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Home , John Wayne

AUC 2 0976 Presidents)1 and Movies: Some Command Per ormances 7-94 WXPost

Clockwise from bottom left: President Nixon; George C Scott in a scene from "Patton," a Nixon favorite;-the-White-House;-Humphrey- - Bogart, Claude Rains, Paul Henreid and Ingid Bergman in "Casablan- ca," a Kennedy favorite; President Kennedy.

By Ronald Flamini month in office, the source says, a movie was ordered for presidential This article Is reprinted from the :viewing practically every night, either September edition of American Film in the movie theater or at ma azine a ublication o the Ameri- an Clemente. can Film Institute. Chosen for- by his daughter Ju- On Friday, July 12, 1974, the day , lie, the-films were mostly old box-off- the House Judiciary Committee re- ice favorites. (Would you believe "By leased its Watergate evidence catalog- the Light of the Silvery Moon" and ing the abuses of power in the Nixon "That Hamilton Woman," a screen in- White House, edged carnation of the Lord Nelson affair?) the day with a movie: It was "Double One can picture Nixon, a loner in the Indemnity." Two days later, he best of times, sitting by himself in the watched "Touch of Evil." On July 22, dark screening room as if seeking tern- as the committee vote to impeach him -porary refuge from the storm that was moved inexorably closer, Nixon scudding down upon him. On July 18, saw..."It's a Wonderful Life." The he saw "Two for the Seesaw"; on July source of these bizarre revelations is a 25, the'first part of "Aiound the World former member of the Nixon White in Eighty Days": for some reason,'the House staff who was in a positien know such things. In Nixon's', last See FILM, E3, : ' • FILM, From El regular Monday visits to the Keith vau- Folk I Have Known," screen violence, deville house close by the White ''creening was interrupted and re-' etc. The Roosevelts were avid movie House, finding it an excellent form of fans, the press concluded, and there -eumed the following night. escape. By Aug. 3, the House Judiciary Com- was some truth in this, except that , enittee had passed the three articles of The White House tends to keep quiet FDR often fell asleep if the picture' Impeachment, charging the President about what movies the President and failed to hold his attention. And it was with obstruction of justice in attempt- his family see, partly because this is whispered that he slept through "Gone ing to cover up Watergate: that night," classified as a private activity, and With the Wind." Tall Men" was playing at the partly to avoid endorsing movies. But Harry Truman preferred reading white House. Then, on Aug. 5, four ,sometimes on the daily White House books to watching movies for relaxa- :days before his resignation, Nixon saw tours the 'guide will point out the tion; he loved music and had a liking orlfe Serpent," a film about skuldug- small, windowless room in the east for movies in which serious music gery in the CIA. wing of the Executive Mansion that played an important part, such as Nixon's practice of watching movies has served as a movie theater since "Tales of Hoffmann," the ambitious if :as a distraction from the pressure of FDR's time. With its bare, pale green rather foolhardy British attempt to Watergate has many respectable ante- walls and carpet, it is hardly a movie combine opera and ballet in a popular cedents. liked movies, palace. It has four big lounge chairs in film. But his successor, Dwight Eisen- and his friend Louis B. Mayer kept him front, with several rows of chairs be: hower, was the quintessential Ameri- supplied with them. Franklin D. Roos- hind them, and a retractable 16-foot can moviegoer, the sort of man Holly- evelt used to collect his brain trust screen attached to the ceiling. But the wood had been catering to for dec- :around him and relax watching room, which has a capacity of about 80 ades. 'Mickey Mouse cartoons. Dwight Eisen- people, serves several other purposes, ranging from occasional briefing room Eisenhower probably saw more lower was a regular filmgoer. At the 'movies in the White House than all ieight of the Cuban Missile Crisis, to hatcheck room during large White House receptions. ' other U.S. Presidents before and since John Kennedy took time off to see combined. Three evenings a week :'The Longest Day," not so much be- -There is a projectionist on call at all 'when he was in residence in the White 'cause he sought inspiration from the times because the President, or a mem- House, Eisenhower would take his seat Normandy invasion, but because he ber of his family, can demand to see a in the movie theater precisely at 7:40 'wanted to watch' his brother-in-law, movie at any hour of the day or night. p.m., either alone or with his dinner Peter Lawford, who had a starring The White House can obtain any guests. His taste in films was rooted in role. movie of which a print is in existence, his middlebrow Midwestern back- - The movies have continued the tra- but the pictures the President sees ground. While he was on a state visit to dition of presidential interest in the tend to be borrowed free of charge England, Prime Minister Harold Mac- performing arts as a form of relaxa- from Washington theaters and ex- millan arranged a screening of Laur- lion (though in their cultural purSuits changes. (The President is also sup- ence Oliver's "Richard III" as part of Presidents have .otherwise tended to plied movies for screening at Camp the entertainment. The picture was :reflect the popular American view David and other presidential retreats; changed at the last minute to "Tiger :that a love of the arts is a very mar- in Nixon's case, Key Biscayne, in John- .Bay,' an unpretentious little thriller, ginal quality in a politician). George son's, the ranch. as if someone had told the British that 1Washington was fond of the theater Roosevelt perceived Hollywood's the President was in no mood for and went often; "School for Scandal" power, then at its peak, and to some Shakespeare at the end of a hard day. ;Was one of his favorite plays. It was extent he can be said to'have courted, Eisenhower loved Westerns, and he Lincoln's taste for comedy that the movie industry. Stars were invited loved musicals. One of the few movies Sought him to Ford's Theater on to the big bashes at the White House, he specifically asked to see was "The April 14, 1865, to see Laura Keene's fi- such as his birthday parties. Eleanor Big Country." A print was shipped to performance in the city of "Our Roosevelt's byline appeared in leading Washington from the studio as soon as :American Cousin." Woodrow Wilson fan magazines like Photoplay. • She 'it was' completed, and the President 'shocked his intellectual friends. by his wrote about a variety of topics: "Film saw the movie four times in a row. His

second most favorite picture was White House theater, which was which is just about as many times as "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"; he equipped with an orthopedic bed to fa- Kennedy watched "Casablanca." sat throughlt three times in a month vor the President's bad back, were a During Nixon's presidency, the and wouldleave the theater humming combination of both their preferences. White House theater was back in busi- the tunes. His favorite movie Star was Hollywood favorites such as "Roman ness; he watched movies regularly, John Wayne; he didn't care for Robert Holiday" and "Sabrina" blended with sometimes with Pat (who had had a 'Mitchum because he didn't care for his foreign classics; movies acquired a brief fling at a movie career before offscreen reputation; he disapproved new Status at the White House. There marriage), or friends like Bebe Rebozo, of the vegue for Audie Murphy mov- are many stories about Kennedy the but quite frequently alone. He liked ies, feeling that the most decorated sol- movie fan, One day he asked to see cop pictures from the '30s and '40s, and dier of World War II didn't sit tall "Spartacus," but the White House Westerns of any vintage. Edward G. enough inthe saddle. equipment couldn't handle the 70mm Robinson was one of his favorite ac- Dramas Eisenhower was prepared to print. So the President simply walked tors, and—once again—John Wayne take on merit, but he detested senti- over to a nearby movie theater where and . There was a stand- mental pictures. In this he differed the new picture was ing order to rush any new Eastwood from his wife who preferred them to playing. Afterward, the theater man- picture to the White House as soon as a anything else. After he had walked out ager told him the picture was doing print was available. , on "Peyton Place" one night, it was de- poor business and was about to close. The White House steers clear o. pic- creed that Mrs. Eisenhower could "I think it's better than 'Ben-Hur'," tures containing too much sex, viol- watch whatever movies she wanted to Kennedy replied. The comment was ence, or foul language unless they are —in the afternoon. But there were to picked up by the papers, giving "Spar- specifically requested by the Presi- beano more "Peyton Place"s at night. atacus" a much-needed boost. dent, or someone in the family. Ac- The first picture shown in the Ken- "Lyndon Johnson just didn't like to cording to reliable sources, a porno nedy White House was De Sica's "Gen- be alone in dark places," says one of film has yet to flash across the White eral Della Rovere"; a few days later his aides. Talking on the telephone was House screen—no "Deep Throat," or came "La Dolce Vita." Here truly was a the way he unwound." During his pres- "The Devil in Miss Jones." But when new frontier. Well, yes and no. Such idency television gained ascendancy Nixon was asked to confirm that he exotic fare reflected Jackie's taste over the movies as presidential enter- wanted to see "" despite more than it did the President's. Her tainment, and the movie theater was the gore and foullanguage, he replied, interest in movies was cosmopolitan; converted into a TV studio, with a "Eastwood can do no wrong, let's see he was a film buff of a more tradition- camera set up to film Johnson when- the picture." alist stamp—open-minded, to be sure, ever he decided to go before the na- Presidential attendance has again but left to his own devices Kennedy tion. When he did watch a movie, it dropped off considerably at the mov- preferred Hollywood to Cinecitta. A was usually late at night, and he was ies since took office. He woman friend from his bachelor days quite liable to walk out without warn- has watched perhaps half a dozen recalls that a date with the young sena- ing halfway through if he lost interest. films at the White House—including tor almost invariably included a mov- Some day, psychohistorians may "That's Entertainment, Part II"—since ie, and Kenny O'Donnell, one of his study the films that Presidents he took office two years ago, plus a political aides, says that during the watched for clues to their behavior in few more at Camp David. 1960 presidential campaign it was not the White House: There is already a . With the coining election, the presi- unusual for Kennedy to end a grueling glimmer of this in the story that Nixon dential movie theater stands on the day on the hustings unwinding in a was overwhelmed by "Patton" and threshold of another potential change movie theater watching "Casablanca," that repeated viewing of this blood- in its fortunes. But whether a South- "The Sands of ," or another of and-thunder George C. Scott film bols- ern Democrat or middle-America Re- his all-time favorites. At the time, he tered his hawkish resolve to pursue publican wins in November, some tra- liked , O'Donnell re- the . The same Nixon ditions are sure to remain and the members, but his enduring screen source quoted earlier says White White House Bijou will likely be one of hero was John Wayne. House records show that the President them. The movies the Kennedys saw in the saw "Patton" on . three,, occasions, 019715„ "American Film" Presidential favorites, from left: John Wayne (Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon), Mickey Mouse (FDIC)

THE WASHINGTON POST .1 qiutday, August 29;1976.E 3

and Clint Eastt ood (Nixon).