By Michael J. Weldon

I had to know if there was any truth to the vague rumor floating around that our president once produced a "slasher film." Some minimal research revealed that it was THE HITCHER (86). I've been a fan of that tense horror movie since I first saw it in a theatre in Stockholm while I was presenting a series of PSYCHOTRONIC film festivals in Europe in '87. So it's not like George W. Bush had money in CANNIBAL HOOKERS or SLAUGHTERHOUSE.

While some Bush haters insinuate the worst by saying he produced a "slasher film," some Republicans have mentioned that he backed some kid friendly Disney hits. I found a web site that played up the hypocrisy angle by listing only the R rated features that our first born again president was allegedly involved with. They pointed out that many of them were marketed to minors on MTV and that many of them starred Hollywood liberals (many starred actors with serious alcohol and drug problems too but that's another story). Interesting, but again, only part of the story. I wanted more titles, details, and facts. I found that GWB was actually an (uncredited) part of a company that produced at least 74 major release Hollywood features, over a period of ten years. Some were good and some were very bad, some were for kids and some were for adults. Some were very profitable. Many were box office flops, but if you add in the considerable profits from video rentals and sales, years of repeated airings on cable and network TV, and aggressive overseas sales (especially the Disney titles), I'll bet the majority made profits. I saw and liked a few of these movies when they were new, but I've managed to ignore or avoid most of them over the years.

From 1983 to 1992 George W. Bush (born July 6, 1946 in New Haven, CT) was on the board of Silver Screen Management (or Partners), a company that produced movies exclusively for Tri Star, then Walt Disney. Silver Screen was founded by Bush's Yale frat brother (and fellow Skull and Bones member) Roland W. Betts. Betts and Bush were both class of '68.

These are all the movies known to have been produced by Silver Screen Partners and Silver Screen Partners II, III, and IV (the numbers changed over the years), along with my notes, some outside quotes, and some parallel finance, oil, baseball, and political events. The non film related info is all over the web and in many books now. I don't really understand it all and either do you. GWB's Hollywood involvement began while his father was Vice President and ended after his father, the President of The United States, was voted out of the White House. I'd love to know if GWB did anything besides lend his famous name and share in the profits of these movies. Did he help secure locations, read or approve scripts or make casting suggestions? Did he attend premieres and party with the stars? I think it's safe to say that the movie profits were an early part of a brilliant complex long term plan to help him reach his first big goal, becoming the Governor of Texas, then leader of the free world. Note how well Silver Screen Management practiced product placements, recycling (remaking French films) and outsourcing (filming in other countries). Read on...