Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 85 › Conversation 085-013

Nixon White House recording on White House logistics and Film production

Friday, December 3, 1971 · 12:00 AM–10:08 AM ET · Cabinet Room

Participants[Unknown person(s)]Conversation085-013 on Tape 85StartFriday, December 3, 1971 at 12:00 AMEndFriday, December 3, 1971 at 10:08 AMRecording deviceCabinet RoomSourceNixon Library record for 085-013 ↗

AI Summary

Technical personnel met in the Cabinet Room to coordinate the logistics and lighting for a professional filming session featuring President Nixon. The participants established specific protocols for the President's entry, including the choreography of door-holding, camera positioning, and movement within the room to ensure professional footage. The discussion focused on minimizing intrusive filming practices while capturing the President’s arrival and interactions.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 112.9 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 111.4 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 113.2 MB ·Download MP3 (part 4) · 26.0 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
3:20:04All right, while we're here, while we're here, are we all settled in this room?
3:20:05Yes, we're ready.
3:20:06Are we finished?
3:20:06Yes.
3:20:31All right, while we're here, why don't we look at the 2-0 departure, which is right here in the car.
3:20:40I'm sorry we're doing this all out of order, but we've worked so much time, but we went back.
3:20:49All right.
3:20:55All right.
3:26:31Oh.
3:26:55He walks through that door.
3:26:59The door was normally closed.
3:27:20You're gonna have to wait till he's in the room.
3:27:23I understand he takes a hammer too, right?
3:27:24Yes, you're gonna have to wait till he's in there shaking hands and stuff like that.
3:27:30Because you don't follow a man.
3:27:34So, if he comes in here alone, Steve will open the door and sit down with the president.
3:27:42I want you to open the door and hold the door for the cameraman, as well as, I'm saying, work that with the steed, because the camera has to be on the door, it doesn't have to be behind it.
3:27:55Alright, I'll just grab it.
3:27:56But, don't have the cameraman follow, like, right under the seat.
3:28:00Okay, I'll just grab it.
3:28:03Ok, but then you get out of the door, you have to step over this guy so he gets out of the room.
3:28:09Right.
3:28:09Ok.
3:28:09Cool.
3:28:10Alright.
3:28:11Alright, now we're on the boat.
3:28:14The speed also comes in here and gives the signal for it to depart, depart.
3:28:18And he wants to move here.
3:28:20Ok.

NARA Description

On December 3, 1971, unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 10:08 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 085-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 85-13

Date: Unknown between December 3 and December 6, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:00 am, December 3 and 10:08 am, December 6, 1971
Location: Cabinet Room

Unknown men met

     Filming the President
          -Lighting
          -Wiring
          -The President’s entry
          -Seating
          -The President’s entry
          -Roosevelt Room

Unknown men left at an unknown time before 10:08 am, December 6, 1971

     [Unintelligible]

Unknown men entered at an unknown time after 12:00 am, December 3, 1971

     Filming the President
          -The President’s entry

     [Unintelligible]
          -Doorway

The unknown men left at an unknown time before 10:08 am, December 6, 1971

Also recorded on December 3, 1971

  • 085-001 12:00 AM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 10:08 am.
  • 085-002 12:00 AM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 10:08 am.
  • 085-003 12:00 AM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 10:08 am.
  • 085-004 12:00 AM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 10:08 am.
  • 085-006 12:00 AM — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 10:08 am.
  • 085-007 12:00 AM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 10:08 am.
  • 085-008 12:00 AM — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 10:08 am.
  • 085-009 12:00 AM — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 10:08 am.

All 14 conversations from December 3, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 085-013, December 3, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/085-013 (accessed October 12, 2026).