BACKSTAIRS AT THE WHITE HOUSE
50 years of American history unfolds in this star-studded docudrama
Acorn Media announces the Nov. 1, 2005, DVD release of Backstairs at the White House. Based in part on the autobiographical novel My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House by Lillian Rogers Parks, as well as on extensive personal interviews, the series provides an intimate look at life in the White House through eight administrations-from Taft through Eisenhower-as remembered by a mother and daughter who, between them, served as White House maids for 52 years. When it debuted on NBC in 1979, Backstairs won every one of its 18 half-hour ratings periods against tough competition and was nominated for 11 Emmys. The series was produced by Ed Friendly, whose other television credits include the classics Little House on the Prairie and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Acorn's DVD release of the complete nine-hour series has a total running time of 444 minutes. The 4-volume DVD boxed set is priced at $59.99 SRP. Pre-book date is Oct. 4, 2005.
DVD extras include a companion guide with producer's notes, an essay by the president of the White House Historical Association, historical photos, and other background information about the presidents and eras depicted.
Lillian Rogers Parks and her mother-played in the miniseries by Emmy-nominated actress Leslie Uggams (Roots) and Emmy Award-winning actress Olivia Cole (Roots)-diligently and loyally performed their duties while acting as reluctant confidantes to numerous First Ladies. The large, stellar cast also includes Louis Gossett, Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman) as butler Levi Mercer, Cloris Leachman as head housekeeper Mrs. Jaffray, and Leslie Nielsen as chief usher Ike Hoover. Among the renowned actors playing presidents and first ladies: Julie Harris as Mrs. William Howard Taft, Robert Vaughn as Woodrow Wilson, Kim Hunter as Ellen Wilson, Claire Bloom as Edith Galt Wilson, Celeste Holm as Florence Harding, George Kennedy as Warren G. Harding, Lee Grant as Mrs. Calvin Coolidge, and Harry Morgan as Harry Truman.
Executive Producer Ed Friendly is delighted that the series will now reach a wider audience. "Having been deeply involved with television, virtually since its inception, I've been involved with countless projects as a network executive and an independent producer-and have been blessed with a close association with scores of multiple Emmy Award-winning projects. Fifty years later, my favorite remains Backstairs at the White House because it is the essence of what television should be about. Its entertainment values were documented by its 11 Emmy nominations, but what sets it apart from the norm is that it is informative and accurately reports a part of U.S. history that has been shamefully neglected by both television and our educational system. It is with great appreciation that I realize that millions of people all over the world have learned some of the history of the White House and its eight first families through Backstairs. It may well have been the trendsetter for the so-called docudrama."
Backstairs at the White House is available from select retailers, catalog companies, and direct from Acorn at 1-888-870-8047 or www.acornonline.com.
Headquartered in suburban Washington, D.C., Acorn Media is one of North America's most active providers of British television on home video.
DVD 4-Vol. Boxed Set
Catalog #AMP-8032
ISBN: 1-56938-803-2
UPC: 0-54961-8032-9-3
SRP: $59.99
Running Time: 444 minutes.