"Is it all here?" Victor asked, pointing to a box on the table.

The box is a tin box, not very large, with a lock on it.

"It's all here, and the rest of the documents are ready." Leo nodded.

"Then let's go." Ford, who was tall and tall, laughed.

Victor nodded, took a deep breath, and picked up the box.

Seeing Victor like that, Ford said, "Don't be nervous, it's just a review, go through the motions." I've already said yes to Grant, and I've said hello over there, and there won't be any time. ”

Victor smiled bitterly: "I hope so." ”

The three of them got in the car and headed straight for Hollywood City Hall.

"Okay haode, what kind of censorship are you doing, really." Leo complained while driving: "It's a waste of time, deprivation of democracy!" ”

"Bullshit democracy, where does Hollywood come from?" Ford Road.

Victor didn't say a word, staring at the window in a daze.

After all the hard work of filming and editing, the most important hurdle is now in front of us - film censorship.

In the early days of Hollywood, there was no such thing as censorship, and since the promulgation of the Hays Code, Hollywood films, as long as they are released, need to be submitted to the Film Censorship Board for review, and once there are relevant illegal scenes, there are only two fates - either revise or be killed directly.

Under the leadership of Hayes, known as the "film czar", the Film Censorship Board is like a sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of Hollywood filmmakers, making countless people's scalps tingle.

Under the Film Censorship Committee, there are many people, most of them are representatives with heads and faces, many of them are religious figures, and their influence is huge, because the Hays Code is the law, so once the death penalty is sentenced, there is no place for the film to turn over, so no matter what kind of person it is, they are extremely nervous in the face of such censorship.

"Reviewing this matter, it is serious and serious, and it is easy to say that it is easy. Victor, it's not ten years ago, the censorship was quite strict, and now that the times have evolved, even they know that their way is out of fashion. Fore put on his pipe and said, "Today's review is fundamentally incomparable with the original, and now the review committee has a sharp reduction in personnel, and the execution is not good." If it's a movie of a big company, it's really very strict, because those movies have a huge influence, and the committee can just take this opportunity to get those big companies, and it doesn't matter if a small company like ours doesn't even watch it. ”

"If that's the case, I'm relieved." Victor Road.

When they arrived at Hollywood City Hall, the three of them found Grant first.

In the office, Jenny Grant, the mayor of Hollywood, is already busy going crazy.

"This time of year is the busiest time, hell." Grant rolled up his sleeves, signed the papers, and pointed to the pile of invitations on the table: "Don't talk about the things at hand, these invitations alone make me useless." ”

"Who made you mayor?" Ford teased and said, "But you have to go over our premiere." ”

"That's for sure, not only will I go, but I'll also bring you a bunch of old friends." Grant laughed.

"That's great." Victor placed the tin box on the table.

Grant gave a look in surprise: "It's edited!?" ”

"As long as the review is passed, it can be printed and screened." Victor Road.

"Censorship, to put it mildly, I've already said hello. Today is not just a movie review for you, go, I'll take you there. Grant stood up and began to get dressed.

Victor originally thought that such a bullish department of the Film Censorship Board should have a special office and special personnel, but when Grant brought him to the door of a small screening room on the second floor, Victor found out that this famous institution in the history of film, every time the censorship was just a group of people to watch the movie and score it.

This is inevitably a bit sloppy.

"There were two film censors this morning, and before us, there was another. Soon it will be over. Grant looked at his watch.

Standing outside the door of the projection room, Victor could faintly hear the voices inside. In order to protect the censored film from leaking secrets, it is strictly forbidden for any unrelated people to enter the screening room, so everyone can only wait.

After about 20 minutes, I heard a loud cry from inside: "You are more fascist than fascists!" I won't edit again! You've asked me to re-edit this movie a dozen times! To hell with your opinions! I'm not you Americans! I am a citizen of Great Britain! If you don't pass, my movie won't be released anymore! ”

The voice, extremely sharp and full of anger, was then kicked open with a thud in the door of the projection room, and a man came out of it in a rage.

Looking at this man, Victor was dumbfounded.

Dressed in a neat black suit, his hair was parted in the middle and shiny, although he didn't have the iconic mustache, the face in front of him made Victor pop up a name in his mind in a matter of tenths of a second: Charlie Chaplin!

The greatest dramatist, the father of comedy films, a superstar and master who can never be bypassed in the history of cinema! At the same time, but also a debauchman, a liar, a murderer, a hypocrite in real life.

Such a person, Victor actually met on such an occasion, naturally unexpectedly.

"Charlie, what's going on? Clipping again? "Grant was very polite to Chaplin.

"I won't edit! You Hollywood, you Americans, none of them know art! You are politicians, you are hooligans, you are vulgar and uneducated garbage! Chaplin roared: "You have no reason or power to dictate to me, the work of a great British citizen!" ”

Ooh! I didn't expect Chaplin to have a big temper!

"There's no way around it, Hollywood is like that. If your movie is no longer released in the United States, the loss is huge, have you thought about it? Grant whispered.

Chaplin's face changed, and he was a little scared, but he pretended to be calm: "Isn't it released in the United States, I won't be Chaplin!?" I'm not going to modify it anyway! ”

"So, don't you go and look for Hayes? If you put in some effort, isn't it a matter of his words that the movie passes? Grant said.

Chaplin sneered: "Hayes? That bastard, the scoundrel, the scoundrel, can understand our suffering? ”

"Who said that? Hayes has always loved your films. Grant said.

"Oh?" Chaplin's eyebrows turned up, looking very happy: "Really!?" Hahahaha, Mr. Hayes still has taste, I said that before. Jenny, can you give me a call, I'll treat him to dinner. ”

"I'm afraid it's inconvenient for me, you'd better talk about it privately." Grant shrugged.

Chaplin approached Grant and lowered his voice: "What does Mr. Hayes like?" You know, Jenny, this has to be the right medicine? Does he like women? I've just recruited some pretty girls. If it's money, I can give him a little bit of the box office......"

Although Chaplin's voice was small, Victor could hear it clearly, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

It seems that the character of Chaplin himself as recorded in history is really not bad at all.

The two of them muttered, Chaplin daxiao: "Okay, that's fine." I'm going to find Mr. Hayes tonight. For the development of Hollywood, he is really worried about it. ”

"Charlie, I'll introduce you to a few friends." Grant pointed to Ford and Victor.

"Ahh Mr. Ford, you are one of the few directors in Hollywood that I admire! Hello! "Chaplin was very enthusiastic about John Ford.

"It's over, Mr. Chaplin." John Ford smiled.

"It's so-so. I'm just doing whatever I want. American movies today are terrible. The reason why I didn't leave the United States was because I wanted to save this rotten country. Chaplin had a cigarette in his mouth.

"This is Victor Ferro, a young director with a lot of ideas, who has just finished a film...... "Grant's real purpose was to introduce Victor to Chaplin.

"Hello, Mr. Chaplin!" Victor held out his hand.

When Grant spoke, Chaplin didn't pay attention to Victor at all, didn't even look at it, and before Grant finished speaking, Chaplin waved his hand impatiently: "Gianni, I'm busy, let's go." I'll treat you to dinner another day. ”

As for the hand that Viktor stretched out, Chaplin didn't touch it, he held his head high and strode away.