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| Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, J. Edgar director Clint Eastwood and National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Chairman & CEO Craig W. Floyd |
The Hollywood Oscar buzz has already begun, but J. Edgar’s story – and estate – will always be a Washington one.
“Embracing the idea of shooting a film about J. Edgar Hoover was quite an interesting project because he was such an interesting man and there’s always been a lot of discussion around him,’ said Clint Eastwood, on hand at the Newseum Tuesday evening to debut J. Edgar with the National Law Enforcement Museum and Warner Bros. Pictures.
The film is an in-depth examination of the life of the first FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover, as portrayed by actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
“Law enforcement is a very underrated profession,” said Eastwood before the evening’s film preview. “The dangers are always there and we’re thankful for the people who keep us safe.”
A (mostly underground) museum to honor those people – law enforcement – is set to open near Judiciary Square in late 2013… when the J. Edgar obsession will move from movie to museum.
As announced in tandem with the film preview, the National Law Enforcement Foundation has donated more than 5,000 items from Director Hoover’s estate to the new venue, including his office desk, chair and telephone, presentation items, awards, photographs, correspondence, books, recordings of his speeches, and numerous other items that relate to his personal and professional life, including his tenure as director of the FBI from 1924 to 1972.
