No Chump

Every time Calendar decides to play wiseacre trade paper by running a figure-oriented analysis, it turns out to be unreadable, boring and inaccurate.

The equations in Klady’s article are of no interest to non-industry readers, but you at least should be accurate as you flippantly dump on the “chumps.”

I refer to the budget figure of “Memories of Me” (MGM), given as $12 million. It was less than half that, namely $5.8 million! (And don’t tell me your number includes distribution expenses because there are many other picture costs listed which obviously don’t include prints and advertising.)

Moreover, at the $5.8-million budget, the financiers will probably not lose when all other revenue sources are counted.

Neither the pictures that are unsuccessful nor the many people who make them are “chumps.” The pictures are assets, and the people could make next year’s box-office smash. The real “chumps” are you guys who rarely have an original thought, whose major “talent” is thrashing somebody else’s creative effort.

GABE SUMNER

Executive Producer

“Memories of Me”