The Red Files are highly confidential files and documents which J. R. Ewing inherited when his father appointed him president of Ewing oil upon his retirement, the majority of them Bobby Ewing has access to but in the case of J.R.'s major dirty double crossing deals he keeps those files hidden from the other Ewings. J.R. Ewing double crosses the team of Ames & Garr with a forged copy of Jock's will. They entered into business deals based on the "Red File"(see description of Red Files below) Ewing land drilling rights and the fact that they would share in the profits from the oil drilled off Southfork following Jock's death.
Seasons 1-3 of Dallas are the only time that J. R. and Bobby Ewing mentions the Red Files in their business dealings. In Season 1 Victoria Principal's character Pamela Barnes Ewing is accused of leaking a very important Red File to Ken Kercheval's character Clifford "Cliff" Barnes. Norman Alden's character on Dallas Senator William Orloff had to resign his senate seat because of the leaked Red File.
Famous quotes containing the words red and/or files:
“For which he wex a litel red for shame,
Whan he the peple upon him herde cryen,
That to beholde it was a noble game,
How sobreliche he caste doun his yen.
Criseyda gan al his chere aspyen,
And let so softe it in her herte sinke
That to herself she seyde, “Who yaf me drinke?””
—Geoffrey Chaucer (1340–1400)
“But some who this blithe mood present,
As on in lightsome files they fare,
Shall die experienced ere three days be spent—
Perish, enlightened by the vollied glare;
Or shame survive, and, like to adamant,
Thy after shock, Manassas, share.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)