America 1982-Chapter 440 - 66: I’m Used to Standing on the Side Where There are More People_2

At the time, the Vice President of Paramount who was planning to swallow up Warner Bros., Barry Diller, had become the Chairman and CEO of the Fox Group. All film and television-related businesses of the Murdoch Group in the United States were managed by this Polish Jew.

Initially, when Murdoch entered the American film and television industry, Fox was not his first choice; rather, it was Warner. The main reason he targeted Warner was that Barry Diller wanted to avenge the old grudge of the failed acquisition of Warner in 1969.

Warner Bros. and the Murdoch Group clashed for three years, each displaying their cunning, from the film sets to the Supreme Court. Eventually, Steve Ross found a White Warrior in Herbert Siegel. With financing from Clark Industries, they purchased 25% of Warner’s shares and stabilized the situation. Although Murdoch didn’t get what he wanted, he made a profit of forty million US dollars through the previous hostile stock purchases and the subsequent buyback by Warner, which was a small victory.

Barry Diller took over Fox for Murdoch. Don Bluthheimer, who succeeded Barry Diller as the Chairman and CEO of Paramount, was one of Diller’s proteges and a member of the "Diller Gang" at Paramount. Thus, Paramount established a very close partnership with Fox. Or rather, it would be fair to say that both these giants had to listen to Barry Diller.

As for Universal Studios, it had been cooperating with Paramount to distribute films internationally since the seventies, led by Barry Diller.

Warner’s ally Disney’s President, Michael Eisner, was previously a Senior Vice President at Paramount and also one of Barry Diller’s proteges, following Barry Diller earlier than Don Bluthheimer. Eisner hoped that Barry Diller would hand over Paramount to him when he moved to Fox. However, Barry chose Don Bluthheimer as his successor, which made Eisner, who had always considered himself Diller’s number one loyalist, feel humiliated at Paramount. He fell out with his mentor Barry and decisively resigned, repeatedly seeking the CEO position in other major film studios. It was Steve Ross of Warner who finally helped him secure the CEO position at Disney by contacting several of its major shareholders.

As for the relationship between MGM and Warner, it all depended on the owner of CNN, Ted Turner. Turner owned all MGM film rights prior to 1987 and all Warner film rights before 1950, in addition to holding shares in both companies. Moreover, like Steve Ross, he harbored a deep hatred for Murdoch, making MGM a natural ally of Warner.

To describe the nearly two-decade struggle between the two Hollywood giants simply, it was the grudge between Steve Ross of Warner Bros. and Barry Diller of Paramount, two Jewish men.

Every Jewish movie mogul standing at the peak of Beverly Hills, looking down on the night scene, has probably dreamed of sweeping away the big six and dominating Hollywood alone.

However, in the Hollywood filled with countless professionals, the two who came closest to realizing this dream in the past decade were these two distinctly different Jewish old-timers.

Steve Ross was jokingly referred to as "The Godfather" by industry insiders. With his personal charm, generous incentive systems, and laissez-faire management style, all his employees were under the illusion that Steve epitomized the image of a father to them.

Many Warner employees who ventured out on their own would still specifically come to consult him about business doubts, which meant his students and old friends could be found all over California. And every time Steve Ross met with his subordinates, he always greeted them with the affectionate term "kids."

Over time, those who worked for Steve, had also grown accustomed to referring to themselves as Steve’s children. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Another interpretation of the godfather refers to Steve Ross as the actual godfather of the Hollywood mafia. Before stepping into the film industry in ’69, he dealt in funeral and cleaning businesses in New York and New Jersey, with the Jewish and Italian mafias as his main partners.

There’s an unconfirmed rumor that Meyer Lansky, known as "the Mob’s Accountant" of America, was Steve Ross’s godfather. After Meyer fled to Israel, Steve became the new accountant for the Jewish and Italian mafias in Hollywood.

Compared to the mafia-entranced "godfather" Steve, Barry Diller was called a "killer" by industry insiders because like a calm and waiting hitman, once he spotted any weakness in an opponent, he would strike decisively and lethally without hesitation.

Moreover, he started his career as an intern at a low-level brokerage firm and step by step reached his current position. Not only did he rapidly stand out with his capabilities, but he also formed the renowned "Diller Gang" in Hollywood. Unlike Steve, who had his "children" all over Hollywood, each member of the Diller Gang was personally cultivated by him, hand-picked for their exceptional ability and loyalty. Each one could stand on their own.

Apart from Disney’s current CEO, Michael Eisner, and Paramount’s current CEO, Don Bluthheimer, and Columbia Pictures’ CEO, Dawn Steel—three secondary movie moguls from the Diller Gang—there was also a group of Diller-branded elites active in the US film and television industry.

For instance, Gus Ansel, who at 28 was handpicked by Diller to be the founding president of Fox Broadcasting Company; the golden producer Don Simpson, who helped create the phenomenally successful blockbuster "Top Gun" for Paramount; Stephen Chao, the first Chinese-American senior executive at Fox Television Network; and over a dozen middle-managers in Hollywood’s major companies, waiting for their chances to rise, were all members of the Diller Gang.

Herbert, after chatting about these interesting Hollywood tales at the dining table, took a piece of beef with his fork and put it in his mouth, mumbling, "Actually, I’m more optimistic about Diller. America is an elite society, and the influence of the Diller Gang is incomparable to Steve’s hodgepodge of children. If Steve offered me a price I’m happy with to buy back my Warner shares, I’m ready to invest the money in Fox. Diller has really got something special. He alone stands in Hollywood and can cause Steve and Turner to scramble busily, while Murdoch can happily snap pictures of nude women in England and publish them in The Sun. How many people in the whole United States can fluster individuals like Steve and Turner?"

After swallowing his food, Herbert looked towards Julian Farrell, "What do you think?"

Julian wiped his mouth, "I have absolutely no interest in the film and television industry, and I don’t understand Diller or Steve... Diller, I guess. I’m in favor of Diller."

"What about you, kid?" Herbert shifted his gaze towards Tommy, who was hungrily eating his spaghetti, "What do you think?"

"It sounds like Steve has more children, a stronger mass base." Tommy swallowed his food and took a sip of lemon water, "I’m more accustomed to standing with the crowd."