A Tour Of The White House By Jackie Kennedy (VIDEO)

Michelle Obama has been compared extensively to Jackie Kennedy, and today's visit by the Obamas to the White House summons memories of Jackie Kennedy's one-hour television special on Valentine's Day 1962, "A Tour Of The White House By Mrs. John F. Kennedy." The program, for which three out of four viewers tuned in, showed the iconic First Lady walking CBS' Charles Collingwood--and the world--through the rooms of the newly restored White House.

***Scroll down for the video.***

On the Green Room:
"This used to be the dining room, and this is where Jefferson gave his famous dinners and introduced such exotic foods as macaroni, waffles and ice cream to the United States."

On the inscription under the mantle of one fireplace:
"Yes, that's from the very first letter that was ever written from the White House. It was written by John Adams, the first president to live here, to his wife Abigail when he'd only been here two days on November 2, 1800. In it he says 'I pray heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house, and on all that should hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men rule under this roof.'"

President Kennedy on his wife's renovations (51:03 into the second video) :
"I think the great effort that she's made has been to bring us much more intimately in contact with all the men who lived here.... I have always felt that American history is sometimes a dull subject...but I think if [young boys and girls] can come here and see alive this building and in a sense touch the people who lived here, then they'll go home more interested and I think they'll become better Americans. Some of them may want to someday live here themselves," then adds with a chuckle, "Even the girls."

Watch the first 15 minutes here :

Or see the tour in its entirety here:

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**Watch 10-year-old Malia Obamatalk about White House decorating.**

Comments

[Hurneric]

How wonderful it is to see this tour of the White House again. Jacqueline Kennedy was the ultimate First Lady......the one by which all First Ladies are judged.

[nellie]

This is such a great video. I hope we return to the idea that the White House should be shared with the public.

[harriettubman]

I like Laura Bush. She seems genuine on the shows I've seen her on. Michelle comes to the WH with her own agenda. She's always been independent and doesn't want to be a co-president like Hillary or Nancy.

[hrhkat]

Yes she does, she will do just like hillary and run for senate when this is done, except she wont run for president, she will want to be senate majority leader...trust me.

[epitomized]

Laura Bush seems heavily medicated. The reason we don't hear much about her is because she is not interested in the well-being of this country -- just like her husband. Wait, she was instrumental in "No Child Left Behind," right? Look where that got us...under-performing schools are now underfunded.

[AmandaBC]

What a CLASSY lady she was!!

[naschkatze]

Like Jackie, Michelle is an elegant woman, but she is her own person. I don't expect her to be the black Jackie. It seems that her interests are more related to her husband's agenda rather than aesthetic like Jackie's, and I don't expect the Obamas to conduct themselves in the almost royal fashion the Kennedys did with their overly elaborate entertainments of today's version of The Beautiful People. I think the Obamas will not lose their sense of their background and will be the President and First Lady of the grassroots who elected him.

[Aesthete]

I agree. Michelle is elegant and has her own style. I like her clothes. They have simple lines, wonderful primary and secondary solid colors, yet look as though they are very packable and travel well with a minimum of care. The clothes never overwhelm the woman who looks smashing in them. She is simultaneously lovely and down-to-earth.

[kalamatiaNO]

I can't help but remember (paraphrase) the classic '60s "First Family" comedy album poking fun at Jackie's White House tour.

Charles Collingwood: "Mrs. Kennedy, could you point out these portraits on the wall to our viewers?"

Jackie ( in her lilting voice) : "Oh of course, Charles. It would be my pleasure. Well there's this great big one up here and there this little tiny one in the corner -- oh and there's one stuck all the way over there for some reason . . . . "

[Invox]

I'd forgotten how soft Jackie Kennedy's voice was. She was so elegant.

[sophieozz]

I've read that she didn't normally speak that way. The soft voice was for effect and used to draw listeners closer to her.

[Aesthete]

I greatly admired Mrs. Kennedy as the elegant, refined, and stylish lady that she was. She was very beautiful and had great taste, but her voice was the only thing I didn't like. I found it very nasal.

[urbannomad23]

CHIVALRY is Dead!

[ScoobyDoo269]

Jackie had CLASS - All Laura has is 'W'

[blueberrykate]

Laura Bush may not be fashionable or interesting, but I have always felt that she was a classy lady with a quiet dignity and elegance. I have no idea how Bush managed to snag her.

[naschkatze]

If I were of a certain religious persuasion, I would say that Laura has had a heavy cross to bear.

[jalyn]

I agree here; Laura Bush is a dignified first lady. Jacqueline Kennedy seemed reserved, demure; my, have times changed....but Michele Obama will be a great example of First Lady, methinks!

[AmandaBC]

"Laura Bush may not be fashionable or interesting, but I have always felt that she was a classy lady with a quiet dignity and elegance."

In just a few decades, it'll be easy to build robots with a semblance of dignity and elegance. Personality, now that'll be awfully hard...

[LemonMeringue]

BLOOD ON HER HANDS

She did whatever they asked her to do, to support their neocon policies. Whenever people got restless about the war they would trot Laura out to read Karl Rove's scripts and she did it. Blood on her hands.