All About Oscar

Thanks for an updated chapter of “The Business of the Business,” Hollywood thinking 1993. I am referring to the layout of the Oscar ballot (March 28). Your top black bordered section had “The Big 6”--the actors, pictures and, of course, the honored auteurs , the directors.

Lumped in with “The Rest . . .” were the categories of original screenplay and adapted screenplay. Maybe I missed something, but I like to think that each of the nominated films began development (not pre-production) with something called an idea, a premise (logline), even a treatment, a novel or a first draft screenplay, normally written . . . by a writer.

Your ballot reminded me of the old Hollywood chestnut about the naive starlet: She slept with the writer.

The more things change. . . .

FRANK McADAMS

Dana Point