Casting Call: The Butler
In which we suggest who should star in the next big adaptation, remake, or historical film.
Eugene Allen worked at the White House for 34 years—starting as a pantry man in 1952, and retiring from the much more prestigious position of maître d’ in 1986. This might not seem like anything extraordinary, until you consider that Allen essentially had a White House backstage pass to the presidencies of Truman, Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan. Or, to put it in more tangible terms, Allen was privy to the personal reactions, inner struggles if you will, of presidents as they dealt with: the Korean War, Civil Rights, Vietnam, President Kennedy’s assassination, Watergate, Iran-Contra, second-wave feminism, third-wave feminism, Black Power, the Red Scare, the Lavender Scare, Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, Loving v. Virgina. We could continue, but we’re sure you get the point—no wonder Columbia pictures is making a movie of Allen’s life! Precious director Lee Daniels has already committed to direct and casting has begun—rumor has it that Mila Kunis will play Jackie Kennedy… take that how you will. Luckily for us, there are so many famous figures who came in and out of Allen’s life, that we can afford to let the casting of Jackie O. go and focus our slideshow on some of the presidents. Oh, and maybe Allen himself.
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