The President stops the argument and commends Jiggs for doing the distasteful work. It was wisely filmed in black and white with virtually no obligatory special effects--all of which works terrifically as the drama is structured on character and plot, not military pyrotechnics, Serling's usual formula for success. When the White House (Secret Service Code: "Olympus") is captured and the President (Aaron Eckhart) is kidnapped by a terrorist mastermind, disgraced former Presidential guard, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), moves to action. Now, who will believe the word of a career thief and ex-con? This is a powerful film with some very tense moments. But there are many who oppose this treaty, including Burt Lancaster, the greatest military hero of the day and head of the Joint Chief of Staff. He is in contact with several others regarding these fears, and they are planning a coup, to replace the President and his supporters and rip up this dangerous treaty. Show More. His doctor wants him to take a vacation but the President says he will swim in the White House pool. The man, it seems, would make an ideal president--and that just might happen on the seventh day in May. Cookies help us deliver our services. This led to a mutinous response from the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I can't imagine Alfred Hitchcock doing a better job. The film also featured amazing cinematography, directing, and very powerful writing. (Original Title - Air Force One) © 1997 Beacon Communications Corp. All Rights Reserved. Kirk Douglass portrays the efficient Colonel "Jiggs" Casey, who is Scott's subordinent and reluctant hero of the film. The President says he will not participate in the alert on Sunday and will be going to his private retreat at Blue Lake for some fishing. General Edwin Walker, mentioned in another review, was only the least of what was going on in the higher echelons of the U.S. military near the end of the Eisenhower Administration and the beginning of the Kennedy-Johnson Administration. Unable to confide in his own aid, Col. Martin 'Jiggs' Casey, (Kirk Douglas), Scott, arranges to keep Casey out of the loop, until the overthrow is complete. Girard makes it to the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk, that Barnswell uses for his flagship. Henderson and the senator make it back to Dulles airport in Washington just fine. A list of its story problems would probably be as long as the shooting script. Someone from the embassy in Madrid has arrived with the confession written by Adm. Barnswell. Clint Eastwood portrays Whitney and directs this crisp, finely acted thriller based on David Baldacci's best-selling novel. Perhaps one of the most genuinely suspenseful films every made, this paranoic film should be seen in conjunction with its natural brethren, "The Parallax View" and "The Manchurian Candidate" (which is also directed by John Frankenheimer). The director, John Frankenheimer, had an amazing string of movies in the early to mid-1960s. Scott rudely dismisses the two. The drama of an attempted military takeover of the United States government, SEVEN DAYS is one of Serling's most tautly written scripts and was one he himself favored. Tim Robbins directed a movie version Cradle Will Rock (1999) which had more stars than I can name here. That is the background and story of "Seven Days In May", except that Lancaster's closest assistant, Kirk Douglas, is appalled at the scheme and tips off March and his associates (Martin Balsam, Edmond O'Brien, George Macready). The General walks out without a word. Jiggs has to say that he thinks General Scott is planning a coup for Sunday, May, 18th. The characters are human, the story is spellbinding, the film is a classic on all levels. When Jiggs goes into the other room, he runs into the general’s former mistress Eleanor “Ellie” Holbrook (Ava Gardner). Great performances by all in this film, but mostly by Burt Lancaster and Fredric March who toward the end of the movie have a great scene with excellent dialog that sum up the true essence of the story. Start within 30 days, finish within 48 hours. At odds are a popular general and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman and an unpopular President with a pacifist agenda. Houseman always plays a stodgy old Englishman so I was very surprised to find out he was born in Romania in 1902. You have to hand it to America. The President orders General Scott to the White House. Menu. During the Great Depression, he worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) financed the Federal Theater Project. We are immersed in the intrigue of the plot to kill the chief of state. *****. When a military computer error deploys a squadron of SAC bombers to destroy Moscow, theAmerican President (Fonda) tries to call them back. He was where he shouldn't have been and saw what he shouldn't have seen. Jiggs shows up at Ellie’s house to give her back the letters. Ava was then cast in Whistle Stop (1946), a B-movie drama with George Raft. But their sophisticated fail-safe system prevents him from aborting the attack, so he must convince the Soviets not to retaliate. She mentioned that General Scott was a very careful man who never really cared about her. Fortunately, a coup d'etat can't happen here. Capitol Policeman John Cale (Channing Tatum) has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx). However, to most of us, he will always be Oscar from “The Six Million Dollar Man” 1974-1978 and on “The Bionic Woman” 1976-1978. At the television studio, Senator Prentice and Mr. McPherson are panicked by the President’s announcement. Anderson is currently age 90. March was first covered in Episode 67 – The Buccaneer (1938). World-Famous Short Summary – Boy has trouble asking a girl out. Girard forces him to make a written statement about the plot. It is really worth a watch. But he gets drawn back in. Senator Clark is being held at Site Y and calls Senator Prentice and is told that they were made aware of the base. The President confronts Scott with all of the evidence about EComCon. O’Brien was covered in Episode 30 – Birdman of Alcatraz (1962). An armed cadre seizes state control. Movies with intense plots got some of the same treatment.