A president with record high disapproval numbers. An economy in the tank. Fear of Russian influence. Mysterious deaths. And a secret plot by the military, members of Congress, and the media to take over the country.

Sound familiar? If it does we hope it is because you’ve already seen Seven Days in May.

So what’s this movie about (if the intro and poster haven’t given you a clue)?

Seven Days kicks off with a pair of rival demonstrations in front of the White House - one in support of President Lyman (Fredric March - The Best Years of Our Lives) - the other opposed. After a minute, “Lyman Lover” insults give way to thrown fists and the first battle of the movie is off to the races.

In the days that follow, “Jiggs” Casey (Kirk Douglas - Spartacus), a Marine Colonel working at the Pentagon, begins to see hints that senior military leaders - including his boss, General James Mattoon - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and presumed presidential candidate (Burt Lancaster - Go Tell the Spartans) - are preparing to seize power from Lyman.

We won’t Spoil things more than the poster already has. We will say that even with the broad strokes telegraphed, the movie is packed with enough twists and soft surprises to keep things interesting.

A lot of that is made possible by a cast with more stars than Mattoon has on his shoulders, master direction by John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate), and a screenplay by some guy named Rod Serling.

The acting really carries the day though. I know Douglas’ Jiggs. He is the hundred Marine Colonels I worked with in my time in the military: thoughtful, funny, intelligent, and utterly devoted to duty. Lancaster is a guy I have also known too: a leader whose hubris and ambition have convinced him (or her) that their ends justify any means. Ava Gardner delivers a great performance as a brilliant woman who lets herself become the plaything of powerful men (and hates herself for it) and March’s work as the president is….well…presidential.

I expect some reviewers will spend a lot of ink describing the film as a canvas for different perspectives on duty. Jiggs does what he thinks is right. Mattoon does as well. And so does Lyman. There is little of that, but I wouldn’t get distracted by it. Seven Days is not a “there are good people on both sides” film - Mattoon is the bad guy and his final confrontation with the president shows his real intentions.

To find out what they are, you can check out Seven Days in May HERE.

1,2,3,4 Days in May.

 ⭐🌟⭐🌟

//Editor’s Note: This was one of our first Classic reviews…however, Lyman Lovers dropped a gin and tonic on the computer, causing it to be erased. This is a semi-faithful reproduction of the original posting.//

Post Credit Bonus!
The original 1964 trailer:

Dig Seven Days in May? You may want to check out some of these flicks from the era.