Fail Safe

Fail Safe

Release Date

1964

Director

  • Sidney Lumet

Cast

  • Henry Fonda
  • Walter Matthau
  • Fritz Weaver
  • Larry Hagman

A technical malfunction sends American planes to Moscow to deliver a nuclear attack. Can all-out war be averted?

    During the Cold War, U.S. bomber jets are equipped with fail-safe boxes that instruct pilots when and if to attack. When an attack order is inadvertently administered due to a system malfunction, the President of the United States (Henry Fonda) must scramble to fix the mistake before the bombs are dropped on Moscow. He manages to stop almost all the bombers headed for Moscow, except for one determined pilot who manages to complete his mission, with deadly consequences

    Photo credit: Columbia Pictures

    Past Programs

    2023