President Dale is the main protagonist of Tim Burton's 1996 science-fiction/comedy film, Mars Attacks!.
He was portrayed by Jack Nicholson who also played Art Land in the same film.
Description[]
He is the President of the United States as the Martians arrive on Earth. Throughout the film, he seeks peaceful diplomacy and refuses to go to war with these invaders, which partially leads to chaos around the world and also to his own death. He also has a wife, Marsha and a daughter, Taffy.
History[]
At the beginning of the film, he observes pictures of the flying saucers and decides to quietly announce the news to the people. He then takes care of answering reporters' questions and learns that the Martians will land on Earth in Nevada. He decides to send an army led by gentle General Casey, to the dismay of the surly General Decker.
He observes with his family and his political entourage the event and witnesses the total war started by the Martians. Puzzled, the President does not know what to think and believes like the others that the problem comes from the dove, which could be a symbol of war. Along with Professor Kessler, he sends a message to the Martians apologizing for the incident he believes caused and adds by saying that the humans have no bad intentions. The message is received by the aliens who laugh at what it says and also send an apology message. Jerry Ross, the press secretary explains that Ambassador Martian wishes to speak at the congress, giving hope to Dale.
However, the Martians once again disintegrate everyone and kidnap Kessler who had come to the scene. In his office, the president says that you have to deal with Martians and Decker orders him to authorize nuclear force, which the President refuses, sneering and then yelling at the general to shut up. He then stands up to say that everything will remain as before and that he is not taking any war measures.
Later, a Martian spy infiltrates the White House to assassinate the President saved in time by his security guards. The next day, the whole city is invaded and Dale sees his wife killed in the chaos in the White House.
Overwhelmed by the events, the President lies in his office and over the phone hears the French President and his men being decimated in turn by the Martians, which causes him to faint. Decker then wakes him up to convince him to sign the deal to use all of their nuclear weapons, which Dale does desperately. However, the rocket launched at the Martian Leader ship does not explode and the Leader swallows the contents before laughing with the other Martians.
Later, the Martian Leader goes to the office with his soldiers and kills Decker and everyone else in the place, leaving only the President alive. The latter gives a speech while trying to convince the Martians to stop the war and get along with the humans. The Leader sheds a tear while listening to him and shakes his hand, suggesting a beginning of peace. The hand the President was squeezing was in fact fake and breaks away from the Martian to run over the President's body and impale him from behind, killing him. He then falls to the ground and the Martian flag flies over his chest and the Martians salute before leaving the office.