One of two of my favorite cold war thrillers - the other being "Fail Safe"

While IMO not as good as Frankenheimer's earlier The Manchurian Candidate, this film was excellent. The suspense builds nicely over the seven days and the acting was great. Lancaster is convincing, charismatic, and conniving and Douglas is great as a foil to him. March plays his role well and O'Brien shines in his small role. The only piece that didn't really fit for me was Gardner. Excellent last line of dialogue between Lancaster and Douglas.

March very good as the Prez. O'Brien doesn't so much chew the scenery as drink it--but he's fun anyway. Ava excellent in a somewhat thankless cameo. In fact, the whole cast is fine--including Lancaster as the silky hypnotic ringleader and Douglas in his subordinate role (I mean, role as a subordinate). Frankenheimer's direction is low-key but effective--hearkening back to the live-TV approach.

Way too talky. Far less engaging than you would think, given cast, director, and subject matter

Very intelligent policial thriller that is sadly overlooked. I saw this and imagined a remake with George Clooney (who I don't normally like). The twists and turns are very well done. If you can find this movie, take a moment to watch it.

A fine film on its own, modern first-time viewing is a bit hampered with so much knowledge of what happens...eventually. This has a lot of first-rate actors in it and the premise is interesting. It combines plot and character development in a satisfying way. I can't help but feel that it isn't cynical enough though.

Great tension right up to the end, buoyed by solid performances. It does feel a bit dated at times but still manages to be credible enough to carry the premise.

Classic paranoid cold war thriller directed with elegance and restraint. The whole cast is fine Lancaster is scary as a smooth megalomaniac convinced of his own virtuousness, and Ava Gardner at 42 uses the vulnerability of her aging beauty to make a small part unforgettable.

Great film.