Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood's Golden Age At the American Film Institute - Edited and with an Introduction by George Stevens, Jr

New York: Knopf, 2006. First Edition, First Printing. Signed and inscribed by George Stevens Jr. to Jack Valenti, President of the Motion Picture Association. Inscribed: “For Jack , Who will find his young face in this book, as well as many old friends. As ever, George Stevens, Jr. 2006”. Stevens is referring to the 1967 picture in the book showing the first board of trustees of the American First Institute with Jack Valenti and Stevens as members. In the text, Stevens writes about the founding of the Institute and remarks: ‘Jack Valenti, new in his job as head of the Motion Picture Association corralled the seven motion picture studio to pledge another 1.3 million”. The book contains interviews with Harold Lloyd, Fritz Lang, King Vidor, Frank Capra, Howard Hawks. Alfred Hitchcock, William Wyler, George Stevens,George Cukor, Billy Wilder, John Huston, Elia Kazan, Fred Zinnemann, David Lean, Robert Wise, Richard Brooks, Stanley Kramer, Gene Kelly, Ray Bradbury, Raoul Walsh, James Wong Howe, George Folsey, William Clothier, Mervyn LeRoy, Stanley Cortez, Ernest Lehman, Satyajit Ray, Federico Fellini, Ingmar Bergman, Stanley Kramer, etc. 711 pages. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Accompanied by a COA from the Jack Valenti estate. Jack Valenti (1921-2007) is best known in his role as President of the Motion Picture Association of America. During his 38 year position in the MPAA, Valenti created the MPAA film rating system which is still used today. Previously, he had been a right hand man to President Lyndon Johnson. In 1963, Valenti was in the John F. Kennedy motorcade in Dallas, and he is seen in the famous photograph of Lyndon Johnson being sworn in as President on Air Force One. Valenti flew back to Washington with Johnson and literally lived in the White House for two months helping Johnson take the reins of the presidency. Hollywood mogul and Democratic fundraiser Lew Wasserman pressured Lyndon Johnson to let Valenti leave in 1966 to run the MPAA. A striking and articulate man who easily made friends, Valenti became a figure of considerable influence in both Hollywood and Washington. Few people have known as many famous and powerful people as Valenti.