The Movie "Bobby" and Reflections of a Film Salesman

It was in 1960, after completing 4 years of valiant Air Force service, and 3 not so glorious years becoming an electrical engineer that I began working in the "sales" department of Screen Gems International, part of a Television production company.

It took me quite a while to realize that there was very little selling involved, but rather it was selling myself, and making content available to overseas broadcasters. After all, what could one say about Father Knows Best, Route 66, or Naked City and such after it was screened by the "buyer"? The "buyer" would pretend to know what his or her audience would want to watch, and I would just go along with it. As my Father would say "Norman, that is what makes horse racing. Different people would review the same information and come to different conclusions."

In my more then 46 years of "selling," I have heard all of the reasons why people were not interested in a movie or a TV series, and I learned that I was incapable of changing any ones mind about anything. Once I learned that, my job became much easier. If need be, I could resort to "buy 13 of them, and if it doesn't work, it won't matter." Or "If it doesn't work, I will make it up to you."

It was difficult to be able to admit that I was just like any buyer or viewer, and that I liked the shows that I liked, and didn't like the ones that I didn't. The more I tried to understand the process involving the "whys" of stuff, the more difficult it would be for me. As a noted California Guru would say, "understanding is the booby prize," and to me, he was correct. And as the brilliant screenwriter William Goldman says, "no one really knows," or something like that.

As a studio executive, it was often my responsibility to determine what Television station executives throughout the United States would buy, and an audience would subsequently watch, and I am proud to say that I was wrong more often then I was right.

And now we move on to the "rest of the story." All of the above was only to set up the notion that I am now, and have always been, a consumer of content, and that my opinions are mine alone as I write this, and are neither right nor wrong.

I went to see "Bobby" and I was probably the only person in the audience that did not like the film at all judging by the applause at the conclusion the movie, or perhaps I should say "movies." In that there were two movies running at the same time.

The first of the two was an insipid compilation of "high profile" actors, playing out stuff concerning a few of my favorite subjects; racism, sex, drugs, alcohol, baseball, infidelity, romance, more sex, etc. If this had been made for Television it could have found an audience, and a big one at that.

The other movie was made using actual footage of Bobby Kennedy, his life, and of course his death. This was a movie that I loved. Kennedy's words were magnificent, particularly in juxtaposition to the events of the last 6 years. It was/is sad to me that these two movies were intertwined, one a depressing soap opera, and the other about what might have been had "Bobby" not been killed that day in the Ambassador Hotel.

The expression that I wish I had created. "If you want to send a message use Western Union" can be applied to this film.

My conclusion is, (of course a drum roll please), if you are interested in portraying the truth as you see it, make a documentary. If on the other hand you want to make a drama, just go ahead and do it, but identify it as that.

But please, please, please, do not mix the two.

This is just my opinion.

Norman Horowitz
Moviegoer