Jack Valenti
Jack Joseph Valenti (born September 5, 1921 in Houston , Texas, † April 26, 2007 in Washington, DC ) was an American film industry lobbyist and a long-time president of the Motion Picture Association of America .
Life
During World War II, Valenti was a pilot in the United States Army Air Corps . He was a lieutenant . Valenti received his BA from the University of Houston and an MBA from Harvard Business School .
In 1956, he met Senator Johnson at a young Democrat event in Houston. In 1952, Valenti co-founded an advertising agency supported by Conoco as its first client. Later he won, among others, the congressman and Johnson confidante Albert Thomas. He also wrote PR articles for Johnson for the Houston Post . Valenti also televised Kennedy's meeting with Protestants on September 12, 1960, to soften the anti-Catholic resentment of voters in the 1960 presidential campaign.
Johnson's confidante
The bond with Johnson was further strengthened by Valenti's 1962 marriage to Mary Margaret Wiley, a Johnson secretary. A close confidante of Lyndon Johnson, he became a member of the press corps at the White House . The famous photo of Johnson's swearing-in as President of the United States on board an airplane after the assassination of President Kennedy shows Valenti at Johnson's side. There he was also hired as a personal assistant ( special assistant ).
Movie lobbyist
In 1966, Valenti resigned from the White House and became president of the Motion Picture Association of America . Just two years later, he introduced the MPAA film rating system. He represented the interests of the US film industry for a total of 38 years. He was widely recognized as one of the most influential advocates of copyright protection. In particular in the matter of film piracy, he led several lawsuits.
Valenti died on April 26, 2007 of complications from a stroke . He is survived by his wife Mary and their three children, John, Alexandra and Courtenay Valenti, a manager at Warner Bros . A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was dedicated to him for his services .
Quotes
“ He was the best ambassador Hollywood has ever had. "
“ He was a giant in the film business and his services are legendary. "
literature
- 1971: The Bitter Taste of Glory. World (essay volume)
- 1975: A Very Human President. WW Norton, (via LB Johnson)
- 1982: Speak Up With Confidence. New edition 2002
- 1992: Protect and Defend. Doubleday, New York, ed. by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (political novel)
- 2007: This Time, This Place: My Life in War, the White House and Hollywood. Harmony Books, 480 pp., ISBN 0307346641 (autobiography)
Web links
- Jack Valenti at the Internet Movie Database (English)
- "Jack Valenti, 85, Confidant of a President and Stars, Dies" , New York Times , April 27, 2007
- "The Ratings System, Built to Endure," New York Times, April 28, 2007
- "The man who made Hollywood great" , The World , April 27, 2007
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b "The cinema giant: Hollywood mogul Jack Valenti is dead" , Tagesspiegel , April 28, 2007
- ^ Review , New York Times, June 6, 2007
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Valenti, Jack |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Valenti, Jack Joseph (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American film industry lobbyist and President of the MPAA |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 5, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Houston , Texas, USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 26, 2007 |
| Place of death | Washington, DC , USA |