Movie Nights with the Reagans

by Mark Weinberg

  The popular impression of Ronald Reagan, especially as memories of his actual presidency continue to fade, was that he was an avuncular, nice guy who danced in the sunlight of life. He did. But he was a human being, with the ability to be hurt, as he was by the rejection by some of his peers in Hollywood. He was proud of his career in Hollywood and never thought of the acting profession as anything less important or prestigious than other careers.

  Though he never received the honorary Oscar he wanted, it is worth noting here that Hollywood did honor their famous veteran at a star-studded salute to the president in 1985 that was televised on NBC and billed as An All-Star Party for “Dutch” Reagan. Among the entertainers in the audience were The Godfather actor James Caan, Sammy Davis Jr., Angie Dickinson, Glenn Ford, Robert Mitchum, John Ritter, Cliff Robertson, Telly Savalas, Red Skelton, Robert Stack, Jimmy Stewart, Alex Trebek, Robert Wagner, Betty White, Dynasty stars John Forsythe, Linda Evans, and Joan Collins, and a few members of the cast of CBS’s Falcon Crest, which starred the president’s ex-wife, Jane Wyman.

  The Reagans attended the black-tie event with his daughter Maureen. Because she was Jane Wyman’s child, not Nancy’s, when I first started working in the White House I wondered about how welcome Maureen would be there. I need not have worried. She and Mrs. Reagan had a great relationship. I was struck by how vigorously Maureen defended her stepmother against detractors.

  The president and Mrs. Reagan referred to Maureen affectionately as Mermie. She was smart, vivacious, loyal, and liked to laugh. Ronald Reagan respected his oldest child’s opinions and advice. Though he never said so—and, as far as I know, never pushed Maureen into it—I sensed he was proud his daughter was pursuing a political career. And she was front and center at the Hollywood dinner, as usual, cheering her father on.

  The dinner was hosted by a close friend of the Reagans, the one and only “Ol’ Blue Eyes” Frank Sinatra—whom the president continually referred to, publicly and in their correspondence, by his full name: Francis Albert. Sinatra, now seventy and obviously reading from cue cards, was nonetheless a charming MC. As he was announced into the room, the audience, most of whom were celebrities, rose to their feet and applauded. Sinatra quipped, “You may be seated.”IV He saluted Reagan as “the only member of our community living in public housing.”V He also noted to the audience that “rules of protocol have been relaxed.” Referring to the president, he said, “Tonight he’s Dutch. As for Nancy, do as I do: call her ‘Beautiful.’ ”VI

  The actor Burt Reynolds also spoke. Reagan had not known Reynolds well during his time in Hollywood, but some three years before, in March 1982, he joined the Reagans for dinner at the White House. That evening, the president came away surprised by Reynolds’s “serious and sincere crusade spirit against drugs.”VII But on the night of the All-Star Party, Reynolds was in a lighthearted mood. Commenting on the tight security surrounding the event, he told the president, “Only Sylvester Stallone has more security than you.”VIII

  The actor Charlton Heston departed from the mood of the room with a tribute to the president that left him near tears. Praising his leadership, Heston, a well-known conservative, declared, “You speak to mankind in our name.”IX And he offered Reagan a prayer: “As you lead us into the uncertain, beleaguered future—the broad swell of continent between those shining seas—let me say for all of us, Mr. President, the words of a song you’ll remember, ‘God shed his grace on thee.’ ”X

  At the close of the evening, a moved President Reagan rose to the microphones to thank everyone. “It’s good to be ‘Dutch’ again,” he said. He then said he wanted to borrow a line from the comedienne Lucille Ball, who’d spoken at a similar event honoring her: “To those who said such nice things about me tonight, I wish you were all under oath.” Then Reagan added his own touch to the line: “I wish you were all members of Congress.”XI The proceeds of the event were used for a Ronald Reagan Wing for children at the University of Nebraska hospital in Omaha.

  The evening ended with Sinatra and Dean Martin leading the audience in a stirring rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.” It wasn’t an Academy Award, but the evening warmed Reagan’s heart.

  * * *

  I. “Remarks at a White House Ceremony Honoring Hispanic Americans in the United States Armed Forces, September 16, 1983,” Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum online, www.reaganlibrary.archives.gov/archives/speeches/1983/91683a.htm.

  II. “Radio Address to the Nation on the Soviet Attack on a Korean Civilian Airliner, September 17, 1983,” Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum online, www.reaganlibrary.archives.gov/archives/speeches/1983/91783a.htm.

  III. Eleanor Clift, “Stars Salute Hollywood Alumnus ‘Dutch’ Reagan,” Los Angeles Times online, December 2, 1985, http://articles.latimes.com/1985-12-02/news/mn-12659_1_ronald-reagan.

  IV. An All-Star Party for “Dutch” Reagan, December 8, 1985, CBS-TV, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tnHMx9vmV8.

  V. Ibid.

  VI. Ibid.

  VII. Ronald Reagan, Reagan Diaries, 117.

  VIII. Gerald M. Boyd, “Hollywood Stars Honor President,” New York Times online, December 2, 1985, www.nytimes.com/1985/12/02/us/hollywood-stars-honor-president.html.

  IX. Ronald Reagan, Reagan Diaries, 117.

  X. Ibid.

  XI. Ibid.

  9

  A GOLDEN OLDIE—BEDTIME FOR BONZO

  Starring:

  Ronald Reagan, Walter Slezak, Diana Lynn, Peggy (as Bonzo)

  Directed by:

  Fred de Cordova

  Viewed by President Reagan:

  June 22, 1984

  The Film That Helped Define a Career

  On June 22, 1984, the military aide to the president boarded the presidential helicopter, Marine One, en route to Camp David, with two precious possessions: one was the “football” containing the codes the president would need to launch a nuclear strike. The other was a brown paper bag. When asked about its contents, the aide replied curtly that it was a “personal item” for the president. He did not elaborate further, which only added to the mystery.I

  The mystery was cleared up a few hours later, when the gang gathered at Aspen for the Friday night movie. Before anyone sat down, President Reagan said that he had been disappointed in the level of entertainment at Camp David. Tonight, he explained, he had brought his own selection. The face of the Camp David commander, whose most important mission was to keep the president happy while there, fell. No one wanted to disappoint a kind man like Reagan.

  But then Reagan’s eyes twinkled, and everyone knew he had something special in store.

  By the time the group got to Camp David that weekend, everyone in the entourage was ready for a rest, except the president. He did not seem tired or worn out by what had been a busy time, even by White House reelection-mode standards.

  At the beginning of the week, he and Mrs. Reagan hosted a state dinner for the president of Sri Lanka. A number of Hollywood legends were on the guest list, including Fred MacMurray, Robert Conrad, Rich Little, Tony Randall, Jane Powell, and Frank Sinatra, one of Mrs. Reagan’s favorites, who provided the entertainment that evening.

  Even though state dinners made for a long day, I liked working them. The First Lady’s Press Office was in charge of coverage, but I was on hand to monitor what the president said to reporters. Around six thirty or so, I would close the door of my office, pull together the flimsy curtains on my window facing Pennsylvania Avenue—so as to spare tourists a horrifying (or thrilling) experience—and change into my tuxedo. I would then proceed to the North Portico of the White House to witness the president and Mrs. Reagan greeting the visiting world leader and spouse. Rarely, pretty much never, did anyone in the assembled press corps there shout a question at the president, but I was present just in case. We then moved inside to watch the Reagans pose with their guests at the foot of the grand staircase in the White House’s main foyer, and then the press and working staff departed until it was time for toasts, mingling, ente
rtainment, and dancing. During the state dinner itself, the staff in attendance would eat in the White House Staff Mess, usually with our counterparts on the staff of the visiting dignitary. At an appointed hour, we would escort the press pool to the State Dining Room, where they would cover the president and his guest exchanging toasts. Sometimes the toasts occurred at the beginning of the dinner so as to make news deadlines, but not always.

  Whenever the dinner ended, the Reagans and their guests had coffee and liqueurs in the Red, Blue, and Green Rooms while the East Room was being set up for entertainment. It was a long-standing custom that a small group of reporters from the wire services, newspapers, and magazines mingled with the guests. Theoretically, the reporters were there only to observe and listen, but it rarely worked out that way.

  My usual practice was to go into the White House usher’s office, a few paces from the Blue Room, call the press duty officer just before the reporters were to arrive, and ask if there was anything the president needed to be aware of in advance. If there was, I would pull him aside and brief him. As soon as they arrived on the State Floor, the reporters rushed over to the president, who was always in the Blue Room. Sometimes they just hovered nearby to hear what he was saying. I always tapped him on the shoulder, raised my eyebrows, and gestured to the reporters nearby so that he would know he was being overheard. Many times they ignored the “rules” and approached him with questions.

  After a few minutes of this mini press conference, I would say in a loud voice, “Mr. President, I believe some of your guests are waiting to chat with you.” He understood and pivoted to a waiting guest, at which point the reporters would scowl at me and move toward the East Room to cover the evening’s entertainment. But if the president had “made news” during this encounter, they would be escorted back to the Press Briefing Room to file their stories and then be brought back up to the East Room. Likewise, if he had said something newsworthy, I would again retreat to the usher’s office to call the press duty officer to tell him or her what the president had said.

  After the evening’s entertainment, everyone moved to the Cross Hall on the State Floor, including the pool of reporters. Usually the Reagans would escort their guests to the front door of the White House, bid farewell, and come back in for a dance or two. (Occasionally, but not too often, the visiting leader and spouse would dance before leaving, too.) The reporters present rarely approached the president. After their dances, the Reagans would very leisurely walk toward the elevator that would take them to the residence, talking with guests and posing for photos on the way. The second they were in the elevator on their way upstairs, I headed home.

  The visit of the Sri Lankan president was only one part of what had been a busy week in the Reagan White House. The president spoke at dedication ceremonies for the new building of the National Geographic Society, at a presentation ceremony for a large group of recent high school graduates recognized as Presidential Scholars, and at bill signings designating wilderness areas. He also traveled to River Dell High School in Oradell, New Jersey, where he spoke about efforts to curb drunk driving. Giving a heartfelt and strong speech, Reagan departed from his prepared text, something he rarely did. Here’s part of what he said:

  I’m going to depart from the main theme here to tell you that Nancy and I discussed what I would be saying here. And we want you to know that we’re aware that the problem we have on our highways isn’t just drinking and driving. It’s also drinking and drugging . . . I speak as one who has lived seventy-three years . . . I’ve seen a lot. I lived a good part of my adult life in Hollywood and Los Angeles. And I saw a lot of people who were living fast lives. And I just want to tell you: don’t take drugs. Don’t abuse your mind and body that way.II

  Later that day, the president traveled to Connecticut to address the National Sheriffs’ Association. As he did often, Reagan used his Hollywood experience to establish a bond with his audience, telling the sheriffs, “Back in those days when I was doing television, I once played a sheriff, a western sheriff, in a TV drama. And the gist of the story was that the sheriff thought he could do the job without a gun. It was a thirty-minute show. I was dead in twenty-seven minutes.” The audience roared.

  The day’s schedule did not end there. That evening, he and Mrs. Reagan hosted a Congressional Fish Fry on the South Lawn of the White House, which featured the legendary southern rocker and country singer Charlie Daniels as the evening’s entertainment.

  Even though the president had disagreements, some quite sharp, with many members of Congress, he and Mrs. Reagan enjoyed hosting these events. The Reagans did not view such events as chores and never rushed to get through them. They knew that the social relationships built at such events could come in handy in business situations down the road. They did a lot of that with state legislators when Ronald Reagan was governor of California. Similarly, they liked to get to know members of Congress, from both sides of the aisle, as people and never let politics get in the way of friendship.

  I think it surprised (and maybe even annoyed) some people on the White House staff that the Reagans were friendly with two Democrats from Massachusetts: especially Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill and his wife, as well as Senator Edward Kennedy and his wife. There were those who simply could not get beyond a person’s politics and could not see any redeeming values in anyone who was not on the same side of an issue. Not Ronald Reagan. He meant it when he said politics ended at six o’clock. Political beliefs were not a factor in whether the Reagans liked or socialized with someone.

  Despite such a rigorous schedule, Ronald Reagan was not tired when he arrived at Camp David for what was an unusual weekend in late June. Mrs. Reagan was not there. She was probably on a trip related to her campaign against drug abuse. I suspect that because he did not want to be lonely, the president invited guests who were close to him and Nancy: specifically, longtime close aide and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Mike Deaver and his wife and family, and longtime friend and colleague Senator Paul Laxalt of Nevada and his wife. This was a rare occurrence. The Reagans almost never had guests at Camp David. Sometimes they had family members there with them, and White House chiefs of staff James A. Baker III and Ken Duberstein occasionally came with their families. That was very much the exception rather than the rule. Most of the time it was just the Reagans and a very small group of staff in attendance.

  Since the Aspen Movie Club convened at Camp David, we’d been bugging the president to screen one of his own films. He’d finally given in.

  “Well, tonight we have a treat, or what I hope you will think is a treat,” he said, “and that’s one of my old movies. Now, I would like to remind you that you are the ones who’ve requested these, so here we go. Roll ’em.” The president had picked one of the best-known of his films: the one his political opponents liked to make fun of, Bedtime for Bonzo. Bonzo, of course, was a chimpanzee. Incredibly, this was the first time that Reagan had ever watched the 1951 film in its entirety.

  It was a typical comedy of the era: light, appropriate for all ages, with many genuinely funny scenes. Contrary to popular impression, Bedtime for Bonzo got great reviews at the time, and some said it may have helped revive Reagan’s popularity, which had been on the wane. Like all good comedy, the movie was based on a solid, believable foundation. Briefly, Bonzo was an experimental animal at a university where Reagan was a professor. His character, Peter Boyd, and a colleague embarked on the kind of experiment conducted at universities—Duke among them, I believe—to see what would happen if they raised Bonzo the chimp in a home like a child, to see what level of environment could enhance his ability to learn. Amanda Deaver, whose fourteenth birthday was celebrated at Camp David that weekend and was in Aspen when the movie was shown, remembers that President Reagan was “very spirited and animated,” talking about what he called “that crazy chimpanzee.” She told me he was “filled with joy” as he shared stories about making that movie.III

  Admittedly, the movie was not deep or partic
ularly thought provoking. But in rewatching it years later, I did notice something interesting. In a scene where Reagan was mad at a misbehaving Bonzo, he threatened the chimp by saying, “I will tan your hide.” That struck me because the phrase Ronald Reagan used most often when angry with reporters who wrote negatively about Nancy (one of the few things that infuriated him) was “Damn their hides.” And even that was infrequent.

  President Reagan’s alleged use of strong language was a key factor in one of the more sensational reports about his and Mrs. Reagan’s personal life. One weekend in December 1986, I was called at Camp David by the on-duty White House spokesman about a story claiming that Mrs. Reagan had been pressing her husband to replace White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan so relentlessly that the president finally snapped at her to “get off my goddamned back.” I promptly called Mrs. Reagan and told her that there was a report circulating that the president had spoken “sharply” to her about Don Regan. She asked what I meant. I stammered a bit, saying the words were not so nice. She insisted that I tell her exactly, word for word, what was being reported, so I did. The First Lady said to me, “Ronnie would never talk to me that way.” With that, I simply relayed that the report was to be flatly denied. I am sure she was telling the truth, as I never knew Ronald Reagan to ever curse at his wife. But I had a feeling from her tone that there had been a “vigorous” discussion about Don Regan’s future.