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Richard A. Jones
Lt. Richard A. Jones shared a photo from 1970 of himself on location at the Pentagon working on an episode of The Big Picture, entitled “Hall of Heroes.” I am talking to John Daly, our narrator on the film, who is well known for being the host of What’s My Line, TV show. I was assistant director on this production. Hall of Heroes was about Medal of Honor recipients and there is a display in the Pentagon. We wanted to do a long tracking shot down the hallway to the room, but didn’t have enough tracks, so we improvised and fastened the camera to one of Pentagon’s golf carts (used to deliver mail; the Pentagon is huge with LONG hallways). Worked like a charm and we got the shot. I worked at APC 1969-1970 until Nixon closed it down and sent me overseas. I was a second lieutenant with date of rank September 2, 1969, Infantry OCS, military occupational specialty 8511, Directors Branch, 1969. I did several training films, General Court Martial, Arterial Bleeding, Personal Freedom. And this Big Picture episode, Hall of Heroes, which we shot in studio and at the Pentagon. Also I had next of kin notification and assistance duties. Not fun. Ordered to stop wearing uniforms because we were getting shot at on our way to work. I used to go to Governors Island by ferry boat when we were not working on a film to have lunch at the officers club after a round of golf on the nine hole course. I also saw a ton of Broadway plays and musicals for free thanks to the USO. Several of us lived in military housing in East Meadow, Long Island, and would car pool to the studio. Today’s museum used to be a giant film development lab processing thousands of feet of film. We had to watch dailies in a small studio each morning to see if the director got the shot he wanted from the day before. I worked as a unit manager and assistant director.
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