Seven Days in May backdrop
Seven Days in May

Seven Days in May

The astounding story of an astounding military plot to take over the United States! The time is 1970 or 1980 or, possibly, tomorrow!

7.3 / 1019641h 58m

Synopsis

A U.S. Marine Corps colonel alerts the president of a planned military coup against him.

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Status: Released

Director: John Frankenheimer

Website:

Main Cast

Burt Lancaster

Burt Lancaster

Gen. James Mattoon Scott

Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas

Col. Martin "Jiggs" Casey

Fredric March

Fredric March

President Jordan Lyman

Ava Gardner

Ava Gardner

Eleanor Holbrook

Edmond O'Brien

Edmond O'Brien

Sen. Raymond Clark

Martin Balsam

Martin Balsam

Paul Girard

Andrew Duggan

Andrew Duggan

Col. William "Mud" Henderson

Hugh Marlowe

Hugh Marlowe

Harold McPherson

Whit Bissell

Whit Bissell

Sen. Frederick Prentice

Helen Kleeb

Helen Kleeb

Esther Townsend

Trailer

User Reviews

CinemaSerf

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?