Seven Days in May (1964)

US military leaders plot to overthrow the President because he supports a nuclear disarmament treaty and they fear a Soviet sneak attack.

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Fletcher Knebel (novel), Charles W. Bailey II (novel),

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Burt Lancaster	...	Gen. James Mattoon Scott
Kirk Douglas	...	Col. Martin 'Jiggs' Casey
Fredric March	...	President Jordan Lyman
Ava Gardner	...	Eleanor Holbrook
Edmond O'Brien	...	Sen. Raymond Clark
Martin Balsam	...	Paul Girard
Andrew Duggan	...	Col. William 'Mutt' Henderson
Hugh Marlowe	...	Harold McPherson
Whit Bissell	...	Sen. Frederick Prentice
Helen Kleeb	...	Esther Townsend
George Macready	...	Christopher Todd
Richard Anderson	...	Col. Murdock
Bart Burns	...	Secret Service Director Art Corwin

Storyline

An unpopular U.S. President manages to get a nuclear disarmament treaty through the Senate, but finds that the nation is turning against him. Jiggs Casey, a Marine Colonel, finds evidence that General Scott, the wildly popular head of the Joint Chiefs and certain Presidential Candidate in 2 years is not planning to wait. Casey goes to the president with the information and a web of intrigue begins with each side unsure of who can be trusted.

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Plot Keywords:

general | coup | joint chiefs of staff | u.s. president | conspiracy | 

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Taglines:

The astounding story of an astounding military plot to take over the United States! The time is 1970 or 1980 or, possibly, tomorrow!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 February 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sete Dias em Maio

Filming Locations:

Imperial County, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Seven Arts Productions, Joel Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original novel upon which the film was based, Adm. Farley C. Barnswell's flagship is the USS Eisenhower, a good guess on the part of the novel's writers, Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II: an aircraft carrier of that name would not be ordered until 29 June 1970, a full eight years after the book's publication.

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Goofs

When Paul Girard visits Admiral Barnswell on his ship at Gibraltar, he arrives in full daylight and demands the admiral's statement immediately. When he returns to shore it is fully dark. Since his business is urgent, this must not be long after sunset, and hence in Washington it should still be afternoon. Yet at the same time, Ellie is cooking dinner there.

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Quotes

[a terse note refers to "Site Y"]
Christopher Todd: That could easily mean another place. These military games... why, the multiplicity of our secret bases confuses ourselves more than the Soviets.

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Connections

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

User Reviews

a masterful thriller

Seven Days in May is cold war movie making at its best. This film does not have a car chase, gun battles, or a President as villian. It does have great actors and is one of the finest translattion of a novel to screen. It is the first of the U.S. Militery as villian plot lines, since over used on both the screen and tv. A number of years ago a remake was done for cable-The Enemy within-and it did not work. In that the President is to be over-throw because he will sign a defense bill! The Russians are no longer the enemy and that's why it fails. In the first, made three years after the Cuban Missle Crisis, the fear of the Soviets is real and provides the ploters with a major cause against the President's program of disarmement. One of the best movies of the last fifty years.