White House on TV

The White House has been the backdrop for dozens of movies and television shows over the years. For obvious reasons, the actual White House is not available to be used as a television or movie set, so producers must reproduce the rooms of the White House they wish to feature in their films.

Some have provided very accurate depictions, others not so much. Below is a list of some of the shows and movies that have featured The White House:

The Birth of a Nation (1915)
This film by DW Griffith is probably most infamous for the fact that it is very racist. If it’s possible to look past glowing praise of the KKK, viewers will see accurate depictions of Lincoln’s office and the East sitting hall.

Wilson (1944)
This film is about the life of President Woodrow Wilson. It features many accurate shots of several White House rooms. The art director was careful in their attention to detail and the result shows the effort.

Fail Safe (1964)
This is a fictional drama that uses a Cold War backdrop. The White House depictions are not at all accurate, and it’s clear that showing a true picture of it was not the director’s main goal.

Eleanor and Franklin (1976 and 1977)
Two separate mini-series about the life of the 23rd President of the United States. These shows were nominated for a total of 7 Emmy awards.

Gore Vidal’s Lincoln (1988)
Those who love learning about the life of Lincoln may enjoy this film, but those who want to see accurate White House depictions will not. It features some of the least accurate White House reproductions on film.

Dave (1993)
This is a purely fictional movie about a President who uses a body double. When the “real” President becomes ill, the Chief of Staff works to secretly install the body double as acting president in an attempt to take over the job himself. The movie features a very accurate depiction of the Cabinet Room.

Nixon (1995)
This movie is said by many to be the most accurate depiction of the White House in any film. The Oval Office is correct down to every last detail, correctly depicting the room during the time that Nixon spent in office.

Independence Day (1996)
The point of this movie was not historical accuracy. Still, there are some good interior reproductions of the White House. In other shots it is clear that some license was taken. It doesn’t really matter because by the end of the movie invading aliens have destroyed the White House.

Murder at 1600 (1997)
In this movie a murder takes place inside the walls of the White House. Again, accuracy was not the goal of the director of this thriller. Anyone familiar with the White House will be able to spot many errors in the White House scenes.

The West Wing (1999-2006)
This long running and much loved television series followed the Administration of a fictional president. While care was taken to provide an accurate depiction of the White House, close observers may notice some items that are out of place.

13 Days (2001)
This film focuses on the Kennedy era Cuban Missile Crisis. There is good attention to detail both in the content of the movie and the reproduction of the White House.

The Simpsons Movie (2007)
While this film isn’t really about White House life, and it’s a cartoon, it’s worth mentioning for its fairly accurate depiction of the Oval Office. Yes, it’s a cartoon depiction, but other than a few small details it’s dead on.

The White House will surely continue to be a favorite setting for movies and television. Picking apart the mistakes in those settings is sure to remain a favorite sport among those who know the White House well.