Fail Safe (1964)
A technical malfunction sends American planes to Moscow to deliver a nuclear attack. Can all-out war be averted?
19,631
![Trailer [OV]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjExYTg4YzctNGIwZC00ZWUwLWFhOWItNTJhYjRiY2UzZjk4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXRyYW5zY29kZS13b3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_CR0,46,478,269_SY90_CR27,0,160,90_AL_.jpg)
Cast & Crew
Top Billed Cast
-
Gen. Black -
Dr. Groeteschele -
Gen. Bogan -
-
Col. Cascio -
The President -
Buck -
Secretary Swenson -
-
Knapp -
Congressman Raskob -
Ilsa Wolfe -
Thomas -
Sullivan -
Betty Black
Full cast
Director:
Sidney LumetWriters:
Walter Bernstein (screenplay), Eugene Burdick (from the novel by), Harvey Wheeler (from the novel by)All Cast & Crew
Awards
3 nominations.Reviews & Commentary
Add a Review
User Reviews
Metacritic Reviews
Critic Reviews
Parents Guide
Did You Know?
Trivia
During the encounter with the UFO over Hudson Bay, General Bogen (Frank Overton) states that the US had never been to condition red (DEFCON 2). This was not true - the US was at DEFCON 2 during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962. At the time the film was made, that was the only such example. The US also declared DEFCON 2 at the start of the Gulf War in 1991. The stated sequence of colors is correct - blue, green, yellow, red. Omitted is white, DEFCON 1 - imminent and all but unavoidable nuclear war.
Quotes
US Ambassador:
I can hear the sound of explosions from the north east. The sky is very bright. All lit up.
Goofs
In the pool game between the two older pilots in Anchorage, they are striking random balls, not the cue ball as the game would dictate.
Crazy Credits
[FINAL CREDIT]: The producers of this film wish to stress that it is the stated position of the Department of Defense and the United States Air Force that a rigidly enforced system of safeguards and controls insure that occurrences such as those depicted in this story cannot happen
Storyline
Plot Summary
Synopsis (WARNING: Spoilers)
Genres
Drama | Thriller | WarDetails
Release Date:
7 October 1964Language
English
Country of Origin
USAFilming Locations
Westbury, Long Island, New York, USABox Office
Gross USA:
$3,924,000
Contribute to this page
Look ahead to the TV shows still set to premiere in the rest of 2020, including "Selena: The Series" and "The Stand."