By Alton Reece

During the minor scandal that attended the publication of my biography/memoir, I Was Howard Hughes, I went underground for a few months.  I won’t make it sound like I went on a grand spiritual quest, the way the people who book Oprah wanted me to.  I just took off with my girlfriend and drove around the country.  However, when I re-emerged in L.A., my first job back was as one of eleven screenwriters (nine uncredited, including me) on a wildly successful romantic comedy that will go unnamed.  If you speak the title anywhere on the planet people will immediately nod and many will quote the movie’s signature line, which has become as gratingly iconic as “show me the money.”  The line was spoken by a lanky brunette, beloved worldwide—of course, if the hoi-polloi could see her petulance with the craft service people over the temperature of cream cheese, or her daily unmerciful harangue of her dialogue coach, or her interminable ass-kissing of anyone from the studio, they might care less about… Continue reading →