Hollywood on the Potomac

Pres. Ronald Reagan arrived in Washington with phalanxes of famous friends in tow, Pres. Bill Clinton had a magnetic appeal to the Hollywood A-list, and Pres. John F. Kennedy was declared an honorary member of the "Rat Pack" by singing legend Frank Sinatra. Regardless of who walks the halls of power, they are bound to be visited, even befriended, by star power. It is part of a long-standing, tenuous love affair between the worlds of Hollywood and Washington--singular American cities separated on opposite ends geographically but bound by a mutual fascination. Whether speaking out on the issues of the day or schmoozing in the Oval Office, celebrities and politicians share a common thread: both are ready for their close-up--their moment in history.

Political media strategist, filmmaker, and author Jason Killian Meath brings historic images of hundreds of America's most fascinating people to life. Rarely seen photographic glimpses of cultural icons have been uncovered from deep within the vaults of the nation's presidential libraries, national archives, and congressional records. Experts from the nation's capital to the back lots of Hollywood help tell true tales of meetings that have captured the imagination of generations of Americans.