Letter from FM to María Julia Casanova

              May l$f 1969
Dear Maria Julia:
I talked area in to llaj. Barnura and it appears that there are plenty of civic action scenes available at the Pentagon. In fact, the major went over o’ r scenes and told me that he thought just about everything was available except the shooting war.
Meanwhile (back at the ranch) I was talking tc Lt. Col. Greer, who was in Vietnam attached to Marine Intelligence, and who is a staunch admirer of "Mas alia de la guerra". He is now at the Quantico language school and told me that right across the street is a film library that the Marines make available to anyone with ah honest purpose. He did, however, suggest that I write to the Commandant here to grease the skids a bit first, but he had no doubt the Marines would run film for us, we would tell them what bits & pieces we wanted, they would mark them, have them ccied, and give them to us. I think we would have tc allow one day for the Pentagon and a second one for Quaitico, which is about an hour's drive.
I just talked to Luis and he says he can't come any sooner than the 27th.
Hence it a pears that we would have tc choose between (1) the plan of your coming up alone while I am still around and taking a chance that I could get away from my consulaticn to accompany you, which is dubious, and (2) waiting until you and Luis can come up. We decided on (2) because my activities the last week here are bound to be limited by consultation and other matters, not to mention the cast on my leg & my ineptitude with crutches. Sc I am writing to Maj. Barnum to say that you & Luis will be viewing the footage as I have to leave.
Before I leave I'll set up the Quantico thing too. I'm sure you will find abundant good film there on all phases of the war.
Mow for the variety show, my plan, as I told L,is, is to just jot down little ideas from time to time that might help you, rather than write a script. One thing that holds me back somewhat is t at I can't see Minin as a kind of Lucille Ball. I knoxj it can be dene, but the idea of an interfering secretary is not l/lO as funny as an interfering wardrobe girl or chambermaid, owing to the fact that one expects secretaries tc have some education. To me it would be funnier to have a chambermaid in the hotel making all the ridiculous suggestions and the director can't do anything about it bt grit his teeth because his only chance of gettin any money is from the rich man, who is in love with Minin. However, you may be able to work out a characterization yourself that would be funny and at the s ame t me fulfill your desire to let Minin be herself for a change.
The reason I ment'on hotel is this: it has a lot of advantages to set the whole thing in a large hotel. The TV company is using the hotel for settings it is using the main audit-, rium or dance floor & stage for its variety showj this accounts for the live audience noises i- applause. Since a lot of the action will be in the director's "office", all you need is the kind of furniture you would have in a hotel suite, and they look alike everywhere in the'world. Corridor scenes are easy, too.