How One of Robert Redford’s Landmark Films Nearly Fell Apart

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Robert Redford, the actor and Academy Award-winning director, died Sept. 16 at the age of 89.

In 1974, TIME magazine reported that Robert Redford had become the most popular actor in Hollywood thanks to the success of films like *The Way We Were* and *The Sting*, which both came out while he was working on *The Great Gatsby*.

In 1976, the popular movie *All the President’s Men* was released, telling the real story of how Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein investigated the Watergate scandal. Their reporting revealed the Nixon administration’s involvement, ultimately leading to President Richard Nixon’s resignation – a first for any U.S. president.

The movie nearly didn’t get made. It took a while for The Washington Post to be confident that Redford could accurately portray their story. Here’s the story of how the film finally came together.

Gaining trust

A 1976 TIME magazine article explained that Robert Redford got the idea for the film after hearing journalists talk during a press event for his movie *The Candidate*. They were discussing the Watergate break-in from 1972 and guessing that President Nixon had to have been involved.

According to TIME magazine, Redford was deeply disturbed by the event, stating he’d always disliked cynicism and saw it as a sign of decline. However, his personal feelings about politicians played a role in his focus on the burglary. When Redford was 13, Senator Richard Nixon had presented him with a trophy after he won a tennis tournament, but the young Redford was unimpressed, describing Nixon as a ‘fake human’ and someone he disregarded.

Before Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein became famous for their 1974 book, *All the President’s Men*, Robert Redford contacted them after reading their reporting on the Watergate scandal at the *Post*. He reached out at a difficult time for the journalists-when their investigation was facing challenges. As Redford explained to TIME magazine in 1976, he was drawn to people who took risks and faced setbacks: “I wanted to see them when they had bottomed out. People who take wild shots and miss interest me.”

Redford was ready to turn All the President’s Men into a movie, buying the rights for $450,000.

Initially, people wouldn’t return my calls,” Redford explained to the Washington Post magazine in a 2022 article looking back at the film.

Bernstein recalled Woodward approaching his desk, and he remembered thinking Woodward was being unreasonable. ‘I told him, ‘Absolutely not – we can’t speak with him! If the RNC discovered we were talking to someone in Hollywood, it would be a disaster,’” he said.

Robert Redford brought in William Goldman, the writer of *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid*-the movie that launched Redford to fame-to write the screenplay. However, the first draft leaned heavily on slapstick comedy in the newsroom, which concerned top editors at *The Washington Post*. Although initially enthusiastic, the paper’s Executive Editor, Ben Bradlee, feared the script turned the newsroom into a joke. Bradlee explained to TIME that Redford kept urging them to trust his vision, but the editors wondered, “Why should we trust Robert Redford? Why should we risk our reputations with him?”

To prepare for the film, Redford spent time observing the journalists at *The Washington Post*. He and the actors then collaborated on writing the script and often improvised scenes during filming. Redford was committed to accuracy, frequently calling Woodward and Bernstein – sometimes five or six times a day – to verify details he added.

The success of All the President’s Men 

Initially reluctant to get involved, Woodward and Bernstein were ultimately pleased with the final result.

In a 1976 interview with TIME, Woodward explained that the film gave him insight into his own profession, showing how dedicated people could be. He believed the movie accurately depicted the realities of reporting, stating, ‘It is true,’ and hoped it would resonate with journalists, making them think, ‘This is how we operate.’

Bernstein praised the film’s reporting, saying the journalists did an excellent job building trust with their sources – just as good reporters do.

Audiences loved the film, which earned $70 million in ticket sales and received four Academy Awards, including a win for its writing.

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2025-09-16 22:06