Renegade USAF general Lawrence Dell (Burt Lancaster) escapes from a military prison with the help of three other inmates, takes over nine nuclear missiles in an ICBM base near Montana, and threatens to provoke World War III unless the President (Charles Durning) reveals details of a secret meeting held just after the start of the Vietnam war between Dell and the then President’s most trusted advisors.
The Allied Artists/Lorimar release was too political and too long (146 minutes) for some, but is one of director Robert Aldrich’s finest.
It was partially shot in Bavaria. Jerry Goldsmith provided the score.
General Lawrence Dell
Burt Lancaster James Forrest
Roscoe Lee Browne Secretary of State Arthur Renfrew
Joseph Cotten Zachariah Guthrie
Melvyn Douglas President David T. Stevens
Charles Durning Captain Stanford Towne
Richard Jaeckel Attorney General William Klinger
William Marshall Brigadier General O’Rourke
Gerald S. O’Loughlin General Martin MacKenzie
Richard Widmark Willis Powell
Paul Winfield Augie Garvas
Burt Young Bernstein
Charles Aidman CIA Director Ralph Whittaker
Leif Erickson Air Force General Peter Crane
Charles McGraw First Lieutenant Louis Cannellis
Morgan Paull General Phil Spencer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Simon Scott Hoxey
William Smith Major Fox
Ed Bishop Captain Jackson
Gary Cockrell General Stonesifer
Don Fellows
Director
Robert Aldrich
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Renegade USAF general Lawrence Dell (Burt Lancaster) escapes from a military prison with the help of three other inmates, takes over nine nuclear missiles in an ICBM base near Montana, and threatens to provoke World War III unless the President (Charles Durning) reveals details of a secret meeting held just after the start of the Vietnam war between Dell and the then President’s most trusted advisors.
