The sound of paper rustling and the snap of a pen uncapping fills the air. Seated on a floral-patterned couch is Dustin Hoffman, sporting long hair and a strikingly bold collar, exuding an intense focus. Facing him is Jane Alexander, dressed in a blue button-down dress, appearing tense under the warm glow of a nearby lamp. In this tightly wound and intimate acting lesson, every minor detail is significant.
Alexander fondly recalls a moment from the filming: “The makeup team rushed in because sweat was dripping off Dustin’s face,” she chuckles. “Gordon Willis, our cinematographer, insisted, ‘Don’t touch that, I’m lighting off his sweat!’ I just love that.”
This interaction took place during a crucial moment in “All the President’s Men,” often referred to as the quintessential journalism film, which made its debut at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts exactly 50 years ago. The movie is adapted from the book published in 1974 by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, detailing their investigation into the Watergate scandal that ultimately led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation.
Directed with precision by Alan Pakula and featuring Robert Redford as Woodward and Hoffman as Bernstein, “All the President’s Men” achieved commercial success and garnered eight Academy Award nominations, winning four, including Best Adapted Screenplay for William Goldman and Best Supporting Actor for Jason Robards, who played Ben Bradlee, the editor of the Post.
Alexander received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Judy Hoback, nicknamed “the Bookkeeper” in the screenplay for the Committee to Re-elect the President. Although her screen time totals just over five minutes, she reflects on it as a standout achievement of her career.
Prior to filming her scenes, Alexander had just finished a performance in “The Great White Hope” alongside James Earl Jones. She made her way from the Kennedy Center, a short distance from the site of the Watergate scandal, to shoot her brief scenes in a small home on a sweltering summer afternoon.
“I recall arriving and thinking I was slightly late,” Alexander, now 86, shares during a Zoom call from Purchase, New York, with her dog Romeo by her side. “We headed straight to the set, and Alan Pakula looked at me and said, ‘Oh God, you look fantastic, let’s shoot now!’ I replied, ‘But I haven’t done hair and makeup yet.’ He insisted, ‘I love how you look – let’s go as is!’ I said, ‘This is just my summer outfit, a little blue thing.’ He responded, ‘Perfect.’”
“We went directly into the house to rehearse in that small space. Alan set the scene so brilliantly. I don’t think it would have been possible to fail in that moment because he positioned me right in the corner with a light that created a suffocating atmosphere. It was a hot day, and even hotter inside.”
“Dustin was leaning forward from the couch, and there was this massive Panavision camera, as big as a Volkswagen. Gordon Willis was up there operating it, and I felt overwhelmed. I could only see Gordon, the camera, and Dustin. I couldn’t even see Alan. The setup was designed to heighten the tension.”
The scene serves as a powerful exploration of persistence and the emotional strain of whistleblowing. Bernstein relentlessly presses the bookkeeper, who is torn between her sense of duty and her fears, eventually becoming the first source to confirm the existence of a clandestine slush fund within the Committee to Re-elect the President.
Alexander recalls the experience with clarity. “It’s definitely one of my favorite scenes I’ve ever performed,” she states. “I always felt that Alan directed it beautifully, and I’ve heard from various acting instructors that they use that scene in their classes for analysis.”
“It appears to be shot in a single take; however, there are numerous cuts. The focus is solely on the two of us, with only two angles utilized. Dustin was always leaning forward. It was tight and tense. I questioned why I even let him into the room. I needed to share this story, but with Bernstein being so direct, I wasn’t sure if I could do it or if he was the right person. I might have found it easier to open up to Woodward.”
Alexander makes another brief appearance later when Woodward and Bernstein return to find her on her porch. “When Bob comes into the scene, I’m much more prepared, though we never hear everything I say, but I’m ready to reveal everything.”
Upon watching the premiere at the Kennedy Center, attended by an audience of 1,100, Alexander was left in awe. “It was remarkable. I still believe it’s one of the greatest films ever made. It’s the only film I rewatch every couple of years that I’ve been part of. It endures.”
“All the President’s Men” is celebrated alongside classics like “His Girl Friday,” “Citizen Kane,” “Ace in the Hole,” “Sweet Smell of Success,” “The Killing Fields,” “The Paper,” and “Spotlight” as one of the finest films depicting the lives of newspaper journalists. It provides a definitive portrayal of reporters connecting the dots between the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex, Nixon’s reelection campaign, and the White House.
Redford’s interest was sparked when the Watergate break-in was discussed with journalists during a promotional tour for his film “The Candidate.” He eagerly consumed the Washington Post’s leading coverage of the Watergate saga. When he encountered a profile of the paper’s dynamic duo—Bernstein, a liberal Jew with long hair, and Woodward, a conservative Republican and Navy veteran—he saw the potential for a compelling cinematic narrative.
Years later, Redford shared with the Washington Post, “I thought it was a fascinating character study of two individuals who approached their work from very different angles.”
