Update: The White House Butler on the Big Screen
Eugene Allen (Kevin Clark/The Washington Post)
Sony Pictures plans to turn our colleague Wil Haygood's front-page Washington Post story about Eugene Allen, an African American butler at the White House for 34 years, into a major motion picture.
Allen, 89, worked through eight administrations, beginning in the Truman years when segregation still reigned in his native Virginia, until midway through the Reagan era. Haygood interviewed Allen and captured his reflections in the days leading up to Barack Obama's election, for an article that ran Nov. 7 -- "a story from the back pages of history," Haygood wrote, "the man in the kitchen."
"It's such a moving story that covers such a sweep of history," producer Laura Ziskin ("Pretty Woman," "Spider-Man") told Variety. The studio bought Allen's life-story rights as well as the rights to the newspaper story. Haygood has been signed as an associate producer and researcher.
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November 21, 2008; 1:02 AM ET
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Posted by: alvix | November 21, 2008 4:58 AM | Report abuse
Hmmmm. That's funny: there's been a one-man play written about another White House butler that's been moving around regional theaters for a while -- and was done at Ford's Theatre not too far back:
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regional/dc/dc131.html
Posted by: blondonesez | November 21, 2008 12:34 PM | Report abuse
GREAT STORY - WONDERFUL WIFE - INTELLIGENT MAN AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE MOVIE !
Posted by: myworld | November 21, 2008 4:00 PM | Report abuse
WHAT IF HE WERE THE BUTLER AT LEAST ONCE WHEN OBAMA BECOMES PRESIDENT?
Posted by: skip3 | November 21, 2008 4:16 PM | Report abuse
Yeah!!!
It was a great and moving story. Their story was the first time I read ALL of the comments.
I can't wait for the movie.
Posted by: rlj1 | November 21, 2008 6:17 PM | Report abuse
I would hope that Sony sees fit to pay Mr. Allen as a consultant on the story. Seems as if HE should benefit from his story if anyone does.
Posted by: annsand | November 24, 2008 5:03 PM | Report abuse
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Congratulations to Mr Allen & Mr Haygood. It was an excellent, moving story, and I hope that the Hollywood machinery does it justice.