O impopular presidente (Fredric March) dos Estados Unidos consegue um tratado de desarmamento nuclear através do Senado, mas descobre que a nação está se voltando contra ele. Jiggs Casey (Kirk Douglas), um coronel da Marinha, encontra provas de que o general Scott (Burt Lancaster), o chefe popular do 'Joint Chiefs', e determinado candidato presidencial, em 2 anos, não está planejando esperar. Casey vai até o presidente com tal informação e uma rede de intrigas começa.
This is an enthralling political drama that pitches Fredric March ("Pres. Lyman") against the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - Burt Lancaster ("Gen. Scott") in a battle for control of the United States. When an aide to the General - "Jiggs Casey" (Kirk Douglas) notices some odd goings on, he begins to suspect that his boss is plotting - and plotting on a treasonous scale. When he brings this to the attention of the President, a race is on between the elected authorities and their military commanders to stop the scheming general from achieving his goal. Lancaster is superb as the imperious 4-star general, as are Douglas and March. The star, for me at any rate, though, is Edmond O'Brien as the regularly sozzled Senator "Clark", who is despatched to investigate the existence of a secret base - and potentially thwart the entire rogue operation. The pace is excellent, the dialogue thoughtful and penetrating leaving us with a worrying degree of paranoia - might this actually be possible?
