Hollywood vs. the Galaxy by Henry Winkler

Author:Henry Winkler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abrams
Published: 2021-10-05T00:00:00+00:00

14

Just as he promised, Mr. Hitchcock was waiting for me at the entrance to the mechanical shark attraction. Zelda was dozing on his shoulder, her beak snuggly tucked into her chest. The shark attraction is based on a famous movie called Jaws, where a gigantic great white shark terrifies a whole oceanside town. As part of the studio tour, the trams travel along the side of a lake and then the mechanical shark used in the movie jumps out of the water and scares the stuffing out of the tourists.

It’s an eerie place, and the presence of weird Mr. Hitchcock made it seem even creepier.

“Welcome to my shark tank,” Mr. Hitchcock said as I hurried up to him.

He held out his gloved hand to shake mine and when I took hold of it, I felt what seemed like a current of electricity. This must have been what Cassidy felt when she shook hands with him on the set. I wondered if maybe he was raised next to a power grid. Instinctively, I pulled my hand away.

“That’s quite a grip you’ve got there,” I said.

“A leader needs a strong grip to control his subjects.”

“Subjects? I thought you were a director.”

“Of course I am. I think of my cast and crew as my subjects.”

“Wow, how do they feel about that?”

“I’ve never asked them. They have no choice in the matter.”

I heard someone calling my name and turned around to see one of the tourist trams approaching the entrance to the shark exhibit. I had been spotted.

“Hey, look, there’s the alien from Oddball Academy,” someone called.

“Love your work,” a little kid shouted.

And before I knew it, everyone on the tram had their cell phones out and were snapping pictures of me.

“Buddy, come over here and pose with my daughter,” a man called. “It’s her tenth birthday.”

“Will you excuse me a minute,” I asked Mr. Hitchcock. “I need to go take that picture. After all, it’s the kid’s tenth birthday.”

“I will not excuse you, and I don’t care if it’s her four hundredth birthday. We have business to conduct, and I don’t have time for this foolishness. I’ll find a place with fewer distractions. Follow me.”

Mr. Hitchcock pushed open the gate that said DO NOT ENTER and headed toward a shed that said EMPLOYEES ONLY. When I hesitated, he turned around and said, “What are you waiting for? I commanded you to follow me.”

“Look at the sign,” I said. “It says we’re not supposed to enter.”

“That’s for everyday people. I make my own rules. Now come with me.”

I followed him to the shed, where he tried to open the door, but it was locked. He poked Zelda, who woke up with a startled squawk.

“Pick open the lock,” he ordered her. “That ugly beak has to be good for something.”

Zelda flew off his shoulder and perched herself on the doorknob of the shed. Leaning down, she attacked the padlock like a vulture, pecking and squawking and clawing at it until the poor lock just gave up and fell on the ground.

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