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Films That Have Screened in the White House

  • Public Domain
    1 of 10

    'The Birth of a Nation'

    D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation," which manages to be simultaneously the most historically important American film as well as the most controversial one, was the very first film to be screened at the White House. Although the film was promoted with a quote from Woodrow Wilson, he actually despised it for its overt racism.
  • MGM
    2 of 10

    'Angels in the Outfield'

    Surprisingly, according to his grandson, President Eisenhower hated war movies and preferred light entertainment, so much so that Ike screened "Angels in the Outfield" a record 38 times during his presidency.
  • Paramount
    3 of 10

    'Roman Holiday'

    Like most of the other presidents, John F. Kennedy had a thing for westerns and war movies, but he watched "Roman Holiday" to relax during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
  • 20th Century Fox
    4 of 10

    'The Sound of Music'

    Richard Nixon liked "The Sound of Music." He also liked to eat cottage cheese with ketchup, so I guess you could say Nixon isn't exactly a paragon of good taste.
  • Disney
    5 of 10

    'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'

    Eleanor Roosevelt wrote that movies were the one and only relaxation her husband had and that he screened movies at the White House several times a week. He had a thing for Disney films, especially "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Eleanor, on the other hand, liked educational movies. Go figure.
  • United Artists
    6 of 10

    'Midnight Cowboy'

    Movie-crazy Jimmy Carter watched a total of 480 films during his four years in the White House and he was the first president (that we know of, at least) to screen an X-rated film, "Midnight Cowboy."
  • United Artists
    7 of 10

    'High Noon'

    Bill Clinton famously proclaimed his love for "High Noon," saying: "It's no accident that politicians see themselves as Gary Cooper in 'High Noon.' Not just politicians, but anyone who's forced to go against the popular will. Any time you're alone and you feel you're not getting the support you need, Cooper's Will Kane becomes the perfect metaphor." He watched the film 17 times in the White House.
  • 20th Century Fox
    8 of 10

    'Home Alone'

    Gerald Ford's favorite movie was apparently "Home Alone." We respectfully disagree with him.
  • Paramount
    9 of 10

    'We Were Soldiers

    George W. Bush began his presidency watching the Austin Powers movies, but after 9/11 he switched to "We Were Soldiers" and "Black Hawk Down." It kind of makes sense, doesn't it?
  • The White House
    10 of 10

    'Up'

    Please enjoy this picture of the Obamas enjoying "Up" in 3D.

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