Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977)

An imprisoned rogue USAF general with a secret personal agenda, escapes the brig and takes over an ICBM silo, threatening to start WW3.

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Ronald M. Cohen (screenplay), Edward Huebsch (screenplay)

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Roscoe Lee Browne

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Burt Lancaster	...	Gen. Lawrence Dell
Roscoe Lee Browne	...	James Forrest
Joseph Cotten	...	Arthur Renfrew - Secretary of State
Melvyn Douglas	...	Zachariah Guthrie
Charles Durning	...	President David T. Stevens
Richard Jaeckel	...	Capt. Stanford Towne
William Marshall	...	William Klinger - Attorney General
Gerald S. O'Loughlin	...	Brig. Gen. O'Rourke
Richard Widmark	...	Gen. Martin MacKenzie - Commanding General SA
Paul Winfield	...	Willis Powell
Burt Young	...	Augie Garvas
Charles Aidman	...	Bernstein
Leif Erickson	...	Ralph Whittaker - CIA Director
Charles McGraw	...	Air Force Gen. Peter Crane
Morgan Paull	...	First Lt. Louis Cannellis

Storyline

A renegade USAF general, Lawrence Dell, escapes from a military prison and takes over an ICBM silo near Montana and threatens to provoke World War 3 unless the President reveals details of a secret meeting held just after the start of the Vietnam War between Dell and the then President's most trusted advisors.

---

Plot Keywords:

general | takeover | nuclear weapon | ransom demand | prison escape | 

---

Taglines:

Adventure That Blows The Screen Apart!

---

Genres:

Drama | Thriller

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA West Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 February 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

Silo III

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Studios, Bavariafilmplatz 7, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$6,200,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$4,500,000, 31 December 1977

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bavaria Atelier, Bavaria Film, Geria Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

146 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is Burt Lancaster's fourth collaboration with director Robert Aldrich, after Apache (1954), Vera Cruz (1954) and Ulzana's Raid (1972).

---

Goofs

The Air Force officer talking to the President calls Dell "a soldier" when he should refer to him as an airman or officer, but never a soldier. No member of the Air Force would call another member of the Air Force a soldier.

---

Quotes

Lawrence Dell: There are no midgets in the United States Air Force.

---

Alternate Versions

The original UK cinema release featured the 2 hour version. The 1998 Warner video featured the extended 138 minute print.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming (1995)

---

Soundtracks

My Country Tis of Thee
Music by Lowell Mason (uncredited) based on the music by Henry Carey from "God Save the King" (1744)
Lyrics by Samuel Francis Smith (uncredited) (1832)
Performed by Billy Preston
from the album "I Wrote a Simple Song"
on A & M Records and Tapes

User Reviews

Definitely worth watching, possibly owning if out on DVD WS

Based on the novel 'VIPER THREE', it's an early, if not one of the first to challenge the motivation for going to war in VIET NAM. Great acting by some of the best, Burt Lancaster and Richard Widmark, who alone make it a 'must see' in my book. In addition to , Charles Durning, Paul Winfield, Burt Young (ROCKY) Joseph Cotton and others. The use of 'split screen' to show multiple events unfolding simultaneously, really helped in building the tension. It was the first movie I saw using it. It did seem to grind long a little at nearly two and one half hours, but that could have been due to my being a slightly restless and impatient 20 YR OLD. I haven't been able to catch it on TV whether it aired or not. Looking forward to its release on DVD in widescreen if not already out( I haven't found it). Love to get a petition going like the one for Rolling Thunder, but really don't know how.