Nov. 21, 1963 - Hollywood’s most frantic social scramble of the year is now under way to win an invitation to a White House luncheon on December 10 for the movie élite. Not only is this to be a social function, but it is being heralded in Hollywood as the first time a President of the United States has paid tribute to the movie industry in this fashion. The present plan, confirmed in Washington today, calls for 50 guests. Wives and husbands are excluded. Not since Premier Khrushchev had lunch in the commissary of 20th Century-Fox studio on Sept. 19, 1960, has there been so much jockeying for position to be among the chosen guests in Washington. For an invitation to the Khrushchev affair, Hollywood celebrities brought pressure on congressmen, the State Department, and Wall Street friends with influence on the boards of directors of movie companies. At that time, however, there were accommodations for about 400 guests. With a much smaller guest list for the White House luncheon, the pressure will be much more intense. Virtually everyone in Hollywood will be studying the guest list to see if Frank Sinatra’s name appears. Mr. Sinatra (pictured in 1961), who worked hard for President Kennedy’s election in 1960, was considered a friend of the President. In recent months, however, there have been rumors that the actor is no longer too welcome at the White House.
Comments