"Movies" discuss the three films made from Andres Laszlo Senior's texts and scripts, as well as the lack of payment from the corporations that have broadcast these films (or from the individuals/organisations that have sold the rights to these broadcasting corporations, "forgetting" about my father and his rights to royalties as a writer/co-writer of the original text and/or film script). "Scripts" explore the possibility of new films/scripts: a new adaptation of Paco Never Fails, a script for Mother Unknown, an animated version of My Uncle Jacinto, discovering new script ideas in The Laszlo & Laszlo Chronicles, which contains 45 short stories, and the potential staging of Dona Juana as a theatre play or operetta. Additionally, my The Challenge already exists as a script. VIDEO
A. MOVIES
1. MY UNCLE JACINTO
My father wrote the book Mi Tio Jacinto/My Uncle Jacinto and subsequently the script for the film in collaboration with Ladislao Vajda. As the film became a blockbuster and remains popular—often featured in lists of "Spain's 5 or 10 best movies ever"—there should be some substantial outstanding royalties from the film's broadcasts, particularly in the Hispanic world. The Spanish "SGAE" seems willing to pay me solely for the most recent showings (I am not 100% certain), and the Italians (it was a Spanish/Italian co-production) have, to my knowledge, not paid me anything. I am unaware of the situation in South America and the rest of the world; apart from SGAE’s royalty payments of 2 x €2500, I have received nothing since my father's passing in 1985. I am now a resident of Spain, the film remains popular, and I observe that it is broadcast not only on Spanish and Mexican television but also in various South and Central American countries, as well as in Italy, France, and other European nations. Therefore, there should be ample royalties to be collected or recovered. SACD (the French body) states that although Senior was a member, My Uncle Jacinto is not registered with them (however, Der DrennendeRadfahrer is).
2. PACO NEVER FAILS
Andres Laszlo Sr. wrote the book Paco el Seguro/Paco Never Fails and co-wrote the script with Dedier Haudepin, who also directed. However, it appears that Senior is not credited for his contributions to the script or for writing the book. The book/script was turned into a fantastic movie, but due to contractual complications, it initially never premiered outside Spain. Together with director Dedier Haudepin and my then-agent George Hoffman, I attempted to acquire the rights for outside Spain, but without success. However, it seems that Allain Katz succeeded where we failed, and I have a contract with Mr Katz, negotiated by George Hoffman, that grants me ownership of the broadcasting rights for the Scandinavian countries. Nevertheless, I have yet to receive the Beta copy that the contract stipulates I shall receive, nor the money that I am owed. There should be royalties from Paco, not only from Spain but also from France and possibly elsewhere. The Spanish SGAE has Paco el Seguro registered, but SACD (the French scriptwriters’ organisation) states that although Senior was a member, no Paco Never Fails is registered.
3. SIN UNIFORME
Senior co-wrote the script (the story part) for this film alongside Eugenio Montes (the dialogue part). It was released in 1950, and I remain unaware of the rights and royalties. However, this film is registered with SACD.
B. SCRIPTS
4. PACO NEVER FAILS
Gallimard (Prune Berge/TV5) 1999-2002 invited me to Paris on at least two occasions to sign contracts (€200,000 to €270,000) for new adaptations of the original text (into new films), but both times it came to nothing (mainly because I was foolish). Nonetheless, this indicates that Paco could inspire new screen adaptations. Additionally, a new and significantly improved English text is now available for script adaptation, which hopefully can garner some interest in the English-speaking market. If you have read the book and are considering making contact, you may find it interesting that in the new version, more suspicion has been cast on Ricardo and the significance of "the blue circle" has been highlighted.
5. MOTHER UNKNOWN
This, Senior's first major novel, was being turned into a script at the time of his demise. Although I have the correspondence, I have lost the script. However, whether it is recovered or not, this is a text from which good cinema could be made. I, Junior, have done new translations of Paco el Seguro and My Uncle Jacinto, but although the original translation of Paco wasn't the best, I have not been able to improve on either of these in any significant way. However, Mother Unknown - also published as Donde los Vientos Duermes, Mere Inconnue & Die Mutter Meinen Shones - is a totally different kettle of fish. Here, Senior is still "unfinished" as a writer and remarkably "improvable." I completed "translating while adapting" this text from Spanish to English in 2017, and although I realise it sounds presumptuous, I am quite sure that I have transformed it into a better story and a stronger basis for a script. Considering that the text was a "hit" or, at worst, a "near miss" in the 1980s, I believe there ought to be a good chance that my English adaptation will do well, especially as the text has not been available in English until now.
6. MY UNCLE JACINTO/ANIMATION
Honestly, how many best-selling children's novels—translated into nine languages and adapted into a blockbuster film that has never been animated—can you name? Well, I can think of only one: My Uncle Jacinto. It is true that I should have been more proactive in promoting my father's texts earlier. Still, My Uncle Jacinto would make for an absolutely outstanding animated film, and as the Spanish are now brilliant animators, perhaps it ought to be produced in my new home country.
7. DONA JUANA
As I finished translating this "theatre script dressed us so as to read like a novella," I was amazed. This is world-class—likely explained at least in part by the fact that my father was a theatre director back in Austro-Hungary—not only for theatre but a fortiori for operetta and musical theatre. With some effort, it could be rewritten to be performed by two men and a woman (three plus one is much easier), requiring only two scenes. Marcel Marceau starred in a mime version in Paris.
8. THE CHALLENGE
The Challenge is my adaptation of My Uncle Jacinto, where the 1950s, Madrid, and bullfighting transform into 2010s, Cape Town, and boxing. The book, which is currently available in six languages, aims to become a great film, and a script exists in English; however, more about this can be found under the heading: The Challenge: Script. I sought a production grant from RFF (with producer Tim Spring), and I was informally informed that it was a near miss, primarily due to what they interpreted as a "Hollywood ending."
9. THE LASZLO & LASZLO CHRONICLES
I have written 23 short stories of my own and translated or adapted 23 of Senior's short stories. I have gathered these stories from two sources: (i) My father's "Solo el Paisaje Cambia"/"Tout Passe..." which are both available on Amazon as a collection of short stories, first published just before Andres Laszlo Sr.'s three major novels, and (ii) I, Andres Laszlo Jr., have had some rather interesting experiences of my own—mainly as people and animals have attempted to put a premature end to my existence—and I have written 23 short stories based around this and other intriguing topics and experiences. I have now combined my short stories with my father's, producing The Laszlo & Laszlo Chronicle, and today several of our short stories read quite well as (film) scenarios/treatments.