Article: Pancho Villa

Pancho Villa, the marketing whiz

By CHRIS ROBERTS Associated Press

Wednesday, September 3, 2003

El Paso, Texas -- Long before reality TV, Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa fought battles with an American camera crew in tow -- in 1914.

He hoped his $25,000 deal with Mutual Film Co. of New York would get him good publicity in the United States and money to buy arms and supplies.

The battlefield footage became one of the first widely distributed U.S. newsreels. But like most reality shows, all was not as it seemed. Certain battles and executions were staged for the cameras. Villa's hair was styled to make him more appealing.

How Villa used the studio and the studio used Villa is the theme of ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!