One studio chief, speaking on condition of anonymity, went so far as to call the movie a "disaster."

"Even a studio chief might not get a booth at the last minute if they haven't been in for a while," he added.

With the risk of each film becoming greater, "it is a very tricky business," said one studio chief who declined to be named.

He was eventually forced out as studio chief after three decades.

Pollock, a former studio chief at Universal, points out that you probably can't make a great action picture for $25 million.

And the studio chiefs were terrified of the Jewish issue.

"Everyone has bad ideas," said a former studio chief.

Even studio chiefs will acknowledge that a star does not guarantee success.

Today's studio chiefs, of course, do not need to prove their Americanness.

The studio chief said that movie, which cost about $13 million, will eventually earn money because it was so inexpensive to make.