All the President's Men (film)

"The head of security for the reelection of a Republican President got caught bugging the national offices of the Democrats? What the hell does that mean?"

"Hi, I'm Bob Woodward of the Washington Post—and—what's that?--you've never heard of me?--I can't help that—you don't believe I'm with the Post?--what do you want me to do, Madam, shout "extra--extra"?"

"[about Martha Mitchell] I just don't get it; a CREEP secretary being scared, that's one thing. But what does the wife of one of the most powerful men in America have to be afraid of?"

"This is terrific work, if you like rejection."

"[To Bernstein, getting on an elevator] Is there any place you don't smoke?"

"I lived here all my life, I got a million contacts, but they're all bus boys and bellhops."

"[to Martin Dardis] Look, you've been jerking my chain all day. If there's some reason you can't talk to me—like the fact that you've already leaked everything to The New York Times—just say so."

"Goddammit, when is somebody going to go on the record in this story?!...You guys are about to write a story that says the former Attorney General, the highest-ranking law enforcement officer in this country, is a crook! Just be sure you're right...Leave plenty of room for his denial."

"[Mitchell] really said that about Kathy Graham? [Gives a light chuckle, then hands the notes back to Woodward] Cross out the words "her tit" and run it...this is a family newspaper."

"Once when I was reporting, Lyndon Johnson's top guy gave me the word they were looking for a successor to J. Edgar Hoover. I wrote it and the day it appeared Johnson called a press conference and appointed Hoover head of the FBI for life... And when he was done, he turned to his top guy and the President said, "Call Ben Bradlee and tell him fuck you." I took a lot of static for that—everyone said, "You did it, Bradlee, you screwed up—you stuck us with Hoover forever." I screwed up but I wasn't wrong. You guys haven't been wrong yet, is that why you're scared shitless? You should be."

"I can't do the reporting for my reporters, which means I have to trust them. And I hate trusting anybody."

"Now hold it, hold it. We're about to accuse Mr. Haldeman, who only happens to be the second most important man in America, of conducting a criminal conspiracy from inside the White House. It would be nice if we were right."

"WOODSTEIN!"

"You know the results of the latest Gallup Poll? Half the country never even heard of the word Watergate. Nobody gives a shit. You guys are probably pretty tired, right? Well, you should be. Go on home, get a nice hot bath. Rest up... 15 minutes. Then get your asses back in gear. We're under a lot of pressure, you know, and you put us there. Nothing's riding on this except the, uh, first amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of the country. Not that any of that matters, but if you guys fuck up again, I'm gonna get mad. Goodnight."

"Woodward, Bernstein, you're both on the story, now don't fuck it up."

"[to Woodward] I can't sell hints to Simons—you called everyone you know? Call someone you don't know."

"[to Ben Bradlee] Benjy, we got a present for you. Above the fold on page one for sure. It may not change our lives one way or the other. Just a good, solid piece of American Journalism that The New York Times doesn't have."

"Richard Nixon: The White House has had no involvement whatever in this particular incident."

"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."

"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."

"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."

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

"The most devastating detective story of the century!"

"Dustin Hoffman - Carl Bernstein"

"Robert Redford - Bob Woodward"

"Jack Warden - Harry M. Rosenfeld"

"Martin Balsam - Howard Simons"

"Hal Holbrook - Deep Throat"

"Jason Robards - Ben Bradlee"

"Jane Alexander - Judy Hoback"

"Meredith Baxter - Debbie Sloan"

"Ned Beatty - Martin Dardis"

"Stephen Collins - Hugh W. Sloan"

"Penny Fuller - Sally Aiken"

"Robert Walden - Donald Segretti"