everyone says you re the man that got them raises and promotions. i had no idea. i wish i could take credit for that. i d like to invite you to the state dinner next week. i m going to be there, mrs. reagan. not as not as a butler, cecil. i m inviting you as a guest. but the president prefers for me to serve him personally. don t you worry about ronnie. i ll take care of that. so we ll see you next week, you and your wife. my wife? it s it s gloria, yes? yes, ma am. what did you want lee, from the actors playing first ladies and presidents? you know, i didn t want to do tricky dick. we d seen him before. just a glimmer of what they were like, just a moment of the humanity and that they were good
eugene allen worked as a butler at the white house for 34 years under every president from truman to reagan. he was there during all the major moments in the civil rights moment. the washington post profiled mr. allen just after the 2008 election, capturing his reaction as he voted for the first african-american president-elected to the office. this week president obama reflected on seeing the film, revealing he was moved to tears. i teared up just thinking about not just the butlers who worked here in the white house, but an entire generation of people who were talented and skilled, but because of jim crow, because of discrimination, there was only so far they could go. the president tearing up over the struggle for equality and how far we have come. the movie features an all-star
real butler who lived and worked in two very different worlds. you hear nothing, you see nothing. reporter: allen didn t just work but mingled with the rich and powerful, heard their stories, held their secrets. like walking into an unlocked vault, his legacy lives on in this modest home a few miles from the white house where allen and his wife raised their only son charles. when the presidents, when they got to the point where they could talk comfortably around, you know, that s when you, you know, you kind of, like, fit in. and they would just talk around you. because he wasn t going to divulge anything. reporter: not even to his wife of 65 years played by oprah winfrey. i want to hear all the stories. i don t hear because they done swore him to some kind of secret code. reporter: but allen s son said the butler who served eight presidents from truman to reagan was far from a silent witness to history. they respected his opinion.
it s the remarkable true story of a man with a front row seat to our nation s civil rights history. eugene allen worked as a butler at the white house for 34 years under every president from truman to reagan. he was there during all the major moments in the civil rights movement. the washington post profiled mr. allen just after the 2008 election, capturing his reaction as he voted for the first african-american president-elected to the office. the new movie lee daniels the butler is inspired by mr. allen s story with oscar winner forrest whittaker playing the character base on him in the
state dinner next week. i m going to be here, mrs. reagan. no. not as not as a butler, cecil. i m inviting you as a guest. but the president prefers for me to serve him personally. don t you worry about ronnie. i ll take care of that. so we ll see you next week, you and your wife. my wife? it s gloria, yes? yes, ma am. what did you want, lee, from the actors playing first ladies and presidents? you know, i didn t want to do tricky dick. we d seen him before. just a glimmer of what they were like, just a moment of the humanity, and that they were good and they were bad. that they were flawed like all of us were. the movie comes out at a time where questions are still out. trayvon martin s verdict, the