Author's Note
Thanks again for your patience everyone, between time constraints and writer's block I haven't been able to spend as much time on this as I'd like. Thanks again!
*****
Hollywood funerals can be no different than any others. Sure you see family members there but in Hollywood, there are an equal number of friends and enemies along with a healthy dose of "what's he/she/it doing here?" So the drama is always there. There's a story of a studio mogul whose funeral was attended by loved ones and an equal number who wanted to make sure he was really dead.
Walter Murphy's looked to be right along those lines. Walter had been a founding partner in Artists Unlimited and guided the company through good times and bad. He had gone into semi-retirement and worked out of the offices in midtown Manhattan while his son Jeff became second in command at the Los Angeles office. I'd only met him 2 or 3 times, most famously when the company was sued. At a time when stress levels were probably sky-high, he was the model of grace under pressure.
And it appeared that pressure was what got to him and caused the massive heart attack that killed him.
Walter's funeral would be in the Hamptons where he'd lived for many years and had the potential to attract a large gathering of friends and colleagues. I was saying good bye to a friend but at the same time I was getting a small respite from the sudden upheaval at Artists Unlimited.
Instead of doing what I was hired to do, take pictures and run the photo department, I was spending much of the day in conference rooms with Jeff Murphy, Michael Baldwin and Mike Schneider. All because I agreed to be their candidate to take over the company and save it from the "evil clutches" of Scott Jackson and his contingent back in New York. On paper their idea made sense, I just wasn't sure I was prepared for something as big as this.
Me? Run the company?
"Hey, if Chuck could run this place, so could you." Jeff said confidently.
"Uh-huh, I'll remember that."
"I think we're done here for now, Jim." Mike said as he looked at his watch "The arbitrator is supposed to call later with an update."
"They won't be making a decision, will they?"
"I doubt it, more than likely they'll table this for later or make a temporary ruling."
"Which means what?"
"We could get a substitute teacher for the rest of the school year." Mike said casually.
All I knew was I had to get out for awhile. For better or worse, a funeral appeared to be my getaway.
The company jet delivered much of the AU staff to JFK airport and we all scattered to different cars, limos and helicopters that arrived in Southampton for the service at a small church in town. This wasn't the time for star-gazing but I couldn't resist looking around to see if there was anyone I recognized.
"For a guy like Walter, I wonder why he chose this place for the service." I asked Michael as we sat in the church.
"What did you expect? St. Patrick's Cathedral?"
"No, but, I don't know, this seems so..."
"Quaint?"
"Right."
"Well for one thing," he began "He largely built this church so I think that entitles him to have his funeral here."
"Really?"
Michael nodded.
"The bigger gathering will be at his house."
"I wonder what that place is like?"
Natalie Hayden, who was seated on the other side of Jeff, leaned in with her reply that said it all perfectly.
"Trust me, you'll remember it." she said, adding that "Little Miss Know-it-all" smile.
All I could do was give her the same smile back.
With the tributes, stories and jokes ended, another line of limos delivered us to a large white colonial house that looked out on the ocean. We all gathered on the beach where his ashes were scattered to the ocean. Natalie held onto my arm and rested her head on my shoulder as the waves carried the ashes away.
"He was a good man..." she said quietly, almost tearfully.
"He made the company." I replied as I softly kissed her head.
Jeff took a deep breath and stood in front of everyone to make a speech.
"Um, if my Dad were here now, he'd invite everyone inside for a drink...so I think that's in order now. Let's raise a glass to the old man."
There was a collective sound of agreement as we went inside.
Just as Michael had predicted, the amount of people at the reception seemed larger than the service. It seemed like every client we ever had was there to pay their respects to the family.
I found myself drawn away from the guests to a quiet downstairs den with huge windows that overlooked the ocean. It had been a classic "Hamptons" kind of day. I guess Walter would've wanted that. Jeff joined me at the windows.
"Jim, thanks for coming. Dad really appreciated everything you did, you know."
"I wish I'd known him better, all those stories people were telling really got to me."
"Yeah, Dad could spin a yarn with the best of them."
"Did he ever think of writing a memoir?"
"I think someone did approach him with that idea once." he said "What the hell, let the historians write that one. What was that line in the old western movie, when fact becomes legend..."
"...Print the legend." I said in response.
"You know your movies, I'll never doubt you there." he said as he sipped his drink, then casually swirling the ice in the glass.
"This is a helluva house."
"Yeah, it was his pride and joy, next to the company I guess." Jeff replied as he now stood behind the large antique desk and looked around the empty room with its shelves crammed with photos and awards from long ago "Lotta memories in here that's for sure."
"If these walls could talk..." I said
Jeff smiled widely, then a look of sadness came over his face.
"Thanks, pal." he said quietly as he hugged me "I gotta get back upstairs."
He quickly left the room, I think he was bound to get more emotional the longer he was in the room that obviously held many memories. Just out of earshot I heard him talk briefly with someone on the staircase; it seemed like a female voice. I turned and coming down the stairs was a beauty in a simple navy blue dress, her hair a golden shade of blonde and tied in a tight bun.
"Hey, I didn't get to talk to you at the service." she said.
I couldn't help but smile as Kate Upton walked toward me.
"I'm so sorry, he was such a good man." she said as we hugged.
"It's good to see you again, it's been too long." I replied
"I know, I think I owe you dinner or something, we didn't get to talk much did we?"
