The President’s Mistress

The President’s Mistress

Year: 1978

Runtime: 83 mins

Language: English

Director: John Llewellyn Moxey

MysteryThrillerDrama

A lethal mix of death, deceit and sexual scandal erupts at the highest level of power. When a government courier learns that his slain sister had been the president’s secret mistress and a Soviet operative, he is thrust into a perilous cover‑up, racing against shadowy forces to expose the truth before the conspiracy destroys him.

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Timeline & Setting – The President’s Mistress (1978)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The President’s Mistress (1978). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Cold War era

The events unfold during the Cold War, a tense period of US-Soviet rivalry marked by espionage and political intrigue. The plot moves between Washington, D.C., and Moscow as spies maneuver behind official facades. The timeframe underpins the paranoia and high-stakes decisions surrounding the presidency.

Location

Washington, D.C., Moscow

Washington, D.C. is the political epicenter where the president's affair unfolds under Secret Service watch. Moscow is the Kremlin hub of intelligence where a clandestine document surfaces, triggering a transatlantic espionage chase. The White House and nearby safe houses become stages for power plays and personal risk.

🏛️ Political hubs 🗺️ Cold War geography

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:49

Main Characters – The President’s Mistress (1978)

Meet the key characters of The President’s Mistress (1978), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Donna Morton (Karen Grassle)

Donna Morton is the president’s mistress who maintains a secret life in Washington, D.C., meeting him in a safe house under Secret Service watch. A document in Moscow branding her as a KGB agent triggers CSA surveillance and a deadly hunt for answers. Her death catalyzes a political and personal crisis, exposing how state actors manipulate truth.

💼 Secret life 🕵️ Espionage 💔 Dangerous liaison

Ben Morton (Beau Bridges)

Ben Morton is a Washington businessman and occasional CSA courier who is drawn into the case after Donna's death. He uses his connections to uncover the truth and pursue the conspiracy, often walking a fine line between loyalty and danger. His pursuit brings him into contact with Secret Service and CSA leadership as he confronts reality.

💼 Businessman 🕵️ Investigator 🧭 Risk-taker

Margaret 'Mugsy' Evans (Susan Blanchard)

Mugsy Evans is a socialite who meets Ben on a plane and becomes part of the tangled personal web around the case. Her presence adds romantic and social pressure to the political intrigue, illustrating how personal ties can intersect with state secrets.

💃 Socialite ❤️ Romantic subplot

Anatoly (Titos Vandis)

Anatoly is the Soviet Naval Attaché and the head KGB agent in Washington. He reveals that the classified document identifying Donna Morton as a Soviet agent was a fake designed to mislead American authorities. His interrogation exposes a Kremlin strategy to destabilize the White House during crucial talks with China.

🗡️ Spy 🎭 Deception 🌍 Cold War

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:49

Major Themes – The President’s Mistress (1978)

Explore the central themes of The President’s Mistress (1978), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕵️ Espionage

Spying, double identities, and covert operations drive the narrative. The film explores how information manipulation and surveillance shape decisions at the highest levels of power. Personal relationships become fronts for political maneuvering, revealing the fragility of loyalty.

💔 Betrayal

Affair and political manipulation create a web of betrayal that entangles lovers, allies, and enemies. Trust fractures as fake documents and conflicting loyalties surface. The human cost of statecraft is shown through the protagonist's dramatic downfall.

🏛️ Power & Secrecy

State power depends on secrecy, and the plot centers on how information is controlled and distorted. Institutions like the CSA and KGB act as facades for larger geopolitical battles. The film portrays how the personal and the political collide in the corridors of government.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:49

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Political Paranoia Thrillers like The President’s Mistress

Ordinary people uncover deadly government conspiracies in tense, fast-paced thrillers.If you liked the tense, dangerous atmosphere of The President’s Mistress, explore more movies about ordinary individuals uncovering deadly government secrets. These films feature fast pacing, high emotional stakes, and a pervasive feeling of being hunted by an unseen enemy.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically begins with a triggering event—a death or a discovered secret—that propels an everyday person into a conspiracy at the highest levels of power. The journey is a frantic investigation, marked by close calls, betrayals, and escalating danger, as the protagonist struggles to expose the truth before being eliminated.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared atmosphere of claustrophobic paranoia, high-stakes political intrigue, and the central theme of a lone truth-seeker against a corrupt system. They deliver a consistent vibe of anxious suspense and life-or-death urgency.

Family Mystery Thrillers like The President’s Mistress

A personal tragedy leads to a dangerous investigation that unravels a dark secret.Discover movies similar to The President’s Mistress where a character's quest for answers about a family member's death leads them into a complex and dangerous mystery. These films blend heavy emotional weight with tense investigative plots.

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Narrative Summary

The plot is driven by a deeply personal inciting incident that transforms the protagonist from a grieving relative into an amateur investigator. As they dig deeper, the initial mystery expands into something larger and more sinister, putting them in direct conflict with powerful adversaries and forcing them to confront painful truths about their loved one.

Why These Movies?

This thread groups films where the investigative plot is fueled by intimate, emotional stakes. The combination of a personal vendetta with a larger mystery creates a compelling narrative engine, ensuring the viewer is invested in both the emotional journey of the protagonist and the unraveling of the plot.

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The President’s Mistress Summary

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The President’s Mistress Summary

The President’s Mistress Timeline

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The President’s Mistress Timeline

The President’s Mistress Spoiler-Free Summary

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The President’s Mistress Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The President’s Mistress

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