Alex Winitsky, Arlene Sellers, Will Vinton, sashimi, and me

One stop Will Vinton and I made on our weeklong trip to Los Angeles in late 1978 was the home of film producers Alex Winitsky and Arlene Sellers, perhaps best known for The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, The Lady Vanishes, Cuba, and Irreconcilable Differences. We were there to discuss the possibility of their backing our planned Claymation feature film, Metamorphos Man.

Winitsky and Sellers were gracious hosts, welcoming us into their home as if we were old friends. The primary details I recall about their living room were a white shag carpet and a white baby grand piano. The decor was similarly ornate, with a large chandelier hanging near the piano and at least one glass-fronted hutch containing numerous awards, memorabilia, and knick knacks. On one wall was a pre-production poster of the movie Cuba, starring Sean Connery.

Ms. Sellers excused herself to the kitchen, and Mr. Sellers showed Will and me to the sunken family room, where a short, Japanese-style dining table sat, pre-set with napkins and small plates for company. I initially assumed it must be for some other company, not us movie mogul wannabes from Orygun, but I was wrong. Mr. Winitsky asked Will and me to sit, cross-legged, and  momentarily Ms. Sellers emerged from the kitchen, carrying a round glass plate full of...raw fish?

I knew you could get trichinosis and die from eating undercooked pork, but I wasn't sure what fate might await me if I ate raw fish. Also, since it was undisguised and unadorned raw fish and looked totally unappetizing, I wasn't sure I was willing to try it.

Ms. Sellers placed the plate on the table in front of us, and Mr. Winitsky said to Will and me, "Ever had sashimi? It's quite good."

Will didn't hesitate for even a second. "Never had it," he said, "but it looks delicious." He stuck his fork into a piece of the raw fish and maneuvered it into his mouth. "Mmmm," he exclaimed, almost unbelievably believable.

I decided I had better follow suit. I stuck my fork into a piece and carefully raised it to my mouth, trying not to look as dubious as I felt and hoping I could pull off acting like I loved it—or at least that it wasn't completely unpalatable.

It was, in fact, quite palatable, so I thankfully had little trouble following Will's fine example.

The remainder of our short visit was devoted to discussing Metamorphos Man, while finishing off the sashimi. It turned out that Winitsky and Sellers were too busy at the moment producing Cuba and weren't in the market for a new project, but they invited us to stay in touch.

Metamorphos Man was ultimately shelved (due to a downturn in the economy, presumably), but our visit wasn't all for naught: I had overcome my fear of raw fish.