Chapter 233: A Rare Beauty
That evening, a Mazda RX-7 drove from Burbank to Pasadena, pulling up at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Pasadena.
Aaron had arranged to meet Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
Inside the hotel bar, Samuel Goldwyn Jr. poured Aaron a glass of wine, his expression mildly puzzled.
"Aaron, you came all this way to see me. Is something important on your mind?"
Aaron lifted the glass, gently swirling the wine before taking a sip.
"Mr. Goldwyn, Dawnlight is interested in acquiring the Samuel Goldwyn Company."
There was no shock on Goldwyn's face—only a faint shake of the head.
"Aaron, I have no intention of selling the company."
Aaron smiled calmly.
"Mr. Goldwyn, Dawnlight isn't looking to take the brand away from you. We're interested in acquiring the Samuel Goldwyn film library. The Samuel Goldwyn name would remain yours."
"The company holds roughly 800 feature films, along with some television assets. Dawnlight is prepared to offer $120 million."
The Samuel Goldwyn library included many classics originally produced by Samuel Goldwyn himself, along with titles produced by Goldwyn Jr., plus additional films and television distribution rights acquired over the years.
As one of the three founding figures behind MGM, Samuel Goldwyn's name might not have carried the same mainstream recognition as Louis B. Mayer, but within Hollywood, it was legendary.
Goldwyn Jr. studied Aaron carefully.
"It seems Dawnlight's cash flow is quite strong."
That much was undeniable. Over the past few years, Dawnlight's string of box-office hits had generated enormous profits.
Aaron didn't deny it.
"$120 million is too low," Goldwyn said evenly. "And I would need to discuss it with the other shareholders."
In truth, Goldwyn Jr.'s position had become increasingly difficult. The company lacked the capital to expand meaningfully. If he could secure a strong price while retaining control of the Samuel Goldwyn brand, he would not oppose the deal—and neither would the other shareholders.
Aaron nodded and raised his glass for a toast.
He had never expected to close a deal of this magnitude in a single meeting.
Negotiations of this scale required patience.
And time, in Hollywood, was often the most valuable currency of all.
Aaron remembered clearly that both The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Orion Pictures would eventually be acquired by MGM—along with Carolco Pictures.
After all, in the future MGM would control more than 4,000 film titles. The combined libraries of Goldwyn, Orion, Carolco, and United Artists alone would account for over 3,000 of those films.
As for MGM's own classic library, most of its historic assets had already been acquired by Ted Turner. The present-day MGM library's most valuable holdings were largely the 1,100-plus film and television titles from United Artists.
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Later that evening, Aaron drove to Sun Valley in North Hollywood, to Salma Hayek's home.
Seeing Aaron Anderson after such a long time, Salma was visibly delighted. She took his coat and smiled warmly.
"What brings you here tonight?"
This year had marked the true beginning of Salma Hayek's Hollywood career. She had appeared in director Allison Anders' My Crazy Life, Dawnlight's action-adventure hit The Mask of Zorro, and had also landed a leading role in the upcoming spring comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
"I had business in Pasadena, so I thought I'd stop by," Aaron said, sinking into the sofa and rubbing his temples.
"Tired?" Salma asked softly, moving behind him to massage his head. Her voluptuous curves pressed warmly against him.
Aaron smiled and leaned back into her embrace. On the television, a Spanish-language film was playing on VHS.
"Is this a Mexican film?" he asked.
"Not exactly," Salma replied. "It's a Spanish-language American independent neo-Western action film. It was shot in Mexico by a young director from San Antonio, Texas—Robert Rodriguez."
"He made it last year for just over $7,000. Earlier this year, it won the Audience Award in the Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival."
She leaned down to kiss Aaron.
"Columbia Pictures picked it up, reworked it a bit, and released it. It's earned over $2 million at the box office and received strong reviews."
Aaron studied the screen again.
"Rodriguez… he feels a bit like Quentin Tarantino—that stylized new-violence approach. The soundtrack's good too."
Salma nodded. "Texas borders Mexico. He understands the culture well. Critics have praised El Mariachi quite a bit."
As a Mexican Latina actress, Salma naturally paid attention to projects centered on Latino themes.
Aaron pulled her into his arms, his hands resting on her waist.
"It's unconventional, but this kind of neo-Western action film will always have a niche audience," he said thoughtfully. "There aren't many Latina actresses in Hollywood. Rodriguez's style could suit you."
Half undressed, Salma leaned against him and loosened his belt.
"By the way, there's a Spanish drama called Belle Époque coming out soon," she added. "It won the Golden Bear at this year's Berlin Film Festival. They're aiming for next year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film."
She looked up at him meaningfully.
"Dawnlight's Farewell My Concubine won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Belle Époque might be its biggest competitor at the Oscars."
As for The Piano, being an English-language film, it wouldn't qualify for Best Foreign Language Film.
"It doesn't matter," Aaron replied calmly before lowering his head to kiss her.
He knew Belle Époque well—especially because during a previous trip to Spain, he had spent a week in Madrid with its leading actress, the stunning Spanish beauty Penélope Cruz.
Not long after, Aaron and Salma moved to the bathroom, where warm water cascaded down over them beneath the shower.
After a long kiss, Aaron held the voluptuous actress close and smiled.
"Mexico's most beautiful woman indeed."
Salma rubbed against his chest, her voice playful.
"You haven't come to see me in a long time. I thought you'd forgotten me."
"How could I?" Aaron murmured, his hands tracing her curves. "A woman like you… who could possibly forget?"