MovieChat Forums > Sleeper (1973) Discussion > Before or After Watergate Investigations...

Before or After Watergate Investigations?

posted 21 years ago by corrupt200
11 replies | jump to latest

Was the movie finished before or after the Watergate investigations were going on? I was born in 1980, so I was not around yet. I was curious because when the doctor is asking questions about the important people (Howard Cosell, Chiang Kai Shek, Billy Grahan, Stalin, Nixon, etc.) of Woody's time period, he says about Nixon: "We have developed a theory that he (Nixon) may have been at one time a President of the United States, but he did something horrendous that all records, everything was wiped out about him. There is nothing about him in history books, no stamps, no money." The movie was released in 1973, but Nixon did not resign until a year later, so the chrnology is a bit confusing.

BTW Woody's answer was that when Nixon would leave the White House, the Secret Service would count the silverware.

[–] kram23 21 years ago

I watched this again today in class, and my teacher, who saw this film when if first premiered, informed me that this film did in fact come out before the Watergate investigations took place. Pretty amazing and hilarious when you think about it.

[–] Jonah14 21 years ago

It was before. The clip is from the Checkers Speech -- trust me, people had little reason to trust Nixon far before the Watergate scandal. In a way, Allen was prophetic in the film.

[–] dhshoops2001 18 years ago

I don't think that was the "Checkers speech"...I've shown that speech in class and has a much more "grainy" look to it...think it was the '60 debates.

[–] scrabbler1 21 years ago

Even though Nixon resigned in 1974, the Watergate hearings had begun by the middle of 1973. The break-in of the Watergate Hotel occurred in June, 1972, so it had already surfaced as a national issue by then. I don't recall which month in 1973 the movie came out, but it is fair to say that Allen was a bit prophetic in the "something so terrible" remark.

My favorite line in the movie pertains to Allen's answer about his religious beliefs: "I believe in teleological-existential-atheism.....there is a certain intelligence throughout the universe with the exception of certain parts of New Jersey!" I tell that line to people today and it STILL gets a good chuckle.

Oh, do any of you know the name of the little Ragtime ditty played in the background when Allen's Monroe character was being told where and when he was? He was walking with one of the doctors then fell to the ground when his realization of his predicament took hold. I would love to get the song's title so I can obtain the sheet music to it, if it exists anywhere.

[–] 21 years ago

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[–] myosis 19 years ago

the movie was released in december 1973.
the scene could have been filmed as early as november 1972, because the playboy centerfold we see is none other than that of Lenna.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenna

the nixon comment might have been scripted even earlier than that, though.

[–] suckerdwsp316 18 years ago

Sleeper came out in mid december. it is possible he was referring to the watergate business, its possible he wasnt. either way, its hilarious watching it today.

[–] lroy77 10 years ago

It was before Watergate, I'm old enough to remember. As an 11 year old, it was SO boring. Every single blamed channel (remember there was zero cable), even PBS.

[–] denny_crane 20 years ago

Well, it wasn't as prophetic as you might think. Nixon got caught in quite a few scams during the course of his political career.

I just hope the Schwarzenegger presidency described in Demolition Man never comes true.

[–] johnston.scot 19 years ago

The source of the joke, I think, wasn't Watergate so much as a general distaste for Nixon among the New York / intellectual / lefty circle that Allen more-or-less identified with.

The Watergate scandal first broke *before* the 1972 election, so it's possible that Allen was thinking of it, but I don't think it's necessary to the joke or its motivation.

[–] nocomputer1962 10 years ago

According to wikipedia, the Nixon taping system was dismantled in July 1973, after it became public knowledge. The 18 and a half minute gap in the tapes was announced in September. Sleeper was released in December of the same year, so Woody may have shot the scene at the last minute as a reference to the 18-minute gap.