A scene from Seven Days in May 1964
President Jordan Lyman

The next step should be to your liking, Chris. Esther, call the Pentagon. Tell General Scott I want to see him right away.

Esther Townsend

[on intercom]

Yes, sir.

Christopher Todd

I think it's time we faced the enemy, Mr. President.

President Jordan Lyman

He's not the enemy. Scott, the Joint Chiefs, even the very emotional, very illogical lunatic fringe: they're not the enemy. The enemy's an age - a nuclear age. It happens to have killed man's faith in his ability to influence what happens to him. And out of this comes a sickness, and out of sickness a frustration, a feeling of impotence, helplessness, weakness. And from this, this desperation, we look for a champion in red, white, and blue. Every now and then a man on a white horse rides by, and we appoint him to be our personal god for the duration. For some men it was a Senator McCarthy, for others it was a General Walker, and now it's a General Scott.

In this scene

President Jordan Lyman Fredric March More President Jordan Lyman quotes →
Christopher Todd George Macready More Christopher Todd quotes →
Esther Townsend Helen Kleeb

More from Seven Days in May

President Jordan Lyman Trimmer is a very political dog. He doesn't have many principles, but he's loyal to his friends. Senator Raymond Clark All you've got to know is this: right now the government of the United States is sitting on top of the Washington Monument, right on the very point, tilting right and left and ready to fall off and break up on the pavement. There are just a handful of men that can prevent it. And you're one of them. Senator Raymond Clark You stay put right here... I'm going to phone the White House. Tell you what, friend: when this is over you can take off your girdle and have yourself a real good cry. Say, uh, you got a dime to stop a revolution with?
Seven Days in May (1964) poster
Seven Days in May 1964 · 20 quotes · 6 characters All Seven Days in May quotes →
All Seven Days in May quotes →