Fail Safe (Columbia Pictures) (1964)

WHAT IS ‘FAIL SAFE’? “Fail Safe” is the point of no return, where no man can stop a war plane committed to drop a nuclear bomb. Leading up to this point are a considerable number of checks and _ double-checks, mechanical and human, all designed to prevent accidental disaster. “Fail Safe” is the name of a book by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, a best-selling novel translated into ten languages, about just such an accidental disaster and the several hours in which all of life hang's in dangerous balance while the President makes an awesome decision. “Fail Safe” is the Max E. Young'stein-Sidney Lumet production based on the novel, now a Columbia Pictures release at the Theatre. The shattering suspense drama stars Henry Fonda as the President, Dan O’Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton, Edward Binns and Larry Hagman and intro duces Fritz Weaver. Walter Bernstein penned the _ screenplay. REVIEW In military, diplomatic and journalistic parlance, “Fail Safe” is the point of no return; pass it, and no man can stop a plane committed to drop a _ nuclear bomb. In motion picture parlance, clearly, “Fail Safe” is one of the most powerful, most gripping and dramatic films ever made. This Max E. Young'sstein-Sidney Lumet production, a Columbia Pictures release, opened yesterady at the Theatre. It is a suspenseful entertainment while telling its story on the screen; it is a haunting, meaningful memory for hours, and days. “Fail Safe” is the story of a plane that goes past the fail safe point. All life hangs in dangerous balance and there are only a few short hours and only a few people of consequence who can do anything about it. Most important of these is the President. As the President, Henry Fonda probably delivers the greatest performance of his brilliant screen and stage career. He is truly superb as a man with an awesome responsibility. He is magnificent as a man calmly and courageously attempting to salvage whatever he can from a desperate dilemma. Others in the splendid starring east of “Fail Safe” inctude Dan O’Herlihy, as an American general, and Walter Matthau as a political scientist. Frank Overton plays the commander of the Strategic Air Command desperately working to rectify a machine failure and Edward Binns pilots the war plane past “Fail Safe” with a discipline which ignores even the command of the President that he return to his base. Larry Hagman shares with Fonda the loneliness and desperation of his ultimate decision; as the President’s Russian translator, he sits with Fonda in telephonic communication with individuals and groups in all parts of the world, and relays to the President the exact shadings of tone and emotion in the Russian premier’s various speeches, as he translates them word for word. A newcomer to the screen, Fritz Weaver, also is superb as the S.A.C. general’s distrait aide, who goes berserk when he is ordered by the President to reveal to his opposite number in Russia everything —no matter how top-secret — which might help the Russians against that plane which has strayed past ‘SMails Saies Sidney Lumet’s magnificent direction and Max E. Youngstein’s understanding and comprehensive appreciation of his own role as producer, help make “Fail Safe” the excitement it is. The suspense drama is based on the best-seller by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, a novel so far translated into ten languages, and Walter Bernstein penned the suspense laden screenplay. Mat 14; Still No. 25 Henry Fonda as the President must make the most awesome decision of all time, in "Fail Safe,"" Max E. Youngstein-Sidney Lumet production release by Columbia Pictures. The new suspense drama is based on the best-selling novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. THE HARD WAY... Bringing imagination to life is just about the hardest way possible to achieve true “realism,” the kind of hard-hitting drama that is to be found at the Arete Theatre in “Fail Safe,” the Max E. Youngstein-Sidney Lumet production starring Henry Fonda as the President, Dan O’Herlihy and Walter Matthau. “Fail Safe” is a work of the imagination, originally created by writers Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler as a novel that become a world-wide best-seller. It is a story of the hours in which all life hangs in the balance as a war plane, committed to drop a nuclear bomb, goes past “Fail Safe” because of a mechanical failure in the intricate system of electronic checks and balances which have been set up to prevent just such an occurrence. Because it is a work of the imagination, director Sidney Lumet and producer Max E. Youngstein built a “realistic” Pentagon war room, a “realistic” Page 11 underground command post for the Strategic Air Command, a “realistic” White House bomb shelter, among other sets. And, in doing so, they made sure that everything appeared larger than life. ‘““People are the smallest things” in the film, according to Lumet. “The machines are bigger than the people. It shows what I want to show, that there has been an abdication of personal responsibility.” And, according to producer Youngstein, “Fail Safe” has suspense; it is a thriller that makes a point. “What could be better?” “Hardly any film!” probably would be the answer of present audiences, absorbed in the suspense and thrills of “Fail Safe.” In addition to the stars cited, “Fail Safe” also stars Frank Overton, Edward Binns and Larry Hagman, and_ introduces stage-famous Fritz Weaver. Walter Bernstein penned the screenplay for “Fail Safe,” a motion picture made the hard way, with imagination, Mat 2'A; Still No. 61 Walter Matthau, as an important American political scientist in "Fail Safe,'' Max E. Youngstein-Sidney Lumet production released by Columbia Pictures, finds lovely Nancy Berg waiting fo: tim to take her home after a Washington society party. Starred with Matthau in the suspense drama, based on the Eugene Burdick-Harvey Wheeler best-selling novel, are Henry Fonda as the President, Dan O'Herlihy, Frank Overton, Edward Binns and Larry Hagman; Fritz Weaver makes his film bow in "'Fail Safe." ADVANCE NOTICE The Max E. Youngstein-Sidney Lumet production, “Fail Safe,” a Columbia Pictures release, Opens ie... ab THe 482% Theatre, starring Henry Fonda as the President, Dan O’Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton, Edward Binns and Larry Hagman, and introducing Fritz Weaver. Based on the best seller by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, “Fail Safe” was directed by Sidney Lumet from the screenplay by Walter Bernstein. “Wail Safe” is the story of people with the power to control the world and the haunting dilemma in which they find themselves. Max E. Youngtein produced the suspense drama. SIDNEY LUMET Director and co-producer with Max E. Youngstein of the new Columbia Pictures release, “Fail Saihie@e ebb UNG care eres Theatre, Sidney Lumet has also won critical applause for his direction of the movie versions of Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge” and Tennessee Williams’ “Orpheus Descending” (released under the title “The Fugitive Kind’) and, most recently, Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.” “Fail Safe” was for Lumet, an even more significant movie-making challenge than these. New suspense drama based on the best-seller by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, and for which Walter Bernstein wrote the screenplay, ‘Fail Safe” is set in the America of today, tomorrow, next year or next decade, and concerns several hours in which life, as we know it, hangs in dangerous balance and only a few people of consequence can do anything about it. Lumet thinks this kind of thought-provoking film is what the film industry needs to get people away from their television sets. “It’s no longer enough to entertain,’ he stated. “Entertainment they get free, seven nights a week, on television. So you’ve got to add an extra dimension. ‘Fail Safe’ is not a problem picture in a _ cliche sense, but definitely a thoughtprovoking one.” Lumet’s birth as a director came almost simultaneously with the birth of television. He began as staff director for the highly exciting “Danger” series, and his distinguished work on the show led to his staging of some 250 dramatic television shows within a ten-year span. His first screen directorial effort was “Twelve Angry Men” with Henry Fonda. WALTER MATTHAU Currently, stage, screen and television producers eagerly compete for the services of Walter Matthau; they like the way he puts across whatever lines he is given, or whatever character he is supposed to portray. It wasn’t always like that for Matthau, who is one of the stars of the Max E. Youngsstein-Sidney Lumet production, “Fail Safe,” at the bith eeaeneset ee Theatre. Once he was very politely told by a producer to keep his mouth shut. Actually, Matthau was told, while acting as “the Fourth Venetian Guard” in a Broadway musical called “The Liar,” that he was to do no singing whatsoever; he could “mouth” the lyrics, he was not to vocalize them above a whisper. Since then, with the fond exception of an appearance in a revival of “Guys and Dolls,” Matthau has devoted himself to acting. He won a Broadway-coveted Tony Award for his work in the comedy, “A Shot in the Dark,” and a New York Drama Critics Award for his performance in “Once More With Feeling.” His sereen career has included such other hits as “Strangers When We Meet,” “A Face in the Crowd” and “Lonely are the Brave” and he starred in the television series “Talahasee 7000.” Henry Fonda stars as_ the President in “Fail Safe,” released by Columbia Pictures and also starring Dan O’Herlihy, Frank Overton, Edward Binns and Larry Hagman; the film introduces Fritz Weaver. Sidney Lumet directed and Max E. Young'stein produced “Fail Safe,” based on the novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. BUILDS WAR ROOM Computers hum, lights wink, a giant screen comes alive, men move to their assigned tations and jobs and the Omaha War Room of the Strategic Air Command is in “operation.” But to film that “operation” was one of the toughest problems art director Albert Brenner had to contend with for the Max E. Youngstein Sidney Lumet production of “Fail Safe,” the Columbia Pictures release now at the Theatre. In his research, Brenner found the real War Room photographically dull. “T would have liked to be more accurate,’ said Brenner, “but it would not have served our dramatic purposes. So we simplified some things and added others. We could have gone completely Buck Rogers but we decided to stick to what was recognizably real. It’s more believable and it’s more frightening.” GENERAL ADVANCE A number of people—in the millions, in fact—have read and been haunted by “Fail Safe,” the best-selling novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. Still more millions have heard of this gripping and powerful story of a time in America wh2n mechanical failure sends a Strategic Air Command plane past the fail safe point, committed to drop a nuclear bomb. Hundreds of millions probably will see, and chill to and _ thrill to, the suspense drama that is the Max E. Youngstein-Sidney Lumet screen version of “Fail Safe.” Opening at the Theatre, “Fail Safe” is a Columbia Pictures release starring Henry Fonda as the President, Dan O’Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton, Edward Binns and Larry Hagman, with Fritz Weaver making his screen bow. Lumet directed “Fail Safe” from the screenplay by Walter Bernstein, and Youngstein served as producer. According to the critics and audiences who already have seen “Fail Safe,” it is a suspense drama which should be attended by every movie-goer everywhere in the world. Set in the America of today, tomorrow, next year or anytime, “Fail Safe’ concerns several hours in which life hangs in dangerous balance and only a few people of consequence can do anything about it. It is an all-absorbing story of the people with the power to control the world. The widely-acclaimed novel was filmed in its entirety in New York, utilizing as authentic a replica of the War Room in Omaha, Nebraska, as it was possible to achieve. The set, the largest ever constructed in the East, was designed by Albert Brenner. There also are imaginative interiors of the White House, the President’s private bomb shelter, a Pentagon conference room and other meaningful locales. STAR’S SON STARS Larry Hagman, playing a translator in “Fail Safe,” the Max E. Youngstein version of the best-selling novel, is one of the stars of the Columbia Pictures release at the ....Theatre. Son of famed musical comedy star Mary Martin, Hagman makes his motion picture debut in the suspense drama, based on the best-seller by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. Others in the starring cast of “Fail Safe” are Henry Fonda as the President, Dan O’Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton and Edward Binns and Fritz Weaver is introduced. Mat 1C; Still No. 17 Henry Fonda as the President in "Fail Safe," the Max E. Youngstein-Sidney Lumet production released by Columbia Pictures, informs co-star Larry Hagman of the crisis facing the nation and the world. "Fail Safe" is based on the Eugene BurdickHarvey Wheeler novel.