| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| HTA ID | HTA-0414 |
| Title | Movie Extra — Henry Appears in "Raise the Titanic" |
| Date | 1979 (filming of "Raise the Titanic," released 1980) |
| Date Confidence | High (film production dates are documented) |
| Program | PM Magazine |
| Station | WDVM Channel 9, Washington DC |
| Duration | ~8:00 (estimated, part of compilation) |
| Format | Participatory behind-the-scenes — finished broadcast piece |
Henry appears as a movie extra in the production of "Raise the Titanic" (1980), a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster filming at Meridian House in Washington DC. The elegant estate has been transformed into the Russian embassy for a fictitious diplomatic party scene with about 80 guests.
Central Casting selected the extras — mostly non-professional actors chosen because they "looked the part" of international diplomats. Henry documents the experience from the inside: the early 7:00 AM call time, the voucher system for payment, the long waits between takes, and the reality that "showbiz is not all glamour and excitement."
The piece captures the gap between Hollywood fantasy and the mundane reality of filmmaking — the hurry-up-and-wait, the repetition, the anonymous background work that makes movies possible.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| People | Henry Tenenbaum (reporter/extra) |
| Organizations | PM Magazine, WDVM, Central Casting, Marble Arch Productions (film production company) |
| Locations | Meridian House, Washington DC (standing in for Russian embassy) |
| Subjects | Filmmaking, movie extras, behind the scenes, Hollywood in Washington |
| Themes | The gap between glamour and reality, anonymous labor, the machinery of entertainment |
| Keywords | Raise the Titanic, movie extra, Central Casting, Meridian House, embassy party, filmmaking |
| Career Period | PM Magazine, WDVM Channel 9 (1979–1984) |
"Tonight, we're at a reception here at the Russian embassy. Well, actually, this isn't the Russian embassy, is it? No, this is a movie set."
"I'm going to appear as an extra, and we're going to find out that showbiz is not all glamour and excitement."
"It is 7:00 in the morning, and Meridian House, usually the scene of dignified international social events, looks like a bustling Hollywood movie set."
"Ladies and gentlemen, bring on the extras. Extras. Those unheralded folks who stand in the background in movies, on street corners, at football games, and in this case, at embassy parties."
Source: PM MAGAZINE/movie extra and psychdrama.mp4 (Dropbox) — Segment 1 of compilation file
VIDEO ANALYSIS STATUS: File too large (2.5 GB) for automated video analysis tool. Visual analysis pending manual review or file segmentation.
From transcript context: Meridian House is an elegant Beaux-Arts mansion in Washington DC (built 1920), typically used for diplomatic events. The contrast between its usual dignified function and the chaos of a film set should be visually striking. Henry in formal attire among 80 other extras dressed as diplomats.
This is a classic "Henry goes behind the scenes" piece with a Hollywood twist. The humor comes from the contrast between the perceived glamour of moviemaking and the tedious reality of being an extra — standing around, waiting, being anonymous. Henry's self-deprecating narration ("one look at this extra should make it obvious that today's cast of extras is full of amateurs") sets the comic tone.
The historical irony is rich: "Raise the Titanic" became one of the most notorious box-office disasters in Hollywood history. Producer Lew Grade famously said, "It would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic." Henry's innocent participation in this doomed production adds retrospective comedy.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Theme | Henry participates in entertainment — connects to Recording Studio (HTA-0412), Rocky Horror (HTA-0404) |
| Theme | Behind the scenes — connects to That's News To Me (HTA-0393) |
| Location | Meridian House, Washington DC |
| Historical | "Raise the Titanic" (1980) — notorious Hollywood flop |
| Career Period | PM Magazine — participatory features |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Source File | movie extra and psychdrama.txt (combined file) |
| Alternate Files | None identified |
| Source Location | /transcript macwhisper/ (root folder) |
| Transcription Quality | Good (indoor recording, party atmosphere) |
| Repository Status | Preserved in Source Repository |
"Raise the Titanic" (1980) was directed by Jerry Jameson, produced by Lord Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment. Budget: $40 million. Box office: $13.8 million. Based on the Clive Cussler novel. The film was shot partly in Washington DC, where several scenes take place. The Washington filming provides the context for Henry's extra appearance.
Meridian House (now Meridian International Center) at 1630 Crescent Place NW, Washington DC, is a Beaux-Arts mansion designed by John Russell Pope (who also designed the Jefferson Memorial and National Gallery). It has been used for diplomatic and cultural events since 1960.
Note: The video file also contains a "psychodrama" segment (second story in the compilation). This may warrant a separate record once the video can be analyzed.
Note: The same PM Magazine episode also mentions a Mickey Mouse Club/Mouseketeer Darlene segment — this is NOT a Henry piece.
Reel Candidate Assessment: MODERATE-HIGH (pending video confirmation). The concept is inherently funny — a TV reporter becoming an anonymous movie extra in what turned out to be a legendary flop. The historical irony of "Raise the Titanic" adds value. Needs video analysis to confirm visual quality.
Processing Note: Video file (2.5 GB) exceeded the capacity of the automated video analysis tool. This record is based on transcript analysis only. Visual enrichment pending.