All the President's Men (1976)

Director:

Alan J. Pakula

Writers:

Carl Bernstein (book) &
Bob Woodward (book) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 April 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

At times it looked like it might cost them their jobs, their reputations, and maybe even their lives.

Plot:

Reporters Woodward and Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Nixon's resignation.

Plot Keywords:

Watergate | Nixon | Reporter | Newspaper | Washington Post

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	Carl Bernstein
Robert Redford	...	Bob Woodward
Jack Warden	...	Harry Rosenfeld
Martin Balsam	...	Howard Simons
Hal Holbrook	...	Deep Throat
Jason Robards	...	Ben Bradlee
Jane Alexander	...	Bookkeeper
Meredith Baxter	...	Debbie Sloan
Ned Beatty	...	Dardis
Stephen Collins	...	Hugh Sloan
Penny Fuller	...	Sally Aiken
John McMartin	...	Foreign Editor
Robert Walden	...	Donald Segretti
Frank Wills	...	Frank Wills
F. Murray Abraham	...	Arresting Officer #1
David Arkin	...	Eugene Bachinski
Henry Calvert	...	Bernard L. Barker
Dominic Chianese	...	Eugenio R. Martinez
Bryan Clark	...	Arguing Attorney (as Bryan E. Clark)
Nicolas Coster	...	Markham (as Nicholas Coster)
Lindsay Crouse	...	Kay Eddy (as Lindsay Ann Crouse)
Valerie Curtin	...	Miss Milland
Gene Dynarski	...	Court Clerk
Nate Esformes	...	Virgilio R. Gonzales
Ron Hale	...	Frank Sturgis
Richard Herd	...	James W. McCord, Jr.
Polly Holliday	...	Dardis' Secretary
James Karen	...	Hugh Sloan's Lawyer
Paul Lambert	...	National Editor
Frank Latimore	...	Judge
Gene Lindsey	...	Alfred D. Baldwin
Anthony Mannino	...	Arresting Officer #2
Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Carolyn Abbott
James Murtaugh	...	Congress Library Clerk
John O'Leary	...	Attorney #1
Jess Osuna	...	Joe, FBI Agent
Neva Patterson	...	CRP Woman
George Pentecost	...	George
Penny Peyser	...	Sharon Lyons
Joshua Shelley	...	Al Lewis
Sloane Shelton	...	Bookeeper's Sister
Lelan Smith	...	Arresting Officer #3
Jaye Stewart	...	Male Librarian
Ralph Williams	...	Ray Steuben
George Wyner	...	Attorney #2
Leroy Aarons	...	Financial Editor
Donnlynn Bennett	...	Reporter
Stanley Bennett Clay	...	Assistant Metro Editor (as Stanley Clay)
Carol Coggin	...	News Aide
Laurence Covington	...	News Announcer
John Devlin	...	Metro Editor
John Furlong	...	News Desk Editor
Sidney Ganis	...	L.A. Stringer
Amy Grossman	...	Reporter
Cynthia Herbst	...	Reporter
Basil Hoffman	...	Assistant Metro Editor
Mark Holtzman	...	Reporter
Jamie Smith-Jackson	...	Post Librarian (as Jamie Smith Jackson)
Barbara Lipsky	...	Reporter (as Barbara Litsky)
Doug Llewelyn	...	White House Aide
Jeff MacKay	...	Reporter
Irwin Marcus	...	Reporter
Ron Menchine	...	Post Librarian
Christopher Murray	...	Photo Aide
Jess Nadelman	...	Assistant Metro Editor
Noreen Nielson	...	Reporter
Florence Pepper	...	Message Desk Receptionist
Barbara Perlman	...	CRP Receptionist
Louis Quinn	...	Salesman
Peter Salim	...	Reporter
Shawn Shea	...	News Aide
Marvin Smith	...	Reporter
Pam Trager	...	Reporter
Carol Trost	...	Ben Bradlee's Secretary
Richard Venture	...	Assistant Metro Editor
Bill Willens	...	Hippie
Wendell Wright	...	Assistant Metro Editor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Spiro Agnew	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Warren Burger	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Walter Cronkite	...	Himself (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cara Duff-MacCormick	...	Tammy Ulrich (uncredited)
Thomas Eagleton	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Gerald Ford	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Richard Kleindienst	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Clark MacGregor	...	Himself (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Robert S. Mills	...	TV Reporter (uncredited)
Pat Nixon	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Richard Nixon	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rick O'Donnell	...	CIA Agent (uncredited)
Del Rager	...	CIA Agent (uncredited)
John Randolph	...	John Mitchell (voice) (uncredited)
Ronald L. Ziegler	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan J. Pakula

Writing credits
Carl Bernstein		(book) &
Bob Woodward		(book)
William Goldman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jon Boorstin	....	associate producer
Michael Britton	....	associate producer
Walter Coblenz	....	producer

Original Music by
David Shire

Cinematography by
Gordon Willis		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert L. Wolfe

Casting by
Alan Shayne

Production Design by
George Jenkins

Set Decoration by
George Gaines

Makeup Department
Fern Buchner	....	makeup artist
Don L. Cash	....	makeup artist (as Don Cash)
Romaine Greene	....	hairdresser
Lynda Gurasich	....	hairdresser
Gary Liddiard	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
E. Darrell Hallenbeck	....	executive production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Green	....	first assistant director
Kim Kurumada	....	second assistant director
Art Levinson	....	first assistant director
Charles Ziarko	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Matty Azzarone	....	assistant property master
Guy Bushman	....	assistant property master
Mike Higelmire	....	lead man
Roger Irvin	....	construction foreman
Robert I. Jillson	....	assistant art director (as Bob Jillson)
Robert Krume	....	construction coordinator
Alan Levine	....	property master (as Allan Levine)
Bill MacSems	....	property master (as Bill Mac Sems)
George Szeptycki	....	draughtsman (as J. George Szeptycki)
Gary Fettis	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Edward T. McAvoy	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	re-recording mixer (as Dick Alexander)
Clint Althouse	....	boom man
Milton C. Burrow	....	supervising sound editor
Les Fresholtz	....	production sound mixer
Les Fresholtz	....	re-recording mixer
Chris McLaughlin	....	boom man
Arthur Piantadosi	....	re-recording mixer (as Art Piantadosi)
James E. Webb	....	production sound mixer (as Jim Webb)
Terrance Emerson	....	utility sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Henry Millar	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Bingham	....	stillman
Ray De La Motte	....	first assistant camera (as Ray de la Motte)
Ralph Gerling	....	camera operator
Carl R. Gibson Jr.	....	best boy (as Carl Gibson Jr.)
Louis Goldman	....	stillman
George Holmes	....	gaffer
Larry D. Howard	....	best boy electric (as Larry Howard)
Frank Lambers	....	crab dolly grip
Bob Rose	....	key grip
Peter Salim	....	second assistant camera
Ron Vargas	....	second assistant camera
Bernie Abramson	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Isabel Halliburton	....	casting consultant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jules Melillo	....	assistant costumer
G. Perez	....	assistant costumer
Bernie Pollack	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Carroll Timothy O'Meara	....	assistant editor (as Tim O'Meara)
Steve Potter	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Nicholas C. Washington	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Eddie Baken	....	transportation captain
Craig Pinkard	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Rebecca Britton	....	production coordinator
Steve Bussard	....	researcher
Eve Christopher	....	production staff
Phil Geyelin	....	production staff
Jill Gifford	....	production staff
Karen Hale Wookey	....	script supervisor (as Karen Wookey)
Jack Hirshberg	....	production publicist
Buck Holland	....	production assistant
Erika Koppitz	....	production coordinator
Ronnie Kramer	....	production coordinator
Marge Leonard	....	production staff
John Bard Manulis	....	production staff (as John Manulis)
Stuart Neumann	....	production staff
Joanna Ney	....	unit publicist
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Tammy Pittman	....	production staff
Ken Ryan	....	auditor
Liz Shea	....	production staff
Lois Smith	....	publicity consultant
Shirley Street	....	production staff
Steve Vetter	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Warner Bros
• Wildwood (as Wildwood Enterprises)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1976) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1976) (France) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1980) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1976) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1983) (2009) (Finland) (TV)
• TV3 (1988) (Finland) (TV)
• Varus Video
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2011) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1996) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• DeForest Research  research (as de Forest Research, Inc)
• National Park Service, The  various locations courtesy of
• Pacific Title  titles
• Washington Post  acknowledgement

Also Known As:

Runtime:

138 min | Spain:125 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Finland:S | Iceland:L | Norway:12 (1976) | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | UK:AA (original rating) | West Germany:12 | USA:R (original rating) | USA:PG (re-rating after appeal) (certificate #27119) | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:12 | Brazil:10 | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

Nothing was allowed into the script unless it had been meticulously verified and confirmed by independent sources.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Carl Bernstein interviews Segretti in his apartment, the two go out onto Segretti's balcony. When Bernstein sits down his arms are on the armrests of the chair. Then suddenly he has his right hand tucked into his pants and in his left hand he is holding a lit cigarette.

Quotes:

Bob Woodward:Who's Charles Colson?
Harry Rosenfeld:Sit down. You know I'm glad you asked me that question. The reason I'm glad you asked me is because if you had asked Simons or Bradlee they woulda said, "You know we're gonna have to fire this schmuck at once because he's so *dumb*."

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hollywood Remembers Dustin Hoffman (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Concerto in C for two trumpets

All the presidents crooks!

We now know that it was the FBI's number two man and J Edger Hoover loyalist W Mark Felt who fingered Nixon!

I'd recommend this movie, but with warnings attached to this! Firstly, Redford and Hoffman were at their best during the 1970's and their performances don't disappoint, I'm sure that they also depicted their respected characters Woodward and Bernstein very well too as they both come across as very believable as reporters or at least the stereotype version. The unkept tardy look, untidy apartments, smoking, corduroy trousers, fast food and neck ties hanging down with unbuttoned collar an shirt — you get the picture!

Also, For any foreigner who is interested in American political science, there are about six historical events that dominate US history. To most objective historians the declaration of independence, the US civil war and it's aftermath, the 'New Deal', the defeat of the axis powers in WWII, civil rights or even the collapse of the Soviet empire and the Berlin wall would be tops. However to the American baby-boomer generation, it is JFK's assassination, anti-Vietnam war movement, Woodstock, Richard Nixon's forced resignation and Bill Clinton's come from behind win against George Bush in 1992. Therefore 'All the president's men' is a nostalgic trip down memory lane!

Although the movie is clearly dated, (imagine being a journalist today without a desktop computer, a lap top computer, email, and a cell phone) it does entertain and the pacing I think is effective as it portrays the painstaking work required for investigate journalism. Redford and particularly Hoffman are believable as reporters and the movie is supported by some of the finest character actors about at the time. Hal Holbrook and Jason Robards jockey for the third spot honors with Holbrook probably edging it as the mysterious deep throat. He steals the scenes in the garage. I think there are three times he and Woodward meet and they are some of the most compelling scenes of the whole movie. Alan Pakulas style of directing certainly hit the sweet spot here.

Although it's well paced and it keeps your attention, the film flounders at various levels because the whole unraveling of events and the various connections between the burglars link to CREEP (campaign to reelect the president) and their link to members of Nixons inner circle is not clear. Consequently, the movie ends what appears to be in January of 1973 but Nixon resigned 18 months later? They should have jumped forward to that point before the movie finished. The viewer is left completely confused and frustrated.

Although having Knowledge of the Watergate break in and the Nixon resignation it's impossible to keep up with what is going on. Names such as Liddy, Hunt, Mitchell, Magruder and Dean are banded about and come up all the time but often you don't know who they are? Some narration would have been very helpful!

However, although Woodward and Bernstein deserve credit for keeping the story alive when nobody else was interested but it in reality was the tapes that finally buried Nixon. Once the special prosecutor and the public were able to hear is voice talking about the investigation his presidency was finished, without the tapes he probably would have survived.

How much of the facts portrayed in the film are fiction I suppose nobody will ever know? If I ever run into Woodward and Bernstein I'll ask them! Also for anybody who's curious on who Woodwards 'deep throat' character is they will be disappointed, as it is not revealed in any way, although that is academic now. Check the movie out!