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CTyankee

(63,769 posts)
Sat Jul 21, 2018, 06:53 PM Jul 2018

We watched "Fail Safe" today. Henry Fonda as the president and Walter Matthau as his very

pro war cabinet member. It was just as chilling as when I saw it for the first time years ago.

Sidney Lumet directed it with scenes as taut with a sense of dread and the ultimate "solution" of our bombers blowing up Moscow and other U.S. bombers bombing NYC, where the President's wife and children are visiting.

I remember being scared as hell as this film drew to its ultimate final scene. Fine acting.

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procon

(15,805 posts)
3. There were a lot of good Cold War books and movies during that time frame.
Sat Jul 21, 2018, 08:19 PM
Jul 2018

My Dad was a big fan and he always had a pile of suspenseful political and spy best sellers for everyone to read. I read the story sometime around the Cuban Missile Crisis when my dad was in Florida waiting for WWIII to start. Very scary times.

Stinky The Clown

(67,676 posts)
4. Several other novels/movies of the times:
Sat Jul 21, 2018, 08:23 PM
Jul 2018

Seven Days in May

On The Beach (which affected me much as you describe your reaction to Fail Safe)

MicaelS

(8,747 posts)
6. The Fail Safe authors were sued...
Sat Jul 21, 2018, 08:35 PM
Jul 2018

By the author of a novel Red Alert and Stanley Kubrick. The cae was settled out of court.

Red Alert was a serious novel that was turned into Dr. Stranglove by Kubrick. The difference with Red Alert was that nuclear war was averted at the last minute.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fail-Safe_%28novel%29?wprov=sfla1



Grammy23

(5,808 posts)
7. I remember my dad going to see this movie at a small art theater in Ft. Worth in 1964.
Sat Jul 21, 2018, 09:01 PM
Jul 2018

I asked to go, too. (I was about 14 years old.) He assured me I wouldn't like it so he didn’t take me along. After seeing it today, I understand now why he didn’t invite me to go. It probably would have scared me out of my wits. This was in the months after President Kennedy was assassinated and the US was still very much in turmoil.

I had never seen this movie until today and I have to admit it was very tense and suspenseful. I was totally unprepared for the ending. I honestly expected it to all work out okay in the end. Given the situation we find ourselves in with Russia today, I found the conclusion very sobering. At one point I asked my husband if he could picture Numbnuts in the role of President played by Henry Fonda. He just gave me a dry look and then an eye roll.

Sherman A1

(38,958 posts)
8. Great film and one that scared me to death as a kid
Sat Jul 21, 2018, 09:23 PM
Jul 2018

I would also suggest Seven Days In May as another wonderful film.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)
11. I watched the remake of The Manchurian candidate last night.
Sun Jul 22, 2018, 01:47 AM
Jul 2018

It is updated from the original book/movie, and very uncomfortable to watch, given where we are now.

edbermac

(15,919 posts)
9. Interesting, but Strangelove was better.
Sat Jul 21, 2018, 09:51 PM
Jul 2018

Just couldn’t buy the ending of nuking NY. Another film along those lines was directed by Kubrick’s former producer James Harris, The Bedford Incident.

flotsam

(3,268 posts)
10. There was an often forgotten third film
Sat Jul 21, 2018, 10:40 PM
Jul 2018

of that type and time called "The Bedford Incident" which is well worth a watch with Richard Widmark and Sidney Portier and available in full on you tube:



On Edit: This link is very poor. The sound and video stink...if you can find it elsewhere that would be better...

maveric

(16,445 posts)
12. I read the book in HS and it creeped me out.
Sun Jul 22, 2018, 02:19 AM
Jul 2018

Then I saw that excellent movie and it still creeped me out.
Did you notice a very young Dom Deluise as the tech sergeant?

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