The Interdependence of the United States Information Agency and the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry under the Kennedy Administration

Jack Kennedy is the only President of the U.S. who authorized Hollywood major studio to produce motion picture based on his own life story while in office. The motion picture is entitled PT109, and is produced by Warner Brothers in 1963 under strong observation by some of the administrative staff like Pierre Salinger, with special care to avoid impression that the administration give more cooperation to one private motion picture company than any other cases.

The reason why Kennedy regarded the motion picture very important is usually explained as the simple fact that he needed to be trusted by the people of the U.S. much more because the next year, 1964 would be the election year for the incumbent president. This explanation seems persuasive enough, but I insist that Kennedy and his staff generally regarded Hollywood motion picture industry very useful for their effort of so-called “cultural diplomacy”.

One of the most astonishing personnel affairs Jack Kennedy announced after he was elected as 35^th president of the U.S. is the appointment of Edward Murrow as the director of the U.S. Information Agency. And one of the very first suggestions Murrow gave to the president was that the White House needs to build strong and direct connection with Hollywood motion picture industry, and Murrow started to achieve it by having forum-dinner with nearly 100 representatives of the motion picture industry in Hollywood on November, 1961.

As the by-product of Murrow’s visit to Hollywood, he found George Stevens Jr., a young film producer, whose father is well-known film director, and recruited him as the director of motion picture service of U.S.I.A. The existence of Stevens Jr. meant key to maintain good relationship for both the White House and Hollywood, and Stevens Jr. practically used his connections for the government’s effort of cultural diplomacy.