Studios to Put on a Show of Support, Patriotism

Hollywood executives on Thursday provided details of the entertainment industry’s contribution to the war on terrorism: free DVDs and CDs for the troops, morale-boosting shows headlined by the likes of Wayne Newton and a trailer promoting patriotism to be shown in American movie theaters by Christmas.

In the third in a series of meetings with top Bush administration officials, held at the White House, the entertainment industry’s Washington-based executives also discussed longer-term efforts underway to explain American values to domestic and international audiences.

“The thing that became evident at today’s meeting is we are really starting to see some results now--some concrete projects--and it is really coming together,” said Mark McKinnon, Bush’s chief media advisor during the presidential campaign, who has attended all of the meetings.

One initiative being considered by entertainment insiders would feature boxing great Muhammad Ali, who spoke movingly about his Muslim religion during the star-studded telethon broadcast worldwide on Sept. 21 to raise money for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. And top music industry executives said that they are considering a more grass-roots approach, possibly pairing American artists with Islamic stars on music to be released here and in the Middle East.

“You can’t spit out a patriotic pro-American message in the hopes that everyone will get it,” Hilary Rosen, president of the Recording Industry Assn. of America, said after the meeting. “It makes more sense to try to humanize the American people through good cross-cultural collaborations.”

The White House has also viewed a patriotic-themed three-minute trailer, made by director Chuck Workman, that includes great moments from American films. The trailer, which is still being edited, is due out in theaters by Christmas.

The National Assn. of Theater Owners has agreed to run it during the busy holiday movie season, despite a length that is much longer than most trailers.

Maryann Grasso, executive director of the National Assn. of Theater Owners, said the three-minute trailer will appear on approximately 9,200 screens across the country in the next two weeks. “The Spirit of America” is a montage of 110 movies set against music, including the classical composition of Aaron Copland titled “Common Man.”

Grasso said that top White House advisor Karl Rove viewed the film on Wednesday and that President Bush was scheduled to view it on Thursday morning. A White House spokeswoman could not confirm Grasso’s account Thursday night.

Among other initiatives outlined at the meeting, according to participants:

* A request from one of three working groups designated by the Motion Picture Assn. of America that television networks make stars available to tape greetings for the troops.

* The possibility of another meeting in the near future with New York-based members of the entertainment community and White House officials.

* An MTV plan to sponsor a show with the USO on New Year’s Day, which may be broadcast in a number of foreign countries.

The meetings--described by participants as cordial and friendly--stand in sharp contrast to the lack of interaction with Hollywood that had marked the president’s term before the terrorist attacks.

The new interest from the White House has not been universally popular among the creative community. Some industry veterans have expressed concern that the government might try to suggest certain kinds of themes for movies and other forms of entertainment.

But participants in the meetings insist that Bush officials have not even talked about plot lines and characters, let alone urge particular approaches.

Among studios and labor unions represented were AOL Time Warner, ABC, Fox, Disney, Viacom, Vivendi Universal, Lionsgate, and the Directors and Writers Guilds of America.

At one point, someone joked that the commander of a particular battleship had requested so many videotapes and CDs that it was surprising the ship was still afloat. The two dozen or so participants also were given a short tour of the Coalition Information Center, the hub for war-related activity in the White House.

Rove--who spent about 15 minutes in Thursday’s meeting--politely declined a request by one studio executive to offer examples of what he would like to see.

White House spokesman Ken Lisaius said, “This is all part of an ongoing dialogue between the entertainment industry and the White House.”

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Times staff writers Dana Calvo and Ronald Brownstein contributed to this report.