ABSTRACT
These words from William Goldman have been cited extensively to describe the current status of the U.S. motion picture industry. Yet it is hard to believe that people who hold positions of power within the Hollywood establishment do not have much knowledge about the development, production, marketing, and distribution of motion pictures. In view of the recent rate of turnover among the top management at most of the studios, it is not clear how anyone may be able to hold onto their position if they have not been able to gather sufficient knowledge about the workings of their own industry. If we accept that most studio executives must at least possess the knowledge that they need to survive, we must question what may have led Goldman to make such a statement.
