Hannah
[to Bernstein]
Aw baby, you can get it up... I just wonder if you'll ever be able to get it together.
Bob Woodward
Robert Redford · 34 quotes
Carl Bernstein
Dustin Hoffman · 20 quotes
Ben Bradlee
Jason Robards · 16 quotes
Harry Rosenfeld
Jack Warden · 10 quotes
Deep Throat
Hal Holbrook · 8 quotes
Simons
Martin Balsam · 6 quotes
Most scenes together: Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein (12), Bob Woodward & Deep Throat (8), Ben Bradlee & Simons (4)
All the President's Men quotes
Page 1 of 5
Hugh Sloan, Jr. I've been looking for a job but it's been... hard. My name's been in the papers too much. Sometimes I wonder if reporters understand how much pain they can inflict in just one sentence. I'm not thinking of myself. But my wife, my parents, it's been very rough on them. I wish I could put down on paper what it's like--you come to Washington because you believe in something, and then you get inside and you see how things actually work and you watch your ideals disintegrate. The people inside, the people in the White House, they start to believe they can suspend the rules because they're fulfilling a mission. That becomes the only important thing--the mission. It's so easy to lose perspective. We want to get out before we lose ours altogether.
John Mitchell
All that crap, you're putting it in the paper? It's all been denied. You tell your publisher--tell Katie Graham she's gonna get her tit caught in a big fat wringer if that's published. Good Christ! That's the most sickening thing I ever heard.
Richard Nixon
The White House has had no involvement whatever in this particular incident.
White House spokesman
On the record let me say just this: the story is totally untrue. On background, I'd like to add that Bob Haldeman is one of the greatest public servants this country has ever had and the story is a goddamned lie.
I want you to know that I understand why you're afraid--a lot of good people down there at the Committee are afraid. I'm really sorry for what you're being put through.
Bookkeeper All those articles you people write--where do you find that stuff?
We don't tell anyone that. Which is why you can talk to us. And if we can't verify what you say someplace else, we don't print it. That's another reason you can relax.
Bookkeeper I'm relaxed--light your cigarette.
You were Hugh Sloan's bookkeeper when he worked for Maurice Stans at Finance, and we were sort of wondering, did you go work for Stans immediately after Sloan quit or was there a time lapse?
Bookkeeper I never worked for Sloan or Stans.
Bookkeeper's sister Would you like some coffee or anything?
Please, yes, thank you. Can I sit down for a minute?
Bookkeeper One minute but then--
Right, right, I've got to go. Why did you lie just then? I was just curious--you don't do it well, so I wondered. Have you been threatened, if you told the truth, is that it?
Bookkeeper No... never in so many words...
It's obvious you want to talk to someone--well, I'm someone.
The General Accounting report said there was a 350 thousand cash slush fund in Stans' safe. Did you know about that from the beginning?
Bookkeeper There are too many people watching me--they know I know a lot.
It was all in hundreds, wasn't it?
Bookkeeper A lot of it was. I just thought it was sort of an all-purpose political fund--you know, for taking fat cats to dinner, things like that.
Could buy a lot of steaks, 350,000 dollars.
Bookkeeper I can't be positive that it was used for the break-in but people sure are worried.
Which people?
Bookkeeper The ones who could disburse the money....I don't want to say anymore.
...
You haven't finished telling me about the money.
Bookkeeper Omigod, there was so much of it, six million came in one two-day period--six million cash, we couldn't find enough places to put it. I thought it was all legal, I guess I did, til after the break-in, when I remembered Gordon got so much of it.
Gordon Liddy, you mean?
Bookkeeper [nods]
It was all so crazy--the day after the break-in he gave us a speech, bouncing up and down on his heels in that loony way of his--Gordon told us not to let Jim McCord ruin everything--don't let one bad apple spoil the barrel, he said. You just know that when Gordon Liddy's calling someone a bad apple, something's wrong somewhere. It's all so rotten... and getting worse... and all I care about is Hugh Sloan. His wife was going to leave him if he didn't stand up and do what was right. And he quit. He quit because he saw it and didn't want any part of it.
Think Sloan's being set up as a fall guy for John Mitchell? Sometimes it looks that way.
Bookkeeper If you guys... if you guys could just get John Mitchell... that would be beautiful.
This is practically a high school reunion for us, Jane--I would have sprung for a classier place.
Jane
Anyplace really public, they'd know about it--they know everything at the Committee, Carl.
You don't really think you're being followed?
Jane
This girlfriend of mine at the Committee, the other day she went back to the D.A. to tell the things the FBI didn't ask her. That night, her boss, he knew what she'd done. They control everything; that's how they know it all.
FBI too?
Jane
You don't believe me? Well, I was working the weekend of the break-in and my God, all the executives were running around like crazy--you had to practically wait in line to use the shredding machine--and when the FBI came to investigate, they never even asked me about it.
If you don't like it down there, why don't you quit?
Jane
I don't know what they'd do to me.
Hey, easy...
Jane
We're a long way from high school, Carl, and I'm scared.
...
Jane
They found out I saw you. They wanted to know everything. Don't call me again.
I can help if you'll...
Jane
Stay away from me, Carl!
We were hoping that maybe now you could... We know why you left the Committee. We know you're not guilty of anything. But we know you know who is.
Sloan Look, come in. We'll have to be quiet--my wife's asleep...I'd like to talk to you, I really would, but my lawyers say I shouldn't until after the Watergate trial.
You handed out the money. Maybe there's a legitimate explanation for the way it was done.
Then again, maybe things are even worse than we've written...
Sloan They're worse. That's why I quit.
You heard? They put us both on the break-in thing. Simons liked the way we worked together.
It's OK; I'm sorry I called you a failure.
Forget it, the main thing--did you call me a failure?
I was sure trying.
All non-denial denials--we're dirty guys and they doubt we were ever virgins but they don't say the story is inaccurate.
What's a real denial?
If they ever start calling us goddamn liars, it's time to start circling the wagons.
Where's the goddamn story?
The money's the key to whatever this is.
Says who?
Deep Throat.
Who?
Oh, that's Woodward's garage freak; his source in the executive department.
Garage Freak? Jesus, what kind of a crazy **** story is this? Who did you say?
He's on deep background, I call him deep... throat.
Debbie Sloan This is an honest house.
That's why we'd like to see your husband.
Facing certain criminal charges that might be brought against some people that are innocent, we just feel that it would be...
It's really for his benefit.
Debbie Sloan No, it's not.
What's the topic for tonight?
Rat****.
In my day, it was simply called the double cross. I believe the CIA refers to it as Mind****. In our context, it simply means infiltration of the Democrats.
I know what it means—Segretti wouldn't go on the record, but if he would, we know he'd implicate Chapin.
And that will put you inside the White House.
Be specific. How high up?
You'll have to find that out for yourself. I'm taking great risk meeting you here. I don't like newspapers. I don't care for any inexactitudes or shallowness.
CREEP's slush fund... we've just about got that down nailed town with the rat-****, I don't know how...
[footsteps are heard in the distance]
Did you remember to change cabs before coming here?
Yeah. Does the FBI know what we know? Does the Justice Department? Why haven't they done anything?
If it didn't deal directly with the Watergate break-in, they didn't pursue.
What's the topic for tonight?
Rat****.
In my day, it was simply called the double cross. I believe the CIA refers to it as Mind****. In our context, it simply means infiltration of the Democrats.
I know what it means--Segretti wouldn't go on the record, but if he would, we know he'd implicate Chapin. And that would put us inside the White House.
Yes, the little rat****ers are now running our government.
Who?--be specific. How high up?
You'll have to find that out, won't you.