholland Drive. He remembers Don's advice about the Fox talent program, which offers subsidized exposure to something he never knew he wanted to be exposed to for six months.
As he turns left on Sunset Boulevard, he sees the massive studio backlot, which would soon be sold off to developers to create Century City. The 20th Century–Fox studio is marked with a big X and the number 163. The protagonist is welcomed by the Fox guard who gives him a map with a carefully drawn route to Stage 3.
As he enters the lobby, he notices modern soundstages and charming cottages. The number 163 is painted on the pavement of an empty parking space. He climbs out of his tiny Volkswagen and looks at the elegant facade of Stage 3.
Pamela Danova, the coordinator of the talent program, introduces herself and tells him about the program's activities. She explains that Jon Gregory and his wife, Helene, run dance classes, Jack Woodford is in charge of voice classes, and most of the time, they have acting classes.
The protagonist is excited about the opportunity to be exposed to something they never knew they wanted to be exposed to and is determined to make the most of his time in the program.
In the acting class, Tom Selleck and Linda Peck meet Curt Conway, who introduces them to the class. They discuss scene study and improvisations, with each student assigned a scene partner. Curt explains the Actors Studio in New York and Stanislavski and Boleslawski, as well as the "method." Linda Peck shares her experience with acting and is rusty on Stanislavski and Boleslawski.
After lunch, they sit down at the Fox Studio commissary, where they discuss their scenes, rated their movies, and complain about not getting enough auditions. It becomes clear that the talent-program schedule doesn't operate with commando-like precision. After lunch, Tom is sent to see Sonia Wolfson, an oldtimer in the Fox PR department, who will write up a bio on him. By the time Sonia is done, Tom is a heavily recruited basketball star at the University of Southern California with a prestigious scholarship.
The next day, Tom has a photography shoot with Barbara Parkins. Barbara is running late, and the photographer tells him that they are making a poster for her new movie, Valley of the Dolls. The photographer asks if Tom can wear his shorts, but he refuses. Barbara asks if he can hold up the sheet and embrace him, which Tom agrees to do.
