But some other faces at the white house never seemed to change. Allen, an africanamerican, served eight us presidents from harry truman to ronald reagan for 34 years a span of time that included remarkable gains in civil rights. Allen was born on july 14, 1919, in the town of scottsville, virginia. Butler has 99 books on goodreads with 98976 ratings. Whitepages people search is the most trusted directory. Lee daniels the butler, the highly anticipated film that stars six oscar winners, including forest whitaker, oprah winfrey honorary and nominee, jane fonda, cuba gooding. Nov 15, 20 oprah winfrey and forest whitaker, the stars of the butler a fictionalised account of a white house butler s employment during seven us presidencies talk to hadley freeman about how black.
Oprah winfrey and forest whitaker, the stars of the butler a fictionalised account of a white house butlers employment during seven us presidencies talk to. Eugene allen, 88, a retired white house butler, has served eight presidents. An oscar nominee for directing precious, daniels describes the butler as a sprawling historical drama that centers on eugene allen, a black man who worked as butler in the white house under eight presidents. Dec 16, 2015 eugene allen was a butler for the white house who served under eight presidents. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Allen was born in 1919 on a plantation farm near scottsville in central virginia. Read the lee daniels the butler movie synopsis, view the movie trailer, get cast and crew information, see movie photos, and more on. Eugene allen second from right worked from 1952 to 1986 as a pantryman, butler, and maitre d. Forest whitaker stars as cecil gaines, whose story is based on the reallife white house butler eugene allen. On the butler, and the legendary life of eugene allen. Richard butler in oregon or 24 records found whitepages. Mar 31, 2010 eugene allen, 2nd from right, is seen with the butler staff at the white house, c. Screenwriter danny strong says he was trying to present a backstage kind of view of the white house that portrayed presidents and first ladies as they really were in everyday life. First lady hillary clinton honored allen, alongside many other longterm white house workers, at a 1995 event at the white house.
L ee daniels the butler, which opens friday, is loosely based on the life of eugene allen, a butler at the white house for 34 years and through eight administrations. Eugene allen july 14, 1919 march 31, 2010 was an american waiter and butler who worked for the us government at the white house for 34 years until he retired as the head butler in 1986. Allen worked in the white house for thirtyfour years, beginning his career there as a pantry man in 1952 and rising through the ranks to become head. Despite his enduring place in white house history, he liked to think of himself as just a humble butler, said allens son, charles, in the washington post. Eugene allen gilmore july 4, 1871 november 4, 1953 was vice governorgeneral of the philippine islands from 19221929, serving twice as acting governorgeneral of the philippines in 1927 and again in 1929. Charles allen born 1940 is a british freelance writer and popular historian who lives in london. This mesmerizing companion book to the awardwinning film the butler traces. Eugene allen, butler to presidents, is dead at 90 the new york. In december 2011 the telegraph herald reported that since 1957, the company had grown from two employees to more than 400. The book is brief, but the two sections and many images of allens quietly. Loosely inspired by the reallife of eugene allen, the film stars forest whitaker as cecil gaines, an africanamerican who eyewitnesses notable events of the 20th century during his 34year tenure serving as a white house butler. Eugene allens story of great service lives on even after he is gone.
Eugene allen, 2nd from right, is seen with the butler staff at the white house, c. He struck gold when he tracked down eugene allen, a butler who had served no. As oprah continues to promote the release of lee daniels the butler, many are wondering about the real white house butler. Ann butler phone, address, background info whitepages. Join facebook to connect with allen butler and others you may know. Allen served presidents between 1952 and his retirement in 1986, by which time he had. Aug 12, 20 allen worked in the white house for thirtyfour years, beginning his career there as a pantry man in 1952 and rising through the ranks to become head butler and maitre d. Allens life was the inspiration for the 20 film the butler. Here he is at the white house while kennedy contemplates the cuban missile. May 08, 20 five years after washington post readers were gripped by the story of eugene allen the white house butler who served eight presidents, beginning in an era of segregation, and lived long enough. May 30, 20 despite his enduring place in white house history, he liked to think of himself as just a humble butler, said allen s son, charles, in the washington post in 2010. When allen retired in 1986, he had served the white house as a pantry man, butler, and maitre d. It was the 36thlargest insurance brokerage in the united states and the.
We have 1190 records for eugene allen ranging in age from 39 years old to 115 years old. He saw the presidents as regular people at home, says his son. Eugene allen, butler to presidents, is dead at 90 the new. Eugene allen was born on a virginia plantation in 1919 and spent much of. Allen s door and was greeted by a humble and elegant man and his gracious wife, who spent the afternoon sharing stories and showing treasure troves of. Based on the life story of longserving white house butler eugene allen, lee daniels the butler was one of 20s mostsuccessful movies, winning raves from critics and drawing big boxoffice. His family occupied the property for over forty years. The movie lee daniels the butller has topped movie charts. The life of eugene allen white house historical association. As a longserving white house butler, eugene allen observed the kind of intimate moments rarely written about in history books.
Washington ap eugene allen, a white house butler who served presidents from harry truman through ronald reagan, died wednesday. The butler himself, as everyone must know by now, is a composite of white house butlers played by the remarkable forest whitaker. On the cusp of obamas election he sought to find an african american butler who had seen firsthand the civil rights movement from both within and outside the white house. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading white house butlers. Eugene allen was a butler for the white house who served under eight presidents.
Apr 03, 2010 washington ap eugene allen, a white house butler who served presidents from harry truman through ronald reagan, died wednesday in takoma park, md. Kevin clarkthe washington post via getty images eugene allen. The eugene butler guest house is a two story, eight room hotel located on campus at mississippi state university. See more ideas about butler, lee daniels and african american history. View phone numbers, addresses, public records, background check reports and possible arrest records for ann butler. Well, i was backstage at the white house a few hundred times. We found 24 records for richard butler in gresham, woodburn and 32 other cities in oregon. Wil haygood blends the political with the personal in this portrait of white house butler eugene allen. For more than three decades eugene allen worked in the white house, a black man unknown to the headlines. Allen worked in the white house from the administration of harry truman to that of ronald reagan, starting as a dishwasher and rising to. Allen s life was the inspiration for the 20 film the butler.
On the butler, and the legendary life of eugene allen thegrio. A butler well served by this election the washington post. His british parents were both born in india and his numerous works focus on the british raj. Allen worked in the white house for 34 years from 1952 to 1986 with. Scott fitzgerald award, robert olen butler joins pantheon of great authors. You took the true story of eugene allen, the white house butler who served eight presidents from 1952 to 1986, and turned it into a cliched message movie. A history of white house chief ushers and butlers kindle edition by brinkley, howard, historycaps. Is the movie, the butler, based on the life of eugene allen. Eugene allen represented, as journalist wil haygood wrote, a story from the back pages of history. Eugene has been found in 21 states including indiana, north. Eugene allen smith smith was born in washington ferry, autauga county, on october 27, 1841, to samuel parrish smith, a medical doctor, and adelaide allen smith. Aug 17, 20 eugene allens story of great service lives on even after he is gone. Lee daniels the butler, the highly anticipated film that stars six oscar winners, including forest whitaker, oprah winfrey honorary and nominee, jane fonda, cuba gooding jr. From guggenheim and national endowment for the humanities fellow wil haygood comes a mesmerizing inquiry into the life of eugene allen, the butler who ignited a nations imagination and inspired a major motion picture.
Traditions and memories dvd from smithsonian folkways. Allens door and was greeted by a humble and elegant man and his gracious wife, who spent the afternoon sharing stories and showing treasure troves of. Dec, 2018 the movie lee daniels the butller has topped movie charts. A witness to history atlantic county library system. Eugene allen july 14, 1919 march 31, 2010 was an american waiter and butler who worked for the us government at the white house for 34 years until he. Oct 18, 20 loosely inspired by the reallife of eugene allen, the film stars forest whitaker as cecil gaines, an africanamerican who eyewitnesses notable events of the 20th century during his 34year tenure serving as a white house butler. Get to know eugene allen, the inspiration behind the butler. This is the disambiguation profile for otherwise unseparated authors publishing as alan butler. During some of those years, harsh segregation laws lay upon the land. Mar 26, 2012 in the midst of recruiting an allstar ensemble for his longgestating passion project the butler, director lee daniels has tapped jane fonda to play nancy reagan.
Eugene allen, white house maitre d and the man who inspired. May 09, 20 forest whitaker stars as cecil gaines, whose story is based on the reallife white house butler eugene allen. Even though it is a fictional portrayal of the life of eugene allen cecil gaines, it is an excellent movie that chronicles an important piece of american history. He is the fictional cecil gaines, a character based on eugene. Five years after washington post readers were gripped by the story of eugene allen the white house butler who served eight presidents, beginning in. Black then meet eugene allen the real butler who served. In the midst of recruiting an allstar ensemble for his longgestating passion project the butler, director lee daniels has tapped jane fonda to play nancy reagan. Trailer for the butler, based on life of the white houses.
A few days after barack obama was elected president in 2008, the washington post published an article about a black butler who served in the white house for 34 years, under eight presidents, from truman to reagan. In his adulthood, allen found work as a waiter in virginia, and he later moved to washington, d. Jul 30, 20 from guggenheim and national endowment for the humanities fellow wil haygood comes a mesmerizing inquiry into the life of eugene allen, the butler who ignited a nations imagination and inspired a major motion picture. Of his five siblings, smith was especially close to his sister, julia, who married merrill edward pratt sr. As a butler, he served eight presidents, a discreet. Eugene allen, the reallife white house butler that inspired the hit film, the butler, was happy to see president barack obama elected as the nations first black president, his son said. Aug 12, 20 as a longserving white house butler, eugene allen observed the kind of intimate moments rarely written about in history books. Eugene allen, former white house butler coastal carolina. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Throughout his tenure at the white house, allen quietly witnessed presidents make a series of monumental decisions impacting his civil rights as.
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