Daniel Melnick, film and TV producer: The writer’s cut restores his son’s words
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When I signed on this morning, I held my breath when I saw that I had received an e-mail from composer Peter Melnick, son of Daniel Melnick, the longtime film and TV producer whose life I was immersed in yesterday. It’s often good news, sometimes bad news when a family weighs in after a news obituary runs. I shouldn’t have worried: He thanked me for “a carefully researched, well-written” story, but ever-so-politely said he would have preferred his brief closing quote to say that he thought his father was, “Charming, extremely smart and very creative. And truly wonderful.”
Funny how he homed right in on the part of the story that, well, ended up on the cutting-room floor. A much longer, telling and eloquent quote was cut for space, and I told him so when I responded to his kind e-mail. His father died two days ago, and his son was taking the time to tell me he was happy with my work.
Here’s the original ending:
His son worked with Melnick on one film, “L.A. Story,” and called him “wonderful.”
“All human beings are unique and special,” his son said. “He was uniquer and specialer than most. He was charming, extremely smart and had a sophisticated sense of humor. He was old school as a producer. He knew his way around an editing room, and he made pictures that were special, like ‘All That Jazz.’ ”
-- Valerie J. Nelson
