Seven Days in May 1964

On the tumultuous morning of May 12th, the United States teeters on the brink of chaos as coal industry strikes threaten to bring operations to a grinding halt. In front of the White House, two opposing factions of protesters converge, their initial silence gradually giving way to heated taunts and shouts. One group, waving signs of gratitude towards President Jordan Lyman (Fredric March), extols his virtues for signing a historic nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union - “Peace On Earth Or No Earth At All” reads a sprawling banner. Meanwhile, the other faction, brandishing bellicose placards, condemns Lyman and the treaty, touting the presidential candidacy of four-star Air Force General James Mattoon Scott (Burt Lancaster), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Tensions escalate when a fervent Scott supporter swings his sign, deliberately cutting the larger banner in two. The ensuing melee prompts an immediate response from the Capitol Police, who deploy cruisers, motorcycles, and paddy wagons to quell the disturbance.

Inside the White House, Lyman’s physician notes with concern that every letter the President dictates is accompanied by a three-millimeter spike in his blood pressure - a worrying indicator of the strain he’s under. Aide Paul Girard (Martin Balsam) reluctantly shares the results of a recent Gallup Poll, revealing that a paltry 29 percent of Americans approve of the treaty. As Lyman’s physician urges him to take two weeks off for stress relief, the President dismissively proposes a leisurely swim in the White House pool instead.

Later, Lyman asks Senator Raymond Clark (Edmund O’Brien) to join him in his quarters. With a mix of candor and gravitas, Lyman presents Clark with two pressing concerns: first, he outlines his rationale for signing the treaty - namely, that without it, the fragile status quo would only continue to deteriorate, culminating in the devastating possibility of nuclear war; second, he advises Clark to temper his drinking habits, acknowledging the senator’s well-documented struggles with addiction.

As Clark departs the President’s office and returns to Capitol Hill, he finds himself immersed in a contentious meeting of the Senate Committee on the Armed Services. The committee chamber, nestled within the iconic Russell Senate Office Building, becomes a battleground for ideologies as General Scott takes center stage. With his authoritative voice, he labels the proposed treaty “a naivety bordering on negligence,” prompting Senator Frederick Prentice, R-Calif., to indulge in softball questioning. Clark, however, is less than impressed, likening the proceedings to a farcical Gilbert and Sullivan opera. His skepticism and verbal sparring with Chairman Prentice and General Scott serve as a stark reminder that the general’s arguments are unlikely to sway anyone who doesn’t already share his convictions.

Meanwhile, General Scott enjoys an unwavering trust in Colonel Martin “Jiggs” Casey, his senior administrative assistant. As they exit the Russell Building and step onto Constitution Avenue, Scott entrusts Casey with a crucial secret: the planned alert for Sunday (May 18th) must remain shrouded in secrecy. “This one needs to be deep and dark,” he emphasizes.

Upon returning to the Pentagon, Casey makes his way to the E-ring and the office complex of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There, he engages with a young officer from All-service Radio, Lt. (jg) Dorsey Grayson USN. Grayson shares juicy gossip: General Scott has discreetly requested that select military leaders place their bets for the upcoming Preakness race. The recipients include commanding officers at Vandenberg AFB, SAC in Omaha, ComSixthFleet in Gibraltar, Commander-in-chief of the Pacific Theater, and the First Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. However, one notable exception stands out: Vice-Admiral Farley C. Barnswell USN, Commander of ComSixthFleet, declines to participate, sending a no-bet message that raises more questions than it answers.

As Casey steps into his office, he’s met with Colonel William “Mud” Henderson USA (Andrew Duggan), a seasoned veteran of the Army’s Signal Corps. Henderson ushers in a world of intrigue as he reveals that he’s executive officer for EComCon, a mysterious unit headquartered at Site Y near El Paso, Texas - a location Casey has never heard of. The colonel’s cryptic tone only piques Casey’s curiosity further, and he presses Henderson to spill the beans on this enigmatic organization. Henderson obliges, sharing that EComCon boasts 100 officers and 3,600 enlisted personnel, training with an eerie focus on seizure rather than prevention. It seems as though the assets under EComCon’s purview are already in enemy hands, and their mission is to reclaim them.

Just as Casey is trying to wrap his head around these revelations, General Scott’s trusted aide-de-camp, Colonel Murdock (Richard Anderson), interrupts the conversation, dispatching Henderson to another office. In a stern tone, he warns Casey not to breathe a word about the alert to Henderson. Undeterred, Casey takes a wild stab at prying information from Murdock by poking fun at General Scott’s Preakness pool. To his surprise, Murdock erupts in anger, making it clear that Casey should steer clear of “the General’s personal business!” With Murdock gone, Casey seizes the opportunity to dial the Pentagon operator and inquire about EComCon’s listing. The answer: a resounding no.

That night, Casey finds himself at the soiree hosted by Stewart Dillard (Charles Watts), where he crosses paths with Girard, who’s still fuming over General Scott’s brash performance before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier that day. Senator Prentice jumps into the fray, taunting Girard about the treaty and attempting to coax Casey into sharing his thoughts on what the military really thinks of the accord. However, Casey remains tight-lipped, refusing to play along. Just as tensions are reaching a boiling point, Dillard intervenes, escorting Girard away to meet with “the wife of the Indian Ambassador.”

As the night wears on, Casey’s relief is palpable when Eleanor Holbrook (Ava Gardner), General Scott’s erstwhile paramour, sidles up to him. Having recently been jilted by Scott, Ellie is drowning her sorrows in liquor, and Casey makes it his mission to put a stop to this self-destructive behavior. In the aftermath of their conversation, Casey agrees to socialize with Ellie on a regular basis.

As the night wears on, Senator Prentice’s lingering hostility towards Casey refuses to subside, prompting our protagonist to seek closure by making amends with Ellie before embarking on a mission of his own. With a sense of urgency driving him forward, Casey heads to Fort Myer, where General Scott holds court, only to be met with the unmistakable presence of Senator Prentice’s automobile and the man himself slipping quietly into the general’s official residence under the cover of darkness.

The next morning, as Casey arrives at his workplace, he is tasked by Scott to review footage from a previous alert exercise, which has left the military brass feeling decidedly unsatisfied with their response time. Scott’s frustration is palpable, and he implores Casey to remain vigilant and available after the Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting later that day. Noticing Scott’s fatigue, Casey inquires about his sleep patterns, only to be met with a dubious claim that he slept from 8 PM to 8 AM - a lie as transparent as it is telling.

As the morning wears on, Casey becomes intrigued by the absence of the Chief of Staff of the Navy from the meeting and idly picks up a crumpled note left behind by General Hardesty (Tyler McVey), which reads: “Airlift EComCon 40 K212s to Site Y before 0700 Sunday. Chi, New York, LA, Utah.” The mention of the fictional K-212 troop transport piques his interest, while Scott’s instruction to keep the Preakness pool and Admiral Barnswell’s reluctance to participate a secret only adds to the sense of intrigue.

Later that evening, as Casey heads home, he is flagged down by Grayson, who reveals that he has just received orders transferring him to Pearl Harbor. Additionally, Grayson shares a juicy tidbit: Admiral Barnswell was indeed the lone holdout in Scott’s racing pool. Feeling compelled to take action, Casey settles in to watch the American Veterans’ Order convention, where Scott delivers a polished yet insincere address that only serves to further disillusion our protagonist.

As the evening draws to a close, Casey can no longer resist the urge to take matters into his own hands. He dials the operator and requests a connection to the White House, setting in motion a chain of events that will forever alter the course of his life.

As General Casey (unfolds the intricacies of EComCon before the President, laying bare its scope, ostensible mission, probable intentions (“training for seizure”), and the Hardesty Note, he also reveals Senator Prentice’s loose lips, Lt.-jg Grayson’s ill-timed revelations, and Scott’s clandestine meetings. The cumulative effect is a chilling portrait of General Scott orchestrating a coup d’état. The President’s response is swift: Sunday, May 18th, will be the day of reckoning.

Meanwhile, Girard’s initial skepticism towards Casey’s claims is reinforced by Bill Condon at the Bureau of the Budget, who confirms that no such authority has ever been granted for EComCon. However, the President remains undeterred, assembling a task force comprising Girard, Art Corwin (Bart Burns) from the Secret Service, Secretary of the Treasury Chris Todd (George Macready), Senator Raymond Clark, and Colonel Jiggs Casey.

On May 14th, Chris Todd dismisses the notion of a plot, citing the lack of concrete evidence supporting EComCon. Girard is inclined to agree, but the President remains resolute, pointing to the Navy’s exclusion from Joint Chiefs’ meetings, the ominous Hardesty Note, and the potential menace posed by 3600 troops on 40 K212 transports. Art Corwin adds a personal dimension, sharing Colonel Broderick’s disturbingly authoritarian tendencies, which only serves to increase Senator Clark’s trepidation regarding Scott’s politician-like demeanor.

The President then calls a halt to further discussion, assigning specific tasks: Chris Todd will coordinate from the White House; Art Corwin will recruit Secret Service agents to surveil Generals Scott, Hardesty, Riley (William Challee), and Diefenbach (Robert Brubaker); Paul Girard will travel to Gibraltar, confront Admiral Barnswell with a presidential letter, and obtain his written response. Ray Clark will journey to El Paso, track down the phone number obtained from Colonel Henderson, and uncover the truth about the mysterious base. Casey’s role is twofold: he will remain close to Scott and attempt to gather more information from him.

As Scott’s watchful gaze falls upon Casey pouring over a map of El Paso, uncertainty settles in - has Casey potentially jeopardized their partnership or is this merely a coincidence? Regardless, Scott’s instincts take precedence and he hastily grants Casey a 72-hour leave, his motives as unclear as the desert skies.

Meanwhile, at Dulles Airport, Casey stands vigil as Clark departs, but not before the latter implores him to pay a visit to Ellie Holbrook, an individual privy to more information about Scott’s inner workings than most. As Casey prepares to depart with Art Corwin, their eyes fall upon Harold MacPherson slipping into a staff car belonging to none other than Scott himself. With curiosity piqued, the pair decides to tail this vehicle to a secluded alleyway, where it appears that McPherson has shared secrets with Senator Prentice.

On a separate front, President Lyman cancels his packed schedule for the day and takes a personal call from Scott, informing him that he will no longer participate in the alert system. Instead, he will retreat to his private island sanctuary on Blue Lake, Maine - a secluded getaway far removed from the official presidential retreat at Camp David. Scott’s secretary is instructed to hold all calls as he reaches out to Colonel Broderick at Site Y.

In El Paso, Clark finds himself at a lonely highway bar, where papier-mâché streamers decorate the premises in anticipation of a party that may never come to fruition. The bar owner and a charming local lass engage Clark in conversation, pondering why soldiers have yet to frequent their establishment, despite the presence of a nearby military base. The duo observes planes taking off and landing from a remote area at all hours, but it seems as though no pilots ever stop by the bar. As Clark slips behind the wheel of his vehicle and drives down a desert road, a helicopter drops from the sky, and a stone-faced guard, rifle at the ready, apprehends him.

Across the globe, Paul Girard has arrived in Gibraltar, where he meets with VAdm. Barnswell on the USS Kitty Hawk CVA 63. As Barnswell’s demeanor turns anxious, he agrees to compose a detailed confession. Girard promptly calls the White House to share this revelation before carefully secreting the confession within President Lyman’s cigarette case - an object he has been entrusted with in the past. Girard’s motives are clear: he will not allow anyone to lay eyes on that document.

As Jiggs Casey (actor name) arrives at Ellie Holbrook’s residence, she regales him with a vivid account of her scandalous affair with Scott. The details are so graphic that they would be considered NSFW, with Scott boasting about the intimate moments they shared in explicit letters. Casey’s expression remains stoic as he listens to this salacious tale, but his true intentions remain hidden from Ellie. Instead of revealing why he needs these compromising documents, he simply takes possession of them, leaving her to mistakenly assume that he intends to spare Scott any embarrassment.

Meanwhile, President Lyman screens a provocative video taken at Blue Lake, which depicts a reconnaissance vessel patrolling the private island. Notably, this boat is occupied by Colonels Murdock and Broderick, an ominous discovery that solidifies Lyman’s conviction of Scott’s guilt in his mind. Todd lavishes praise on Casey for securing the incriminating love letters, but Casey’s disdain for the inference is palpable as he rejects Todd’s admiration.

Just as the tension between them threatens to escalate into a full-blown argument, President Lyman intervenes, assuring Casey that Paul Girard’s written confession will render the love letters unnecessary. However, this fragile truce is short-lived, as Esther Townsend (Helen Kleeb), the Presidential secretary, bursts in with grave news: Paul Girard has met his untimely demise in a plane crash while on board Trans-Ocean Airlines (likely TWA, given the era).

Back at Site Y, Ray Clark’s ire is piqued as he bellows into a phone to Senator Prentice, demanding explanations for his detention. Later, Colonel Broderick returns from Blue Lake and presents Clark with a bottle of liquor, only to find himself stuck on site for an indeterminate period.

In the aftermath of Girard’s tragic passing, Henry Whitney (Fredd Wayne), an attaché at the US Embassy in Madrid, travels to the crash site in search of Paul Girard’s personal effects and those of the other listed American passenger. Though he doesn’t initially locate Girard’s cigarette case, he inadvertently steps over it, lying next to a warped seat cushion, still intact despite the chaos surrounding him.

As the clock struck late on Site Y, Colonel Henderson made a clandestine visit to Clark’s locked room, where he was regaled with a tale of intrigue that would leave even the most hardened veteran agog. Clark’s story began with Jiggs Casey, who had been oblivious to the existence of EComCon when first briefed by Henderson himself. The colonel had then conducted his own research, only to find no mention of the mysterious acronym in JCS orders. And so, with a sense of trepidation, Henderson opted to take Clark off the base, attempting a non-violent extraction that ultimately devolved into chaos as they fled the perimeter with a sergeant hot on their heels.

Their escapade concluded, Henderson and Clark arrived at Dulles Airport under the cover of night, only for Clark’s attempt to report in to the White House to be met with a sinister twist: Henderson vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the faintest whisper of his existence. It was as if he had never been. The President, however, remained steadfast, confirming that someone had indeed taken Henderson away, confining him to Fort Myer’s stockade.

Meanwhile, the President sought to ensnare Barnswell in a web of deceit, attempting to extract an incriminating statement from the savvy advisor. But Barnswell proved equal to the task, denying any involvement with Girard or signing documents that might implicate him.

As the stakes continued to rise, Chris Todd urged the President to take drastic action, calling for the immediate arrest of Scott, Hardesty, Riley, and Diefenbach. Lyman, however, remained cautious, refusing to act without concrete evidence. It was then that Ray Clark proposed using the Scott Letters as leverage, but Lyman’s reluctance to take bold action meant that the fate of these suspects hung precariously in the balance.

Just as it seemed that Scott’s plan was poised to unravel, a series of events unfolded at Mount Thunder, where Scott himself was rehearsing the communications cutouts. An aide approached him with grave news: General Barney Rutkowski (Ferris Webster) had become aware of an unusual number of K212 transports crossing his radar, only to vanish beneath it without explanation. The aide’s fear was that Rutkowski would report this anomaly directly to the President.

And so, Rutkowski did just that, unleashing a torrent of indignation as he revealed that someone had been operating a secret base near El Paso – and he should have been informed. Moreover, thirty more transports were due to arrive in the same general area by 2300 that night, prompting the President to issue an urgent order: ground any aircraft approaching or departing from El Paso immediately. The game was most definitely afoot.

As the clock struck midnight, Lyman summoned Scott to the White House, where a tense and private confrontation awaited. The air was thick with tension as Lyman laid out the entire scope of his knowledge: EComCon’s true intentions, Senator Clark’s secret detention, the clandestine partnership between Senator Prentice and Colonel Broderick, and even the peculiar circumstances surrounding Broderick’s selection for the mission. Lyman’s revelations continued to unfold, revealing the unauthorized reconnaissance of Blue Lake island by Broderick, the unjust arrest of Colonel Henderson without charge, and the enigmatic Preakness code. The two men engaged in a heated debate, each passionately defending their respective moral stances. Scott remained convinced that he could be elected to power by acclamation at any moment, while Lyman steadfastly stood by his commitment to the Constitution, democratic elections, and the very real threat of Soviet aggression should the United States succumb to military dictatorship.

The meeting concluded with Lyman demanding Scott’s resignation, as well as those of Hardesty, Riley, and Diefenbach. He vowed to publicly announce this demand at a press conference the following day. As Scott departed, he silently passed Casey on his way out, leaving behind an air of foreboding.

The next morning, Lyman emerged from the Oval Office, handing Casey a bundle of documents known as the Scott Letters and instructing them to return them to Ellie. Meanwhile, Scott’s plans had taken a drastic turn for the worse. The EComCon Airlift had not transpired as planned, prompting Scott to devise an alternative strategy: taping a delayed broadcast to take his case directly to the people. Though Hardesty, Riley, and Diefenbach grew increasingly skeptical of this plan, Scott pressed on.

As President Lyman began his press conference, preempting the Preakness Race to do so, he unexpectedly delayed it for half an hour. It was during this interval that Henry Whitney appeared, bearing the crucial Barnswell statement - recovered from the wreckage of Paul Girard’s ill-fated flight by none other than Whitney himself or the Spanish police (who had discovered Girard’s cigarette case). Lyman ordered Whitney to keep the document confidential before having it copied.

Casey then hastened to the E-Ring, intent on personally delivering a copy of the Barnswell statement to Scott, along with President Lyman’s written demand for his resignation. Scott reacted bitterly, accusing Casey of betraying him, while Casey retorted that Scott had betrayed his country and “disgraced the four stars on his uniform.” The air was thick with animosity as these two former allies found themselves at odds over the very future of their nation.

As Scott arrives at the television studio, he’s met with an air of urgency by Prentice and McPherson, who are frantically trying to convey the gravity of their situation. However, before they can even begin to explain, Scott cuts them off, his disdain for them palpable as he coldly dismisses their concerns. Undeterred, Scott heads back to the E-Ring, where a somber atmosphere awaits him. The weight of reality settles in as he overhears Lyman accepting the resignations of Hardesty, Riley, and Diefenbach, a visual representation of the devastating consequences of his actions.

As the crushing defeat washes over him, Scott retreats to his staff car, issuing a somber instruction to his driver: “Take me home.” The once-buoyant figure has been deflated by the harsh realities he’s faced, and now he’s left to pick up the pieces of a shattered dream.

Meanwhile, Casey pays a visit to Ellie, who is privy to the true motivations behind his actions. As they engage in a candid conversation, Casey returns the Scott Letters to their rightful owner, acknowledging that while they may have been perceived as the catalyst for change, they were not the actual trigger. The two share a moment of mutual understanding, agreeing to reconnect once the dust has settled.

In the film’s final act, Lyman delivers a passionate plea for peace, refuting the notion that America’s strength relies on direct military intervention. With conviction, he asserts that world harmony and freedom can be achieved through peaceful means, ultimately displaying the Constitution as a symbol of his unwavering commitment to these principles. As the credits roll, the screen fades to black, leaving viewers with a lasting impression of the film’s thought-provoking themes and timely message.