‘Tucker’ Junket’s Noisy Backfire

Paramount threw a press party for “Tucker”--but not everyone who was invited was “invited.”

Of the 46 folks who attended the “Tucker” media junket last weekend at the Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood (the film opens Aug. 12), only a dozen or so were given audiences with director Francis Coppola and executive producer George Lucas. And, pssst , that was supposed to be a secret! (The Big Guys were sequestered in a suite away from the other interview subjects.)

See, when the Paramount PR was first making arrangements, the official word was that Coppola and Lucas wouldn’t be participating.

Those who would and did (a handful of reporters per room in hour sessions): Jeff Bridges (he plays car inventor Preston Tucker), Joan Allen (Mrs. Tucker) and Martin Landau (Tucker’s mentor), producer Fred Roos and John Tucker (the actual youngest son of Preston) and John’s daughter, Cynthia.

Ah, but then came some additional phone calls. . . .

By the day of the junket, certain press people had been selected for one-on-ones/one-on-twos (actually, Coppola and Lucas did most of their interviews together).

Among The Chosen: John Coulbourn, Toronto Sun; Howie Movshovitz , Denver Post; Joe Leydon, Houston Post; Tom Green, USA Today; Bob Strauss, Chicago Sun-Times-Philly Daily News; Bob Thomas, AP; Donna Rosenthal, the N.Y. Daily News; Gene Siskel, Chi Tribune (he did Coppola by phone); Bill Cosford, Miami Herald; David Elliott, San Diego Union; Michael Sragow, S.F. Examiner.

Noted a press sheet, detailing the special interviews, “Many of the above journalists are syndicated, write for news wire services or are free-lance and are picked up regularly by various outlets in the U.S. and Canada.”

Many also were advised by Paramount to be hush-hush: “We weren’t supposed to tell the others,” said one reporter. “They were whispering that the others would get jealous. You know how it is. Jealousy. And clamoring for stories. But the way this was done, well, it seemed so tacky.”

But a lot of The Unchosen found out anyway. For one thing, Lucas’ silver Tucker--which was parked in front of the hotel in the afternoon--was a dead giveaway. Said one Unchosen reporter: “I saw it and thought, ‘Wait a minute, they said those guys weren’t going to be here.’ ”

The result: ruffled egos.

“Are you kidding? There are some extremely angry people. This was not the way a junket is normally handled,” said a reporter. (The reporter asked for anonymity: “Paramount is known for blackballing certain press people from their screenings and interviews. I can’t afford to have this happen.”)

Actually, the whims/wishes/demands of some stars result in delicate dealings at a lot of press junkets. But it’s the norm for those who do junkets to meet with all the press in attendance (usually in “round robin” sessions or press conferences). Afterward, certain “biggies” among the press might be granted additional one-on-one time.

“But to hide Francis away--when he is the movie? It just doesn’t make sense,” lamented one reporter who was bristling because she lost out. “Is this any way to sell a movie?”

We asked Paramount senior v.p. of publicity/promotion Diana Widom: “Look, we didn’t intend to hurt anybody’s feelings. We didn’t deliberately set out to discriminate against anyone. It’s just that Francis and George didn’t have the time to talk with everyone. We made the best of the time we had.

“Anyway,” she added, “I refuse to answer any more of your questions because (a) they’re boring and (b) it’s none of your business.”

(She later issued a statement that “it is not Paramount’s policy to discuss marketing plans in advance of a film’s opening.”)

Because both Coppola and Lucas are based in the Bay Area, access is a big deal to the S.F. Examiner and Chronicle newspapers.

But, explained Sragow, his Examiner was at first bypassed for an interview. Then came some pressure tactics: If the Examiner didn’t get some in-person time, there would be no coverage of “Tucker,” aside from the basic film review. Sragow wound up flying down to L.A. for a one-on-one with Lucas, he related. “We both admitted that this was a little silly. I mean, we were both from Northern California--but we had to meet in L.A.”

The Chronicle--also initially bypassed--wasn’t going to send anyone unless it also got a one-on-one. Then, some phone calls were made to Lucasfilm, which is producing “Tucker.” “And the next thing I knew, I was up at Skywalker Ranch talking to both Lucas and Coppola,” said Chron reporter Ed Guthmann.

(Coppola was late to the interview . . . due to car problems! No, not a Tucker. He’d been driving his son Roman’s Porsche.)

Not so lucky was the Detroit Free-Press. “Francis Coppola was born in Detroit. And this is the automotive capital,” said film critic Kathy Huffhines. “And I don’t mind saying that I’m one of the only critics in the country who liked ‘One From the Heart.’ ”

No matter: Huffhines wound up having to submit a written question to Coppola, via Lucasfilm. It was something about his days in Detroit.

“But I don’t want to sound like this is sour grapes. Because I’m very grateful to Lucasfilm because I got a (written) response back. Which meant a lot to me--and my story.

“In fact, I used his response in my lead.”