The Other Side of Me Page 0,71

world.

It was a moment when I should have felt a sense of jubilation. Instead, I was overcome with a feeling of dread. I did not know anything about producing. Dore had made a mistake. There was no way I could do this. I would call Dore and tell him that I could not accept it. He would probably fire me and I would soon be looking for a job.

I tried to sleep that night but it was no use. At midnight I got dressed and went for a walk, thinking about all the things that were happening to me. I remembered the night that Otto had asked me to go for a walk with him. Every day is a different page, Sidney, and they can be full of surprises. You'll never know what's next until you turn the page. I would hate to see you close the book too soon and miss all the excitement that could happen to you on the next page.

When I woke up in the morning, I decided to at least attempt to produce a picture. If I failed, I could always go back to being a writer.

That morning, when I went to the studio, I found out I had been moved into a larger office. I also learned that being a producer at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was very simple. The story department, which had access to all the publishers, sent every producer synopses of the books that were coming out, along with the plays and original stories that were submitted to the studio. All the producer had to do was choose the one he wanted.

Producers were then given a list of writers available to work on their projects. When the scripts were completed, the casting department got into action. They gave the producers a list of stars, and directors. "Who would you like?"

The last step was Benny Thau, who would make the deals with the agents for the writers, stars, and directors. The producers at Metro literally sat in their offices and pushed buttons. Being a producer was going to be easy.

I still enjoyed giving dinner parties in my home. Friends and actors and directors I had worked with filled my humble abode, and there was never a dull moment.

One night, I decided to make it a musical evening and I invited a group of some of the most talented musicians and composers in Hollywood - all of whom were already successful and went on to have huge careers. Among my guests were:

Alfred Newman, whom we all called "Pappy." He was short in stature but long on talent. He was nominated for more Oscars than any other composer in motion pictures and had won nine times. He scored more than two hundred films, including Alexander's Ragtime Band, Call Me Madam, and The King and I.

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.

Andre 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