Johnson, Howard; Nowlan, Garland L.

WHITE HOUSE MANUSCRIPT MOVIE LOG OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, HARRY S. TRUMAN, AND DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER 1933-1953 [MOTION PICTURES SCREENED FOR "PRESIDENT F.D. ROOSEVELT"]

[Washington, D.C.]: 1933-1953. Large Octavo, 200 pages. In Good condition. Bound in half ox-blood cloth with pebbled black cloth. Worn gilt 'record' to center of front board. Binding with moderate wear and rubbing, all extremities show signs of fraying and use. Rear cover with some old staining. Cloth reenforcement and resowing to both front and rear gutters. Only pages 1-79 are used.

Front pastedown with 'Property of Garland L. Nowlan EM1/C" Front free endpaper with "Motion Pictures Screened for "President F.D. Roosevelt" By Howard Johnson C.E..M. Rear pastedown with a birthday and FDR's wedding anniversary.
Consignment. Shelved in Case 3.

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NOTES

This is an exhaustive record of every film, show, and newsreel played in the White House from 1933-1953, covering the entirety of the Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman administrations, and the first seven months of the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration. A scholar could conduct further research and analysis of this item; cross-referencing for individual films with contemporary diaries, letters, and other records is highly advised. Because film reels had to be requested in advance, there is a possibility that some films listed were planned and not actually seen, though this archive does cover the full range of viewings at the White House.

The White House Family Theater was created during security renovations that the executive branch undertook after joining World War Two. In addition to bulletproof glass windows, "bomb-barrier" concrete walls, and the construction of the East Wing, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had an East Terrace cloakroom converted into a movie theater in 1942. Prior to that, there was no dedicated screening room, though movies and reels were still shown to the First Family and their guests.

Viewers in this log include the Presidents and First Ladies, children (including Anna Roosevelt, Clarence John Boettiger, and children Eleanor and Curtis), James Roosevelt (as Col. James), close staff, and guests. Guests include "Mrs Chan Kai Shek" (Soong Mei-ling, Madame Chiang), Prime Minister John Curtin, Justice James F. Byrnes, Admiral Leahy, President Miguel Alemán Valdés, and Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson.

From 1933-1938 the record states title and lead actor, before expanding in 1939 to include month and day shown, studio, and length of tape. Lead actor largely drops off by the end of 1940, with some occasional context comment taking its place, including events taking place or location if not at the White House (such as the USS Tuscaloosa). In late 1942, the bookkeeper began to note attendees, with a more concentrated effort to mark the President's viewings by March of 1943; most viewings were accompanied by a note on the viewers by mid 1944. From November of 1944 onwards the format is static, listing only the date, title of film, and who was watching (or at the very least, who the recorder thought was worth mentioning).

Of particular historical note is the appearance of news segments shown starting in 1939. Pathe News by RKO, MGM News, Fox News, and Paramount News were all shown, usually bundled after a film. Beginning in 1940, there was an increase in War related screenings, including a number of the March of Time series and pieces by and by Churchill. Eleanor Roosevelt's films were also screened, with 'Women in Defence', produced by the Office of Emergency Management, having an early screening on Nov. 30, 1941. Her October 1942 trip to England is recorded in "Mrs. R. Trip to England' and was shown multiple times, while the record of her August 1943 morale building tour visiting American troops in the South Pacific was shown six times under two titles, "Mrs. R. Trip to Islands' and 'Mrs. R. Trip to S.W. Pacific.'

Early Animation, especially Disney productions, was well represented in screenings, with 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' being the fourth film shown in 1938, close to the film’s February 4 general release. November 15, 1939 was the seventh birthday of Diana Hopkins, daughter of special assistant to the President Harry Hopkins, and animated pieces from Disney, Paramount, Fox, and Warner Bros. were shown in celebration. In addition to short films like 'Brave Little Tailor', Disney's 'Dumbo' was also shown in November of 1941 as was one of the Fleischer Studios Superman pieces in 1942. The propaganda film 'The Spirit of '43' and 'Red Hot Riding Hood' make appearances as well. A showing of 'Song of the South' to Miss Odum and guests took place in May. 1950; this event also included a dozen short pieces, including 'Boobs in the Woods', 'Rabbit Hood', 'Mutiny on the Bunny', 'Leghorn Blows at Midnight', 'Puss Cafe', and 'What's up Doc?', usually paired with a film. This trend continued in 1951, 1952, and 1953. Terrytoons' 'Dingbat Land' was also shown in 1950. One of Eisenhower's first films was 'Peter Pan', barely a week after release, followed three days later by the return to the White House of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'.

FDR watched the popular films and actors of the day, with Douglas Fairbanks, Katherine Hepburn, Lionel Barrymore, Will Rogers, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Charlie Chaplin, Shirley Temple, Errol Flynn, and Greta Garbo all listed, plus Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers. FDR's personal tastes can also be seen on the manifest for his visit in November of 1943 to the First Cairo Summit, where, among others, he watched the new 'Phantom of the Opera', and his trip to the Yalta conference in February of 1945, which included 'To Have and Have Not.' The last movie shown to FDR was 'The Suspect', a 1944 film noir. The April 12 log simply reads 'President Roosevelt Passed Away Warm Springs, Ga.'

A week after FDR's passing, there were viewings by James Roosevelt (April 19), the Roosevelt family (April 20, 23), and President Truman (April 27) of newsreels about FDR.

After this period of mourning, Truman's first use was a family affair, with Bess Truman, Margaret Truman, his mother Martha Young Truman, and Bess' mother all joining him for a viewing of 'Going My Way.' Reels of Truman's trip to the Potsdam Conference were shown to assistant press secretary Eban Ayers, appointments secretary Matthew Connelly, and others. A number of films were screened just by Truman's immediate family, though starting in late 1945, a significant number of films were viewed by 'Social Staff', a departure from earlier trends. Among them was political advisor and committed Zionist David Niles, who watched 'The House I Live In' on Nov. 14, 1945, featuring Frank Sinatra and in opposition to antisemitism. Reathel Odum, secretary for Truman and sometimes chaperone for Margaret Truman, shows up frequently with the president and staff. Horror film 'The Spiral Staircase' was Margaret Truman's choice of film for her 22nd birthday; some interesting connections could be drawn between a film starring a mute woman and Margaret, who was embarking on a career as a coloratura soprano.

Bess Truman, whose privacy was renowned, is slightly revealed here. During her term as First Lady, she discontinued the practice of holding weekly press conferences, rarely spoke in public and required that all press questions be submitted in writing. Bess’s answers to these questions were often short, revealing little about herself or her family’s private life. This log however offers a glimpse into her taste and preferences; she frequently rewatched Looney Tunes and popular comedies with her friends.

White House Press Secretary Charlie Ross used the screen to review or view works such as 'Behind the Scenes at the White House'. Motion picture consultant to the president Arch Mercey watched the 1946 short propaganda film 'Seeds of Destiny' twice in two days, possibly to review for the president. '"A" Bomb Film' was screened for President Truman and his cabinet on July 9th, 1946, possibly an advance screening of The March of Time's 'Atomic Power', which was released one month later on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. It was later shown to White House employees on October 16th. Some personal usage continued, with '3 Reels of Undeveloped Trip Pictures' shown to/by Truman and Guests. May 1, 1947 featured a visit by President Miguel Alemán Valdés of Mexico, with a film of Truman's trip to Mexico in Spanish. Two months later Truman and Mexico's Ambassador watched a film on Aleman's visit. The 1947 patriotic film 'Power Behind the Nation' was shown to Truman and his Cabinet on Oct. 10, 1947. One day after accepting the nomination for President at the Democratic National Convention, Truman was home watching 'Hamlet' with his family. January and February 1949 had multiple viewings of old inauguration films for the Secret Service, Social Staff, and Truman. 1949 was dominated by staff viewings of newsreels, with a sprinkling of other showings. Some films or reels were seen by John R. Steelman, who filled the office later known as the White House Chief of Staff, and his Special Assistant, Dallas C. Halverstadt, who worked closely with the motion picture industry and the Advertising Council. Some of these films were either not listed (possibly due to security purposes), or related to nuclear events, such as Sandstone (The Department of Energy produced a series of classified films in 1948). Truman's 67th birthday features 'The Last Outpost', starring future president Ronald Reagan as Confederate Army Captain Vance Britton, followed by two animated shorts. Truman's last film in office was 1939's classic 'Gone with the Wind', shown on January 16th, 1953, four days before he left office.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was a frequent movie-watcher, screening multiple films per week. His known favorite, 'Angels in the Outfield' (1951), was shown barely a month after inauguration. 'Call Me Madam,' based on the Irving Berlin musical, was shown twice in March, including the day after release. Lord Montgomery, serving then as NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (after having a contentious relationship with Eisenhower during WWII), visited and watched several movies with Eisenhower at the end of March. Interestingly, Eisenhower, who served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in WWII, watched no WWI military films. The closest was the musical comedy 'Down Among the Sheltering Palms'. While Eisenhower kept with tradition and did not attend the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, he did watch the Christopher Fry documentary 'A Queen Is Crowned' eighteen days later, and in October 1957 welcomed Queen Elizabeth II for her first official state visit as monarch. The last film in the log, dated July 20, is Douglas Sirk's 'All I Desire'.

The volume ends in 1953, the same year Paul Fischer took over as White House projectionist. Serving from 1953 to 1986, he kept a separate set of handwritten records of all the movies screened at the White House and Camp David. The location of those records is currently unknown.