The Martha Mitchell Effect (2022) Full Movie HD

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The Martha Mitchell Effect (2022) is an engaging documentary drama that explores the story of Martha Mitchell, a woman whose warnings and insights were dismissed despite their accuracy. The film highlights themes of courage, truth, and perseverance, and examines how one voice can make a difference in challenging circumstances. Through compelling storytelling and historical context, it offers a thoughtful reflection on integrity and advocacy.  The Martha Mitchell Effect 2022, The Martha Mitchell Effect full movie, documentary drama film, historical biography movie, true story inspired film, Martha Mitchell story, courage and perseverance film, integrity and advocacy movie, inspiring true story, emotional journey drama, character driven historical film, impactful storytelling movie, thought-provoking documentary, educational biographical film, historical insight cinema, modern history story, powerful true story film, critically acclaimed documentary, awareness and courage film, inspiring women story, 2022 drama movie, real life story film

Transcript

00:30Is the country going to right itself now?

00:35Do we have Watergate behind us?

00:37We'll never have Watergate behind us, I hope, because in a way it's been good.

00:41We're teaching the politicians to be straight and not crooked.

00:49I'm convinced if it hadn't been for Martha, it'd have been to Watergate.

01:00Is this democracy where people are not allowed to speak their own mind and the truth?

01:11So if I have something on my mind, I'm not going out and yelling to anybody

01:16unless I believe that it's what should be done or said.

01:20When you arrived at London Airport yesterday morning,

01:38you said Richard Nixon shattered my marriage.

01:42Now, how did Richard Nixon have so much effect on your whole life?

01:48Oh, David, you've opened up a kettle of worms.

01:52And I don't know whether I could really explain it in the length of time you and I have together.

01:58Well, we've got at least 30 minutes.

01:59John Newton Mitchell, Attorney General, lived with his wife Martha in Washington's Watergate apartments.

02:18The world seemed good to them.

02:21I know that the president is very fond of my husband.

02:24They've been law partners.

02:26They've been very close.

02:27Mitchell is a former bond lawyer who, before he managed Mr. Nixon's 1968 campaign,

02:33had never ventured into politics.

02:35Now, as Attorney General, he has been dealing with some of the most controversial issues of our time.

02:41Some say that your husband is the second most powerful man in Washington.

02:46Could you tell us what he's really like?

02:48My husband is probably one of the most intelligent men in this whole country.

02:54In the world, I would even say.

02:57Mr. Mitchell, how did you meet your wife?

03:01Was it a blind date?

03:02Neither one of us were blind, apparently, because it worked out all right.

03:08I was just playing Mrs. Mitchell, living in Rye, New York.

03:14Washington was almost like another country.

03:16Being semi-professional here in Washington, there are so many, many things requested and required of me as a cabinet wife.

03:39I would like to better the relations of America with the other nations of the world, to try to put a little love into the world.

03:52Well, I've often said to young candidates for how to win, first, pick the right wife.

04:00It doesn't make as much news, and she must recognize that, that the husband is going to make the news.

04:06Washington was a male-dominated city.

04:12It was run by white men at the White House and men at every single cabinet level.

04:20Women who were part of the Washington social scene were hostesses.

04:28Women went into the other room and had coffee while the men talked about the important things.

04:35But Martha Mitchell wasn't playing the Washington game.

04:37She was not going to be just the wife who sits in the background and not say anything.

04:45A political life isn't like a normal person.

04:49They can do and say what they please.

04:52But I do say what I please.

04:54Yeah.

04:55Well, sweetie, I tell you what, I've seen that in the paper today.

04:59And I don't think you all have been home and doing your homework.

05:01If Martha was coming to a dinner at the White House, people were on alert.

05:09Women were more reserved then, but not Martha.

05:15The president obviously was aware of it.

05:18It wasn't that he didn't like women.

05:21It was that he didn't like loud women.

05:28Oh, I used to have a lot of fun with the president.

05:31He didn't know when I was kidding and when I wasn't.

05:35He found me a rather strange person.

05:39She would on occasion drink too heavily.

05:43And then she'd get on the telephone and start calling official Washington.

05:49She liked to call the president.

05:53She liked to call, quote, my president.

05:56Did you call President Nixon and talk to him on the telephone recently, Martha?

06:01Did you call and tell him what to do?

06:03Oh, I advise him every once in a while.

06:10Martha Mitchell said today those who advocate violent revolution in the United States should

06:14be kicked out of this country.

06:17She did not say where.

06:18She wanted them kicked to.

06:19Today at about 2 a.m.

06:22She called the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock, demanding that Senator Fulbright be crucified.

06:27Mrs. Mitchell's become a kind of character around here.

06:30And it's, uh, it's rather, it's rather interesting.

06:34I've always thought that Mr. Fulbright, if you want to call him that, I have an awful time

06:38calling him that.

06:39He's either half bright.

06:40One of the GOP Senate leaders asked if he had heard the Martha Mitchell story, replied,

06:50Oh, my God, was she on the phone again?

06:53I don't think there's any question that early they enjoyed Martha getting the attention that

07:01she got.

07:02She was good.

07:03She was on message.

07:06Even though she was pro-Nixon, she was completely untethered.

07:12And Mitchell seemed to go along with it, which was even more interesting.

07:16I can neither control what she says or what she does.

07:21In fact, she is getting to be known as the unguided missile.

07:25Sweetie, let me tell you something.

07:29If I'm doing anything wrong in this government, just tell me about it.

07:33Anytime.

07:35Really.

07:43The whole administration was completely anti-press.

07:48And that's one reason that I became so friendly with the press.

07:52I'm my boyfriend.

07:52When I came along, the American people related to me in certain ways.

07:58The administration couldn't believe it.

08:02What are they going to do with Martha Mitchell?

08:07And live with the Attorney General of the United States, Martha Mitchell.

08:12We have voted you the person who has done the most for my bill.

08:17And your prize is a telephone in the shape of the Supreme Court.

08:20Well, that'll make hanging it up a real pleasure.

08:24I think that Martha Mitchell hit this town like a bombshell.

08:41It was so refreshing.

08:46And every reporter in town wanted to interview her, including myself.

08:51I remember once coming back from California and the Mitchells were on board.

08:58We were on the back side of the plane, and the men were playing cards.

09:04And Martha Mitchell came back.

09:07I said, well, you know, what do you think of the miniskirts?

09:09Why don't you ask me something important?

09:12I said, okay.

09:14What do you think of the Vietnam War?

09:16She said, it stinks.

09:19The men stopped playing cards and grabbed their notebooks.

09:24And then she was barred from Air Force One.

09:32Vietnam was the quintessential war that the United States got involved in.

09:38Several administrations inherited it.

09:41And Nixon was stuck with it.

09:45So Martha's comments were beyond awkward.

09:49Nobody else who was remotely connected to the administration would ever say anything like that.

09:56I'm sure you realize that could be dangerous for a political party.

09:59A wife speaking out.

10:01I mean, that's always been like, ugh.

10:03Not really.

10:04Really?

10:04I don't think so.

10:06It's just unusual for a woman to speak her peace of mind.

10:17Martha's not nuts.

10:18Martha knows exactly what she's doing.

10:24What she's not concerned.

10:27What she.

10:27What?

10:34What?

10:35What?

11:00What?

11:01show him we're sure that he's the best man for the job the year 1972 is the year of opportunity

11:09for peace such as america has never had in its whole history he's the leader he can trust

11:16good evening attorney general john mitchell resigned today effective march 1st to go

11:33back to his old job running richard nixon's presidential campaign

11:37in 1972 john mitchell is the campaign manager martha mitchell is definitely chomping at the

11:47bit to go out and make campaign appearances i was one of the first a creep which was a committee

11:56to re-elect the president magruda porter and myself were the first three people that opened up creep

12:04i had my own staff my own office i was involved in the whole campaign

12:11i knew martha through my mother june dankworth who had been working with creep over the years they

12:19became very close friends and to me she was aunt martha they liked martha because the public liked

12:26her she was always kind of the show pony that went on the road i'm out all around the country

12:34working day in and day out to make this man president

12:39she's been very loyal to the party and very loyal to the president and seemed at first

12:46to enjoy her public appearances but she was getting more and more programmed

12:52what changed your feelings about him because i know that at one time you believed in richard nixon

13:00you and your husband what happened california

13:03i didn't want to come out here that particular time and i was made to come out here on that trip

13:14the last minute

13:16hello everybody what are you doing tonight john mitchell and i and some others from the campaign were in

13:32los angeles we were having a fundraiser a way to come through with a phone and i find out what happened

13:40five men were arrested early saturday while trying to install eavesdropping equipment at the democratic

13:50national committee the intruders gained entrance to committee offices where files were ransacked and

13:56papers removed after the break-in was detected five men were arrested at gunpoint

14:01john left me in california

14:10not to my wishes at all

14:14and then i read the newspaper for the first time in five days

14:21this is a police photograph of james w mccord he is one of five persons surprised and arrested

14:32yesterday inside the headquarters of the democratic national committee in washington

14:36and guess what else he is a consultant to president richard nixon's re-election campaign committee

14:42i knew mccord james mccord had been a bodyguard for her and took her daughter to school

14:55john mitchell had hired him to be an assistant to his family

15:01john mccord comes back from california to washington

15:08at that point he did have a big problem he had clearly authorized this bungle burglary

15:15today john mitchell the chairman of president nixon's re-election committee

15:21denied any connection with the incident

15:23why did they let me go all this time without knowing about the break-in at watergate why did

15:33they leave me out here in california now i'm inclined to believe that these characters must

15:41have gotten me out of washington because of watergate i immediately picked up the telephone

15:49call washington to find out what it was all about i meet with john mitchell in his apartment

15:57there are calls from martha then she was outraged that john had left her in california and not given

16:07her the full story all i heard is that martha was out of hand that she had been hysterical

16:17we went to a villa at the hotel i'm sitting on the bed i'm calling helen thomas and her bodyguard

16:29came in he said miss mitchell's on the phone with helen thomas

16:35she's telling her a bunch of stuff about watergate what should i do

16:43pretty soon i heard her uh saying get away get away and i didn't know what was happening and then

16:51there was a phone disconnect

16:52i was a doctor that was on call for the hotel

17:05i just went to a private room there were people in the room and they were beside themselves about

17:14her yelling or screaming they wanted to calm her down she was held down and i did give her an

17:22injection tranquilizer

17:24this whole thing was very unusual right but when some high official from the government calls

17:36well then you do it and that was the beginning of my being held a prisoner

17:42you really were literally held a prisoner was in four walls

17:48following the embarrassing watergate bugging affair martha mitchell is talking again late yesterday she

17:57told a reporter she'd become a captive of her husband's security guards when she used the phone

18:02she said five of them tore it out of the wall then quote threw me down on a bed and stuck a needle in my

18:08behind

18:08i don't think there are many women in this country who call you up and say look i'm being held a political

18:16prisoner so you did have this feeling that there were certain hostile forces

18:21she displayed bruises on her arms and she said she had more bruises on her thighs

18:28she said quote i was a patriot until i got assassinated

18:32the president got into a number of political things today

18:41his principal concern was the martha mitchell question

18:45the president feels that john's got to close her down somehow or lock her up that he can't just

18:52leave her speaking out like this that it's going to create a major national problem

18:56martha mitchell is telling reporters she is leaving her husband until he decides to get out of politics

19:06she said i love my husband very much but i'm not going to stand for all those dirty things that go on

19:13i think john probably wouldn't let this lottery thing get out of hand

19:27we've got a lid on it but it may not stay on and it is getting out might just be a good move on that

19:37the martha fans will think isn't that a wonderful thing

19:44the man has given up this you know it's kind of like the duke of winter giving up the throne for the woman he loves

19:51the boy woman isn't well known he's going to be by her side and all that

19:58and we would freak out of the fact

20:00we're already doing that

20:03all of a sudden these rumors start flying out of the white house

20:10and the first thing i know it's in print that i'm crazy that i'm this that i'm that

20:15the resignation is going to be a positive story he's going to hang over me on martha

20:22i mean i think he should do it call in the press

20:26john mitchell the former attorney general has quit as president nixon's

20:33campaign director

20:35he told the president that his reason for resigning was mrs mitchell

20:40some democrats maintain that the burglary of their headquarters carried out by among others a member of mitchell's staff

20:45may have been a factor republicans flatly and vehemently deny this they say the one and only reason is mrs mitchell

20:52a justice department friend of the mitchell's said just after that quote martha has a special problem

20:57obviously it has gotten more serious unquote

21:00i was mortified hurt and i didn't know whom had really hurt me

21:13i think the california incident was kind of the beginning

21:18that's when she realized that for whatever reason she was being silenced

21:27martha mitchell has ended up describing herself as a political prisoner

21:34i think that all of us have some obligation to free martha mitchell

21:42the story of how she was held against her will seems so fanciful

22:02do people really believe her i doubt anybody did

22:08i'm staying in my own little apartment hiding because i am so embarrassed

22:24i just completely resigned myself from politics

22:30well they were trying every way under the sun to get watergate out of the way

22:35watergate was not just a burglary by any means

22:49what watergate was was a massive campaign that played dirty tricks on people to win re-election

23:03it was the mad scramble to cover up and conceal as much as possible at least until the 72 election

23:15and it succeeded nixon won by a landslide

23:29hate was the theme of his presidency

23:37hate was the theme of his presidency

23:44let's use the power of the presidency as an instrument of revenge against anyone who was in his way

23:53including martha mitchell

24:05when the election

24:09the watergate story dried up

24:11went to bed basically

24:15it wasn't resurrected until mccord

24:21james mccord the man who told the judge that there was a lot more to be said about the watergate case today went before a senate committee to tell what he knows

24:30mccord had said john mitchell had advanced knowledge of watergate

24:37mr mitchell you were once virtually a symbol of law and order i still am you better believe it

24:49john mitchell is out of the administration at that point he's a private citizen but martha started talking to friends in the press

24:57fred larue told me to be careful when calling because martha picked up the phone and would listen in

25:04so be very careful what you say

25:15did you see where martha met from then

25:18no

25:19no

25:20she called somebody

25:21she called the new york times

25:24i think she was angry at nixon for putting john into this whole situation

25:48she wanted to protect john

25:50but i don't think she knew how involved john really was

25:54i think her love for john was her blind side

25:57i am sick and tired

26:00of people saying i'm after publicity

26:03but if i have to get publicity in order to clear

26:06to guiltless people

26:09my husband and myself

26:11and you can place all the blame right on the white house

26:15what do you mean on the white house

26:18what do i mean on the white house

26:22the blame on the white house

26:23well where do you think all this originated

26:26do you think my husband's that stupid

26:28and whom do you think he's been protecting

26:30whom

26:32i have no idea who

26:34mr president he has been protecting

26:36under no uncertain circumstances

26:43i'll tell them all

26:44and you know what they're gonna do

26:45they'll probably end up killing me

26:47but i i depend on you the press

26:50to protect me

26:53i was in madison wisconsin

26:57and she tracked me down

26:59and she said nixon should resign

27:01she was the first to say so

27:04the wife of the former nixon campaign manager said her husband and the president

27:08spent many evenings planning strategy

27:10and in mrs mitchell's words

27:11mr president always knew what was going on

27:14here is a president

27:16telling

27:18we americans

27:20he doesn't know about all these horrible things that are happening underneath his nose

27:31this man knew what was going on

27:33or he was negligent in being president

27:39she smelled it

27:42she knew something dirty was going on

27:45and she was a great chorus of one

27:47because she was telling the truth

27:52when you're married to someone who's in serious legal trouble like john mitchell was

28:00you know

28:01the only thing that john mitchell got mad about was when i said that i thought that mr president should resign

28:07and i think perhaps he got a little back talk from the white house

28:14martha told john mitchell if you stick with nixon you're going to jail

28:20and the man who caused it all is going free

28:24former attorney general john mitchell has left his wife and has moved into a new york hotel

28:36newsweek says this is the result of a recent series of violent outbursts in which mrs mitchell threw her husband's clothes into the hall of their apartment building

28:46friends claim mitchell has told them his wife is a sick woman but that he cannot bring himself to take the legal steps necessary to have her committed

28:55she was by herself after he left

29:02her daughter marty wasn't there and i know that when they were estranged that was a hole in martha's heart

29:17i've been under the most trying things and if anybody could turn out to be an alcoholic i should but i'm not

29:24i think she was scared all the time that something else might happen to her

29:31she said i know they're doing this because they think i know too much

29:38i think she was scared all the time that something else might happen to her

29:45she said i know they're doing this because they think i know too much

29:51i have been dumped

29:58they've tried to put me in the mental institution twice

30:04they've tried to kill me

30:08i was scared to death

30:12i was scared to death

30:19because every day i wake up and i think what's going to happen today

30:25i don't know why i didn't realize to some extent what was going on but i didn't

30:40tell you

30:43until i found out richard nixon and mitchell sat in the oval office and planned all this mess on me

30:51was in the tapes

30:53it was only last week that the senate watergate committee learned of the existence of tape recordings of

30:58president nixon's conversations including conversations bearing on watergate

31:03john mitchell as i thought resigned because of me

31:09but the tapes say to the contrary that he and richard nixon controlled me and therefore they had planned exactly how Mitchell would get out of the campaign

31:26when she did

31:29when she really went over the break this time around

31:43when we created someone from that with her

31:47threat she said she's a celebrity that is correct

31:52Nixon's closest political associates were placed under criminal indictment today in a climactic

32:19moment for the long Watergate investigation.

32:21John Mitchell, former attorney general and campaign director, now charged with obstruction

32:26of justice, lying to the grand jury and the FBI, faces 30 years in prison.

32:34I'm sure Mitchell thought he was going to get a pardon, but then, of course, Nixon left

32:39without pardoning him.

32:43Throughout the long and difficult period of Watergate, I have felt it was my duty to persevere.

32:49However, it has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base

32:58in the Congress.

32:59I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow.

33:05The night that Nixon resigned was the first time I really felt the whole thing.

33:19And that was the beginning of I had to stand up.

33:26There was a time when people thought that Martha Mitchell was amusing and outrageous with her

33:33outspoken opinions and midnight telephone calls.

33:35Then came her frank, angry statements on the Watergate and the chilling realization that Martha

33:41Mitchell was telling the truth.

33:48Welcome to Panorama. I'm Maury Povich. Would you please welcome our co-host this week, Martha Mitchell.

33:53The White House was telling reporters such as myself, Don Mitchell was resigning with the

34:00Welcome to Panorama. I'm Maury Povich. Would you please welcome our co-host this week, Martha Mitchell.

34:15The White House was telling reporters such as myself, Don Mitchell was resigning because he had to go away to take care of his wife.

34:26Poor John had to take care of me.

34:28That's right.

34:30People say that you started the whole Watergate thing. You let everybody know.

34:36That's absolutely right.

34:38Are you happy with the outcome?

34:40I am indeed.

34:41Do you think that if President Nixon...

34:43It's been the greatest thing in the world for this country. We're going to get all the politicians real true blue again. They're not going to be dishonest.

34:52The men who were closest to Richard Nixon in the White House and in politics today were sentenced to prison for their role in the Watergate cover-up.

35:00For many people, it was the grand finale of the Watergate drama.

35:05After work, John Mitchell had a comment.

35:08Well, it could have been a lot worse. He might have sentenced me to live with Martha Mitchell, so I think I'm on a plus side since then.

35:14Are you bitter at all about this?

35:19Extremely so.

35:21Martha Mitchell, a lady who's been famous for dispensing much talk at the White House, who's taken up selling dresses at the Pink House.

35:41She sued John Mitchell for overdue support payments, and within the last two weeks, a court document described her as desperately ill, without funds, and without friends.

35:54When she got sick, she didn't want to see a lot of her friends.

35:58The one person who she didn't want to see refused to see her.

36:01About 400 people in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, turned out this morning to pay their final respects to Martha Mitchell.

36:25Her candor got her in trouble with the Nixon administration, and with her own husband.

36:35But it earned her many admirers back at home.

36:38Some of them sent flowers.

36:41One arrangement in white chrysanthemum spelled out this message.

36:44Martha was right.

36:46There was no card.

36:47Was she a crazy lady?

37:01I certainly don't think so.

37:03I think that she was a terrific person, and I think she was a visionary in a sense.

37:09Prophetic.

37:17Mrs. Mitchell, you're certainly going to appear in the history books here and there.

37:21How would you like people to think of you?

37:24Well, if I ever do any good, Barbara, I would like to go down as doing some good for my country.

37:31That's all.

37:32That would be the greatest thrill in the world.

37:34And your way of doing it is to speak out.

37:36That's it.

37:37That would be the greatest thrill in the world.

38:07That's it.

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