2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking and Oscar winning political thriller ‘All the President’s Men‘, which was directed by Alan J. Pakula and stars Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
“The most devastating detective story of this century.”
Release Apr 9, 1976Runtime 2h 18mBudget $8.5M
The film tells the true story of how Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward uncovered the Watergate scandal that eventually brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of ‘All The President’s Men’, Moviefone has compiled a list of 5 fun facts about the iconic film.
Let’s begin!
Related Article: 10 Best and Unforgettable Robert Redford Performances of All Time
1. Robert Redford’s Star Power Got the Movie Made
At the time the film was made, Robert Redford wasn’t just an actor, he was the biggest movie star in the world, a producer, and the driving force behind the movie. Redford first read Woodward and Bernstein’s Watergate stories in between making ‘The Candidate‘ and ‘The Way We Were‘, and bought the rights to their book in 1974. Redford hired ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid‘ screenwriter William Goldman to write the script, however, Redford eventually did uncredited rewrites with director Alan J. Pakula before filming began.
2. Redford and Hoffman Learned Each Other’s Lines
In order to replicate the fast talking and overlapping conversations of real journalists working under high pressured circumstances, Redford and Hoffman both memorized each other’s lines so they could interrupt each other naturally. Rather than waiting for the other actor to finish their lines, this allowed the actors to sound like two real reporters thinking aloud, arguing with each other, and trying to solve the mystery.
3. The Filmmakers Used Actual Trash from the Washington Post on the Set
The production team went to incredible lengths to recreate the Washington Post newsroom on set. Set designers took photographs and measurements of the real office, and even imported actual trash from the Post’s newsroom to recreate the lived-in look of the actual newsroom on set. They also replicated period phone books and office furniture to create the accuracy of the film.
4. No One Involved in the Film Knew Deep Throat’s Identity
At the time the film was made, the true identity of Woodward’s government informant known only as “Deep Throat”, played by Hal Holbrook, was one of the biggest mysteries in American culture. The only person that knew the true identity was Bob Woodward and he swore to keep it a secret until the informant revealed it himself, which happened almost 30 years later when former FBI official Mark Felt admitted the truth and publicly identified himself as the source, and Woodard confirmed the accuracy.
5. “Follow the Money” Was Made Up for the Movie
One of the most quoted lines from the movie is “Follow the money,” a line uttered by Deep Throat to Woodward. That specific line is now synonymous with the Watergate investigation, but the truth is that phrase was never used in the actual investigation nor does it appear in the book the movie was based on. The line was created by the screenwriters and has helped to popularize the expression as a shorthand to tracing corruption through financial records.
What is the plot of ‘All the President’s Men’?
During the 1972 elections, two reporters’ (Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman) investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.
Who is in the cast of ‘All the President’s Men’?
