IMDb > Fail-Safe (1964)
Fail-Safe
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Fail-Safe (1964) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   7,505 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 14% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Sidney Lumet
Writers:
Walter Bernstein (screenplay)
Eugene Burdick (novel) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Fail-Safe on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 October 1964 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
It will have you sitting on the brink of eternity!
Plot:
American planes are sent to deliver a nuclear attack on Moscow, but it's a mistake due to an electrical malfunction. Can all-out war be averted? full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
3 nominations more
User Comments:
Brilliant more (105 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Dan O'Herlihy ... General Black

Walter Matthau ... Groeteschele

Frank Overton ... General Bogan
Edward Binns ... Colonel Grady
Fritz Weaver ... Colonel Cascio

Henry Fonda ... The President

Larry Hagman ... Buck
William Hansen ... Secretary Swenson
Russell Hardie ... General Stark
Russell Collins ... Knapp
Sorrell Booke ... Congressman Raskob
Nancy Berg ... Ilsa Wolfe

John Connell ... Thomas
Frank Simpson ... Sullivan
Hildy Parks ... Betty Black
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
112 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The film has no music - either score or source music - whatsoever. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When the fighters count down to light off their afterburners to try to catch up with the bombers, the shot where they light off their afterburners is actually a shot of the fighters launching missiles as you can see the missiles streak ahead of the fighters. more
Quotes:
Defense Secretary Swenson: The President says he may have to order our fighters to shoot down Group Six. He wants our opinion.
Prof. Groeteschele: I oppose it, sir, on the grounds that it's premature. Our planes have not yet reached Soviet territory, they're still hundreds of miles away.
Brigadier General Warren A. Black: We've got to do it, and fast! Right now before it's too late!
Gen. Stark: It might be too late anyway. Those fighters swung away from the bombers when they got the all-clear signal, they've been flying in opposite directions.
more

FAQ

What is this movie's connection to Dr. Strangelove?
more
9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful.
Brilliant, 25 November 2001

I saw this movie via two instances of serendipity. First I just happened to be living in an area that offered The Disney Channel in the basic cable package (which is all I ever get) and that as a Bruce Springsteen fan I was excited that the Disney Channel was going to broadcast a special concert short on The Boss. Of course I'm an older Springsteen fan, so instead of staying up late to watch it I just put a tape in and pressed record. The next day I enjoyed the concert, but forgot to hit stop when it ended. What followed next was "Fail Safe". After a few minutes it caught my interest, and now is one of my favorite films.

I'm not sure if this was a precursor to "Strangelove" or vice versa, for they are both listed as 1964 releases. Oddly they both have the same texture about them which leads me to believe that there was more than coincidence in their respective productions. Both are piece de resistances in Cold War studies. The main sundering is that where "Strangelove" excels in parody, "Fail Safe" is rich in tension.

Of course an anxious film about nuclear war on the brink can easily invoke tension (remember "War Games"?), but this film exceeds a good plot. The filmmakers use a backdrop of soceital depravity to create neurasthenia and presentiment; as shown by the strange and erotic scene with Walter Matthau and the woman in the car (kind of a mass-sadisim, lust thing) and the implied domestic violence in the apartment scene. The movie is also deliciously philosophical (the clever "criminals and file clerks will survive" theory) as well as adroit phsycological character development for all the main characters.

The picture is also darkly filmed, remarkedly minimalist and low-budget as if to show the limits of technology, in order to symbolize the sophistry of our trust in it. BTW I love the Matthau character's (the political science professor) line as he explains the faults of missles that have no human intuition. "The rockets have the defect of their virtues" he says in explaining how they cannot make a conscious decision to abort after receiving an order. But the message in this film is clear; even if technology breaks down it is only a symptom of our doom, ultimately it is humans who are responsible.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (105 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Fail-Safe (1964)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Prof. Groeteschele vs. Dr. Strangelove's Gen. Turgidson bhoover247
What if it happens today? u1000393
would any military man follow such an order? sceptikul
Would YOU sacrifice New York City ...? blubb06
was a much bigger impact on me than dr strangelove cexanatos
fail safe or strangelove? nosoapradio
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Submarines: Sharks of Steel King of the Rocket Men Battle of Britain Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.