It's been a struggle all weekend I want to write as accurately as possible. I want to let you know how I feel and what I saw, but it's hopeless. I can't dig up the preciseness that I'd like to.
Yes, it's hopeless, and I know that no one will understand--that is if I could actually say the truth...So, preciseness and the truth each elude me.
But what follows is a listing of facts (as I know them, mostly through Phil)
Yes, it's hopeless, and I know that no one will understand--that is if I could actually say the truth...So, preciseness and the truth each elude me.
But what follows is a listing of facts (as I know them, mostly through Phil)
Ah yes. That venom.
1.Carl and Nonine, Phil's children, had a trust set up by their grandparents (Phil's parents) that Phil invaded-- in fact, completely stripped. There was zero money in it at Phil's death.
2. Moni was Hal's second wife. She was unfriendly toward Carl and Nonine from the very beginning, going as far as not permitting them to live in the apartment in Boston where Phil lived with Moni. According to Phil, the children lived alone in an apartment on Beacon Hill after Phil's first wife, Brenda, left them in the apartment and took off for North Carolina with an orthodox Jew. (But that's another story and I don't know the details.)
3. Carl had a very early script writing success in California. According to Phil, he spent all the money within a year or two including a wedding in Venice that Phil alleged cost $250,000. But after his early success with two scripts (never filmed, but bought and paid for) Carl never sold another script. Never.
4. Therefore, young Carl was a constant financial drain on Phil, that led Phil to rationalize stripping the trust, and further, caused a rift between Phil and Carl. Phil ended up loathing Carl.
5. Carl found out about the Trust stripping only after Phil's death. He looked to Moni, a woman he had always despised (that's one thing that Phil and Carl had in common) for relief. None was forthcoming.
After the funeral, the old friends, went to Oeste where Carl walked in by chance. I called to him and he sat with us and spewed the aforementioned venom all over the table, over our food and onto my lap and even my shoes. Worse, he did not pay for his drinks.
6. Moni received Phil's entire estate including Carl and Nonine's Grandmother's very high end antique furniture, jewelry, china, and gold flatware. According to Carl Moni shared none of it. I suspect that some or all of the money went to the purchase of the condo in Hancock Park, or as Phil would say, "Beverly Hills adjacent." So Moni got all that plus the house in Hancock Park & the house in the Adirondacks.
7. I cannot understand why Phil did not write or amend a proper will. Phil admired himself for his "producer values." "producer values" meant that he took care of everything, and made sure that there were no loose ends.
8. Moni died five weeks after Phil. She had inherited everything. She gave that "everything" to her relatives and friends. Nothing to Carl, nothing to Nonine . Not even a memento.
9. Carl (and Nonine?) are suing Phil's Estate and Moni's Estate.
10. Basically I take Carl's point of view--Two of the friends think that Carl is a low-life. (Those unpaid drinks, I guess.) Another is quiet on the issue. Carl might be a low-life but he is still right.
11. I told Carl that he has script made of gold here and that he should start writing it. He says he is too close to the situation right now. I replied that the cliche that you should write what you know is a cliche because of its essential truth.
mek
