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Fail-Safe cover art

Fail-Safe Details

1963 Certificate PG
  • 80
  • from 437 members

Based on the novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, Fail-Safe is set for the most part at Strategic Air Command headquarters, where a misguided transmission sends a squadron of bombers hurtling towards Russia, fully prepared to drop their atomic weaponry on Moscow. Air Force commander Frank Overton desperately tries to .. Read more

Starring Dan O'Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton, Edward Binns
Director Sidney Lumet
Genres Thriller

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Fail-Safe cover art

Fail-Safe

Based on the novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, Fail-Safe is set for the most part at Strategic Air Command headquarters, where a misguided transmission sends a squadron of bombers hurtling towards Russia, fully prepared to drop their atomic weaponry on Moscow. Air Force commander Frank Overton desperately tries to establish radio contact with the bombers, but once the pilots have passed the fail safe point, they've been instructed to disregard any reversal of orders. Racing against time, US President Henry Fonda, through his interpreter (Larry Hagman), informs the Russian premiere of the impending nuclear disaster. Working in concert with SAC, the Russians send up interceptors to shoot down the American bombers, while some of the planes run out of fuel and crash. Unfortunately, one aircraft, piloted by Edward Binns, manages to escape destruction and continues on its fatal mission. Realizing that Moscow is doomed, the President must decide how to avert World War III. Featured in the cast of Fail Safe are Walter Matthau as a hawkish scientist, Fritz Weaver as a round-the-bend colonel, and Dom DeLuise (billed as DeLouise) as a weeping sergeant. Fail-Safe is followed by a government-dictated disclaimer insisting that the events leading up to the nuclear disaster depicted in the film could not possibly happen.~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Starring Dan O'Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton, Edward Binns, Larry Hagman, Fritz Weaver, Henry Fonda
Director Sidney Lumet
Studio SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 1 hr 47 mins
Certificate Certificate PG
Genres Thriller
Language DVD: English
Hearing-impaired English
Released Production year: 1963

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DVD: 04 Jun 2007

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Rating breakdown

437 Member ratings
  • 100
79
  • 90
49
  • 80
162
  • 70
67
  • 60
39
  • 50
17
  • 40
10
  • 30
6
  • 20
5
  • 10
3

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by: Bob Carroll from London

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    • Fail-Safe

    • Fail-Safe
      Based on the novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, Fail-Safe is set for the most part at Strategic Air Command headquarters, where a misguided transmission sends a squadron of bombers hurtling towards Russia, fully prepared to drop their atomic weaponry on Moscow. Air Force commander Frank ...

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