Buzz
Julia Child’s achievements are nothing short of extraordinary: She became the first woman honored in the Culinary Institute of America’s Hall of Fame, earned top civilian awards from both the U.S. and France, authored bestsellers, captivated audiences as a TV star, and even served as an undercover agent for the Allies in World War II. Her latest biography, The French Chef in America (a follow-up to My Life in France), penned by Alex Prud’homme, highlights another milestone—she was the pioneer who brought a White House State Dinner to television.
In 1968, Julia Child’s TV special, White House Red Carpet with Julia Child, emerged from a rejected proposal to the Public Broadcasting Library (PBL). PBL had approached Child in 1966 during her break from The French Chef to create a news-focused half-hour special. Initially, she aimed to showcase Paris’s iconic Les Halles market, but PBL found it too costly. Undeterred, she suggested an inside look at a White House State Dinner. When PBL declined again, National Educational Television (NET) stepped in to broadcast the program.
Filming a state dinner had never been allowed before. However, Julia’s relentless efforts—through letters, telegrams, and calls from her and her WGBH producers in Boston—convinced the White House to grant access. With approval secured, Child dedicated days to interviewing key staff members, including Henry Haller, the White House’s executive chef.
Haller took over as the White House chef in 1965, succeeding René Verdon, who had resigned due to disagreements with the Johnsons over menu choices. (Verdon famously objected, “Barbecued spareribs are not suitable for formal banquets with ladies wearing white gloves.”) While Haller didn’t share Verdon’s disdain for spareribs, he did inherit his expertise in traditional French cooking. This instantly won him favor with Child, who praised his seafood vol-au-vent while documenting his kitchen preparations. She was particularly pleased to learn he preferred butter over margarine, which she famously disliked.
The event honored Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Satō, with 190 guests including diplomats, politicians, and celebrities such as Kirk Douglas. Also present were MLB commissioner William Eckert and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson. (Satō was known to be a baseball enthusiast.) The cameras captured the guests’ arrival and the exchange of gifts between Johnson and Satō. (Satō received a Tiffany desk set, while Johnson was gifted a portable TV camera and tape recorder.) The evening then transitioned to the dining portion.
The meal began with seafood vol-au-vent, a delicate puff pastry filled with lobster, bay scallops, shrimp, and fish dumplings, all smothered in sauce Americaine. The main course featured sautéed lamb filet accompanied by artichoke bottoms, asparagus, and a fluted mushroom cap. Guests also enjoyed a salad, select American wines, cheese, and grapes, followed by a dessert of Bavarian cream mousse with fresh strawberries. Child enthusiastically proclaimed it “one of the finest dinners I’ve ever experienced.”
The evening grew tense during Johnson’s toast, which addressed critiques of America’s role in Vietnam. However, the mood lightened when Tony Bennett, Satō’s chosen entertainer, took the stage.
White House Red Carpet with Julia Child premiered on April 17, 1968. Critics lauded Child for her characteristic enthusiasm, but she wasn’t around to hear the accolades. By the time the show aired, she had already retreated to her vacation home in Provence, France, where she and her husband Paul enjoyed a peaceful getaway filled with relaxation and, naturally, cooking.
