When a computer malfunction prompts an air squadron to follow strict orders to bomb Moscow, the President of the United States (Fonda) must negotiate a resolution with the Soviets that will yield the fewest possible fatalities. Lumet is deadly serious in his tone and in his critique of the threats posed by the proliferation of weapons production. Set in an often claustrophobic space and constructed from a screenplay by blacklisted writer Walter Bernstein, Fail-Safe features intense performances from Fonda, Hagman, and—surprisingly—Matthau, who eschews his comic persona here for a turn as a coldly prophetic scientist.