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Frost:  Is it… is it off?

Nixon:  Is it?

Frost: [looking off camera] Yes… yes it is.

Nixon:  Well… I can’t believe that!

Frost:  You said you wanted it to be spontaneous.

Nixon:  Yea Dave, but… Christ! I was the president at one time you know!

Frost: I understand, but this is your chance to speak up and explain–

Nixon: [abruptly] Did you have to put in so many of my quotes? I sound like a monster. It’s not like I planned the damn Munich attacks here.

Frost: [anxious] Well, if it wasn’t a cover up, do you think people believe that you had no prior–

Nixon: I’ve told you repeatedly that you have not read the entire transcript. “Payoff” and “cover up” and “clemency” and “proper disposal of the body” all have multiple legal meanings.

Frost: But most blokes watching this aren’t lawyers, Richard.

Nixon: Call me Rick.

Frost: Yes, Rick. Most people aren’t lawyers. They can’t make out the difference between your intentions and your actions.

Nixon: [scowling] You think that I don’t know that? You think that I never once considered that?

Frost:  I know you have Rick. It’s only that people have read your quotes in the paper–

Nixon: [loudly] No they haven’t! They’ve only read what the damn ‘Jew York Times’ tells them! 

Frost: Now I’ve told you from day one, that language is off the list here! You can’t say–

Nixon: I know, I know… Jew, Darkie, Hippie, Red, F*g or Dy*e… I have the list written on the back of my hand. Do you want to see it? [holding hand up]

Frost: No Rick, I trust you. I just get skittish sometime around race, I’m sorry.

Nixon: Well… it’s alright, I’m sorry too. [smiling] Christ, this is tense sometimes, you know?

Frost: [exhaling loudly] Yes Rick, it’s hard at moments.

[1 minute pause. Frost ruffles notes, Nixon sips water and has hair combed by aid]

Nixon: Did I ever tell you that Ike would hold his middle finger up and pointed into the receiver when he was on the phone with Charles de Gaulle? I was always afraid he would get caught by a White House aid. Trumann had warned him that someone on staff would see it eventually and take a picture–

Frost: Rick, if I may, no funny stories. It kills the weightiness. We’ll have a cocktail afterward, you know?

Nixon: Oh yea, yea. Sorry, just… I just remembered it now for some reason, you know? A little tense, is all. It’s hard not to sweat under these lights [holds hand to eyes]. You could melt butter with that one! [Nixon laughing loudly, followed by a brief silence]

Frost: Yes… ha ha ha [looking frustrated he buries his face behind the papers in his hand].

Nixon: Sorry Dave, I should never have agreed to this.

Frost: [reassuringly] No no… your fine. This is going off smashingly. It’s only that I want to, you know, have you speak to me as if you are talking to a friend, not a reporter. I want this to be as casual as it can be. Just think Carson meets 60 Minutes.

Nixon: Casual? Christ… Dave, are you kidding me? Dave [looks directly into his eyes] it’s me, remember?

Frost: I know Rick, but still… try to answer the questions as if… as if you’ve never heard them before. I want people to view this and think that your shooting from the hip. Remember who’s going to eventually be tuning in to see this. They’re used to seeing press conference Nixon, we want to give them another side.

Nixon: Your right Dave, your right. It’s just… I’ve done this interview in my head a thousand times, you know? [angrily] And when I answer a question once, I answer the question once and that is that! [Nixon is suddenly taken aback, starts to laugh nervously] Oh sorry! Didn’t mean to point my finger at you. Maybe we should continue…

Frost: Another few moments yet, they have to change the camera filters.

Nixon: Did I ever tell you about the time Liddy stumbled into the Rose Garden drunk, put his cigar out on my Spanish staff woman’s arm and yelled, “No Lucy, you can’t be in the coup!” ?

Frost: [trying to hide his frustration] Remember Rick? Later tonight, over cocktails?

Nixon: Oh yea, yea. Sorry.

Frost: When we start, I’m going to ask the same questions again. But please, PLEASE! Don’t start with another speech about how I’m asking the question. Remember… natural.

Nixon: Natural? Right, natural… I’ll [moves hand across his lap] just be natural. No law definitions, just answer.

Stagehand: One minute gentlemen.

Frost: Have you thought about how to answer?

Nixon: Yea, I think I know.

Frost: Are you sure?

Nixon: Yea, don’t wait for me. It’s all gonna come to me as we go along. Carson meets 60 Minutes, got it.

Stagehand: Going ahead in 5, 4 , 3, 2, and go.

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