Daniel Melnick vs. Bottled Water

My boss received a letter from (appropriately enough) the guy who produced "L.A. Story."

Dear Peter:

... Even before we are invited to order at whichever fancy, as well as those not so fancy, restaurants (or as usual with me – joints), the serving person inquires as to our preference in waters.

I believe that Los Angeles and New York have very good tap water. Certainly, good enough for the amount usually consumed during a meal. I object to the blatant manipulation which adds substantially to most bills. Wouldn’t it be a good if the money that would be saved by drinking tap water be donated to the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

If you agree it would be great if one of your mavens could figure out a way to “formalize” such a movement.

Best personal regards,

Daniel Melnick

P.S. To hell with the personal consequences, I think Wolfgang will always give you and me a table - - and screw the others.

With all due respect to Mr. Melnick, I always regret being too lazy to drag my butt to the refrigerator when I wake up thirsty at 3 a.m. The stuff that comes from my bathroom tap always tastes stale and a little musty, a reality borne out in the first Q&A of the LADWP's water quality FAQ:

Q: Is Los Angeles City water safe to drink right from the faucet?
A: Probably yes.

That said, he's got a point. Every restaurant has picked up on the trick of "Flat or still?" And "Fuck you" isn't really an appropriate response, even if the waiter winces as you say, "Tap." 

But if you're not treating water as a course unto itself, tap with ice is often fine. Better than, if the restaurant filters (as many good ones do).

Still, let's do the math. Chaya Brasserie charges $6.50 for a 800mL (about  27 oz.) bottle of Voss. Five a week and you have $32.50. Over 48 weeks (not impossible, if you work at New Line), that's $1,560. 

Not bad. But would $1,560 even get you a studio at the Fran and Ray Stark Villa? My guess is no, not if you want a view of the Roddy McDowell Rose Garden or the Wasserman Koi Pond.

Comments

[Tao]

Many years ago, I temped at a now-defunct studio where Dan Melnick had a deal. First rule of the day was "No Red". This meant no red ANYTHING - ties, socks, pens, folders, etc. All red buttons, like those on a computer, printer, or elevator button were covered up by tape. You show up wearing red, you don't work. Also, he seemed to have a thing about paper as nothing ever was to be placed upon the desks, etc. where he could see it. I made the mistake of putting a message slip on the desk as he walked by. My other sin was saying "good morning". I was not asked back. Everyone whispered and walked on eggshells around this pain-in-the-ass fart who could never break a smile, look you in the eye, or deem you worthy of a "good morning". So, Dan, as I sit here in my red shirt, surrounded by papers, loudly yacking with my co-workers and cracking open my Fiji water, fuck you asshole.

[Guillermo]

Oh, golly, Dan this a terrific idea. In fact, I'm going to start collecting plastic water bottles, take them over to the recycling place, get my cash and donate every last nickle to the Motion Picture and Television Fund. And say, while I'm off doing that, maybe YOU could donate all the money you get (especially if the MP&TF is your cause celeb) from product placement in your films to the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

Better still, one day a week you (and all your motion picture buddies) could skip lunch at Wolfgang's and instead donate that money to the Motion Picture and Television Fund...

I guess, I'll never eat lunch in this town again and I sure won't drink the bottled water.

[hill_w]

"Still or flat?" Same thing. "Carbonated or still?" good, "With bubbles or without?" better. "Still or with Gas?" (in this context), most assuredly, best!

[Sonja]

New York tap water comes from the northernmost regions of Canada and is well-known to be relatively clean and good to drink. Not so L.A tap. What is Melnick thinking?

[patty cake]

funny,,,
Susan Sarandon pulled some crap similar to this...on the last movie I worked on she had the producers circulate a memo about donating money to some inner city childrens plant a tree fund or some crap and that she would make a donation too..it was her pet charity... It was her way of strong arming the producers and above the line all the way down to the PA's into coughing up cash and she would personally know who gave and who didnt. We all saw her every day...so it was awkward. I was like...f-you..you want to buy a tree..you are a bazillionaire..go for it...so she milks everyone and get this...after she shakes us all down....I ask as assistant how much she pledged...get this...1200 bucks. I wanted to pull her wig off and pull those huge buldging eyes out of her sockets. Can u believe???? Cheap B(tch!!!
She was relentless and this went on for 5 weeks of shooting...
SO MELNICK F-off...make your own donation...
god these people are hateful

[GladIgotout]

What seems like a lifetime ago, I worked in Hollywood and yes, worked for Dan Melnick. Being a curious sort, every few years or so I’ll Google names from my past to see what certain people have been up to and admittedly he’s been one of them. So, I wasn’t surprised to come across his inane babbling about bottled vs. tap water (which honestly – I could care less about) – nor was I surprised to read posts of people who knew him somewhat ripping him a new one. Payback – even in the form of relatively inconsequential web postings – is as they say, a bitch. While I’m not bitter about my dealings with Danny – he did after all teach me exactly the kind of person I DIDN’T want to become, I am not above joining the fray. I think that the more that is known about his type of person (in or outside of Hollywood), the better off the human condition will be. …And truthfully, who doesn’t enjoy calling out a phony - the man did envision himself an educated, urbane, sophisticated, bon vivant’ - when in reality he was clearly a working class schmoe who married Richard Rogers daughter and big surprise – made good? So, me…well, I was an eager young goyische kid (his words for me not mine) anxious to make good myself (without any connections in the business), trying to succeed by working hard, staying honest and proving my worth. My job with Dan and his assorted minions (and we were his minions according to his alcoholic Office Manager Elizabeth who everyone thought in love with him – so sad) was my first attempt in L.A. It wouldn’t be my last but it was an eye-opening and glaring first look into, pardon the cliché, the ugly underbelly of Hollywood – all dressed up in the accoutrement new money, bad taste and pretentiousness that Dan’s dollars could buy. But aside from the black on black décor and clothing (soooo 80’s, so not original), so predictable it was funny African Art collection and conformist trappings befitting a man of his then stature, what flattened me the most was the man’s unprovoked cruelty, mean-spiritedness, enjoyment of mind games with underlings and diva-supreme temperament. I have met many men and women who shared one, maybe two of Dan’s negative qualities in the years since – but he alone remains the standard-bearer of the true boss from hell. Ever see the film "Swimming With Sharks"? Rent it to get a glimpse of what Danny was like to work for. Okay - maybe not quite so dramatically psycho - but close enough and perhaps even more pathetically self-absorbed than Kevin Spacey’s character. Of course, the stories about Melnick’s monumental coke and prescription drug consumption may have been true and partly to blame. I mean, what else could explain his being banned from the set of one of his own movies (Punchline) for physically assaulting Director David Seltzer? It couldn’t simply be that he was, at heart, a street punk with a mean streak who, through a convenient marriage, a modicum of talent and the keen ability to play kissy face with people that were useful while verbally, mentally and emotionally abusing those working for him – could it? Anyway, I saw Dan – inexplicably – in a commercial for something a few years back – for what I don’t recall. It was sad, he must have been in his late 60s (now in his 70s?) and he appeared to still be promoting himself as a virile sophisticated, highly educated young lion – what Julia Phillips in her book “I’ll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again” may have referred to as “vaguely gay”. Did he actually drape his sports jacket over his shoulders like a Marcello Mastroianni might have done in the 1960s??? Okay – so I’m being mean. I know that – especially since Danny is essentially an old man now and may, who knows, have repented and started actually being nice to people regardless of their status. Then again – maybe he’s had to be – it has been a long time since the heady days at MGM, let alone a hit picture or – gulp – TV series. Still, I hope he’s helped a goyische kid or two along the way (he sure didn’t back then – you could work on the peripherary but no “outsiders” in his Hollywood if he could help it) and stopped recommending people like Jon Jashni for Creative Executive studio positions despite the fact that Jon “I looked good in black and appreciate art like you do Mr. Melnick” Jashni supposedly ripped the studio off in a postage scam. Never mind the equally mean-spritied Jon couldn't read a script when he got the recommendation. Anyway – about this bottle vs. tap water thing – like I said – I could care less. I do care about the Motion Picture Home though but would urge Dan to use his time, which apparently isn’t being spent making pictures any more, working his contacts for donations instead of – excuse me – posting a non-measurable suggestion on the Internet. Better yet, ask your marginally talented son Peter “I didn’t inherit a shred of my grandfather’s musical talent” Melnick to help you out.
Sadly, Hollywood has always had its Melnick's - men and women deluded by their insecurity fueled self-importance and yes, down-right cruelty. Melnick, Dawn Steel, Joel Silver. The list stretches in to the past and will likely stretch into the future. Melnick is, ultimately, just one of it's lesser known links who squandered opportunities to do the right thing by people countless times.

So that’s my little diatribe. Unlike all the poor schnooks who worked under you who never deserved your treatment, you deserved this Danny boy.

[charles katz]

is he still alive? if so l would love to
remind him of when he was a little boy that
lived with his parents on Harper Street in
Los Angeles. My grandparents owned the building,my aunt and uncle lived upstairs.
there were times when myself,my sister nadia
and Daniel would play in the fenced in yard that my father had built for us kids. Alas
they are all gone,and l am now in my late 60's, but l now own 38% of that Harper st.
building.
G-d knows,l have seen the devil and battled the demons,but l still cling to my
memories of harper street.

[Peter Melnick]

Dear Gladigotout,

ALL THAT JAZZ. ALTERED STATES. MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON. FOOTLOOSE. ROXANNE. LA STORY. THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT. STRAW DOGS. And before all that, television shows including NOON WINE, DESPERATE HOURS, AGES OF MAN and the seminal comedy series GET SMART. My father, Daniel Melnick is certainly one of the industry's great producers - original, creative and hands-on in a way that is increasingly rare today.

I am sorry that you struggled so during the time you worked in his office. Many of the people who came up under my father's tutelage deeply appreciate the start he gave them, however challenging the experience may have been. Quite a few have gone on to significant careers in the film industry, such as Chris Meladandri and Jon Jashni. Interestingly, many have a deep affection for my dad and have remained in contact with him long after he ceased to be in a position to offer them any career advancement.

Your passing swipe at Elizabeth Fox is uncalled for. Elizabeth was an extraordinary office manager. More than that, she was a wonderful, caring human being, and she is deeply missed.

I'm "glad you got out," too. The film industry is a rough place to live and work, and an even harder place to grow emotionally as a human being. That you have expressed yourself in this way, so many years later, tells me that you suffered a lot during your time in the biz. Whatever kernels of truth may underlie your blog, however, your words are vicious and unkind. The glancing blow you have aimed at my father is nothing compared to the damage you do to yourself when you indulge in this kind of hate-filled screed.

I hope life is kind to you from now on, and teaches you a little generosity of spirit.

Sincerely,

Peter Melnick

[Stillhereandhappy]

Dear Peter,

A friend, who knew I once worked for Dan, told me to check out this site. I read your response to GladIGotOut with a mixture of understanding (Dan Melnick is your dad after all) - and discomfort. Like Glad, I too worked for your father early in my career (in my case in a support capacity) and as much as you may not want to hear it, I also found him to be truly awful to work for and in fact, know that he did treat his “lower-in-the-pecking order” employees (me included) very, very poorly. Unlike Glad, I stayed in Hollywood and have happily acheived much of what I'd hoped for - but early on, I vowed that if I did find myself working for someone else like Dan Melnick, I wouldn't stay - no matter the cost. Life, I decided then and there, is too short to put up with that kind of stress-inducing nonsense – nonsense that is all so unnecessary to begin with.

I – and others who worked with me – found Dan Melnick to be excessivley tempermental, hyper-critical, emotionally manipulative and cheap. He instilled and fostered a climate of fear and intimidation in the “lower ranks”, seemed incapable of showing gratitude or appreciation when we worked extra hard and to be candid, made no effort to conceal his feelings of superiority towards us. We were encouraged to walk in fear of him and not speak to him unless necessary. Not surprisingly, he was the exact opposite with people of influence who came in to the office. With them, he was charming, friendly and engaging. In short – he was a walking, talking caricature of a clichéd two-faced, nasty producer-type - who seemed to relish and even promote the unspoken class system in Hollywood. The fact that he may have presented a very different face to his family, peers and those he chose to help, does not alter what I – and others – experienced. Based on the other posts here, I'm not alone in this assessment - and that speaks volumes.

As you’ve done with Glad, you may be tempted to attribute my comments to my having a difficult struggle (all in all I didn’t) and/or coming from some deep seated resentment (I don’t think it does) – and that these feelings are somehow damaging me by even remembering them let alone expressing them (I’m pretty self-aware and don’t think they are). Resist that temptation. Try and imagine that at least some of the comments you're seeing here come not from anger – or being vicious – or unkind – but possibly – just possibly – come from finally needing to be said – regardless of the span of time that has passed. Perhaps it’s a closure of sorts. Perhaps it has to do with a need to be heard – to achieve a small sense of justice that one can only feel by putting words to feelings and putting the words …well…out “there”. Further evidence of this is the profilferation of blogs and websites about difficult bosses in every industry - where story after story seems strive to exorcise the feelings of being treated badly. Clearly they're providing a service to people who have been wounded by those in authority.

Some additional thoughts on your response:

1. Sadly, the opening sentences of your response (where you list your dad’s better known credits) seem to indicate that you’ve fallen into the all too common trap in Hollywood (if not our society) of equating achievements/credits with somehow justifying or mitigating bad behavior. No achievement, no matter how impressive, ever fully explains the totality of a person - and your father is no exception. His achievements and his treatment of people are two entirely different subjects and if some people (me included) found his treatment of support staff shabby, cruel and manipulative even - then nothing he has done work-wise, changes that. As his son you can choose to either accept that certain people say this occurred - or you can maintain your position that they all simply had a rough time of it and never grew emotionally - and that what he accomplished somehow made it okay for him to consistently treat these people - who were not in a position to defend themselves (if they wanted to keep working that is) - the way he did.

2. While Dan clearly played a vital role in the credits you mention – and well deserves the praise you’ve given him for them, I’d like to remind you that despite your attemt at spin, he did not create these films and television projects in a vacuum. Last I checked – there were writers, directors, actors and crew who also made them a reality. Let’s not forget them – either intentionally or though simple omission. Doing so does them a disservice and over-inflates your dad's role in the creation of the projects you mention. After all, Dan Melnick was no David O. Selznick.

3. The overall tone of your response – while polite – smacks of a carefully worded, PR-like spin statement that conveniently avoids addressing specific claims and all but says – “all these comments come from a disgruntled ex-employee”. Sorry – in my opinion that’s too pat, too predictable and too transparently biased. Your implying that these assorted comments is all just a bunch of "hate-filled screed" is oversimplification at its worst and has a faint odor of condescension about it..

4. It’s interesting that the only people you cite as having a deep affection for your dad are those who are successful. Given your familiarity with the entertainment industry, I find your comment here to be either extremely naïve, or sorry to say, self-delusional. Of course the people he helped are more likely than not to have a certain affection for him. Why wouldn’t they? …And why would they vocalize any negative experiences they had with him lest they risk appearing ungrateful or making a political misstep? A fairer observation to help balance out any criticism of him would be your citing individuals who held affection for your dad regardless of their success factor or whether or not he had helped them.

5. Pardon me, but from what I understand – you come from a cosseted, privileged and insulated background – which in and of itself of course, isn’t an issue (although I suspect your blind eye to Dan's behavior will have you chalking these comments up to that old chestnut "jealousy"). However, my guess is that you never had to try and “break in” to the business – the door was held open for you - so it isn’t likely you experienced having to weather being mistreated by employers the same way some people breaking into the business have had to. As such, I find it more than a little disingenuous of you to comment on the struggle of people like Glad, myself and countless others who, without being given a leg up by family or friends, had to try and find their footing in a highly competitive and incestuous business as the entertainment industry - only to be beaten down by employers like Dan Melnick. I can almost guarantee you that this was distinctly not YOUR experience – having benefitted from nepotism the way you have. This perspective may be difficult for you to understand given who you are and the good fortune you were blessed with, but you must know that not everyone has had your advantages - including not having to put up with mistreatment to keep a job. Given that, is it possible for YOU to try and heed your own advice to Glad and find a little “generosity of spirit” here and to try and understand the resulting feelings such treatment can create and once again, understand the need to be heard? I ask because your closing wishes for Glad come off as quite condescending – the kind of condescension only privilege can breed. Please make no mistake – I do not begrudge you your connections or good fortune – but I do take issue when you don’t appear to even consider them in your assessment of someone else’s experiences (who didn’t have the same advantages).

6. I agree that Glad’s comments about Elizabeth were uncalled for. I knew her and while the power of her addiction saddened me at the time, I hope she found sobriety and inner peace in her later years. Given the length of time they spent together, I’m sure Dan also misses this fine woman – I only wish that while I worked with them, I had witnessed him being kinder to her and treating her more often like the valuable person she was instead of frequently leaving her upset, anxious and feeling the need to make sure we were all so afraid of him, too. Given your feelings for her and position to help, I hope you interceded on her behalf whenever you could. I do confess I am confused by one thing though – I recall Elizabeth’s title as being something like Asst. Vice President (who functioned as an Office Manager) - yet after all those years, you recall her as only an Office Manager. I would have assumed you would have recalled her with the title her business card had on it and that she seemed quietly proud of. Odd that you don’t given your professed feelings for her. Your description of her role makes her sound so servile. To your credit though – you took the high road and didn’t respond to Glad’s swipe at you – which was also uncalled for. Glad – shame on you.

7. Perhaps your most confusing – and disturbing comments concern those about how difficult it can be to grow emotionally in Hollywood. By themselves, truer words have never been spoken – but I do find it troubling that you’re directing these words at your Dad’s critics while seemingly ignoring that their criticisms of him clearly imply HE failed to grow emotionally himself – and all the time while he was in a position of power and privilege and clearly had an opportunity to do so. Equally troubling is that you seem so totally clueless to the idea that your advantages spared you much of the emotional turmoil difficult bosses can inflict - and that can impede emotional growth. Your comments have a distinctly PC ring - and ring hollow and uninformed.

8. I knew Jon Jashni somewhat while working for Dan and I wouldn’t exactly advertise the fact that he became successful under your dad’s tutelage. Back then we all knew to stay clear of him – he wasn’t to be trusted. Some of the comments I hear today (“You can do business with him – just don’t turn your back”) around town reveal that some of that perception remains - despite any success he may have achieved.

9. I also knew Chris Meledandri. Here, Dan can, in fact, be proud – Chris’ good rep speaks for itself.

10. Finally – your response revealingly mentions that Glad’s comments possess kernels of truth. Well, if Glad’s experiences were anything like mine, we’re not talking kernels of truth – we’re talking the whole ear of corn. I ask you to try and remember that the measure of a person can largely be determined through their actions. Your dad's behavior, the behavior you try to defend by not discussing it directly - is the result of actions Dan chose to take - which by and large, were at their core about how differently he treated people based on his percieved status of them. Important people - Dan treats well. Not important - Dan thinks it's okay to treat badly. Period.

Peter – in closing – I really don’t mean to be unkind in all I’ve written – and again, what I’ve written doesn’t, despite what you may choose to believe when all is said and done, stem from a struggle I’ve endured or my not growing emotionally. In fact, I’m reasonably happy in both my personal and professional life. What this IS about is responding to what I feel is your whitewashing of your father which in turn, minimalizes his poor treatment of certain employees. Don't marginalize these people by doing this.

Look, Dan's credits will survive him and will be the foundation of whatever his legacy he leaves – these negative comments/observations/recollections likely won’t. But let’s not elevate him to mythic proportions while ignoring his serious shortcomings…shortcomings that caused people who couldn’t defend themselves a great deal of pain. This is the real world and not a movie or a lilting musical score that can be rewritten to suit the need for a new, more pleasant reality.

Hopefully Dan Melnick has softened in years since that time, finally become a mensch and found some of the kindness and generosity of spirit you so vocally recommend others find.

Thanks for reading.

An “I Survived Dan Melnick Veteran”