The Bitter Taste of Glory

Cleveland: World Publishing Company, 1971. First Edition, First Printing. Jack Valenti’s special personal leather bound copy. Bound in full brown leather with gilt-stamping and tooling. Marbled endpapers with gilt inner dentelles. All edges of block are gilt. Fine condition. Jack Valenti (1921-2007) is best known in his role as President of the Motion Picture Association of America. During his 38 year position in the MPAA, Valenti created the MPAA film rating system which is still used today. Previously, he had been a right hand man to President Lyndon Johnson. In 1963, Valenti was in the John F. Kennedy motorcade in Dallas, and he is seen in the famous photograph of Lyndon Johnson being sworn in as President on Air Force One. Valenti flew back to Washington with Johnson and literally lived in the White House for two months helping Johnson take the reins of the presidency. Hollywood mogul and Democratic fundraiser Lew Wasserman pressured Lyndon Johnson to let Valenti leave in 1966 to run the MPAA. A striking and articulate man who easily made friends, Valenti became a figure of considerable influence in both Hollywood and Washington. Few people have known as many famous and powerful people as Valenti.