Mark Felt (Deep Throat) dies: A memorial Throat-off

Few people personify the phrase “you can’t make this stuff up” better than former associate FBI director W. Mark Felt, aka Deep Throat, who died yesterday at the age of 95. Not only was Felt an undercover source of information powerful and dangerous enough to bring down U.S. President Richard Nixon, he also managed to maintain shadowy anonymity for 30 years (he finally came forward and revealed his identity in a 2005 Vanity Fair article). Deep Throat was first brought to the public’s attention in Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s 1974 book All the President’s Men, which was turned into a movie two years later starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Woodward and Bernstein and Hal Holbrook as Deep Throat (see clip below). More recently, Deep Throat, played by Jerry Hardin, was the name of Mulder’s source of covert info in The X-Files (clip after the jump). Mulder signaled a desire to meet with his source by placing a light in his window, a nod to Woodward, who said he used to move a potted flower plant on his balcony to signal his Deep Throat. The whole concept was turned on its head for the 1999 movie Dick, which had Deep Throat portrayed by Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams (clip after the jump), two ditzy blondes who turn out to be a giggling threat to national security.

So, PopWatchers, check out the clips and tell us — which is your favorite pop culture Deep Throat? Any Deep Throats we missed? (Notice I said “missed,” not “intentionally left off because it’s a PORN movie.”)

Hal Holbrook, All the President’s Men

Jerry Hardin, The X-Files

Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams, Dick