seven days in may: part 1A

Seven Days in May is a political thriller novel written by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II and published in 1962. The novel was made into a motion picture in 1964, with screenplay by Rod Serling, directed by John Frankenheimer, and starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. The story is said to have been influenced by the right-wing anti-Communist political activities of General Edwin A. Walker after he retired from the military. The author, Knebel, got the idea for the book after interviewing then Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Seven Days in May 1964
• Rod Serling
• John Frankenheimer
• Burt Lancaster
• Kirk Douglas
• Curtis LeMay.

[kurtb8474]

The movie certainly looks believable to anyone who is not current or former military. I'm a vet, too. Maybe a Joint Chiefs General COULD develop a messianic complex, but I doubt if he could get enough support from other military members to carry out his plan. There were, and are, many personnel reliability safeguards in place to prevent that from happening. Lord knows I've seen a few ranking individuals who come close to being this power hungry.

[MisterBouncyBounce]

@kurtb8474 i wouldn't bet on that.

[kurtb8474]

@MisterBouncyBounce That a General with a God complex wouldn't get support to overthrow the government? I would.  You know something the rest of us don't?

[MisterBouncyBounce]

@kurtb8474 about that and the "safeguards" thing. look up the inspiration for the book, curtis lemay and why kennedy wanted this movie made very badly. as for safeguards look up FDR and the attempted coup against him. i wouldn't be lax in thinking a coup couldn't happen this way or any other.

[ND7652]

Burt Lancaster is one of the GREATEST ACTORS EVER

[AJNorth]

@wreehill Easier still, try watching the film from the beginning; you'll find "Screenplay by Rod Serling" at 01:47 (immediately following the names of the authors of the novel); it's displayed for three full seconds.

[AJNorth]

Charles W. Bailey II, co-author of the novel (with Fletcher Knebel) died on 3 Jan 2012, at age 82.

David Dunlap's obituary in the NY Times ended with the sentence, "Having given the book a lukewarm review in The New York Times, Orville Prescott concluded, “It ought to make a better movie than it is a novel.”" He was exactly correct.

[elvis14ism]

@ND7652 agree

[mellocupx]

Lik this isn't about to happen in 2012...The US Northern Command is the real government. We all love US Army General Charles Jacoby. We just don't know it yet.

[shonjuan11]

@100milnic Yep! The past is the past. And it NEVER repeats itself. Good call buddy. Now we can all relax.

[Professor6871]

@kurtb8474 This came around the same time as the film Fail Safe did.

[100milnic]

@KaraLarson26 yeah but think point is, this movie & screenplay from early 60's not now. back then there were US generals expousing pretty extreme ideas - walker with his john birch stuff & lemay with his active first strike advocacy. plus this was era of hoover who operated seemingly at large & very politically, he smeared stevenson as democratic candidate. just saying was different era with cold war paranoia in overdrive. as aside kinda interesting that lancaster later in 'executive action'.

[clubboss]

I always liked this movie

[colt4667]

@mymyharlow Martin Balsam

[deriter64]

Well, there he is again ...Whit Bissell. When did that man find time to sleep? I really liked him as the undertaker in the Magnificent Seven.

[irish89055]

love the camerman on riding on back of motorcycle, yep, Frankenheimer movie... not sure they would let them film that out there today.. I don't believe the "football" carriers follow the President from room to room while in the white house... they just hang somewhere lol Ironic that the surgeon general gave his Cig warnings that year.