What it’s about
Outraged that U.S. President Jordan Lyman (March) has signed a nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviets, Gen. James M. Scott (Lancaster) plots a coup d’etat with other Joint Chiefs of Staff. Lyman is alerted to the conspiracy by Scott’s aide, Col. “Jiggs” Casey (Douglas), and races against the clock to neutralize the general’s traitorous plan.
Why we love it
Two years after “The Manchurian Candidate,” director Frankenheimer scored again with this gripping political thriller. Beyond serving as a showcase for two frequently paired stars — Lancaster as a power-mad general, Douglas as the principled whistleblower — the movie works because the premise feels all too plausible in the context of the paranoiac Cold War era. Stark black-and-white photography and brisk pacing only add to the film’s breathless tension. The tight screenplay was penned by Rod Serling, based on Fletcher Knebel’s book.
Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Frederic March, Ava Gardner John Frankenheimer
Burt Lancaster Kirk Douglas Frederic March Ava Gardner John Frankenheimer
