69novels Chapter 51 Joyce Bogart
Chapter 51 Joyce Bogart
But right in front of them, Neil Bogart and Peter Cooper were leaning against the railing, smoking cigars and chatting happily, with no one else around. The opportunity was perfect.
All doubts were temporarily put aside by Zeke.
He quickly stepped forward and greeted them with a smile: "Mr. Neil, Mr. Cooper, good evening."
Neil immediately flashed a warm smile and patted him on the shoulder.
"Zek, you're finally here! Peter, he's a huge contributor. If it weren't for Zeke's tireless efforts in promotion, 'YMCA' wouldn't have made it into the Top 10 so quickly. This kid not only writes fantastic songs, but he's also efficient, hardworking, and very likable."
Peter Cooper's signature long face looked imposing under the lights, with a very full forehead, his hair combed back, and his small eyes that exuded a shrewd ambition.
He looked Zeke up and down, his eyes lighting up: "What a handsome young man, so promising. The fact that Village People didn't show up tonight makes you the biggest contributor to this party."
Zeke quickly said a few words of modesty, and took the opportunity to step aside and introduce them: "Neil, Mr. Cooper, this is Jodie Foster, my classmate. She is also an actress. I brought her here to broaden her horizons."
"She doesn't need your introduction, Zeke," Neil said with a laugh, waving his hand dismissively. "Judy is way more famous than you. She was not only a child star, but she also hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live. My daughter is a big fan of hers."
"Yes, I remember the Cannes Film Festival in '76, when 'Taxi Driver' won the Palme d'Or. Judy was the French translator at the press conference. She spoke eloquently and her French was very fluent. She left a deep impression on me. Judy, you're getting better and better," Peter Cooper remarked.
"Thank you for your attention, Mr. Cooper." Judy lifted the hem of her skirt and gave a rather playful French courtly bow.
"Are you that famous? How come I didn't know you?"
Zeke turned to look at Judy, who was doing terribly at school, his tone somewhat uncertain.
Judy covered her mouth and chuckled, a sly glint in her eyes: "You're not in the film industry, so it's normal that you don't know. I'm more than just an actress."
After some conversation, Zeke learned that Judy had entered the entertainment industry at the age of 3, and had done everything from acting in movies and TV series to hosting shows. She had even dubbed French versions of English movies and American animated films, and was recognized as an all-rounder in the industry.
She had just received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and a BAFTA Award for her role in "Taxi Driver," and was already a recognized acting prodigy in Hollywood, with a much greater fame than he had imagined.
The evening breeze on the terrace carried a touch of mountain coolness, dispelling the noise of the party.
As Zeke watched Judy calmly converse with Neil and Cooper, her speech was refined and appropriate. The tomboyish sharpness of the past had faded from her eyes, replaced by a sense of composure and agility.
He felt his face burning. It turned out that he was the only poor kid from Brooklyn on the terrace who thought Judy was a struggling actress and was even trying his best to release an album to change his image!
"...Our film division is preparing our next theatrical film for our new distributor, United Artists, a coming-of-age drama tentatively titled 'Foxes,' which will most likely not start production until next year. Judy, I think you'd be perfect for the lead role. I'll have Zeke contact you for an audition once the script is finalized."
After a long conversation, Peter Cooper looked at Judy with increasing admiration and took the initiative to extend an olive branch.
"Really? Mr. Cooper, you're not kidding, are you?" Judy's eyes were full of disbelief as she instinctively asked.
"Yes, really. Your talent and acting skills are more than enough to handle this role, and I look forward to seeing your performance on screen." Guber nodded gently with a warm smile.
"Oh my god, this is amazing!" A surge of joy welled up inside her, and she turned around to hug Zeke tightly, cheering, "Zeke, I did it! I really could!"
Qi Ke froze as she hugged him, instinctively raising his hand but hesitating, and finally just gently placing it on her shoulder.
His mind was still racing with thoughts. Just now, during a casual chat, Cooper mentioned that Judy played a tomboy in "The Castle," praising her performance as "perfectly natural," with even her eyes and small gestures perfectly executed.
Was her tomboyish demeanor an act, or is she really like that? Had I been fooled by this talented actress all this time?
However, these doubts were fleeting. Seeing the undisguised joy in Judy's eyes, Zeke was genuinely happy for her.
"Congratulations, Judy, this is a great opportunity."
Judy nodded vigorously, her eyes slightly reddening. "Thank you, Zeke. If you hadn't brought me to this party, I wouldn't have had this opportunity at all. This is really important to me. Thank you so much."
The sight of the two teenagers embracing and celebrating made Neil chuckle. He coughed lightly and interjected, "Excuse me, Zeke, let's talk privately. There's something I need to discuss with you alone."
Zeke looked down down Judy's snow-white shoulder. The party had reached its climax. The hall was brightly lit, and people were reveling with their glasses in hand. The smell of alcohol mixed with a faint perfume wafted upstairs. In a corner, a few people were openly using drugs, and scantily clad women were swaying their bodies to disco music. It was a scene of decadent debauchery.
A sense of unease crept into his heart. Mrs. Foster's concerns were valid; leaving Judy alone in this situation was indeed too unsafe.
The upstairs wasn't much better. Although Cooper seemed gentle and refined, Hollywood's reputation for rampant unspoken rules was deeply ingrained, and he really didn't feel comfortable leaving Judy alone with Cooper, whose character he didn't know.
Zeke leaned down and whispered in Judy's ear, "Go to the door and find Marco. You've met him before, he's the guy I live with. He's my best friend from childhood. He'll take care of you. Don't wander off, and don't drink any alcohol that anyone offers you."
Judy nodded obediently, mouthing "I'll wait for you" silently, then suppressed her excitement and turned to go down the stairs.
Only after watching Judy's figure disappear at the top of the stairs did Zeke feel relieved. He turned around and followed Neil into a study next to the terrace.
The study was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the revelry outside. The bookshelves were filled with books and records, the desk was neat and tidy, and there was an exquisite wine cabinet in the corner.
There was also a beautiful woman in her thirties standing in the room. Zeke had just seen her next to Donna Summer; she was the tall woman standing with Susan.
Neil chuckled and patted Zeke on the shoulder, introducing him: "Zike, this is my wife, Joyce. She used to be KISS's agent, and now she's in charge of Donna Summer's management. Donna's success today wouldn't have been possible without her help."
Qi Ke thought to himself, no wonder she acted so flamboyantly downstairs earlier, it turns out she is the mistress of the manor.
He quickly stepped forward and greeted her politely, "Tonight's party is the best I've ever seen, Mrs. Bogart."
"Hello, Zeke."
"But Mrs. Bogart, I heard that KISS's manager isn't Bill O'Quinn?"
Joyce gave a calm smile and explained with composure.
"Bill and I used to be partners. We discovered KISS together. Back then, we were joint agents and managed all of KISS's affairs together."
"Later, I started dating Neil. The members of KISS were worried that since I was both their manager and the girlfriend of the record company president, I would favor Neil and harm their interests. So I sold my shares in the management company, stopped being in charge of KISS, and focused on serving Donna."
"It proves you're the best." Neil put his arm around Joyce's waist, leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Look at what Donna has achieved today. She became a disco queen, all thanks to you."
Joyce leaned against Neil with a smile, her voice sweet and charming: "Oh, darling, if it weren't for you providing Donna with the best production resources, no matter how capable I am, I wouldn't have been able to get her to where she is today."
The two were oblivious to everyone else, openly displaying their affection. Zeke stood aside, secretly thinking to himself, "The KISS members were right to worry. Anyone in this situation would feel there's a conflict of interest, right? Doesn't Donna think this is inappropriate? No wonder Susan and Joyce are always hovering around her."
Moreover, Zeke now knows who TJ learned his method of seducing important people with his lower body—it turns out Neil Bogart did just that!
He directly married a top agent on par with Bill O'Quinn, which not only solidified his connections but also gave him better control over artist resources, allowing him to gain wealth, sex, and power, all while also getting a divorce in between.
This tactic is simply impressive.
After a moment of tenderness, Joyce pushed Neil away, her coquettish expression fading, and her tone became serious.
"Well, Zeke, you've probably heard about the Village People thing, haven't you?"
Zeke nodded: "Uh, I heard from Larry that there are serious internal conflicts in the team right now. The members are making a big fuss about the low salary and being bullied. They didn't even come to the party tonight."
"So what do you think of Jacques Morali as a person?" Joyce asked bluntly. "Do you think the members of Village People can kick Jacques Morali out and take control of the band themselves?"
Before Zik could answer, Neil spoke up, saying, "Darling, I told you this wouldn't work. Jacques Morali is the soul of this group. All of Village People's songs, dance choreography, and the members' image packaging were all created by him. Those members are just puppets in his hands. Without Jacques, they are nothing."
"This is my job, don't interfere." Joyce interrupted Neil without any politeness, her eyes still fixed on Zeke. "Zeke, I want to know your opinion. You've met with Jacques Morali and had contact with the Village People. Your judgment is very important to us."
Zeke hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure what Joyce's intentions were, but it was most likely that he wanted to snatch the Villagers' management contract.
This wasn't something that needed to be kept secret, he said truthfully: "Well, I only met Jacques Morali once, in a dance studio in Manhattan, where my lawyer Herbert was also there."
He had said at the time that all the members of the group would listen to him, and that he had completed the composition and production of all the songs for Village People; the members only needed to focus on singing and performing.
"Tell me in detail, don't leave anything out." Joyce took a step forward, her tone urgent. "We only recently started contacting these members. Back then, they were completely packaged by Jacques Morali and obeyed him without question. We had no way of knowing the real situation or what Jacques was up to behind the scenes."
Zik carefully recalled every detail of meeting Jacques in the dance rehearsal room that day: Jacques' composure and confidence, his assertive manner of speaking, his complete control over the members, the large amount of cash he casually took out, and the "small reward" he mentioned.
And Jacques promised him a share of the artist royalties from Village People's singles and albums.
He didn't hide anything and told all the details in detail, including how he thought Jacques, who held the copyright, was very generous and open-minded, and even secretly rejoiced that he had met a good business partner.
"FUCK, I knew it! You really did sign that kind of agreement with Jacques Morali!" Joyce couldn't help but curse after hearing Zeke's words. "You're too young and too trusting."
Qi Ke was startled, a bad feeling welling up in his heart.
Neil shook his head and looked at Zeke: "Don't you understand? Zeke, you, your lawyer, Tino, and even all the members of Village People have been played by Jacques Morali."