On Friday, February 21st, at 6:30 p.m. Poolesville Seniors will screen the movie "The Butler' with a special appearance by Charles Allen. Eugene Charles Allen was an American waiter and butler who worked for the US government at the White House for 34 years until he retired as the head butler in 1986. The movie uses Eugene Allen as the basis for the main character.
Mr. Allen was born and raised in central Virginia and worked as a waiter for many years in "whites-only resorts and country clubs". He started at the White House in 1952 as a "pantry man", a job which involved basic tasks such as dish washing, stocking and polishing silverware. Over the years Allen rose through the ranks to become the butler to the president.
Mr. Allen never missed a day of work in 34 years before he retired in 1986. He had worked for Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan, a total of eight presidents. Allen and his wife, Helene, were married for 65 years and had one son, Charles Allen, who will introduce our movie.