Released in 1964, director John Frankenheimer's political thriller is based on the 1962 Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II novel of the same title. Addressing the issue of nuclear disarmament treaties at the height of the Cold War, Seven Days in May tells of a coup by U.S. military leaders in response to American participation in such a disarmament treaty. Fueled by a combination of patriotism and megalomania, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Mattoon Scott plots to "save" the United States from a President who is willing to trust a nation "who has never honored" a single treaty in their existence. Black and white cinematography adds to the film's tense dialogue provided by screenplay writer Rod Sterling.

Further Reading:

Knebel, Fletcher, and Charles W. Bailey II. Seven Days in May. New York, Harper and Row Publishers, n.d.