[Chapter 509: The Tailor of Panama Premieres Early]
According to the agreement signed in '77, the control of the Panama Canal was to be transferred in '99. While it was unclear why such a deal was made back then, it was obvious that America didn't intend to honor it. In their view, might made right, and with the Soviets nearing defeat, they couldn't believe anyone would oppose them.
The war that erupted at the end of '89 barely caused a ripple. After all, only a few brave souls dared to stand against America directly.
Was Noriega involved in selling laundry detergent?
Ha! The story crafted by America was quite amusing. A guy who could do whatever he wanted locally, suddenly plotting to sell laundry detergent.
William White found it hilarious; it seemed the CIA guys hadn't taken the script seriously at all.
The head of a country personally gets involved in selling laundry detergent? Ha! Now that's some farce. The most ridiculous part was that a subpoena was actually issued in Miami.
William White then wondered if the later book titled The Tailor of Panama was a satire of this history.
Some claimed America was eyeing the profits from the canal. This notion was laughable -- the official currency of Panama was the U.S. dollar, so the idea of profit was a joke.
Without that canal, moving between the Pacific and the Atlantic would require an additional 16,000 kilometers. Forget about freight costs; from a military perspective, it was simply unacceptable.
Under America's coercion and inducements, Panama relinquished its armed forces. While this was humiliating, they finally achieved peace.
After reviewing a stack of briefings, William White shook his head and chuckled. He had a rough idea that the chaos in Panama was orchestrated by the CIA.
"Tanner, forget about that place. We can't interfere anymore than we already have."
"Master, they're not planning to repay, and the amount isn't much. Are they just pushing their luck?"
"Haha, Tanner, you shouldn't look at it that way. If I say, if a world war broke out, what would happen if Panama declared neutrality? Or if they racked up too much debt and sold off the canal company?"
"For that? No wonder. But the CIA really messed that one up."
"Haha, it's no big deal. The Soviets are struggling to save their own skin and can't manage much else. Honestly, what I mentioned earlier won't happen. Even if they had the guts, they wouldn't dare restrict American vessels. I think this is all a show of force."
"Master, you mean the negotiations in the desert aren't going smoothly?"
"Smoothly? Ha! They're doing everything possible to negotiate poorly. Saddam wants to limit oil production? Really think anyone would agree to that?"
Tanner thought, rather than intimidating others, it felt more like a scare tactic -- mighty on the outside yet cowardly inside. Whether Big Saddam was scared was debatable, but Kuwait was definitely intimidated. This game America was playing worked just as well in their own country.
...
"Sir, everyone has arrived. Should we start early?"
"Alright, let's head to the screening room."
This project had been stalled for so many years but was finally ready to see the light of day. The audience in America was eagerly anticipating this film.
Regardless of William White's character, his popcorn movies had never disappointed.
As the main feature of the summer release, saying everyone was looking forward to it would be a bit of a stretch, but there were certainly quite a few who were excited. At the very least, those in attendance today were itching to go.
"Hey, Lucas, you guys are back?"
"Yeah, a few models ran into problems, so we came back to take a look."
"Wow, having you and Spielberg sitting here, I feel some pressure. Remember, no booing."
"Hahaha, even if it's bad, I won't spill the beans."
After some light chatter, William White signaled that it was time to play the film.
White's screening center had several theaters. While this one, which could seat a hundred people, wasn't the most luxurious, it still opened the eyes of those present.
Of course, they understood that the entire two floors belonged solely to him. What's one elaborate screening room in that context?
GoldenEye clearly picked up the pace compared to previous Bond films, and the editing was sharper. As for the plot, to put it bluntly, it was the same old tired routine.
Having seen Mr. & Mrs. Smith, watching this Bond felt a little lacking. But compared to other spy films, this Bond was still quite excellent.
Even directors like Lucas and Spielberg had to admire how fast this guy was growing.
And that 007 -- he surely embodied British flair. The only one comparable might be Sean Connery.
Though his eyes were glued to the screen, William White's thoughts drifted. He recalled what Tanner had said earlier and couldn't help but chuckle.
Today's intelligence agents were really lacking. The CIA's buffoons were incompetent, and so were the Brits. The portrayals in films were simply too exaggerated.
"By the way, we can't have Pierce playing The Tailor of Panama. Now that he has become a cash cow, we can't let him ruin his image." As William White muttered this, sudden applause interrupted his thoughts.
After nearly two hours, the film wrapped up, and everyone rose to applaud.
Without a doubt, this would be a major box office hit. While it might not outperform Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the gap wouldn't be too wide. It looked like this year's summer box office would pose a headache for the other companies.
The exhibitors were being rather naive. Columbia had just been acquired, Warner had recently completed a merger, and Universal was still haggling. With those three giants out of play, what was there to worry about?
A group of investors, including Lucas, had already started celebrating. Although White Films' terms were tough, their success rate was undeniably high. If William White personally got involved, it was best to invest quickly.
At the subsequent cocktail party, William White only made a brief appearance before leaving.
He couldn't help it; it was surprising he had stayed this long. No one could expect him to overstay his welcome.
His work was done; now, it was time for everyone else to hustle. Promoting a movie wasn't easy -- TV ads, interview shows, various talk shows. In short, our 007 had his hands full.
William White was indeed busy; making movies was more about his passion than profit. If it weren't for that, he might have given it up long ago.
*****
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