Seven Days in May - videos, teasers and stills from filming

All videos, teasers and footage from the filming of the film "Seven Days in May"

Seven Days in May (1964)

Timing: 1:58 (118 min)

7.235/10
183

All about film

Video 2

Photo 16

Actors and characters

Seven Days in May - Trailer

English

3:43

Seven Days in May (1964) Original Trailer [FHD]

English

3:45

What's left behind the scenes

Based on the novel of the same name by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II.
According to Frankenheimer himself, 'Seven Days in May' is his best film of his career.
After reading the novel, Frankenheimer realized this was his subject. “This was a film that you shouldn’t have to understand the whole American political system to enjoy,” he said.
Actor Kirk Douglas, who played the lead role of Colonel Casey, launched the production of the film. Douglas owned the film company Joel Productions, which invested half the cost of acquiring the rights to adapt the book, while director Frankenheimer added the other half.
Douglas was initially considered for the role of General Scott, but then Frankenheimer realized that in that case, there would simply be no one to play Colonel Casey.
Fredric March was approved for the role of President Lyman without any auditions, as the director had envisioned him in this role even before the script was written. There were practically no questions regarding Edmond O'Brien, except for his age – Frankenheimer wasn't sure if the 50-year-old actor could handle the role of an elderly, Southern, alcoholic senator, but all doubts vanished after auditions with makeup. Frankenheimer enjoyed working with March the most.
It took almost three months to make the film, of which a month and a half was spent shooting on sets and almost another month on location. Frankenheimer filmed in Washington and Arizona for over a week and used numerous locations in California.
Even before starting filming, Frankenheimer knew that the film should not exceed two hours, as the entire story shouldn't be that long. The final version of the film cost $25,000 less than the allocated budget.
"Seven Days in May" received approval from the Soviet leadership, and the country's film press was allowed to praise the film. However, they didn't dare to buy it for distribution in the USSR, as Nikita Khrushchev had recently been removed from his leadership position as a result of a conspiracy similar to the one shown in the film.
Initially, the film was scheduled for release in December 1963, but due to the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), Burt Lancaster (1913-1994) insisted that the premiere be postponed to a later date. The same happened with the release of Stanley Kubrick's film "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb," which was delayed until 1964.
Due to the military coup on April 1, 1964, in Brazil, the film was never released in that country. The coup participants banned it, believing it drew too many parallels with their own actions.
The administration in the White House was always ready to assist the filmmakers. President's Press Secretary Pierre Salinger (1925-2004) arranged for the film crew to have access to John F. Kennedy's office and other rooms so they could build authentic sets.
The Pentagon does not allow filming near the entrance to its buildings, but director John Frankenheimer (1930-2002) wanted to film Kirk Douglas entering them. The camera and equipment were hidden in a van that was driven up to the steps at the Pentagon entrance, after which Douglas, dressed as a Marine Corps Colonel, walked up the steps. Officers and guards descending the stairs saluted him at the door, unaware that he was an actor.

Did you like the film?