posted 09-16-2015 11:48 PM                    

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Ronald Reagan is known as the movie junkie president. He was, after all, an actor before getting into politics. But do you know who watched even more movies than Reagan while in office? Jimmy Carter. And Carter only served a single term.

After painstakingly going through the President’s daily journal, which outlined his tasks for each day, I’ve made a list of every movie Carter watched while in office from January 20, 1977 until January 20, 1981. And man, he really did watch a lot of films.

Part of my fascination with the movies that presidents watch is just cheap voyeurism. But the other part is an earnest belief that popular culture influences things in the real world. President Nixon was obsessed with the film Patton during the Vietnam War. President Reagan urged Congress to take computer security seriously after seeing War Games in 1983.

So what can we glean from the list I’ve compiled of President Carter’s viewing habits? Well, he certainly watched the major movies of his time that dealt with energy concerns like 1979’s nuclear-phobic The China Syndrome. He was also screening plenty of war films. The former president hosted an early private White House screening of Apocalypse Now with director Francis Ford Coppola and about 75 other people on May 10, 1979. It wasn’t released in theaters until August.

But it wasn’t all modern gloom and doom. Jimmy and the First Lady, Rosalynn, watched plenty of Westerns like Shane and A Fistful of Dollars. And they’d watch a goofy comedy now and again. (Animal House, Airplane, Caddyshack and Meatballs are all on the list). They even watched some films that might be considered horror, like the 1978 film Magic or the 1980 movie The Changeling. And they watched plenty of Humphrey Bogart movies.

It seems like Carter would watch anything and everything, with over 400 movies screened at the White House and Camp David while he was in office. Some of the screenings were private affairs with just the President and First Lady. Other times a movie was that night’s entertainment for guests at the White House. An April 30, 1979 screening of the Ingmar Bergman film Autumn Sonata notes that there were “approximately 48 members of the White House staff” on hand to watch.

In one of the most interesting screenings I came across, Carter watched Star Wars with Anwar Sadat, the President of Egypt, on February 4, 1978 at Camp David. That meeting was actually a secret strategy session for peace in the Middle East that would pave the way for the historic Camp David Accords in September of 1978 between Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

Do I think movies had a direct impact on President Carter’s decision making? Of course not. After he watched Alien in June of 1979 I doubt it had any affect on public policy. But the media we consume do matter. And the list shows that there were screenings that reflected the political and business climate of the Cold War. For instance, President Carter watched the 1979 Soviet spy thriller Avalanche Express with a large group of Congressmen. And in 1980 he watched a movie called The Formula about a conspiracy by the oil companies to keep secret a revolutionary synthetic fuel that would put them out of business.

The list below was compiled by combing through Carter’s public daily agendas, and I believe I’ve found most of the movies he watched while in office. But if you do your own research and find more, please let me know. The movies are in the order that he watched them and include links to his full agenda for that particular day. So, for instance, if you’re curious what President Carter was doing before he watched The Cat From Outer Space on November 18, 1978, you can click through and see. (He had dinner with his family and talked with his Assistant of Communications Gerald Rafshoon.)

Sometimes President Carter watched movies immediately when they hit theaters. For instance, he watched The Empire Strikes Back five days after it had been released. Other times, there didn’t appear to be much urgency. The first movie Carter saw in the White House theater? All the President’s Men. The night after he lost his re-election campaign to Ronald Reagan he watched the 1967 film The Bandits.

President Carter had a reputation as a bit of a prude, given his deeply religious background. He once told Playboy magazine that he had lust in his heart, and this itself was a sin. But he watched plenty of films with risque material for the time, including stuff like Hardcore and Midnight Cowboy, the first X-rated movie to be screened in the White House.

Although perhaps there was some guilt/atonement built in to some of these screenings. For instance, on January 25, 1980 Jimmy watched the sex comedy 10 starring Bo Derek with members of his staff. The following day Jimmy watched a movie called Jesus with the First Lady.

I’ve done my best compiling the list below but if it was unclear which version of a film that Carter may have watched, I’ve included all possible dates up to that point. For instance the agenda notes that Carter watched A Star is Born but doesn’t specify which one. It was made three times, in 1937, 1954, and 1976. We can probably assume that he watched the most recent one, but you never know!

And yes, I have freedom of information requests out for Bill Clinton, the first Bush and George W. The last of which I got an update for recently. They said I can expect the list in 46 months. No joke. But at least you can see President Reagan’s list here.

Looking at the movie viewing habits of a given president may not provide profound insights about their policies. But it does give us a unique lens through which to see how a president fit into, or even fought against, mainstream American culture during their time in the White House.
Carter is sworn into office January 20, 1977

All the President’s Men (1976) - January 22, 1977

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) - January 28, 1977

Network (1976) - February 5, 1977

Rocky (1976) - February 19, 1977

The Godfather (1972) - March 3, 1977

The Magic Christian (1969) - March 5, 1977

Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976) - March 12, 1977

The Bad News Bears (1976) - March 26, 1977

The Shootist (1976) - March 27, 1977

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - April 2, 1977

Harry and Tonto (1974) - April 7, 1977

Nashville (1975) - April 22, 1977

Chinatown (1974) - April 26, 1977

Blazing Saddles (1974) - April 28, 1977

Lucky Lady (1975) - April 29, 1977

The Island of Allah (1956) and Herbie Rides Again (1974) - May 21, 1977

Zorro (1940 or 1975?) - June 9, 1977

The French Connection (1971) - June 12, 1977

Silver Streak (1976) - June 24, 1977

Rocky (1976) - June 25, 1977

The Caine Mutiny (1954) - June 27, 1977

Camelot (1967) - June 30, 1977

MacArthur (1977) - July 6, 1977

Islands in the Stream (1977) - July 10, 1977

Jaws (1975) - July 22, 1977

Music Man (1962) - July 23, 1977

A Star is Born (1937, 1954, or 1976?) - July 29, 1977

The Deep (1977) - July 31, 1977

Bridge Over the River Kwai (1957) - August 2, 1977

Smokey and the Bandit (1977) - August 12, 1977

High Noon (1952) - August 27, 1977

Gnome Mobile (1967) - August 30, 1977

That’s Entertainment (1974) - August 31, 1977

Cabaret (1972) - September 9, 1977

What’s Up Doc? (1972) - September 11, 1977

The Longest Yard (1974) - September 21, 1977

Sinbad (1977) - September 23, 1977

Sounder (1972) - September 26, 1977

Citizen Kane (1941) - December 3, 1977

Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) - October 6, 1977

The Hustler (1961) - October 15, 1977

The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977) - October 18, 1977

Frankenstein (1931) - October 19, 1977

Bears and I (1974) - October 20, 1977

On the Waterfront (1954) - October 23, 1977

The Wind and the Lion (1975) - October 26, 1977

Three Days of the Condor (1975) - October 28, 1977

Fiddler on the Roof (1971) - November 4, 1977

The Great Waldo Pepper (1975) - November 9, 1977

Man With the Golden Gun (1974) - November 10, 1977

Island at the Top of the World (1974) - November 11, 1977

The Turning Point (1977) - November 13, 1977

Black and White in Color (1976) - November 16, 1977

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) - November 19, 1977

Goodbye Columbus (1969) - November 22, 1977

Funny Girl (1968) - December 8, 1977

New York, New York (1977) - December 12, 1977

The Maltese Falcon (1941) - December 19, 1977

Live and Let Die (1973) - December 26, 1977

Midnight Cowboy (1969) - December 27, 1977

1978

Love in the Afternoon (1957) — January 7, 1978

The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings (1976) — January 8, 1978

Breakheart Pass (1975) — January 10, 1978

The Graduate (1967) — January 12, 1978

Roman Holiday (1953) — January 24, 1978

Best Years of Our Lives (1946) — January 25, 1978

Semi-Tough (1977) — January 28, 1978

Sabrina (1954) — January 30, 1978

King Kong (1976) — January 31, 1978

Star Wars (1977) — February 4, 1978

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) — February 6, 1978

Papillon (1973) — February 9, 1978

Citizens Band (1977) — February 14, 1978

Jeremiah Johnson (1972) — February 15, 1978

Wait Until Dark (1967) — February 16, 1978

The Big Sleep (1946) — February 18, 1978

High Anxiety (1977) — February 20, 1978

Airport ‘77 (1977) — February 21, 1978

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) — February 23, 1978

The Twelve Chairs (1970) — February 25, 1978

Unconquered (1947) — February 27, 1978

The Guns of Navarone (1961) — March 1, 1978

Gray Lady Down (1978) — March 2, 1978

Kid Galahad (1962) — March 8, 1978

She Done Him Wrong (1933) — March 11, 1978

Reap the Wind Wild (1942) — March 12, 1978 (mislabeled as Keep the Wind Wild in the daily diary?)

The Roaring Twenties (1939) — March 13, 1978

South Pacific (1958) — March 22, 1978

A Touch of Class (1973) — March 26, 1978

Cactus Flower (1969) — April 4, 1978

The World’s Greatest Lover (1977) — April 5, 1978

Horse Feathers (1932) — April 11, 1978

Georgy Girl (1966) — April 13, 1978

Annie Hall (1977) — April 16, 1978

Tin Star (1957) — April 19, 1978

In Harm’s Way (1965) — April 20, 1978

For Pete’s Sake (1974) — April 22, 1978

Come Back Little Sheba (1952) — April 24, 1978

Operation Petticoat (1959) — April 27, 1978

The Apartment (1960) — May 6, 1978

Born Yesterday (1950) — May 8, 1978

Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957) — May 10, 1978

One, Two, Three (1961)— May 15, 1978

Key Largo (1948) — May 16, 1978

Bend of the River (1952) — May 18, 1978

Dial M for Murder (1954) — May 19, 1978

Patton (1970) — May 22, 1978

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) — May 27, 1978

Life with Father (1947) — May 28, 1978

Cool Hand Luke (1967) — May 31, 1978

Gunga Din (1939) — June 1, 1978

Cowboy (1958) — June 14, 1978

President’s Lady (1953) — June 6, 1978

Life of Emile Zola (1937) — June 7, 1978

Red River (1948) — June 12, 1978

To Have and Have Not (1944) — June 17, 1978

Topkapi (1964) — June 22, 1978

To Catch a Thief (1955) — June 24, 1978

Pete and Tillie (1972) — June 26, 1978

Cheap Detective (1978) — June 28, 1978

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) — June 29, 1978

From Here to Eternity (1953) — July 18, 1978

Heaven Can Wait (1978) — July 20, 1978

Casey’s Shadow (1978) — July 23, 1978

Marty (1955) — August 1, 1978

West Side Story (1961) — August 5, 1978

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) — August 6, 1978

Hooper (1978) — August 14, 1978

Charge of the Light Brigade (1968) — August 16, 1978

Magnificent Yankee (1950) — August 30, 1978

Hang ‘Em High (1968) — September 4, 1978

Shane (1953) — September 6, 1978

Sleuth (1972) — September 8, 1978

My Darling Clementine (1946) — September 9, 1978

Save the Tiger (1973) — September 10, 1978

New Voyager (1942) — September 12, 1978

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) — September 14, 1978

The Candidate (1972) — September 21, 1978

Mildred Pierce (1945) — September 24, 1978

Paint Your Wagon (1969) — September 28, 1978

The Mouse That Roared (1959) — September 29, 1978

Coming Home (1978) — October 3, 1978

Garden of Evil (1954) — October 6, 1978

Johnny Belinda (1948) — October 9, 1978

Boys from Brazil (1978) — October 10, 1978

A Wedding (1978) — October 11, 1978

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) — October 12, 1978

Days of Heaven (1978) — October 13, 1978

Tennessee Johnson (1942) — October 14, 1978

Jezebel (1938) — October 17, 1978

From Russia With Love (1963) — October 18, 1978

For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) — October 25, 1978

Mrs. Miniver (1942) — October 27, 1978

Wilson (1944) — November 1, 1978

The Cat From Outer Space (1978) — November 8, 1978

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) — November 9, 1978

Animal House (1978) — November 10, 1978

The Last Hurrah (1958) — November 11, 1978

Lost Horizon (1937 or 1973?) — November 12, 1978

Dodge City (1939) — November 15, 1978

Children of Sanchez (1978) — November 16, 1978

Separate Tables (1958) — November 20, 1978

Dangerous (1935) — November 28, 1978

Force 10 From Navarone (1978) — November 29, 1978

Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956) — November 30, 1978

Elmer Gantry (1960) — December 1, 1978

Northwest Mounted Police (1940) — December 4, 1978

East of Eden (1955) — December 9, 1978

Superman (1978) — December 10, 1978

A Thousand Clowns (1965) — December 14, 1978

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) — December 21, 1978

1979

Gold Rush (1925) — January 2, 1979

Lord of the Rings (1978) — January 12, 1979

California Suite (1978) — January 13, 1979

Grand Hotel (1932) — January 15, 1979

Heiress (1949) — January 16, 1979

Zorba the Greek (1964) — January 18, 1979

Sergeant York (1941) — January 24, 1979

Stalag 17 (1953) — January 25, 1979

The VIPs (1963) — January 30, 1979

The Devil’s Disciple (1959) — February 23, 1979

Every Which Way But Loose (1978) — February 24, 1979

Magic (1978) — February 25, 1979

Darling (1965) — February 28, 1979

All About Eve (1950) — March 6, 1979

The Rare Breed (1966) — March 14, 1979

The Red Badge of Courage (1951) — March 20, 1979

The Bells of St. Mary (1945) — March 21, 1979

Ice Castles (1978) — March 23, 1979

Hair (1979) — March 28, 1979

Same Time Next Year (1978) — March 29, 1979

The Last Picture Show (1971) — April 4, 1979

Viva Max (1969) — April 9, 1979

Lone Star — April 10, 1979

Rebel Without a Cause (1955) — April 13, 1979

Bullitt (1968) — April 14, 1979

Enemy Below (1957) — April 26, 1979

Captains Courageous (1937) — April 27, 1979

Autumn Sonata (1978) — April 30, 1979

Manhattan (1979) — May 6, 1979

Apocalypse Now (1979) — May 10, 1979

Beau Geste — May 17, 1979

The Road to Bali (1952) — May 19, 1979

Manhattan (1979) — May 23, 1979

Phantom of the Opera (1925, 1943, or 1962?) — May 24, 1979

A Very Big Withdraw (1979) — May 25, 1979

Friendly Persuasion (1956) — May 27, 1979

Dear Inspector (1977) — June 1, 1979

Fahrenheit 451 (1966) — June 3, 1979

You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man (1939) — June 4, 1979

Alien (1979) — June 13, 1979

The Kentuckian (1955) — June 19, 1979

The China Syndrome (1979) — June 20, 1979

My Little Chickadee (1940) — June 22, 1979

The In-Laws (1979) — July 14, 1979

The Robe (1953) — July 17, 1979

Rocky II (1979) — July 18, 1979

To Each His Own (1946) — July 20, 1979

The In-Laws (1979) — July 23, 1979

The Angel and the Badman (1947) — July 24, 1979

The Jazz Singer (1927 or 1980?) — July 26, 1979

Blue Skies (1946) — August 2, 1979

Meatballs (1979) — August 3, 1979

Sweet Bird of Youth (1962) — August 4, 1979

Break-Out (1975) — August 7, 1979

Escape to Athena (1979) — August 13, 1979

For A Few Dollars More (1965) — August 14, 1979

3:10 to Yuma (1957) — August 15, 1979

Don Juan (1926 or 1948?) — August 24, 1979

North Dallas Forty (1979) — August 25, 1979

Dracula (1979) — August 26, 1979

Lost and Found (1979) — August 27, 1979

Ride the High Country (1962) — August 28, 1979

The Horse Soldiers (1959) — September 4, 1979

Avalanche Express (1979) — September 5, 1979

Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) — September 6, 1979

St. Louis Blues (1958) — September 9, 1979

The Misfits (1961) — September 14, 1979

Lost Horizon (1937 or 1973?) — September 15, 1979

Bonjour Tristesse (1958) — September 16, 1979

Two Years Before the Mast (1946) — September 18, 1979

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) — September 20, 1979

Inherit the Wind (1960) — September 21, 1979

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) — September 24, 1979

Time After Time (1979) — September 29, 1979

The King and I (1956) — October 4, 1979

Torn Curtain (1966) — October 5, 1979

10 (1979) — October 6, 1979

The Gunfighter (1950) — October 11, 1979

Gorgeous Hussy (1936) — October 16, 1979

Sheep Man (1958) — October 20, 1979

The Onion Field (1979) — October 21, 1979

Shenandoah (1965) — October 22, 1979

Legends of Frank Woods (1977) — October 27, 1979

MacKenna’s Gold (1969) — October 30, 1979

Thunderball (1965) — November 2, 1979

Sahara (1943) — November 4, 1979

Running (1979) — November 9, 1979

Big Country (1958) — November 11, 1979

If I Had a Million (1932) — November 16, 1979

Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) — November 17, 1979

An American in Paris (1951) — November 19, 1979

Bloodline (1979) — November 20, 1979

Hanover Street (1979) — November 21, 1979

Anne of a Thousand Days (1969) — November 22, 1979

Spencer’s Mountain (1963) — November 23, 1979

Julius Caesar (1953) — November 24, 1979

The Picture Show Man (1977) — November 30, 1979

Bus Stop (1956) — December 1, 1979

Mary Queen of Scots (1971) — December 3, 1979

Star Trek (1979) — December 12, 1979

MASH (1970) — December 15, 1979

The Black Hole (1979) — December 18, 1979

Kramer vs Kramer (1979) — December 21, 1979

The Electric Horseman (1979) — December 22, 1979

The Rose (1979) — December 23, 1979

Chapter Two (1979) — December 24, 1979

The Black Stallion — December 25, 1979

Going in Style (1979) — December 26, 1979

Advise and Consent (1962) — December 27, 1979

The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979) — December 29, 1979

Luv (1967) — December 30, 1979

1980

The Good Earth (1937) — January 9, 1980

Being There (1979) — January 14, 1980

The Bank Dick (1940) — January 16, 1980

The European (1979) — January 18, 1980

Harper (1966) — January 19, 1980

10 (1979) — January 25, 1980

Jesus (1979) — January 26, 1980

The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) — January 29, 1980

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) — February 2, 1980

Rio Grande (1950) — February 3, 1980

A Little Romance (1979) — February 8, 1980

All That Jazz (1979) — February 10, 1980

Mutiny on the Bounty (1962) — February 12, 1980

Night of the Iguana (1964) — February 16, 1980

Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) — February 18, 1980

Broken Lance (1954) — February 19, 1980

Agatha (1979) — February 23, 1980

Fedora (1978) — February 27, 1980

The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) — February 29, 1980

My Brilliant Career (1979) — March 1, 1980

Barry Lyndon (1975) — March 2, 1980

Arabesque (1966) — March 7, 1980

Scalp Hunters (1968) — March 15, 1980

Hide in Plain Sight (1980) — March 22, 1980

Watch on the Rhine (1943) — March 21, 1980

The Petrified Forest (1936) — March 23, 1980

Mr. 880 (1950) — March 24, 1980

Cinderella Liberty (1973) — March 28, 1980

The Paper Chase (1973) — March 29, 1980

Simon (1980) — April 1, 1980

Oklahoma Crude (1973) — April 3, 1980

When Time Ran Out (1980) — April 8, 1980

High Society (1956) — April 11, 1980

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) — April 12, 1980

The Human Factor (1979) — April 13, 1980

Baltimore Bullet (1980) — April 19, 1980

The Undefeated (1969) — April 20, 1980

Klute (1971) — April 25, 1980

Ffolkes (1979) — April 26, 1980

Laura (1944) — April 27, 1980

Barefoot Contessa (1954) — May 2, 1980

Kramer vs Kramer (1979) — May 3, 1980

The Black Marble (1980) — May 4, 1980

The Jerk (1979) — May 5, 1980

Bronco Billy (1980) — May 9, 1980

A Fistful of Dollars (1964) — May 10, 1980

Anastasia (1956) — May 12, 1980

Splendor in the Grass (1961) — May 13, 1980

The Devil at Four O’Clock (1961) — May 15, 1980

Strangers on a Train (1951) — May 16, 1980

The Last Married Couple in America (1980) — May 17, 1980

Silent Partner (1978) — May 20, 1980

Blue Lagoon (1980) — May 23, 1980

Fastest Gun Alive (1956) — May 24, 1980

The Man Who Loved Women (1977) — May 25, 1980

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) — May 26, 1980

Cass Timberlane (1947) — May 30, 1980

The Final Countdown (1980) — May 31, 1980

All Quiet on the Western Front (1979) — June 5, 1980

The Shining (1980) — June 7, 1980

The Long Riders (1980) — June 13, 1980

Brubaker (1980) — June 27, 1980

Urban Cowboy (1980) — June 28, 1980

Nothing Personal (1980) — June 29, 1980

The Searchers (1956) — July 11, 1980

A Fine Madness (1966) — July 12, 1980

Little Miss Marker (1980) — July 13, 1980

Flower Drum Song (1961) — July 18, 1980

The Big Red One (1980) - July 25, 1980

Dressed to Kill (1980) - August 8, 1980

Touch of Love (1969) - August 17, 1980

Hopscotch (1980) — August 18, 1980

The Changeling (1980) — August 21, 1980

The Lady Vanishes (1938) — August 22, 1980

The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980) — August 26, 1980

The Hunter (1980) — August 29, 1980

Caddyshack (1980) — August 30, 1980

The Flim Flam Man (1967) — September 2, 1980

Fame (1980) — September 5, 1980

Robin and Marian (1976) — September 8, 1980

The Great Santini (1979) — September 6, 1980

Mountain Men (1980) — September 12, 1980

Diamond Head (1962) — September 24, 1980

Resurrection (1980) — September 26, 1980

Oh God Book II (1980) — September 27, 1980

Ordinary People (1980) — October 11, 1980

My Bodyguard (1980) — October 17, 1980

Gloria (1980) — October 18, 1980

The Stunt Man (1980) — October 26, 1980

The Bandits (1967) — November 5, 1980

The First Deadly Sin (1980) — November 7, 1980

Loving Couples (1980) — November 8, 1980

The Brothers Karamazov — November 9, 1980

Goldfinger (1964) — November 11, 1980

Airplane (1980) — November 12, 1980

Love is a Many Splendored Thing (1955) — November 13, 1980

A Change of Seasons (1980) — November 15, 1980

Many Rivers to Cross (1955) — November 17, 1980

It’s My Turn (1980) — November 18, 1980

[Film unknown] — November 19, 1980

The Blues Brothers (1980) — November 20, 1980

Tribute (1980) — November 22, 1980

Nine to Five (1980) — November 26, 1980

Any Which Way You Can (1980) — November 27, 1980

Stir Crazy (1980) — November 28, 1980

The Island (1980) — November 29, 1980

Tribute (1980) — December 3, 1980

Irma La Douce (1963) —December 4, 1980

It Seems Like Old Times (1980) — December 5, 1980

The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976) — December 10, 1980

The Competition (1980) — December 12, 1980

Kagemusha (1980) — December 13, 1980

Private Benjamin (1980) — December 19, 1980

The Formula (1980) — December 20, 1980

Two Rode Together (1961) — December 31, 1980

1981

The Owl and the Pussycat (1970) — January 2, 1981

Popeye (1980) — January 3, 1981

Fools’ Parade (1971) — January 5, 1981
Carter leaves office January 20, 1981

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