The Missiles of October

The Missiles of October
DVD cover for the film
GenreDocudrama
Written byStanley R. Greenberg
Directed byAnthony Page
StarringWilliam Devane
Martin Sheen
Howard da Silva
Ralph Bellamy
Theme music composerLaurence Rosenthal
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerIrv Wilson
ProducersRobert Berger
Herbert Brodkin
EditorJerry Greene
Running time150 mins
Production companiesMaljack Productions
Viacom Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseDecember 18, 1974 (1974-12-18)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

The Missiles of October is a 1974 docudrama made-for-television play about the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962.[1][2] The title evokes the 1962 book The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman about the missteps amongst the great powers and the failed chances to give an opponent a graceful way out, which led to World War I.

The Missiles of October introduced William Devane as President John F. Kennedy and cast Martin Sheen as Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. The teleplay was originally broadcast by ABC-TV on Wednesday, December 18, 1974.[1][2] The script was based on Robert Kennedy's posthumously-published 1969 book Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

  1. ^ a b Thomas, Bob (December 18, 1974). "'Missiles of October' about Cuban crisis". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. p. 15B.
  2. ^ a b Holsopple, Barbara (December 18, 1974). "Columbia dean seeks to stop 'Missile' airing tonight". Pittsburgh Press. p. 74.