Day One (1989)

The complicated relationship between physicist Leo Szilard, scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves. Assigned to oversee the project, Groves chooses Oppenheimer to build ... See full summary »

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers:

Peter Wyden (book), David W. Rintels (teleplay)

Stars:

Brian Dennehy, David Strathairn, Michael Tucker

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brian Dennehy	...	Gen. Leslie Groves
David Strathairn	...	J. Robert Oppenheimer
Michael Tucker	...	Leo Szilard
Hume Cronyn	...	James F. Byrnes
Richard Dysart	...	President Harry S. Truman
Hal Holbrook	...	Gen. George Marshall
Barnard Hughes	...	Secretary of War Henry Stimson
John McMartin	...	Dr. Arthur Compton
David Ogden Stiers	...	President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Anne Twomey	...	Kitty Oppenheimer
Lawrence Dane
Ron Frazier	...	Colonel Pash
Olek Krupa	...	Edward Teller
Bernie McInerney
John Pielmeier	...	Seth

Storyline

The complicated relationship between physicist Leo Szilard, scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves. Assigned to oversee the project, Groves chooses Oppenheimer to build the historic bomb. However, when World War II inspires the government to use the weapon, Szilard reconsiders his opinions about atomic warfare.

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Plot Keywords:

physicist | europe | robert oppenheimer | atomic bomb | politics | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 March 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

A nap

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

AT&T, Spelling Entertainment, World International Network (WIN)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

141 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time this film was made, Michael Tucker and Richard Dysart were well-known for their roles in L.A. Law (1986).

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Goofs

A recording was being listened to of Dr. Leo Szilard in Chicago at Los Alamos by General Groves. The wide plastic reels are reel-to-reel audio. Tape recordings were a product of BASF and other wartime German developers but tapes and did not exist prior to the technology being brought here as captured alien property in 1946. Prior to this in the United States, technology was so far behind, recordings were made on wire or the usual acetate disk.

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Quotes

[after an experiment proving the feasibility of a chain reaction in uranium]
Leo Szilard: The world is headed for trouble. The world is headed for grief.

User Reviews

Revisionist History about the bomb

This is quite a good depiction of the history of the development of the bomb, and I was quite enjoying it. Then in about the last half hour the "revisionist" history began to creep in - the type where all good people at the time felt we shouldn't use the bomb, and only the evil military folks were for its use. The dialog at this point sounds absolutely absurd for a wartime 1945, and comes across more like a demonstration at Berkley in the 60s. "Yes we used the bomb, but we were very conflicted about the decision, and we were wrong to do it." Spare me this drivel.

If you agree with this point of view and felt the US was wrong to use the bomb you'll love the movie.