Twilight's Last Gleaming is a political thriller film that was released in 1977. It was directed by Robert Aldrich and starred Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, and Roscoe Lee Browne. The film was based on the novel Viper Three by Walter Wager.
The movie begins with General Dell (played by Lancaster) escaping from a military prison and taking control of an ICBM missile silo in Montana. He demands to speak to the President of the United States and threatens to launch the missiles unless his demands are met.
Meanwhile, the President (played by Charles Durning) is in a meeting with his advisors, including his Secretary of Defense (played by Widmark). They discuss the situation and decide to send a team of soldiers to capture Dell and disarm the missiles.
As the soldiers make their way to the silo, Dell reveals that he knows about a secret meeting that the President's advisors had with him during the Vietnam War. In the meeting, Dell had proposed a plan to end the war, but the President's advisors rejected it. Dell believes that the public has a right to know about this meeting and he demands that the President reveal the details.
While the soldiers are trying to capture Dell, they accidentally trigger the launch mechanism for the missiles. As the countdown begins, Dell becomes increasingly agitated and starts to lose control. He realizes that his plan has failed and that he is going to be killed.
In the end, the soldiers are able to stop the missiles from launching, but Dell is killed in the process. The President decides not to reveal the details of the secret meeting, fearing that it would damage the country's reputation.
Twilight's Last Gleaming is a tense and suspenseful film that explores the consequences of nuclear war and the power of government secrecy. It received mixed reviews upon its release, but has since become a cult classic.