louis gaines son of cecil gaines
John F. Kennedys death was a tragic yet questionable day. The movie was filmed in New Orleans, Louisiana. The struggles of Cecil Gaines' character and his son represent two sides of the same coin. But the names have been changed: Allen and his wife, Helene, are called Cecil and Gloria Gaines. Allen was the first White House butler ever to be invited as a guest to a state dinner. Heres a run down of The Butler, fact vs. fiction. Supporters of Ronald Reagan aren't happy with the way Lee Daniels' The Butler portrays the 40th president, but none more so than his son, Michael Reagan. They met at a birthday party in Washington in 1942, and married a year later in 1943. Colombian Mexicans. This time, he was walking to meet President Obama for the first time. Its fair to say it has epic ambitions. Alison Gaines 7/27/12. Colombians (colombianos in Spanish), are citizens of Colombia. Reagan's hesitation to issue sanctions arose in part because he did not want to disrupt America's anti-communist alliance with the country, not because he thought apartheid in South Africa was okay. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. -The Butler: A Witness to History "It's important to understand," says Danny Strong, who penned The Butler script, "there's a reason why the character's name is Cecil Gaines. Now, however, Allens story is playing out on the big screen in an Oscar-baiting film with a sprawling cast including Robin Williams, Terrence Howard, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, Liev Schrieber, Oprah Winfrey, and, in the role inspired by Allen, Forest Whitaker. Louis, the older son in The Butler and a Freedom Rider and early member of the Black Panther Party, is the lens through which much of the film's depiction of the civil rights movement is. -The Butler Featurette, Writer Wil Haygood had a hunch that Barack Obama would win the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Gaines sends his son down south to college, only to find that Louis has dropped his studies to devote all of his attention to the struggle for racial equality: He takes a seat in the whites. Born on April 9,. Sadly, Helene did not witness the election. Private Tomie Louis Gaines, 93, one of the last of the Buffalo Soldiers, the black Army men who helped settle the West on horseback and fought in two world wars, was laid to rest Friday at M.J.. He started in the White House in 1952 as a "pantry man", a job which involved basic tasks such as dish washing, stocking and cleaning silverware. Menu. But as interesting as Haygoods profile is, A Butler Well Served by This Election doesnt provide that many details about Allens time in the White House outside a handful of facts and humorous anecdotes. Louis Gaines represents the radical voice in the fight for social justice. When he spoke to Haygood about his childhood, There was nary a hint of bitterness in his voice about his upbringing. Allen left the plantation in hopes of finding better work, as Cecil doesbut unlike his fictional counterpart, he never broke into a hotel restaurant to steal food. The minority-minority relationship between the two organizations raised enough attention that it gained affirmative action. Not many African Americans can do what Cecil does, which was not getting beaten up even if he was a different color, and white people treated him equal because he was a good nigger butler. He was predeceased by : his parents, George Gaines and Hazel Gaines (Chase); and his wife Barbara Jones. Cecil Gaines: Now you need to stop that, you know that ain't right. The Butler (2013) David Oyelowo as Louis Gaines. No. John F. Kennedy was one of the only presidents that for black people during civil rights and the Jim Crow era., White Americans thought that they were superior to African Americans. The movie is based off a man named Cecil Gaines who operated from place to place as a butler to support his family, while his oldest son is out protesting for his rights, beliefs, and his culture. The central character, Cecil Gaines, is only loosely based on the real Allen. He became junior butler under President Kennedy and says he dressed John Jr. for his fathers funeral in 1963. Heres how its described in Haygoods profile: In the film, on the other hand, Cecils discomfort at sitting among the white elite is made clear through voiceover, as he describes feeling like an outsider and a traitor to his black colleagues who are now serving him. The butler and the Reagans [6] He retired in 1986, after he 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. Indigenous peoples of Colombia, or Native Colombians, are the ethnic groups who have been in Colombia prior to the Europeans in the early 16th century. Eugene Charles Allen - Scottsville Museum, "Eugene Allen, White House butler for 8 presidents, dies at 90", "Eugene Allen: White House butler who worked for eight US presidents", "The True Story of The Butler: Fact vs. Fiction in Lee Daniels' The Butler", "White House Workers: Traditions and Memories", "No, President Obama isn't doing a cameo in 'The Butler', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eugene_Allen&oldid=1134854716, This page was last edited on 21 January 2023, at 01:43. Much of the film, though, has been fictionalized, including his name (which was changed to Cecil Gaines) and childhood background. Because The Butler is a historical drama, you brace yourself for the brutal moments you know are coming nextsuch as the Kennedy assassination. -The Butler: A Witness to History. And just to be around the president and the first lady, every day, it's different from other people. Cecil Gaines in his later years, waiting for Ronald Reagan to finish his lunch so he could step in and wipe spittle from the president's chin. 934 results. However, she did suffer from depression and mental health issues, which led to her drinking. But in the hallway, he fell against the wall and started crying. See more of my daily satirical posts here. on a real person, Forest emphasizes that . The Butler tells the story of Cecil Gaines, a black man who rose to become White House butler and served eight presidents, witnessing some of the most tumultuous events in 20th-century America,. Cecil is hired as butler just as soon as black matre d Freddie Fallows (Colman Domingo) confirms that he is not actively political and is experienced in his field. The national origins classified as Hispanic or Latino by the United States Census Bureau are the following: Argentine, Cuban, Colombian, Puerto Rican, Spaniards, Dominican, Mexican, Costa Rican, Guatemalan, Honduran, Nicaraguan, Panamanian, Salvadoran, Bolivian, Spanish, Chilean, Ecuadorian, Paraguayan, Peruvian. While the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, Hispanic is a narrower term that only refers to persons of Spanish-speaking origin or ancestry, while Latino is more frequently used to refer generally to anyone of Latin American origin or ancestry, including Brazilians. -The Washington Post. Cecils character arc is complete when Nancy Reagan invites him to the state dinner as a guestthe first black butler to receive such an invitation in the history of the White House. Released in 2013, the film traces the history of civil rights from the 1950s to the 1980s through the eyes of Cecil Gaines, a White House butler based on the real-life experience of Eugene Allen, who served eight presidents over 34 years. We may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through links. Louis goes away to college, but he . [3], Allen was born in Buckingham County, Virginia and raised on Shirland Farm near Scottsville. He was correct. Grand View Funeral Home 11116 US-61, Hannibal, MO 63401. The following breakdown is based on Haygoods profile and the accompanying book. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. Throughout his life at the cotton fields he witnesses the death of his father and the beating of his mother. they like to follow their own heart, not minding the consequences. When he passed away in 2010, the president sent a letter to his family acknowledging his years in service and abiding patriotism.. At least one key character, Cecils son Louis (David Oyelowo), is entirely made up. In 1954, African Americans gained an understanding on how people should be treated and they wanted changes in their rights and how society treated them publicly. The film then fast-forwards a few decades to a jarringly older Cecil and Gloria, who are proudly campaigning for something they thought theyd never see: a man who could become the first black president of the United States. But the names have been changed: Allen and his wife, Helene, are called Cecil and Gloria Gaines. Even though they are people just like we are. The woman in charge of the plantation (Vanessa Redgrave) takes pity on him and makes him a houseboy, the beginning of his life-long career as a domestic. However, others may say it was justified for trying to force a nation into a new way of life. Most of the six presidents didn't come from backgrounds like that. There is no photo or video of Cecil Gaines.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. Had champagne that night, Helene recalled to Haygood during their interview, as her husband grinned. Cecil confirms hell be there to serve and begins listing all the preparations hes already started marking. Looking for info on THOR FORSYTHE GAINES born Jan 31, 1890. His mother is raped by the white plantation owner and the father is shot dead immediately following. As a result, majority of Colombians do not equate their nationality with their ethnicity, usually embracing and espousing both simultaneously. Louis (Hijo de Cecil Gaines y Gloria) Dred Scott v. Sanford was only one of the great Supreme Court cases that changed the history of America and African Americans forever. John Cusack as Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States. They acted like they were some high and mighty people and that Africans Americans were just the dirt on the bottom of their shoes. Like in the movie, Jacqueline Kennedy did give one of JFK's ties to Eugene. In the movie, Cecil asks for equal pay among the black and white service staff, who each perform the same level of duties. When Wil came across former White House butler Eugene Allen, he knew that he had found the perfect story to tell. This crooked fella, Trump, he doesnt seem to know a thing about the country, its laws, the Constitution. He went on to admit that they didn't include him because, "We couldn't get him!" Judging from Haygoods interview, it seems that Allen, like Cecil, was grateful to have his job at the White House, and wary of involving himself in the politics of the timeeven in his old age, he is not quoted saying anything disparaging about the presidents he worked under. That tie, however, Allen had framed. Some people who are Latino/Latina are also Hispanic and some Hispanics are also Latino/Latina but some people are only one or the other. Hispanic if you and/or your ancestry come from a country where they speak Spanish. Gloria Gaines, thebutlerswife, hasan affair with a neighbor (Terrence Howard) and struggles with alcoholism. But even today, where skin color should make no difference, black people still experience segregation., Stop sweet-talking him (Bagwell n.pag.). Shes mesmerizing and stunningly nuanced as she battles an alcohol addiction, struggles with guilt over an affair, and weathers the emotional torture of a fractured familyher husband devotes his life to the White House, her eldest son joins the front lines of the dangerous civil rights movement, and her younger son is killed in Vietnam. Jackson made it where common people could vote, and thats why he won the elections. Wearing the tie given to him by Jackie Kennedy and a tie clip he received from Lyndon Johnson, Cecil is last seen making the same walk he made nearly 60 years earlier when he first interviewed for his job at the White House. "While the movie The Butler is set against historical events, the title character and his family are fictionalized," states director Lee Daniels. Eighty-nine-year-old Eugene Allen, who, like Obama, is African American, served as butler at the White House under eight different presidents: I was there for 34 years, he says proudly, before reeling off the names of each President he worked for: I served Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Eugene Allen (July 14, 1919 March 31, 2010) 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. And that scene where Cecil lands his first job as a waiter after being caught stealing food by a sympathetic senior butler who helps him turn his life around? "I think it's gonna have to be somebody who is capable of delivering a nuanced performance, and Forest is more than capable." In real life, Jackie insisted on wearing the suit for the swearing in of Lyndon B. Johnson that took place aboard Air Force One, the same flight that transported her husband John F. Kennedy's body back to Washington, D.C. Guess which butler feels the pain of America's racial injustices so deeply that he quits his White House job and joins his son in a protest movement? Cecil Gaines, who has been serving presidents in the White House since the late 1950's, was fired by Donald Trump on Wednesday for disloyalty. Inspired by the true story of Eugene Allen, one of the first black men to serve in the White House, Lee Daniels' "The Butler" details the life of Cecil Gaines, who served as a . Colombia is a multiethnic society, home to people of various ethnic, religious and national origins. The Butler, from The Weinstein Co. and starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, is based on Eugene Allen, a White House butler who served eight presidents from 1952 to 1986. For this film's Cecil Gaines, the evening triggers a crisis of confidence. A rep for the Weinstein Company, which released The Butler, was unavailable for comment. I hope she grow out of it. "[4], Allen and other workers who served presidents were featured in a 32-minute documentary, Workers at the White House, directed by Marjorie Hunt and released on a 2009 DVD, White House Workers: Traditions and Memories by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.[10]. References ^ a b Eugene Charles Allen - Scottsville Museum Visited 2018-05-01. James Marsden as John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. [hide]. The Civil Rights Movement was to give future Generations the opportunity to have their civil rights. Allen finally attained the most prestigious rank of butlers serving in the White House, Matre d'htel, in 1981, during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. (They're played by Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.) That was the first time in my life I had ever seen my father cry. Cecil Gaines: I worry a lot for America right now, said Gaines. The Butler, based on the story of long-time White House butler Eugene Allen, hits theaters Friday. Nov 23, 2022 - Louis Gaines is a fictional character in the 2013 film The Butler. In 1957, the president was Dwight D. Eisenhower. Watch The Butler movie trailer below and view a featurette that includes interviews with the director, Oprah Winfrey and the son of the real butler. Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. Cecil Gaines Obituary We are sad to announce that on June 25, 2021, at the age of 82, Cecil Gaines of Hannibal, Missouri passed away. While he had continued, there was one president that invited him to a big party in the white house. Just for the movie. ", But what particularly rankled Reagan was the movie's insinuation that his father wanted to veto sanctions on apartheid South Africa when, in actuality, he said "it had to do with the geopolitics of the Cold War. The movie begins with Cecil Gaines working on a plantation in 1926 with his father and mother. Trump only kept me on because people around him said dont fire the black man, dont fire him, youll lose votes! So he kept me around, but begrudged it. In a personal essay for the fall issue of Magnolia Journal, out Friday, the 44-year-old Fixer Upper star reflected on nearly 20 years of . While the Black Panther Party ingrained the deep-rooted consciousness of black self-worth and utilized the black nationalist philosophy constructed by Marcus Garvey to address economic austerity and police brutality. Gaines was often viewed as a sell-out, trying to appease whites. Still, some of the most remarkable episodes are true. Allen learned of a job at a country club in Washington, D.C., a fact that aligns with Cecils move to the nations capital. Gaines used the scholarship to study for a year at Stowe Teachers College in St. Louis, then transferred to Lincoln University, Missouri's all-black college, after it awarded him a another scholarship in 1933. "There you go again, Hollywood. Seeing him standing there, it's been worth it all. Film details The Butler, 2013 Character Cecil Gaines played by Forest Whitaker. (Answered 2023). When comparing The Butler movie fiction vs. fact, we discovered that in real life, Eugene and Helene Allen's only son, Charles, did in fact serve in Vietnam, but he did not die there. Louis grows up under the newly free United States just as the Jim Crow laws fall. It is implied that this realization is what causes him to make the decision to retire. He began working there in 1952, during the Truman administration, but didnt get promoted to butler until several years later. March 31, 2022 by joe biddens But the names have been changed: Allen and his wife, Helene, are called Cecil and Gloria Gaines. The Butler tells the story of Cecil Gaines, a black man who rose to become White House butler and served eight presidents, witnessing some of the most tumultuous events in 20th-century America, including the Civil Rights movement. In the film, Cecil is portrayed by Forest Whitaker. Charles Allen, the son of Forest Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! It's about several other people I spoke to that worked at the White House as well so that the film would create this universal truth for many people of what that experience was like.". Although this aspect of the character may have provided fodder for Oprah Winfrey to sink her acting chops into, the real Gloria Gains, Helene Allen, was not an alcoholic, nor did she contemplate an extra-marital affair. Profession butler at the White House. Since the Civil Rights Movement racial equality has improved through things such as African Americans government roles, and their rights in everyday life. In The Butler movie, Cecil (Forest Whitaker) watches his fellow butlers serve him at the state dinner and realizes he has in fact been wearing a mask over the years to cover up the subservient nature of his job. (Answered 2023), What Are Cat and Dog Paws Adapted for? Yes. Eugene Allen with Ronald and Nancy Reagan. The Butler director Lee Daniels and screenwriter Danny Strong injected these events into the movie in order to create the fear that builds subservience into Cecil's DNA. All rights reserved. Cecil Gaines: [laughing] Ain't nobody done nothing to spite you. He began as a pantry worker in 1952, and was promoted to butler years later. This site is supported by our readers. Its the first of many historic moments in the civil rights movement that Cecil would witness as a silent servant in the Oval Office. But then he got up and put his coat back on. "And so was Mrs. Thomas Gaines 2/26/12. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. 0:56. Shed lean on her cane with one hand, and on him with the other, while walking down to the precinct. He was hired in 1952 as a pantry worker and worked his way up to butler after several years. I do not mean this as a criticism, as the divide between moderate Gaines and his . alias Francis Gaines. In the movie, the Gaines' youngest son Charlie (Elijah Kelley) dies in Vietnam, requiring Cecil to maintain his composure and poise while confronting Nixon. In real life, Eugene Allen always expressed pride with regard to his job and his time at the White House. It is the day President Eisenhower decides that the White House must intervene to ensure the safe integration of black students in Little Rock, Arkansas. Cecil ends up attending the protest, after deciding to retire from being a butler. ^ a b Haygood, Wil At the time, America was entangled in the Cold War with the Soviet Union and their communist allies. Yes, Eugene Allens son, Charles, served in the Vietnam War. And shed get supper going afterwardOn Monday Helene had a doctors appointment. After a two-hour tour through the ugliest moments of the countrys history, The Butler concludes with one of those lump-in-the-throat rousing moments that wins applause at the end of screenings. He goes beyond respecting. But theres one black man who spent nearly four times that34 yearsin the White House, watching as eight presidents filed in and out and witnessing the country change from within the walls that were changing it. Gaines, who grew up on a cotton plantation in Macon, GA, first entered the White House in 1957 as President Eisenhower's wardrobe organizer. Allens son survived the war, while his fictional counterpart does not. -DailyBulletin.com. "Guess which one had a happy, quiet life and was married to the same woman for 65 years? Cecil is a very private person who does not share much about his personal life with his colleagues or friends. Cecil's son, Louis, becomes part of the civil rights movement against his father's wishes. So as time went by, Cecil became the butler for the president. Evan Arnold . Cecil had a wife, Gloria Gaines, and two sons, Louis and Charlie Gaines that were with him after he became a butler in a Washington Hotel. The only thing that can be said with certainty is that the President is not in the film aside from historic footage. Oprah Winfrey who portray husband and wife The film also gives the butler a second son who is a civil rights activist, and who, in real life, did not exist. When we first encounter our hero, Cecil Gaines . [7] Reagan invited Allen and his wife Helene to a state dinner in honor of Helmut Kohl at the White House. Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. Cecil Gaines is the main character of the movie whose father tragically died at the hands of his employer in the cotton fields of the state of Georgia. [1] He worked as a waiter for many years, in "whites-only resorts and country clubs", including The Homestead resort in Hot Springs, Virginia, and a club in Washington.[4]. Yes, in his last year as a butler at the White House, Cecil Gaines had the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama. Proving Descent from Henry Gaines/Isabella Pendleton. It placed Allen's life in the context of changing race relations and the personalities of the presidents he'd served. I was the one who taught little John John how to salute like that., Gaines trimmed Lyndon Johnsons ear hairs as a full butler and remembers rewinding Richard Nixons tape recording machine every evening. Loosely based on the real-life of Eugene Allen, the film stars Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, an African-American who eyewitnesses notable events of the 20th century during his 34-year tenure serving as a White House butler. . "Despite what Hollywood's liberal hacks believe, my father didn't see people in colors. Latino refers to geography. Eugene and Helene Allen did not have only one son, Charles. Its not surprising that some broad creative license was taken with Allens life. The film follows Cecil Gaines, modeled after Allen, as he witnesses the changes of each administration while his son, Louis Gaines, fights for equality. Days before Election Day, Helene passed away. It was a brief meeting, but one that Obama later remarked was a thrill.. Cecil and his father working the cotton field There is a significant Colombian diaspora in Mexico. And heres how this made-for-TV nightmare shouldve ended. Colombia officially acknowledges three ethnic minority groups: the Afro-Colombian, indigenous, and Romani populations. He is a butler who has worked in the White House for over three decades. Otherwise I believe the african american suffrage endured much more hatred and took much longer for assimilation due to ethnic stratification and black, The radicals finally got what they long proceeded for. Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013) and Steven Spielberg's Lincoln (2012) might appear to tackle vastly different themes on the . "I wasn't even looking for a job," Allen admits (The Washington Post). "If you knew my father, you'd know he was the last person on Earth you would call a racist.". This movie The Butler is based on a true story as an American historic fiction film. The Butler true story reveals that Eugene Allen was working in the White House kitchen on the day that President Kennedy was assassinated. No, she was not an alcoholic. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. Other moments from the film appear to be true: Allen witnessed presidents mulling over important historical decisions, including Eisenhowers fight with Arkansas governor Orval Faubus regarding the desegregation of Little Rock. He was shocked at the treatment African Americans received no matter where he lived. Eugene Allen was actually serving Eisenhower and his advisers on that dramatic daythere are photos to prove itbut his real first day was during the Truman administration. The longtime butler also shared positive memories of Bill Clinton (Quite a rascal, that one, always chasing the skirts), but spoke less kindly of George W (Never could figure how a man with his lack of wits got as far as he did, pardon me for saying so.). Allen, however, was born in Virginia, and, according to Haygood, never spoke bitterly about his upbringing or hinted at the monstrosities depicted in the film. The father and son relationship at the heart of Lee Daniels' The Butler nearly eclipses the story proper, which concerns African-American Cecil Gaines, a longtime White House butler who served during eight administrations over 34 years. He knew I loved Michelle and Barack, that I became their most loyal employee when they lived here at the house. They were not allowed to vote, which brought them back to the same place they were before. But the names have been changed: Allen and his wife, Helene, are called Cecil and Gloria Gaines. Sign up to receive only the most important updates straight to your inbox. [3] Danny Strong's screenplay was inspired by the 2008 Washington Post article. So how much of Allens real-life experience actually made it into the film? He received a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, a master's degree from the University of Nebraska,. Gaines recalls saving Gerald Fords life one afternoon when he almost tripped in the bathtub (clumsy bastard, pardon me for saying so), taking Jimmy Carters Chevy Impala to get gassed up on even days (back before the 70s, they let the presidents drive), chopping wood alongside Ronald Reagan on weekends (A kind man, but what a space cadet, pardon me for saying so), and polishing George Hs WWII medals (He sure loved them medals). He returned home and became an investigator with the State Department (The Washington Post). (I have emailed Haygood and will update the post if he provides additional information.) The plantation matriarch (Vanessa Redgrave) then decides that Cecil should leave the fields to become a house nigger and learn to serve her family. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. Cecil's youngest son, Charlie Gaines, is struggling to find his identity and decides to join the military and fight for his country.
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