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India Press Store - Backstairs at the White House
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List Price: $59.99
Our Price: $38.59
Your Save: $ 21.40 ( 36% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
Starring: Olivia Cole, Leslie Uggams, Louis Gossett Jr., Robert Hooks, Leslie Nielsen
Directed By: Michael O'Herlihy
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9781569388037
Format: Box set
ISBN: 1569388032
Label: Acorn Media
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
Number Of Items: 4
Publisher: Acorn Media
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2005-11-01
Running Time: 444
Studio: Acorn Media
Theatrical Release Date: 1979-01-29
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable!
Comment: I first saw this mini-series back in 1979 when it first aired. I was 10-years-old. I never ever forgot it (or the historical tidbits I learned from it), and I'm thrilled to now have a chance to view it again. This should be a must-see for all kids, especially those of middle school age. It makes a lasting imprint.
Customer Rating:
Summary: They Don't Make Them Like This Anymore
Comment: I remember watching this mini-series back in 1979 and I am so pleased to see it out on DVD now. In 1909, Maggie Rogers is hired at the White House as a maid to the Presidents family. She is the first African-American woman to hold this key position. Not much of a job considering the long hours, low wages and primadonna like behaviour of some of the President's and their families. The cast is superb and you come to care about each individual staff member as they endure personal tragedies while trying to maintain their jobs. The timeframe is 1909-1961 so there are two world wars, the depression and many other significant events of our history that are covered. Leslie Uggams, is brilliantly cast as Maggie's daughter Lillian who is proud, headstrong and sassy, traits that often drive her poor mother crazy but they love and support one another through life's tribulations in this turbulent era of war and poverty. Lillian starts working at the White House in 1931 because of her incredible skills as a seamstress. She had polio as a child and is left using a crutch for the rest of her life. As each President comes and goes we are treated to glimpses of their personalities. The Hoover's and the Eisenhower's are my least favorite inhabitants due to their vain and rather vapid approach to dealing with the staff. I highly recommend this tender sometimes heartbreaking, many times joyful account of life in the White House in the early years of the 20th century as seen through the eyes of two strong and very classy ladies.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Backstairs at White House is winner
Comment: I found the DVD of Backstairs at the White House an excellent portrayal of several presidential administrations. It was also an eye-opener to how the servants were treated and to the quirks of the various presidents and first ladies.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great
Comment: Would recommend to anyone who likes good drama and wants to learn about the last century in the white house. This is not straight history, but is told from a human view point of the little man or the servants who work in the White House. Acting is inspired and though I doubt if the First Family actually interacted that much with the staff, it is still a sweet story suitable for the whole family.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Backstairs at the White House
Comment: I've been looking for Backstairs at the White House on video for years and was so happy to find it at Amazon. Though it had been nearly 30 years since I had seen it, I remembered a number of the deails vividly. It did not disappoint. I thought I had watched this on network television when I was in high school, but the release date is listed as 1979 - is this correct? I thought it was closer to 1973-74. Since my daughter is now living and working in Washington, D.C., watching it again was of particular interest. I am also reading The President's House, by Margaret Truman, which I would recommend as an excellent companion to the video.
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Editorial Reviews:
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The classic miniseries about two remarkable women and the eight First Families they served
Their unrivaled behind-the-scenes access gives White House staff a uniquely personal view of history in the making. Two remarkable women in one family served as White House maids over a period spanning five decades and eight administrations—from Taft to Eisenhower. Their story and a half-century of American history unfold in this star-studded drama, nominated for 11 Emmy® Awards.
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