By Dawn's Early Light (1990) (TV)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Jack Sholder

Writers (WGA):

William Prochnau (novel)
Bruce Gilbert (teleplay)

Release Date:

19 May 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Action

Tagline:

Four People. Three Minutes. Two Choices. One Chance For Survival.

Plot:

The crew of a nuclear bomber attack the Soviet Union while the President of the United States tries...

Plot Keywords:

Nuclear War | Based On Novel

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Powers Boothe	...	Maj. Cassidy
Rebecca De Mornay	...	Capt. Moreau
James Earl Jones	...	Looking Glass General - 'Alice'
Martin Landau	...	President
Darren McGavin	...	Condor - Secretary of Interior
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	E-4 Admiral - 'Harpoon'
Rip Torn	...	E-4 Col. Fargo
Peter MacNicol	...	Lt. Cmdr. Tom Sedgewicke
Glenn Withrow	...	Lt. Tyler
Ronald William Lawrence	...	Lt. Hooker
Kieran Mulroney	...	Lt. Radnor
Nicolas Coster	...	Gen. Renning - 'Icarus'
Ken Jenkins	...	Looking Glass Colonel - 'Sam'
Randal Patrick	...	Maj. O'Toole
Daniel Benzali	...	FEMA Director Bascombe

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:S | Iceland:12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:M | USA:PG-13

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Trivia:

This is the second Cold War-based nuclear thriller to derive its title from the lyrics to the song 'The Star Spangled Banner'. The first was Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977), starring Burt Lancaster.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Once the Secretary of the Interior boards the E-4 and assumes the duties of president, the plane should have been referred to thereafter as Air Force One, but at no point in the film is it ever referred to as anything but the E-4. (It is correct for Alice and his crew, however, to revert to calling it the E-4 once they learn the original president is still alive.)

Quotes:

Fargo: Hell, most Soviet bombers are so old they still use propellers. The Minnesota Air National Guard could probably knock them down.
Harpoon: Well, do you want to get on the phone and order them into the air, Colonel, because every transistor in Minnesota is BURNED OUT!

Movie Connections:

References Planet of the Apes (1968)

Soundtrack:

DON'T CALL HIM A COWBOY

Compelling cold war tale

When a nuclear missile is launched by presumably Soviet forces toward Turkey, the beginning of the ultimate war to end all wars WW 3 is started. Powers Boothe, his girlfriend and copilot Rebecca DeMornay and their flight crew take off in a B 52 on what they believe is just another drill only to find out that this is the real deal. While they fly their mission toward Russia the US and Russia exchange nuclear blasts. The movie, originally made for HBO, tells a realistic tale of what could be if the controls of the nukes get in the wrong hands and with Russia, being the way it is today, this could be a prophetic movie. A very well done drama with some good acting, a little over the top by Booth, but it will keep you watching and most importantly make you think. On a scale of one to ten... 8