Backstairs at the White House
The White House, Rear Entrance ( Original: Backstairs at the White House ) is an American mini TV series from 1979 The series is based on the autobiographical novel " My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House" by Lillian Rogers Parks and describes the. life of the first colored employees in the White House, Maggie Rogers and her daughter. The novel, published in 1961 sparked in the U.S. quite a stir.
- 3.1 broadcasts in Germany
- 3.2 Actors and German voice actor
Background
The series describes from the point of view of the colored housemaid is happening in the White House under Presidents Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. The events are told from the perspective of the staff. Frances Spatz Leighton and the novelist Lillian Rogers Parks, who worked in the White House 52 years, the screenplay written for the series. The series was broadcast in four episodes, 1979 in the United States. In Germany, ZDF shared the 1980 series in nine episodes, each 45 minutes and was later adopted by other transmitters so.
Action
In 1909, the colored Maggie Rogers ( Olivia Cole ) was hired as housemaid. To date, Colored could only be servants and kitchen staff. Their daughter Lillian (Leslie Uggams ) suffers from polio, bites, however, and by following in the footsteps of her mother. For staff still include the first housekeeper Mrs. Jaffray ( Cloris Leachman ), the servants Ike Hoover (Leslie Nielsen ), Levi Mercer (Louis Gossett Jr.), Coates ( Hari Rhodes) and Dixon (David Downing ), the doormen Mays (Robert hooks ) and Jackson (Bill Overton ) and the maid Annie (Helena Carroll ). Maggie has, besides the work is having problems with her own family, she wants to hold together. Her husband is drinking and horsing around, so she lives with son Emmett and daughter Lillian alone. Since their job is badly paid, Maggie has constantly worry about money.
The episodes
The episodes are described in the German nine -part version.
Episode 1
Maggie Rogers in 1909 hired the first black maid in the office of the American president. So she experienced the daily life of perhaps the most powerful family in the world. At the same time she has but privately struggling with financial problems. It is the final phase of President Taft.
Episode 2
With the new president's wife, Mrs. Maggie Wilson closes soon friendship. The First Lady is committed to the equality of colored races, but dies prematurely. The President soon marries again, what the house staff to be very displeased. Meanwhile, can finally be operated on Maggie's daughter Lillian.
Episode 3
Maggie Rogers, the first black maid in the White House is very proud when she learns that her son was promoted to Lieutenant. The young man returns but soon returned with a gas poisoning to America. President Wilson suffered a stroke meanwhile. His wife performs the official duties further and ensures that he remains in office.
Episode 4
President Wilson will be replaced by President Harding. The new landlord requires that all spittoons be placed in the White House. Politically, he soon gets into trouble because several corruption cases are known. In addition, all of Washington amused that he cheats on his wife in public. Only it seems none of it to know.
Episode 5
President Harding and his wife made a trip to the death of President. He is succeeded by Vice President Coolidge, which irritates the domestics with his humor. But when the new president learns that Maggie's son Emmett suffering from gas poisoning, he is immediately helpful. After the next election President Hoover moves into the White House.
Episode 6
The economic crisis also zwing Maggie's daughter Lillian in the White House to begin as a housemaid. When Maggie Lillian is in a hard school. An assassination attempt on President Hoover puts the White House on alert. After the next election, the Roosevelt move into the White House.
Episode 7
Maggie collapses from exhaustion and is confined to bed. She misses the White House and waits every night eager for news of her daughter Lillian, who has started there as a maid. To the dismay of her mother, Lillian married in secret. But their marriage is under an unlucky star. As America enters the Second World War.
Episode 8
As the White House, Chiang Kai- shek is expected Roosevelt First Lady Maggie asks to return again in the service, to care for his wife. But Maggie overworked and now must finally give up their place. When Roosevelt dies, it falls to the servants hard at the new President Truman to get used to.
Episode 9
Maggie's daughter Lillian came in their footsteps. But when the Eisenhower's move into the White House, they have one of the oldest employees and feels increasingly alien. When her mother dies and Maggie, the Kennedys announce she decides to leave the White House. She wants to write the book that her mother always planned.
American Original Version
The series was broadcast as a four-part series in the United States.
German version
German version: ARENA synchronous Berlin Dialogue Book: Gerda von Rüxleben Dialogue Director: Lothar Michael Schmitt German Episode Length: 42'48
Broadcasting in Germany
Original Air Date: 9 episodes, from January 1980 to April 1980 on ZDF
Repetitions:
- October 1982 to December 1982 ZDF
- May 1985 Sat.1
- March 1990 Pro Sieben
- May 1992 kabel eins
- August 2007 Premiere Series
- September 2008 Premiere Series
By 2007, all repeats were broadcast in the German version cut into nine parts. In September 2008 premiere showed the original four-part U.S. version.