White House Family Theater, Private movie theater in East Wing, White House, United States.
The White House Family Theater is a private screening room in the East Wing with 42 seats arranged in tiered rows and four upholstered armchairs reserved for the presidential party in front. The space serves as a venue for official film screenings, speech rehearsals, and private family entertainment.
Franklin D. Roosevelt created this cinema space in 1942 by converting a former cloakroom called the Hat Box during the East Wing renovation. This transformation of a storage room into an entertainment venue marked a shift in how the residence was used.
The theater's operator was the White House chief usher. Studios have traditionally kept films available to the White House on request, either directly or through the Motion Picture Association of America, and a screening there was considered a valuable marketing tool. In March 2010, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks joined President Obama, members of Congress and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to watch the first hour of The Pacific.
The theater is only accessible for official events and special occasions and does not open for regular public visits. You can see the space only if it is included in guided historical tours of the building.
Jimmy Carter watched 480 films in the theater during his four-year term, more than anyone else recorded there; his first was All the President's Men. The projectionist was the White House chief usher. Studios treated a screening here as a marketing tool, and presidents also used the room to rehearse speeches.
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