One of the reasons I wanted this arrangement with the studio was my relationship with Emile Buyse. Emile Buyse was the president of foreign distribution for Fox, and also had become a close friend. He always did a superb job of making my movies popular throughout the world. It seems that Emile had a falling-out with the new head of distribution at the studio, who wanted not only to be head of domestic distribution but also to control foreign—making Emile Buyse’s superb gift for foreign distribution redundant. Emile promptly handed in his resignation and was no longer working for Fox.
I was appalled. It upset me to no end. And then in a brilliant stroke, I asked Emile to work for me and to be Brooksfilms’ foreign distributor of all future films. He immediately agreed, and it was his strong suggestion that made me ask Laddie for this new arrangement, where Brooksfilms would own foreign distribution on History of the World, Part I.
Laddie said, “I agree that you certainly deserve to have such a deal, but as chief of the studio I could be setting a dangerous precedent. Let me think about it.”
He didn’t think about it for long. The next day he called me and said, “Okay. You’ve got a deal.”
Now here’s where the story gets interesting. Even though he told me we had a deal, it was strictly verbal. Nothing was signed. Who could have imagined the following series of events?
Laddie had a big fight with the controlling interests of Twentieth Century Fox. Laddie had chosen to make Star Wars （1977）， which made many millions for Fox. In return, Laddie wanted to reward the heads of the different departments with a big bonus. The people in New York who held Fox’s purse strings gave him an absolute “NO.” Instead of being grateful to Laddie for fattening the coffers of Fox, they seriously offended him. He threatened to leave if they didn’t say yes, and they didn’t believe him and came back with another resounding “NO.” So Laddie quit Fox at the peak of success, after a big string of hits, and eventually took over the helm of MGM.
I was flabbergasted. I didn’t know what to do. Not only was I heartbroken to lose Laddie as studio chief, but I also had this incredibly great deal for my next movie at Fox, History of the World, Part I, and nothing was signed.
But the good news was that Sandy Lieberson, who was in charge of the UK for Fox, was coming into the studio as president pro tem （the temporary president） of Fox until they found a new studio chief. I liked Sandy a lot, I knew him well, and I told him all about my arrangement with Fox and Laddie’s verbal agreement. I got my lawyer, the always-dependable Alan U. Schwartz, to quickly finish the contract on History of the World, Part I and brought it down to Sandy’s office for him to sign.
“Before I sign,” Sandy said, “I want to talk to Laddie to make sure that he agreed to this deal.”
He picked up the phone, spoke to Laddie, and after a few minutes he smiled and said, “You’re absolutely right. Laddie gave you his word. As far as I’m concerned you have a bona fide deal.”
And with a quick flourish of his fountain pen, he immediately signed the agreement with Brooksfilms on behalf of Fox. What a relief! So I continued making the necessary preparations to begin production on History of the World, Part I.
Then the ceiling fell in.
The new studio chief who replaced Sandy informed my attorneys that in no way would he agree to the deal. He said, “You can take me to court, but no judge would ever find against me for tearing up a contract that was such a bad deal for Fox.”
What to do, what to do? Again, Emile Buyse comes to the rescue. Emile says, “Invite him to the press conference you are going to have next week.”
I said, “What press conference?”
He said, “You’re going to tell them that you’re having a press conference next Tuesday with The Wall Street Journal.”
“What am I going to tell The Wall Street Journal?” I said.
“You’re not going to tell them anything. But you’re going to tell him that you’re going to tell The Wall Street Journal the following: You and your company, Brooksfilms, are leaving Twentieth Century Fox and you’re selling all your stock in the company.”
“Why am I leaving Twentieth Century Fox?” I said.
“You are leaving because you have no faith in the new administration, and you are worried about their ability to successfully distribute your films. And you’re selling all your stock because you are afraid the company is heading in the wrong direction.”
“But, Emile, I have no stock in Twentieth Century Fox.”