When the cast of "Red Tails" signed on for the George Lucas-produced movie, little did they know it would lead straight to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington.
On Jan. 13, Lucas and his co-producer Rick McCallum joined the film's director Anthony Hemingway, his cast and 15 surviving members of World War II's Tuskegee Airmen for a screening of the film with President Obama at the White House.
Below, Hemingway gives The Hollywood Reporter's Andy Lewis a detailed description of the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
There was an extensive background check. Once that was through, I received an official e-mail invitation from the White House: The screening would start at 5 p.m., but we could arrive at the White House around 3:30 for a private tour. We even got to peek into the Oval Office.
After the tour, the president and first lady greeted us in the East Room. He took a moment to thank us for what we had done for the story of the Tuskegee Airmen. Then we all posed for photos with the president. I gave him a soundtrack and a signed boxed set of Treme, which I produce and direct -- he said it's his new favorite show. For his daughters, I brought Red Tail pendants that I had made as gifts for the cast and crew.
There was a whole table of refreshments, including cookies shaped like Red Tail fighter planes. They also had popcorn and drinks laid out for us to take into the theater, but none of those little M&M boxes with the White House seal. I was looking for something like that to take as a souvenir.
When they escort you into the theater, you definitely feel like you're in a very comfy, intimate space. But it doesn't have cup holders, which made me nervous because I was afraid of spilling my drink. It was just us, a few Secret Service agents, the Tuskegee Airmen and a few staffers. The Obama girls weren't there because they were at a sporting event. I didn't see the president take any popcorn, which I jokingly called "political popcorn" because it had just the right amount of salt and butter. It was some of the best popcorn I've ever tasted.
Source: EURWeb.com
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