Jack Valenti, the Lyndon Johnson aide who became the head of the Motion Picture Association of America and stayed there for 38 years, passed away yesterday at age 85. To say that he was a legend in Washington and Hollywood circles is too obvious a statement.
Valenti’s savvy, and sometimes silly, defense of the Hollywood studios single-handedly created a standard against which all trade association presidents, all top lobbyists have been ultimately judged and found wanting. His purple prose and twangy eloquence were almost caricatures, as was his strange fealty to Lyndon Johnson (“I sleep each night a little better, a little more confidently, because Lyndon Johnson is my president,” Valenti said while still working for Johnson).
He didn’t always get his facts right. Indeed, for a scholarly man, facts seemed to take a backseat to talking points for Valenti. (One of my interesting early experiences was to support my former boss, NCTA CEO Jim Mooney, in a surreal public debate he had with Valenti. Valenti relied on rhetoric, Mooney relied on facts and Mooney won.) In person, even in small private groups, Valenti seemed to be a poseur, “acting” the role of an idiosyncratic powerful lobbyist, a manner that alienated some people.
But, somehow Valenti managed to make it all work. The MPAA carries so much swack in DC, thanks to him, which wasn’t the case when he took over as head of the group. Valenti learned how to use the studios’ star power to dazzle lawmakers, trotting out starlets and top directors at every possible occasion. An invitation to a private screening of a new film at the MPAA’s private theater is still one of the hottest tickets in town, whether you’re a Senator or a Senate intern.
Since Valenti’s retirement from the MPAA in 2004, a void exists in DC. Right off the top of your head, name another powerful lobbyist, another high-profile trade group chief? Even for insiders, it’s somewhat hard to do. Valenti stood out as a singular force, a name that even rang a bell with non-Washington folks due to Valenti’s annual appearance at the Academy Awards. Will another Valenti ever come along?
Cynthia Brumfield at 9:50 AM|Comments(0)
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