Discover
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Kirk Douglas
Co-Executive Producer -
John Frankenheimer
Director -
Bill Catching
Stunts -
Rod Serling
Screenplay -
Jerry Goldsmith
Original Music Composer -
Sydney Guilaroff
Hairstylist -
Robert J. Anderson
Assistant Director -
John Franco
Script Supervisor
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CinemaSerf 12/2/2024 10:18:51AM
This is an enthralling political drama that pitches Fredric March ("Pres. Lyman") against the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - Burt Lancaster ("Gen. Scott") in a battle for control of the United States. When an aide to the General - "Jiggs Casey" (Kirk Douglas) notices some odd goings on, he begins to suspect that his boss is plotting - and plotting on a treasonous scale. When he brings this to the attention of the President, a race is on between the elected authorities and their military commanders to stop the scheming general from achieving his goal. Lancaster is superb as the imperious 4-star general, as are Douglas and March. The star, for me at any rate, though, is Edmond O'Brien as the regularly sozzled Senator "Clark", who is despatched to investigate the existence of a secret base - and potentially thwart the entire rogue operation. The pace is excellent, the dialogue thoughtful and penetrating leaving us with a worrying degree of paranoia - might this actually be possible?
Martin Balsam
Paul GirardStuart Holmes
Senate Committee Member (uncredited)Andrew Duggan
Col. William "Mud" HendersonBurt Lancaster
Gen. James Mattoon ScottKent McCord
Presidential Aide (uncredited)William Meader
Reporter (uncredited)Kirk Douglas
Col. Martin "Jiggs" CaseyWesley Gale
Reporter (uncredited)