Who said, there's millions to be made and the competition is idiots?
ChatGPT
The quote "There's millions to be made, and your competition is idiots" is often attributed to Matthew Inman, the creator of the popular webcomic "The Oatmeal." He purportedly said this while discussing the potential for success in online entrepreneurship and webcomics.
However, as with many quotes circulating online, it's always good to check for the original source to ensure accuracy. As of my last training data in September 2021, I cannot find a primary source that directly quotes Matthew Inman with this line. The quote seems to be paraphrased from various sources discussing his views on web entrepreneurship. For the most accurate information, you might want to check his interviews and public statements directly.
User
No no, it goes back to the 1930s like f scott fitzgerald or someone of that ilk, maybe an Algonquin round table person, something like that, not a webcome author.
ChatGPT
I apologize for the confusion. The quote "There's millions to be made, and your competition is idiots" sounds like something that could have come from one of the Algonquin Round Table members or a writer like F. Scott Fitzgerald, given their sharp wit and commentary on society. However, as of my last training data in September 2021, I do not have a record of this exact quote being attributed to any of them.
The Algonquin Round Table, also known as "The Vicious Circle," was a group of New York City writers, critics, actors, and wits who met for lunch each day at the Algonquin Hotel in the 1920s. Members included Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, George S. Kaufman, and others. They were known for their clever quips and barbed comments.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of "The Great Gatsby," was also known for his memorable quotes about wealth, success, and the American Dream, although this specific quote doesn't appear in his well-known works or recorded sayings.
In any case, if you have more context or details, I might be able to help you find the source of the quote you're thinking of. It's also possible that the quote has been misattributed or paraphrased over time, as often happens.
User
How about a telegram from Herman Mankiewicz to Ben Hecht in 1925?
ChatGPT
Yes, you are correct. The quote "Millions are to be grabbed out here and your only competition is idiots. Don’t let this get around" is from a telegram sent by Herman J. Mankiewicz to Ben Hecht in 1926, not 1925.
Herman Mankiewicz, a well-known screenwriter in his time, was trying to persuade Ben Hecht, a successful writer and a fellow member of the Algonquin Round Table, to come to Hollywood. Mankiewicz himself had left New York for Hollywood, where he had a successful career as a screenwriter, most notably co-writing "Citizen Kane" with Orson Welles.
The full telegram reportedly read:
"Will you accept three hundred per week to work for Paramount Pictures. All expenses paid. The three hundred is peanuts. Millions are to be grabbed out here and your only competition is idiots. Don’t let this get around."
This telegram has often been cited as a classic commentary on the early days of Hollywood.
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Did author Raymond Chandler think highly of Hollywood and the movie writing process?
ChatGPT
Raymond Chandler, known for his influential hard-boiled detective novels, had a complicated relationship with Hollywood. After the success of his novels, Chandler was brought to Hollywood in the 1940s to work as a screenwriter, contributing to scripts for films such as "Double Indemnity" (1944) and "The Blue Dahlia" (1946).
Chandler was often critical of Hollywood and the movie writing process. He found the industry to be overly commercial and formulaic, and he disliked the lack of creative control that screenwriters typically had. He once said, "The making of a picture ought surely to be a rather fascinating adventure. It is not; it is an endless contention of tawdry egos, some of them powerful, almost all of them vociferous, and almost none of them capable of anything much more creative than credit-stealing and self-promotion."
Chandler's experience in Hollywood did have some positive aspects, though. His collaboration with director Billy Wilder on "Double Indemnity" resulted in a highly successful film that is now considered a classic of the noir genre, although the process was reportedly fraught with conflicts between the two men. Chandler's time in Hollywood also provided him with material for his novels and short stories, including "The Little Sister" (1949), which features a plot involving a corrupt and superficial Hollywood.
So while Chandler certainly had criticisms of Hollywood and the movie writing process, his time there was also influential in his work.
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The Little Sister 1949
Run Sammy Run 1941
Day of Locust 1939
"The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece" Tom Hanks 2023
Los Angeles, 1933?, Morrow Mayo.
