Pictures, premieres, and a patron who distrusted spectacle
The Crowes arrive from the dazzling world of motion pictures. Jasper built Crowe Pictures from one modest soundstage into a studio with the power to make reputations overnight; Jillian, born to the company's old money, became its most recognisable face. Cornelius Kraus was a quiet supporter of the arts and, at times, an unexpectedly stern adviser to both of them.
Cornelius admired the Crowes' polish but distrusted spectacle. He funded a small portion of early Crowe Pictures work and declined any public credit. His counsel over the years was part invitation, part warning: fortunes that depend on public affection can vanish as quickly as a headline.
The arts and old-money circle: the Sinclairs, the DuPonts, Harcourt & Winslow.
Charismatic Hollywood producer with expensive tastes and influential friends
Composed, exacting, and used to being the most important man in any room that has a camera in it. Jasper decides which pictures get made and which careers get made with them. He prefers a deal closed quietly to a deal announced loudly, which makes him an unusual Hollywood producer and an easy man to misread.
Speaks in short, finished sentences and never raises his voice; a producer gives notes, he does not plead. Calls people by their full name. When cornered, he goes quieter, not louder, and asks for proof before he answers anything.
Luminous silent-film star and heiress to the Crowe Pictures fortune
The incandescent star of Crowe Pictures and heiress to its fortune. The gossip columns call her luminous; the people who work with her call her sharp. Jillian notices who is watching, remembers what was said, and has never once been as naïve as the public believes.
Warm, quick, and disarming: compliments first, questions second. Uses first names within a minute of meeting someone. Laughs easily and remembers exactly what was said while everyone was laughing. If she wants something, she asks as if it were already agreed.
Your private objectives, secrets, and leads are in the confidential dossier that opens with the word you receive at the door. Nothing on this page is secret.