Buzz
Bill Clinton once remarked, “The greatest perk of the White House isn’t Air Force One, Camp David, or anything else. It’s the incredible movie theater I have access to here.”
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is brimming with luxurious features, but the White House Family Theater stands out as a cultural cornerstone. Since its creation in 1942, it has screened everything from iconic American movies to bold political campaign videos. To get a sense of its charm, watch this video of the Obamas hosting a 50th-anniversary screening of To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) last year.
Beyond its role as an entertainment hub, the family theater has also served as a strategic tool for advancing presidential agendas. For example, during the push for the No Child Left Behind Act, George W. Bush invited Ted Kennedy to a screening of Thirteen Days (2000), a film highlighting JFK’s leadership during the Cuban missile crisis, as part of a successful effort to gain the senator’s backing. Here’s a glimpse into the fascinating history of this unique cinematic space.
1. The First Film Ever Screened in the White House Was The Birth of a Nation
Movies were screened in the presidential residence long before the Family Theater was established. The controversial Ku Klux Klan propaganda film holds the honor of being the first movie shown there, during a special screening for the Wilson administration in 1915, which President Wilson openly admired.
2. The Theater Was Initially a Coat Room
Situated in the East Wing, the spacious area was transformed into a theater at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s request during his third term. Over the years, it has undergone multiple renovations, as showcased in this slideshow:
3. Dwight Eisenhower Enforced a Robert Mitchum Ban During His Presidency
Eisenhower had a strong preference for westerns, which were immensely popular in the 1950s, and he watched dozens of them during his presidency. However, after Robert Mitchum, a prominent western star, was arrested for marijuana possession, Eisenhower boycotted any film featuring Mitchum, even in a minor role. He would stand up and leave the theater whenever the actor appeared on screen.
4. The Final Film John F. Kennedy Watched Was From Russia With Love
Most of his staff noted that Kennedy seldom watched a full movie, but he appeared to thoroughly enjoy the James Bond film—likely because the original novel was among his favorite books. He viewed it on November 20, 1963. The following day, he traveled to Dallas, where he was tragically assassinated on November 22.
5. Lyndon Johnson’s Most-Viewed Film Was a Documentary About His Own Life
Narrated by Gregory Peck, who later received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Johnson’s administration, A President’s Country (1966) was a 28-minute documentary highlighting LBJ’s early years. Distributed to American embassies globally, it was never commercially released in the U.S. Despite this, Johnson watched it 12 times during his presidency.
6. Richard Nixon’s Beloved Film May Have Influenced His Foreign Policy Decisions
Widely celebrated as one of the finest biographical films ever made, Patton (1970) was a movie Nixon couldn’t stop praising. His enthusiasm was so intense that Secretary of State William Rogers called him a “walking advertisement” for it. Nixon even had to refute claims that Patton swayed his choice to invade Cambodia, especially after he watched it twice just before launching the campaign.
7. Jimmy Carter Holds the Record for Most Movies Watched by a President
While one might assume former actor Ronald Reagan watched more films during his presidency, it was Jimmy Carter who set the record. Despite serving only one term, Carter managed to watch 480 movies in the White House. Among them was the controversial Midnight Cowboy (1969), the first X-rated film screened in the Family Theater, though its rating had been changed to R by the time Carter viewed it.
