Governor Tries to Keep Film Producers at Home

With his gray-flannel image and his conservative politics, Gov. George Deukmejian might seem out of place in the glitzy entertainment world of Hollywood.

It certainly looked that way a year ago when a sometimes flustered Deukmejian found himself on a sound stage during a campaign event talking to a spike-haired extra and later playing a bit part on the “Hotel” television series.

But aides to the governor say that campaign appearance awakened Deukmejian to the problems of the film industry. So on Wednesday night the governor hosted a film industry reception at the Sheraton Universal in Universal City, allowing him to mingle among and be photographed with 300 top executives of the motion picture business, which historically has supplied California politicians with top drawing cards for fund-raising events.

Deukmejian told the film executives that he intends to do whatever is necessary to keep movie production from leaving the state. He also announced the start of a $150,000 study intended to determine the film industry’s effects on the state economy.

“We want to make sure that the industry remains here, that it’s strong, that it helps to create jobs for people in California and that you will want to do business here,” he said. That statement was a preview of a meeting planned today between Deukmejian and the heads of several major studios and entertainment unions to discuss what they consider to be a major threat to their business--runaway productions.

After that, he will appear with actor-producer Sylvester Stallone in an old-fashioned media event at Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre.

The loss of film and TV production to other states and nations costs California at least $600 million each year, according to recent figures, and has become as much a concern to state and local government as it is to Hollywood’s entertainment giants. About 80,000 Californians are employed in the TV and film industry.

Although the problem seems to have eased somewhat recently, in 1985 alone California lost $1 billion to runaway productions out of a $5-billion industry statewide, according to the California Film Office, which was established to help keep production in the state.

“The reasons for this are hotly debated,” said Lisa Rawlins, director of the film office. “Some companies see that by going to Canada, for instance, with the lower exchange rate, they can save money. There’s no way we can beat that. But when you’re talking about the 50 states, we can compete.”

The major complaint likely to be voiced during the two-hour meeting with the governor today is the maze of conflicting regulations that film companies must endure, particularly when shooting in Southern California.

Lindsley Parsons Jr., senior vice president at MGM/UA and one of 14 industry leaders who will be meeting with the governor, said Deukmejian will be asked to do something about the large number of permits and fees required by dozens of police, fire and other municipal agencies throughout California.

“What we really want to talk to the governor about is trying to ease this problem to make filming here more attractive,” Parsons said, noting that his company, within its own walls at Universal Studios, encounters problems with multiple jurisdictions.

Parsons and others invited to the meeting plan to lobby the governor to seek his support for a bill by Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles) that would provide state money to set up film commissions in many of Southern California’s smaller communities. The hope, industry executives said, is that these commissions would work out a plan to standardize their disparate filming regulations and fees.

In his reelection campaign last year, Deukmejian met separately with studio executives and with the heads of Hollywood’s entertainment unions. While each side has conflicting opinions on the real causes of runaway productions, aides to the governor emphasize that he is not taking sides.

“We want to be careful that this is not seen as any kind of a labor-management situation,” one Deukmejian aide said.

The private meeting is set to coincide with a two-day film exposition being presented by the Film Office at the Sheraton Universal. But time also was set aside for a little of the Hollywood treatment that Deukmejian first tasted in his campaign last year.

While meetings and events such as these also could be seen as good politics, the governor’s campaign appearances in Hollywood last year brought mixed results.

After watching a rehearsal on the set of “Cagney & Lacey,” Deukmejian was asked to pose for photographs with the show’s stars. It would have made a nice campaign poster. But weeks later, co-star Tyne Daly turned up in a tough anti-Deukmejian commercial that blamed the governor for the state’s toxic waste problems.

On the other hand, the governor was supported by some entertainment stars, including actor and Carmel Mayor Clint Eastwood.

As to the bit part Deukmejian filmed for the television series “Hotel,” it never was telecast.