Without any question, indisputably the greatest WWII film ever (except, perhaps for "Bridge on the River Kwai"; but that's a WWII story only in the same sense that "Moby Dick" is a book about a whale). There are no weaknesses in this movie. The screenplay is perfect, rooted as it is in the historical reality of the U. S.'s attempt to prove the superiority of Daylight Precision Bombing over the Brits favored strategy of night bombing. The terrible human pressures it placed on young American pilots AND their leaders has never been so well-portrayed on film. Dramatic tension is perfectly manipulated, and the characters are well-drawn, sympathetic and fully developed. Every member of this superb cast gives this great material the great acting it deserves. The usage of actual WWII bombing footage adds to the sense of reality. The psychological drama - what "maximum effort" does to people - is at the core of the story and supercedes the mere military aspect. And the device of the framing scenes - Harvey Stovall (Dean Jagger) recollecting the story while standing in the abandoned airstrip - is brilliant. It gives the tale an overwhelmingly bittersweet feeling of "long-ago" nostalgia. It is so powerful that Spielberg must have consciously had 12 O'clock High in mind when he used the same device in Saving Private Ryan to make that whole film a flashback, just as this one is. To hell with the flashy flamboyance of Citizen Kane; I would have to give 12 O'clock High a better shot at being "the best movie ever made". One mark of the film's realistic portrayal of psychological issues in warfare is that for many years it was required viewing in many military leadership classes. Film buffs &/or devotees of WWII history who haven't seen this one are living a deprived existence.
170 Reviews
Leadership and pride
old-bolingbroke13 April 2006
I first saw TOH about 30 years ago, and, yes, it was at a management training course. Video wasn't common then; so it was projected onto a screen, I remember, which was a bonus. I wasn't sure about management principles, but it went straight onto my ten greatest films list, where it remains. A few reasons why I think it's a great war film.
Following the intro with Dean Jagger, the action gets off to a good start with the B17 crash landing, a man staggering out to vomit, a reference to a wounded man's brain being visible and an account of Bishop's bravery. This is strong stuff for 1949.
It avoids a lot of war film clichés. There's no love interest (there's even a nod to the fact that the men weren't always faithful to their loved ones back home). There's no attempt to create a group of men who represent the breadth of society back home. You know the sort of thing - the New York cabbie, the young farm boy, the Texan, the idealistic schoolteacher, the journalist, the architect who's now bombing things that he once built. And it's about failure, it's about men destroying their bodies and their minds for something they don't understand. It reminds me of the colour-sergeant's reply to a soldier in Zulu, who asks 'Why us?'. 'Because we're 'ere, lad. Just us. Nobody else.' If I wanted to sound pretentious, I'd use the word 'existential'.
It's about leadership and is similar to Nortwest Passage. Both Spencer Tracy in that film and Peck in this are aware that they are putting on an act. One of the great scenes is Peck arriving at the base. He's sitting in the front of the car. They stop and Peck offers his driver, whom he calls 'Ernie', a smoke. He thinks for a while, then grinds out his cigarette, says, 'Right, sergeant.' His driver snaps open the rear door and Peck becomes the general. Northwest Passage again - Tracy says 'I'm not a man now, I'm an officer responsible for men. If you meet me when I'm just a man, you might have to use a little charity.' Other nice touches: the way the fur-lined RAF boots become the symbol of leadership. The way the real-life footage is dovetailed into the main action, a tribute to the war-time cameramen as much as the editor. Notice how they filmed detail like empty shells falling to the aircraft floor.
So how could a film about military leadership help a local government manager, of all people. I couldn't bust people or demote them easily, rearrange their duties with a stroke of the pen. I would have loved to set up a leper colony, but the union wouldn't let me. But Peck's stressing of the need for pride in one's group is something that can be transferred to any walk of life.
Following the intro with Dean Jagger, the action gets off to a good start with the B17 crash landing, a man staggering out to vomit, a reference to a wounded man's brain being visible and an account of Bishop's bravery. This is strong stuff for 1949.
It avoids a lot of war film clichés. There's no love interest (there's even a nod to the fact that the men weren't always faithful to their loved ones back home). There's no attempt to create a group of men who represent the breadth of society back home. You know the sort of thing - the New York cabbie, the young farm boy, the Texan, the idealistic schoolteacher, the journalist, the architect who's now bombing things that he once built. And it's about failure, it's about men destroying their bodies and their minds for something they don't understand. It reminds me of the colour-sergeant's reply to a soldier in Zulu, who asks 'Why us?'. 'Because we're 'ere, lad. Just us. Nobody else.' If I wanted to sound pretentious, I'd use the word 'existential'.
It's about leadership and is similar to Nortwest Passage. Both Spencer Tracy in that film and Peck in this are aware that they are putting on an act. One of the great scenes is Peck arriving at the base. He's sitting in the front of the car. They stop and Peck offers his driver, whom he calls 'Ernie', a smoke. He thinks for a while, then grinds out his cigarette, says, 'Right, sergeant.' His driver snaps open the rear door and Peck becomes the general. Northwest Passage again - Tracy says 'I'm not a man now, I'm an officer responsible for men. If you meet me when I'm just a man, you might have to use a little charity.' Other nice touches: the way the fur-lined RAF boots become the symbol of leadership. The way the real-life footage is dovetailed into the main action, a tribute to the war-time cameramen as much as the editor. Notice how they filmed detail like empty shells falling to the aircraft floor.
So how could a film about military leadership help a local government manager, of all people. I couldn't bust people or demote them easily, rearrange their duties with a stroke of the pen. I would have loved to set up a leper colony, but the union wouldn't let me. But Peck's stressing of the need for pride in one's group is something that can be transferred to any walk of life.
One of the Near-Great Films of All-Time; Immensely Moving, Powerful
silverscreen88824 June 2005
This stirring war film about the Eight Air Force and their war against the German Luftwaffe was written by Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay, Jr. . It starred Gregory Peck as the Colonel, Frank Savage, head of the 918th Bomber Group assigned to making winged warfare succeed where his nice-guy predecessor, ably played as always by Gary Merrill, had failed. He is aided by brilliant Dean Jagger as Harvey Stovall his exec, his honest Boss Millard Mitchell, and others; but his chief opponent turns out to be the men themselves, not the Nazis...he has to completely turn their thinking around, make them write off survival and think only in terms of getting the job done--so they will have the best chance to maintain group integrity in the air. bomb their targets, and get home safely afterward. How he does this, by stalling their requests for transfer and winning them over to his way--the American way--of making war produces a powerful story. Others in the large, but uneven cast include capable Hugh Marlowe, John Kellogg, Bob Patten, Lawrence Dobkin, Joyce Mackenzie and many others credited and not. This epic was directed by veteran Henry King in what most believe is masterful fashion in B/W. Music was supplied by Alfred Newman and cinematography was done by Leon Shamroy. Art directors Maurice Ransford and Lyle Wheeler deserve every praise for the style they infused into the entire production, mixing actual war footage with their new scenes. Sets such as the large hut where missions are outlined, HQ House, the general's office, the bar, the now-overgrown airfield, the hospital and the airplane interior shots are all memorable achievements. The climax of the film is compromised a bit by changing the original storyline; instead of merely being unable to fly and watching his men get the job done without him, in the filmed version Savage has a near-breakdown from which he rouses only when his pilots begin arriving home. But there is so much power in this film and in its message that self-assertion is better than sloppiness, cowardice, inattention, non-cooperation, defeatism, et al, the film justifiably is still a well-beloved. Frequently, it provides an unforgettable look at how U.S.'s officers and men had to grow up as military operatives in the throes of WWII. To see the men in the film have to watch their Toby mug being turned around, signaling the beginning of another call to mission is moving; the film's opening, when having found the mug again in a shop, tourist Jagger takes it with him, climbs a fence into a field and finds the already-disappearing remains of the hardtracks down which B-17s had so recently roared, carrying the fight to the enemy and men to their deaths or heroisms or both--is frankly a classic sequence; it is also the scene which leads to the film being told as a flashback recounting the events of Savage's vital assignment. Highly recommended.
I was an air-cre- member of the 306th Bomb Group(BG) the model for the 918 BG and I have been impressed with the movei ever since it came out.
corig2030 April 2002
The picture brings back the memories of excitement, terror and relief. Its a picture that the authors bring out. I knew the commanding officer portrayed by Gregory Peck, a Colonel Frank Armstrong, a replacement for Col. Overacker. Gregory Peck was a BG. The only error I saw was in the MGDb write up. Your article sites the planes as B-24 rather than B-17. We were first division originally sent to England to be transferred to North Africa. The 918 Bomb Group in the picture is 3 times 306 = 918 thats how they identified them. We had 87% casualty rate; 287 of us flew to England on Oct 21 1942, 87 survived, and are passing away rapidly now. I was 19 as a bombardier-navigator,flew two tours; the second was a pilot. The picture is my ideal. I have three copies of it and view whenever I feel depressed. Thanks for my connection of the past Im78 and need a boost eversince I gave up drinking and smoking. Horace Corigliano
A fine memorial to the men of the 8th Air Force.
smiley-399 December 2004
Of all the movies to come out of Hollywood covering world war two, I place this one, which I first saw in 1950, in the top-draw category. From the very start when the credits start rolling, the opening music seemed to fit perfectly; instead of the era-splitting noise they have hit us with in recent years. The old wartime, "Bless 'em All" and, "Don't sit under the apple tree", heard in the background, as Dean Jagger, now a civilian, slowly takes a nostalgic walk out onto the weed-covered, oil-stained runway to remember gallant times of the 918th Bomb Group, now past.
Gregory Peck as Brigadier General Frank Savage did great credit to this role, and deserved an Oscar. From the moment he enters the base and tears into the guard at the gate for casually waving him through, you know he's going to be a S.O.B. Dean Jagger as Major Stovall, the lawyer in uniform now Ground Executive Officer knows how to handle the paperwork after the first sobering face to face encounter with with Savage. That Jagger won the Oscar as best supporting actor, was well deserved indeed. Gary Merrill as Colonel Keith Davenport, the too popular Group CO, very good. Hugh Marlowe as Lt Colonel Ben Gately, who flew too many missions from behind a desk, placed on the rack by Savage with the other bomb group deadbeats and foul ups, handles his role well. Then their's Millard Mitchell as Major General Pritchard, displaying a commanding presence, and Paul Stewart as Doc Kaiser, also well portrayed.
There are no false heroics in this movie. No blood and guts all over the silver screen. And no routine world war two, hard boiled, go-get-'em dialogue to spoil it. The authors, Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay. wrote an excellent screenplay. They did the film a favour, they deleted General Savage's love interest that appeared in their fine novel. I don't think it would have added anything to the movie at all. Maybe what surprised a lot of moviegoers who had not read the book before seeing the movie, was Savage's mental breakdown; freezing suddenly at the hatch as he attempted to heave himself aboard the B-17. It was so unexpected of him after showing such ice-cold nerves
What rounded out this impressive movie was the insertion of the air combat footage shot over Europe during the actual daylight operations. This documentary footage crowned a very fine achievement. One of Henry King's best; a professional effort indeed. The thread of sincerity in this war movie runs deep.
The reason I found the movie so engrossing was, as a teenager, on the sidelines of the war, I saw more than one B-17 stagger home and belly in on a wing and a prayer. This movie was loaded with integrity from the beginning to the end credits. I'm sure the gallant gentlemen who flew with the Eighth Air Force over enemy-occupied Europe would be of the same opinion. It is a kind of monument to those warriors.
Gregory Peck as Brigadier General Frank Savage did great credit to this role, and deserved an Oscar. From the moment he enters the base and tears into the guard at the gate for casually waving him through, you know he's going to be a S.O.B. Dean Jagger as Major Stovall, the lawyer in uniform now Ground Executive Officer knows how to handle the paperwork after the first sobering face to face encounter with with Savage. That Jagger won the Oscar as best supporting actor, was well deserved indeed. Gary Merrill as Colonel Keith Davenport, the too popular Group CO, very good. Hugh Marlowe as Lt Colonel Ben Gately, who flew too many missions from behind a desk, placed on the rack by Savage with the other bomb group deadbeats and foul ups, handles his role well. Then their's Millard Mitchell as Major General Pritchard, displaying a commanding presence, and Paul Stewart as Doc Kaiser, also well portrayed.
There are no false heroics in this movie. No blood and guts all over the silver screen. And no routine world war two, hard boiled, go-get-'em dialogue to spoil it. The authors, Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay. wrote an excellent screenplay. They did the film a favour, they deleted General Savage's love interest that appeared in their fine novel. I don't think it would have added anything to the movie at all. Maybe what surprised a lot of moviegoers who had not read the book before seeing the movie, was Savage's mental breakdown; freezing suddenly at the hatch as he attempted to heave himself aboard the B-17. It was so unexpected of him after showing such ice-cold nerves
What rounded out this impressive movie was the insertion of the air combat footage shot over Europe during the actual daylight operations. This documentary footage crowned a very fine achievement. One of Henry King's best; a professional effort indeed. The thread of sincerity in this war movie runs deep.
The reason I found the movie so engrossing was, as a teenager, on the sidelines of the war, I saw more than one B-17 stagger home and belly in on a wing and a prayer. This movie was loaded with integrity from the beginning to the end credits. I'm sure the gallant gentlemen who flew with the Eighth Air Force over enemy-occupied Europe would be of the same opinion. It is a kind of monument to those warriors.
Probably the greatest film of the air war to be made about World War II
shih_tzu3 December 2001
No gungho up and at 'em men. No false heroics. A great war film, but also an anti-war film of great intensity. Just ordinary men (and boys) doing the job they knew they had got to do. Greg Peck magnificent as the general forced to stiffen the morale of his bomber group, and who he himself eventually cracks under the strain. Dean Jagger outstanding and thoroughly deserving his oscar as best supporting actor. A truly great film, 10 out of 10 in my book. There are still disused airfields like that shown at the beginning only a few miles from where I live (although they were RAF bases). In 1943-45 as a young schoolboy I lived further down south in England and often saw the American Fortresses going to, and returning (not all of them!) from their daylight raids over Germany . A fine tribute to those American airmen wo gave their lives over Europe.
Powerful film....
byron-11622 August 2020
..... but too talkative, though interesting. The battle scenes towards the end of the movie are authentic. Splendid performances by Gregory Peck and particularly by Dean Jagger. Twelve O'Clock High continues to be an absorbing film over 70 years after its release.
How did Gregory Peck do so many great films?
planktonrules9 June 2005
In writing reviews for IMDb, I have begun to notice just how many exceptional movies Gregory Peck did. Yes, I know he made a few stinkers (such as Days of Glory and Boys From Brazil), but look at all the great movies he did--3 of the best Westerns ever made (The Big Country, The Gunfighter and Yellow Sky), some dandy dramas (To Kill a Mockingbird, Cape Fear) and two of the best war pictures of all time (The Guns of Navarone and this movie, Twelve O'Clock High).
Twelve O'Clock High is exceptional in every way. It is very similar to the excellent movie Command Decision, but goes deeper into the emotional and psychological cost of commanding the bombing campaign against Nazi Germany. Whereas Gable is all alone and hated in Command Decision, Peck goes a step further and actually goes on bombing runs with his men--only to become deeply scarred emotionally in the process. As a result, this movie is a fantastic look at the psychological effects of war--something that only rarely gets addressed in war movies.
Twelve O'Clock High is exceptional in every way. It is very similar to the excellent movie Command Decision, but goes deeper into the emotional and psychological cost of commanding the bombing campaign against Nazi Germany. Whereas Gable is all alone and hated in Command Decision, Peck goes a step further and actually goes on bombing runs with his men--only to become deeply scarred emotionally in the process. As a result, this movie is a fantastic look at the psychological effects of war--something that only rarely gets addressed in war movies.
As it should be made
deickos17 July 2017
Though I have seen most of HK's films thought I couldn't like this one as well. The theme appeared too familiar and too predictable for my taste. But HK worked his magic one more time again - the movie was made as it should, nothing more nothing less. This enables HK to pull through with success again: simplicity is his magic that works wonders from most common things. He only deals with what is essential and the result is a paradigm of film-making.
Still unsurpassed
DennisLittrell24 September 1999
Those who think that "Saving Private Ryan" was a great movie ought to watch this old black and white classic. In virtually every aspect except photography "Twelve O'Clock High" is superior. The script by Sy Bartlett in particular is vastly superior. Spielberg's film focused on some of the command problems faced by Capt. John Miller (Tom Hanks) in fulfilling his combat mission, but the treatment and development were almost high schoolish (if I may) compared to the enthralling delineation in "Twelve O'Clock High." The problems encountered by Gregory Peck as the bomber group commander were complex, subtle and psychologically demanding, while the resolution was filled with the kind of male social and political dynamics not much explored at the movies these days. Director Henry King's clean, crisp, "invisible" direction was also superior to the uneven and far too showy pandering from Spielberg. Furthermore the acting, with Gary Merrill and Hugh Marlowe supporting Peck, was also better. Ted Danson in his cameo and Matt Damon at times in "Saving Private Ryan" were almost laughable. Comparing the two movies makes one wonder how much movies really have improved. Technically they have in every respect, but too often today's film-makers think they can get by with special effects and splashy sets. Pour a lot of blood, show a lot of skin, get people at each other's throat, and it will play, seems to be the attitude. What is often forgotten are the two most important aspects of film, namely, story and character development. In this respect I don't think today's films have improved on the great classics of the past. (Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)
compelling real war footage
SnoopyStyle14 February 2015
It's 1949 London. Stovall buys a gaudy cheap mug but he values it like fine china. He travels to Archbury which is the derelict home of the 918th Bomb Group during the War. The movie flashes back to the dark days when they had the reputation of a hard luck group due to daylight bombing. Their commander Davenport (Gary Merrill) confronts headquarters and his friend Brigadier General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck). Davenport is relieved of command and the group is given to Savage. Savage brings stiff discipline back to the group.
The first hour and forty five minutes are rather bland. Gregory Peck keeps the movie going. It is considered one of the more accurate depiction of a bomber group from that era. It's also not necessarily that dramatic. The last section is their big mission and it is intercut with real footage of the air battle. Some of the footage is unreal and it's the more compelling because they are the real thing.
The first hour and forty five minutes are rather bland. Gregory Peck keeps the movie going. It is considered one of the more accurate depiction of a bomber group from that era. It's also not necessarily that dramatic. The last section is their big mission and it is intercut with real footage of the air battle. Some of the footage is unreal and it's the more compelling because they are the real thing.
The best early WW-2 film, still one of the finest
antimatter3321 March 2019
OK I'll admit up front - I am biased. My Dad was a B-17 side gunner. He volunteered before the war started to be a pilot. But he was from the rural South and could shoot the eyes out of a horsefly and not hit the horse. So they made him a gunner. He was in the early wave of crews, when they had something like a 2 percent chance of making 25 missions. He made 13. He had a high opinion of this film. That is apparently how most 8th Air Force veterans feel.
I have to subtract 1 star for the overindulgence in team spirit. Otherwise this is a great film, because it has an idea, almost as if it's a training film for officers. The action is almost contrived in order to make the points about leadership. And yet, that is exactly what makes it so compelling. This is a man's job, not a boy's. The job of the brigadier is the hardest in the service. There is no time off. You are close enough to the front to be directly involved, so that you feel the personal weight of your command decisions.
The casting here is just fantastic. These are men! It is refreshing to see men of honor doing their duty, not out of some macho bravado, but because someone has to do a nasty, hard job. Macho is for boys. Duty is for men. I particularly liked Dean Jagger. He and Peck played extremely well together. It is great to watch them interact.
The flying sequences are also remarkable. I got to crawl around in a B-17 once. I'm the same size as my Dad, and it was a tight fit. With 10 guys in there, it would be some crowd. You get that feeling from the film. And then there's the crowd of the formation. They got that right as well. These scenes have lost nothing and are still gripping, 70 years later. The expert technical advice the film makers received really shows up.
I think my favorite character is Sergeant/Private McIlhinny. I sort of see my Dad in him. There are a lot of memorable characters in this film. I can't recommend it enough, biased or not!
I have to subtract 1 star for the overindulgence in team spirit. Otherwise this is a great film, because it has an idea, almost as if it's a training film for officers. The action is almost contrived in order to make the points about leadership. And yet, that is exactly what makes it so compelling. This is a man's job, not a boy's. The job of the brigadier is the hardest in the service. There is no time off. You are close enough to the front to be directly involved, so that you feel the personal weight of your command decisions.
The casting here is just fantastic. These are men! It is refreshing to see men of honor doing their duty, not out of some macho bravado, but because someone has to do a nasty, hard job. Macho is for boys. Duty is for men. I particularly liked Dean Jagger. He and Peck played extremely well together. It is great to watch them interact.
The flying sequences are also remarkable. I got to crawl around in a B-17 once. I'm the same size as my Dad, and it was a tight fit. With 10 guys in there, it would be some crowd. You get that feeling from the film. And then there's the crowd of the formation. They got that right as well. These scenes have lost nothing and are still gripping, 70 years later. The expert technical advice the film makers received really shows up.
I think my favorite character is Sergeant/Private McIlhinny. I sort of see my Dad in him. There are a lot of memorable characters in this film. I can't recommend it enough, biased or not!
Tough, realistic war morale movie
Leofwine_draca4 November 2016
Another decent American WW2 film which seems to have dropped out of sight over the years, I'd never heard of TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH before I caught it playing on television. I'm glad I watched it because this is a film which has an excellent role for Gregory Peck, one of my favourite actors, playing the tough new general who takes over training members of an American bomber squadron stationed in England.
It's a film that looks at the nitty gritty of pilot training and the effects that death and failure can have on the morale of a group. Thus it's not an easy film to watch at times as it goes down some dark psychological alleyways, but the realism and lack of sugar coating is what makes it all the more effective. The supporting cast is fine with Dean Jagger particularly standing out in a difficult role, but it's Peck who holds things together here with a show-stopping turn as one of the coldest yet most human characters seen in a war movie. The ending of the film is moving beyond belief and the authenticity of the thing never flags, with the dog fight scenes utilising real-time war footage to add to the realism of the thing.
It's a film that looks at the nitty gritty of pilot training and the effects that death and failure can have on the morale of a group. Thus it's not an easy film to watch at times as it goes down some dark psychological alleyways, but the realism and lack of sugar coating is what makes it all the more effective. The supporting cast is fine with Dean Jagger particularly standing out in a difficult role, but it's Peck who holds things together here with a show-stopping turn as one of the coldest yet most human characters seen in a war movie. The ending of the film is moving beyond belief and the authenticity of the thing never flags, with the dog fight scenes utilising real-time war footage to add to the realism of the thing.
Ponderously dry military drama.
Degree710 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
England, 1942. The 918th bomber regiment, flying into Europe to deliver their payload to German targets, is a group suffering from low morale and even worse luck, with many pilots coming back dead, injured, or psychologically scarred from their daylight raids that are only growing tougher. Enter General Savage, played by Peck, who believes the problem lies with their CO, Colonel Davenport, a good soldier who has become too close to his men and thus lacks the necessary strong-arm discipline. Savage relieve the Colonel of his command, and brings the 918th under his wing, attempting to whip this hard luck group into shape. The film deals with the theme of leadership under stress, and how a commander will toe the line between protecting his men and sending them to their deaths.
For a psychological drama on the effects of war on the chain of command, the film is undoubtedly good. Any military buff or WWII geek will get his worth for watching it. But for those interested in the actual bombing missions, bad news, as there is one bombing run and it only lasts for ten minutes in the last fourth of the movie. It consists of genuine war footage spliced in with the actors, and while it's certainly an effective sequence, it arrived too little too late to save the story, as I had already lost interest. The issue I took with the film was my lack of connection with any of the characters in the squadron, save for Savage. In the beginning, we are introduced to a man we think is the protagonist, who has a flashback to the events that sets the plot in motion; but it turns out he's only a side character who hardly has an effect on the story. If any character is the main one, it should have been Peck's Savage, but we don't meet him until twenty minutes in.
There is also a distinct lack of notable personalities in the bomber crews Savage is attempting to win over. Essential scenes that would be obligatory in the telling of the tale are skipped over or told from an offhand source. In a pivotal moment, Savage is convinced his men will transfer out instead of staying. But another officer rushes in and informs him that all the men forgave their transfer orders, and opted to stay with the group. Surely this would have been a case where we should be shown this, and not just told in an anticlimactic fashion. Perhaps seeing the men all threatening to leave, but one brave soul tears up his transfer order, and the rest soon follow in an honourary echo. But because we never see this (indeed, barely see any of the grunts; most of the runtime is devoted to Peck's static character) the result of Savage's salvation is not convincing. Surely this imaginary scene I described would have given me a character in the group with a justifiable personality, who I would later then care about as much as Savage apparently does when they bite the dust at the end.
But no, the 918th are just a faceless mass of men who we get glimpses of, but never get to really know. There are a couple choice scenes of men venting about why he's a bad commander, but we never get to see Savage do anything resentful or in any serious conflict with the group. The moments where bonds are forged and brotherhood is found, the battle scenes, are nonexistent except for one. The worst thing we see him do is close the bar for a night. There is also a subplot where he gives command to a deadbeat officer, in charge of a plane called the Leper Colony, and filled with the worst crewmen in the bomber group. Savage threatens to to rub his "face in the dirt" with this detail. But this relationship is soon forgotten by the director as well. It is at least resolved later in a touching scene at the hospital between Savage and the officer. It is revealed the man went through great personal sacrifice, having had to ditch the plane in the English Channel, and flying three missions with a fractured vertebrae. Again, the film makes a point of not throwing any of this exciting, hair raising action, but are instead just told about it. This starts to make the film bleed into monotonous scenes of indistinguishable sludge after a while. As the movie drags on, we do not get any of the bomber crew members showing up as major characters, and we don't see them struggling to get on with the General even as he flies on offscreen missions with them. All we get is exposition in the officer's club, with the generals and majors deciding on how best to run the unit. It's all very meticulous and cold, but lacks the humanity to make me care.
The climax of the film involves General Savage having a nervous breakdown, as he ironically becomes too attached to his men for his own good. Let me go on to say that this is soon resolved in an almost arbitrary fashion, and the ending is as carefree and bland as could possibly be. For a detailed look into a commander's effort to run a regiment, there is much for the war buff. But the bomber crews seem to take a backseat to one man's struggle, and this just isn't enough to keep me invested for a two hour runtime.
6.9/10
For a psychological drama on the effects of war on the chain of command, the film is undoubtedly good. Any military buff or WWII geek will get his worth for watching it. But for those interested in the actual bombing missions, bad news, as there is one bombing run and it only lasts for ten minutes in the last fourth of the movie. It consists of genuine war footage spliced in with the actors, and while it's certainly an effective sequence, it arrived too little too late to save the story, as I had already lost interest. The issue I took with the film was my lack of connection with any of the characters in the squadron, save for Savage. In the beginning, we are introduced to a man we think is the protagonist, who has a flashback to the events that sets the plot in motion; but it turns out he's only a side character who hardly has an effect on the story. If any character is the main one, it should have been Peck's Savage, but we don't meet him until twenty minutes in.
There is also a distinct lack of notable personalities in the bomber crews Savage is attempting to win over. Essential scenes that would be obligatory in the telling of the tale are skipped over or told from an offhand source. In a pivotal moment, Savage is convinced his men will transfer out instead of staying. But another officer rushes in and informs him that all the men forgave their transfer orders, and opted to stay with the group. Surely this would have been a case where we should be shown this, and not just told in an anticlimactic fashion. Perhaps seeing the men all threatening to leave, but one brave soul tears up his transfer order, and the rest soon follow in an honourary echo. But because we never see this (indeed, barely see any of the grunts; most of the runtime is devoted to Peck's static character) the result of Savage's salvation is not convincing. Surely this imaginary scene I described would have given me a character in the group with a justifiable personality, who I would later then care about as much as Savage apparently does when they bite the dust at the end.
But no, the 918th are just a faceless mass of men who we get glimpses of, but never get to really know. There are a couple choice scenes of men venting about why he's a bad commander, but we never get to see Savage do anything resentful or in any serious conflict with the group. The moments where bonds are forged and brotherhood is found, the battle scenes, are nonexistent except for one. The worst thing we see him do is close the bar for a night. There is also a subplot where he gives command to a deadbeat officer, in charge of a plane called the Leper Colony, and filled with the worst crewmen in the bomber group. Savage threatens to to rub his "face in the dirt" with this detail. But this relationship is soon forgotten by the director as well. It is at least resolved later in a touching scene at the hospital between Savage and the officer. It is revealed the man went through great personal sacrifice, having had to ditch the plane in the English Channel, and flying three missions with a fractured vertebrae. Again, the film makes a point of not throwing any of this exciting, hair raising action, but are instead just told about it. This starts to make the film bleed into monotonous scenes of indistinguishable sludge after a while. As the movie drags on, we do not get any of the bomber crew members showing up as major characters, and we don't see them struggling to get on with the General even as he flies on offscreen missions with them. All we get is exposition in the officer's club, with the generals and majors deciding on how best to run the unit. It's all very meticulous and cold, but lacks the humanity to make me care.
The climax of the film involves General Savage having a nervous breakdown, as he ironically becomes too attached to his men for his own good. Let me go on to say that this is soon resolved in an almost arbitrary fashion, and the ending is as carefree and bland as could possibly be. For a detailed look into a commander's effort to run a regiment, there is much for the war buff. But the bomber crews seem to take a backseat to one man's struggle, and this just isn't enough to keep me invested for a two hour runtime.
6.9/10
one of the finest war films ever made
whitecargo11 December 2001
"Twelve O'Clock High" is my favourite WWII film; perhaps my favourite 'Gregory Peck' film; and perhaps even my favourite 'male' film of all time. If you didn't know it, 'Twelve O'Clock High' was once many men's favourite war film of all time. How many people know about this now-obscure movie or realize the weight of its faded prestige, I wouldn't like to guess. The number certainly decreases with each generation. To discover it on late night television, however, is the reward for the patient seeker of 'quintessentially American' films.
'Twelve O'Clock High' is essentially the best depiction of a particular theatre of World War II--the extremely hazardous, aerial daylight bombing campaign over Germany. This film is the archetype for that entire lineage of war film. But it is memorable for its strong performances rather than well-directed battle scenes. In fact there are no battle scenes except for borrowed aerial combat footage. Yet few other films have the look of a 'big' WWII film better than this one--even though it is shot mostly indoors or in cramped cockpits.
Gregory Peck plays an Air Force commander in England in 1943. His performance here is one of Hollywood's icons. Peck is at his best-- taut, controlled, and powerful; flawless throughout every scene as a sensitive air commander forced to whip and browbeat a demoralized and resentful B-24 squadron back into peak efficiency. Peck runs roughshod over his new outfit, but he has a secret achille's heel--he fears he will grow too fond of the men he commands, the emotional link rendering him as ineffective as his predecessor (played by Gary Merrill).
There are crisp, well-directed scenes where the stiff-necked Peck rides his men with extra fury in order to steel himself against all attachments. Yet as we and Peck learn by the end of the film, it is impossible. Despite Peck's best preventive measures, the squadron continues to suffer heavy casualties, and Peck, no matter how hard he resists, is drawn into an emotional attachment with the young pilots he must order into battle each morning.
All soldiers know that comradery is the sharpest of double-edged swords during combat. You can never predict when you will lose a buddy--thus its a common practice for soldiers to keep their relationships light. This storyline has been treated loosely by a slew of later films, but never as successfully as it is done here. Every aspect of the emotional hazards of this type of wartime bond is fully dissected, and the film is filled with scenes containing extraordinary close-ups where the actor's facial expressions alone reveals the character's bitten-back response. This is especially gripping during the film's many vehement, man-to-man exchanges involving discipline, implied cowardice or dereliction of duty.
In particular there are two wonderful subplots to the film: look for the subtle interplay between Peck and Gary Merrill (the brother officer Peck is forced to replace) with regard to the "filling of someone else's shoes" and an actual pair of flyer's boots that they borrow back and forth between them. Then there is another bit of business between Peck and a recalcitrant executive officer, Hugh O'Brian.
The scenes between Peck and O'Brian, in particular, will almost make you wince, if you have ever in your life been chewed out by anyone or tried to 'measure up' to what you thought was expected of you. The relationships between Peck and the other officers exposes issues about the choices men must make about each other and about their duty in wartime; and lays bare the emotions involved when they are forced to depend on one another; as well as what happens when they are forced to fail one another. Its simply outstanding.
'Twelve O'Clock High' stands quietly in the ranks of the few really great American films, without any ego or hype. If you can still remember how important it can be to feel part of a team, even if it was only on a kickball or dodge-ball field that when you last had that feeling then you will admire this film. Dean Jagger won a Best Supporting Actor for his role as the reservist, and there are fine performances from every other actor as well. Millard Mitchell, an absolutely wonderful character actor, is without peer in a role he played often, that of a salty WWII general. And Peck, as we know, walks away with his role.
If you have ever pondered what the real meaning of over-used words like 'loyalty' and 'devotion' mean then this film is for you. The unfettered treatment of these hard-to-pin-down ideals is what makes it one of the few really great war films, for my money (yes, guys, sorry to say, its better than "The Great Escape").
When you are tired of watching the endless parade of "smart" "slick" and "funny" films, all filled with frivolous, stereotype-mocking characters, rent this one to see the real thing.
'Twelve O'Clock High' is essentially the best depiction of a particular theatre of World War II--the extremely hazardous, aerial daylight bombing campaign over Germany. This film is the archetype for that entire lineage of war film. But it is memorable for its strong performances rather than well-directed battle scenes. In fact there are no battle scenes except for borrowed aerial combat footage. Yet few other films have the look of a 'big' WWII film better than this one--even though it is shot mostly indoors or in cramped cockpits.
Gregory Peck plays an Air Force commander in England in 1943. His performance here is one of Hollywood's icons. Peck is at his best-- taut, controlled, and powerful; flawless throughout every scene as a sensitive air commander forced to whip and browbeat a demoralized and resentful B-24 squadron back into peak efficiency. Peck runs roughshod over his new outfit, but he has a secret achille's heel--he fears he will grow too fond of the men he commands, the emotional link rendering him as ineffective as his predecessor (played by Gary Merrill).
There are crisp, well-directed scenes where the stiff-necked Peck rides his men with extra fury in order to steel himself against all attachments. Yet as we and Peck learn by the end of the film, it is impossible. Despite Peck's best preventive measures, the squadron continues to suffer heavy casualties, and Peck, no matter how hard he resists, is drawn into an emotional attachment with the young pilots he must order into battle each morning.
All soldiers know that comradery is the sharpest of double-edged swords during combat. You can never predict when you will lose a buddy--thus its a common practice for soldiers to keep their relationships light. This storyline has been treated loosely by a slew of later films, but never as successfully as it is done here. Every aspect of the emotional hazards of this type of wartime bond is fully dissected, and the film is filled with scenes containing extraordinary close-ups where the actor's facial expressions alone reveals the character's bitten-back response. This is especially gripping during the film's many vehement, man-to-man exchanges involving discipline, implied cowardice or dereliction of duty.
In particular there are two wonderful subplots to the film: look for the subtle interplay between Peck and Gary Merrill (the brother officer Peck is forced to replace) with regard to the "filling of someone else's shoes" and an actual pair of flyer's boots that they borrow back and forth between them. Then there is another bit of business between Peck and a recalcitrant executive officer, Hugh O'Brian.
The scenes between Peck and O'Brian, in particular, will almost make you wince, if you have ever in your life been chewed out by anyone or tried to 'measure up' to what you thought was expected of you. The relationships between Peck and the other officers exposes issues about the choices men must make about each other and about their duty in wartime; and lays bare the emotions involved when they are forced to depend on one another; as well as what happens when they are forced to fail one another. Its simply outstanding.
'Twelve O'Clock High' stands quietly in the ranks of the few really great American films, without any ego or hype. If you can still remember how important it can be to feel part of a team, even if it was only on a kickball or dodge-ball field that when you last had that feeling then you will admire this film. Dean Jagger won a Best Supporting Actor for his role as the reservist, and there are fine performances from every other actor as well. Millard Mitchell, an absolutely wonderful character actor, is without peer in a role he played often, that of a salty WWII general. And Peck, as we know, walks away with his role.
If you have ever pondered what the real meaning of over-used words like 'loyalty' and 'devotion' mean then this film is for you. The unfettered treatment of these hard-to-pin-down ideals is what makes it one of the few really great war films, for my money (yes, guys, sorry to say, its better than "The Great Escape").
When you are tired of watching the endless parade of "smart" "slick" and "funny" films, all filled with frivolous, stereotype-mocking characters, rent this one to see the real thing.
Outstanding war movie.
barnabyrudge5 August 2004
Similar to "Command Decision", which was released a year earlier, Twelve O'Clock High is one of the most fondly-remembered and well-made war movies of all-time. It deals with its subject from a psychological viewpoint, with little direct action, but is nonetheless an absorbing and compelling film.
Gregory Peck is magnificent as General Frank Savage, a tough-talking air force general given the unenviable task of taking command at a beleagured American base in Britain. The previous commander, Colonel Davenport (Gary Merrill), lost his nerve as the toll of bungled missions and dead pilots began to weigh on his conscience. Savage initially whips the men into shape and, although they dislike his frank and uncompromising attitude, the fliers gradually find their morale improving. With their upturn in fortunes, however, comes a series of increasingly dangerous missions - and even Savage finds himself cracking under the pressure as did Davenport before him.
Peck is in fine form here (rarely was he better, other than in "To Kill A Mockingbird"). Special mention also to Hugh Marlowe as a misfit pilot who proves himself to be braver than anyone had ever foreseen, and Dean Jagger (an Oscar-winner for his work here) as an elderly paperwork clerk who occasionally stows away on risky bombing raids. The film explores the effects of high-pressure missions on the men involved, and comes to the disturbing conclusion that even the most iron-nerved of men can fold when the toll of war catches up with them. The psychological state of the characters becomes the main story thread - much more focal than, say, the actual bombing missions - but director Henry King ensures that the film remains thoroughly absorbing. You may come to Twelve O'Clock High expecting a film full of exhilarating aerial action, yet you won't get it. In spite of this, I guarantee you will still come away from the film totally affected by what you have seen. Great stuff.
Gregory Peck is magnificent as General Frank Savage, a tough-talking air force general given the unenviable task of taking command at a beleagured American base in Britain. The previous commander, Colonel Davenport (Gary Merrill), lost his nerve as the toll of bungled missions and dead pilots began to weigh on his conscience. Savage initially whips the men into shape and, although they dislike his frank and uncompromising attitude, the fliers gradually find their morale improving. With their upturn in fortunes, however, comes a series of increasingly dangerous missions - and even Savage finds himself cracking under the pressure as did Davenport before him.
Peck is in fine form here (rarely was he better, other than in "To Kill A Mockingbird"). Special mention also to Hugh Marlowe as a misfit pilot who proves himself to be braver than anyone had ever foreseen, and Dean Jagger (an Oscar-winner for his work here) as an elderly paperwork clerk who occasionally stows away on risky bombing raids. The film explores the effects of high-pressure missions on the men involved, and comes to the disturbing conclusion that even the most iron-nerved of men can fold when the toll of war catches up with them. The psychological state of the characters becomes the main story thread - much more focal than, say, the actual bombing missions - but director Henry King ensures that the film remains thoroughly absorbing. You may come to Twelve O'Clock High expecting a film full of exhilarating aerial action, yet you won't get it. In spite of this, I guarantee you will still come away from the film totally affected by what you have seen. Great stuff.
Well-directed and well-played movie about a tough General becomes too involved with the pilots in his command
ma-cortes27 April 2014
Intimate as well as spectacular WWI airplane movie with an enjoyable cast , aerial battles and thought-provoking themes , being one of the first Hollywood films to deal with the psychological effect of war on its soldiers . The film's dedication states: "This motion picture is dedicated to those Americans, both living and dead, whose gallant effort made possible daylight precision bombing. They were the only Americans fighting in Europe in the fall of 1942. They stood alone, against the enemy and against doubts from home and abroad. This is their story" . Gen. Frank Savage (Gregory Peck , though John Wayne turned down this leading role) is sent by Gen. Pritchard (Millard Mitchell) to the combat group after the Bomber Commander Col. Keith Davenport (Gary Merrill) is relieved of duty . As a hard-as-nails general takes over a bomber unit suffering from low morale and whips them into fighting shape . However , the newcomer General also begins to feel the strain of the leadership . This is a story of valiant twelve men as their women never knew them . It is an example of a pilot's enemy position call . During World War II pilots would call-out the positions of enemy airplanes by referring to their bearings via the use of a pretend face of a clock . In this case, 12 O'Clock meant the enemy was directly ahead, whereas 6 O'Clock would mean directly behind. "High" or "Low" referred to whether the enemy was above or below the airplane respectively. "Even" meant that the enemy was level with the pilot's plane.
This is a thrilling film dealing with patriotism and heroism , starred by a maverick General and his underlings carrying out risked feats on air and bombing German installations . However , the air battles were cut together from authentic World War II footage . In fact , the opening prologue states : "The air battle scenes in this Motion Picture were photographed in actual combat by members of the United States Air Force and the German Luftwaffe" . Much of the flick concerns the relentless fight of a brave General , masterfully played by Gregory Peck , to whip his outfit into a disciplined team in spite of heavy casualties . This film is frequently cited by surviving bomber crewmembers as the only accurate depiction from Hollywood of their life during the war . Based on a novel by Beirne Lay Jr. and Sy Bartlett ; being well adapted by these authors , they wanted the script to concentrate fully on the psychological effects of war and the theme of commanding . Many characters in this film were based on real-life people such as Gen. Savage inspired by Gen. Frank Armstrong and many others . Excellent Gregory Peck as the flight commander who takes over an England-based bomber squadron and it helped assure him a place in Hollywood immortality . Very good support cast such as Hugh Marlowe as Lt. Col. Ben Gately , Gary Merrill as Col. Keith Davenport , Millard Mitchell as Gen. Pritchard , Robert Arthur as Sgt. McIllhenny , Paul Stewart as Capt. 'Doc' Kaiser and Dean Jagger as Maj. Harvey Stovall , he won an Academy Award for secondary actor for his fine acting ; most of them inspired on real characters .
Evocative as well as sensitive musical score by the classic Alfred Newman . Atmospheric cinematography in black and white by Leon Shamroy , usual cameraman of super-productions . Henry King 's direction is well crafted , though William A. Wellman was attached to direct at one point . Here Henry King is more thought-provoking and inclined toward brooding issues and no much action , as a romantic subplot, which features in the book, was dropped at the studio's insistence . King is an expert on compelling Adventure/Western genre , as he directed classic Westerns as ¨ Jesse James¨ (1939) and ¨The gunfighter¨ (1950) with Peck again . Koster was specialist on Adventure genre as proved in ¨Untamed¨ , ¨Captain King¨ , ¨Captain of Castilla¨ , ¨Black Swan¨ , ¨Stanley and Livingstone ¨and many others . Rating : Better than average . Worthwhile watching
This is a thrilling film dealing with patriotism and heroism , starred by a maverick General and his underlings carrying out risked feats on air and bombing German installations . However , the air battles were cut together from authentic World War II footage . In fact , the opening prologue states : "The air battle scenes in this Motion Picture were photographed in actual combat by members of the United States Air Force and the German Luftwaffe" . Much of the flick concerns the relentless fight of a brave General , masterfully played by Gregory Peck , to whip his outfit into a disciplined team in spite of heavy casualties . This film is frequently cited by surviving bomber crewmembers as the only accurate depiction from Hollywood of their life during the war . Based on a novel by Beirne Lay Jr. and Sy Bartlett ; being well adapted by these authors , they wanted the script to concentrate fully on the psychological effects of war and the theme of commanding . Many characters in this film were based on real-life people such as Gen. Savage inspired by Gen. Frank Armstrong and many others . Excellent Gregory Peck as the flight commander who takes over an England-based bomber squadron and it helped assure him a place in Hollywood immortality . Very good support cast such as Hugh Marlowe as Lt. Col. Ben Gately , Gary Merrill as Col. Keith Davenport , Millard Mitchell as Gen. Pritchard , Robert Arthur as Sgt. McIllhenny , Paul Stewart as Capt. 'Doc' Kaiser and Dean Jagger as Maj. Harvey Stovall , he won an Academy Award for secondary actor for his fine acting ; most of them inspired on real characters .
Evocative as well as sensitive musical score by the classic Alfred Newman . Atmospheric cinematography in black and white by Leon Shamroy , usual cameraman of super-productions . Henry King 's direction is well crafted , though William A. Wellman was attached to direct at one point . Here Henry King is more thought-provoking and inclined toward brooding issues and no much action , as a romantic subplot, which features in the book, was dropped at the studio's insistence . King is an expert on compelling Adventure/Western genre , as he directed classic Westerns as ¨ Jesse James¨ (1939) and ¨The gunfighter¨ (1950) with Peck again . Koster was specialist on Adventure genre as proved in ¨Untamed¨ , ¨Captain King¨ , ¨Captain of Castilla¨ , ¨Black Swan¨ , ¨Stanley and Livingstone ¨and many others . Rating : Better than average . Worthwhile watching
Not a mellow high!
rmax3048236 June 2002
Horace Corigliano's preceding comment is touching. He clearly has enough self discipline for ten normal guys. Not only did he fly two tours with the 306th but he gave up smoking and drinking! He can give the rest of us lessons. Anything critical I might say about the film has nothing to do with the real story behind the film, as he and the others experienced it.
Actually, I don't have that much to say that is critical. It's a fine movie. It had to be made no earlier than 1949 because it could not have been made during the war, dealing as it does with human weakness and disability in our own ranks. By 1949, a banner year for a second look, with victory safely behind us, we could afford to peer a bit more closely at what actually went on. But I should also point out that it includes just about every cliche in the book, as does the novel it was based on. It may be that at the time of the film's release, these situations and bits of dialogue had not yet become cliches. I'll just give a few examples: Peck, as General Savage, says, "I'm not here to win a popularity contest with Keith Davenport. I'd lose THAT one." I can't imagine how many times that line has resurfaced. Another one: Peck is giving a pep talk to the group. "There's nothing wrong with being afraid. Fear is normal. Only stop WORRYING about it. Consider yourself already dead!" That's a pep talk? I'll mention one example of this reasoning, the commander reassuring subordinates that "fear is normal", resurfacing -- in "Flying Leathernecks." Beirne Lay's novel was a neatly written genre piece and the film follows it closely. Many of the incidents are drawn from real life (eg., the experiences of the crew in the initial crash landing, with someone trying to land the B-17 with the mortally wounded pilot fighting him all the way and blood frozen all over the windscreen). At that, the novel had to be tamed a bit here and there. When Savage visits the officer's club for the first time he is not only insulted by Major Cobb at the bar, they actually get into a fist fight.
The production values are good. The props and art direction convincing. The score is evocative. And the acting generally superb. Gregory Peck has never been better at radiating principled sincerity. Dean Jagger certainly deserved his Academy Award. And the script itself is a grabber. Savage may not be much of a psychologist -- he accuses Davenport of "overidentification with his men" -- but he's a human being under that ruthlessness, and his crack-up is moving, even if we don't know why it takes place exactly when it does. It's still dramatic. Savage cannot bring himself to swing through the nose hatch of the B-17 although he tries repeatedly. The engines of all the airplanes are revving up and he holds on to a fuselage that is shivering with vibrations, whipped by wind, in an all-engulfing ocean of noise.
The only combat scene is drawn from real footage. It doesn't last long. It doesn't have to. It's horrifying and makes its point quickly and effectively.
The losses suffered by the 8th Air Force in England were appalling. I think it may have been Eaker who was in charge at that period, and he was intent on proving his point that precision daylight bombing would accomplish what de Seversky had been saying it would: the destruction of the enemy's capacity for waging war. Well, at least as implemented here at this stage of the war, it didn't. Bomber losses rose to insupportable levels and the program was suspended for a time. (The British, carrying out night-time area bombing, were no more successful.) The carefully documented Strategic Bombing Survey carried out after the war, under the guidance of John Kenneth Galbraith and others, should be required reading at all military academies. The German industrial machine managed to cope with the bombing by various means, until their fuel sources were simply pounded into oblivion and finally taken by Russian troops. At the end of the war there were hordes of new airplanes and other weapons ready for deployment, but no one left to man them, and no oil to drive them. Bombs, it was concluded, are great for tearing up cities. But they didn't weaken the morale of civilians in Germany, any more than they had earlier in England. The game was hardly worth the candle. And if it couldn't break the back of a highly industrialized country like Germany, how could we ever have convinced ourselves that it would work twenty-five years later in a country that had virtually no important industrial targets, like North Vietnam? There is something tragic about the image of an extremely expensive and effective ordnance platform like a B-52 dropping several tons of bombs and hoping to hit some peasants riding bicycles on a dirt trail through the jungle.
But the persistence of that mythos is no reflection on the experiences and valor of the men who flew in the 8th Air Force, or on this film, which turned out to be the fons et origo of so many genre cliches. It's gripping.
Actually, I don't have that much to say that is critical. It's a fine movie. It had to be made no earlier than 1949 because it could not have been made during the war, dealing as it does with human weakness and disability in our own ranks. By 1949, a banner year for a second look, with victory safely behind us, we could afford to peer a bit more closely at what actually went on. But I should also point out that it includes just about every cliche in the book, as does the novel it was based on. It may be that at the time of the film's release, these situations and bits of dialogue had not yet become cliches. I'll just give a few examples: Peck, as General Savage, says, "I'm not here to win a popularity contest with Keith Davenport. I'd lose THAT one." I can't imagine how many times that line has resurfaced. Another one: Peck is giving a pep talk to the group. "There's nothing wrong with being afraid. Fear is normal. Only stop WORRYING about it. Consider yourself already dead!" That's a pep talk? I'll mention one example of this reasoning, the commander reassuring subordinates that "fear is normal", resurfacing -- in "Flying Leathernecks." Beirne Lay's novel was a neatly written genre piece and the film follows it closely. Many of the incidents are drawn from real life (eg., the experiences of the crew in the initial crash landing, with someone trying to land the B-17 with the mortally wounded pilot fighting him all the way and blood frozen all over the windscreen). At that, the novel had to be tamed a bit here and there. When Savage visits the officer's club for the first time he is not only insulted by Major Cobb at the bar, they actually get into a fist fight.
The production values are good. The props and art direction convincing. The score is evocative. And the acting generally superb. Gregory Peck has never been better at radiating principled sincerity. Dean Jagger certainly deserved his Academy Award. And the script itself is a grabber. Savage may not be much of a psychologist -- he accuses Davenport of "overidentification with his men" -- but he's a human being under that ruthlessness, and his crack-up is moving, even if we don't know why it takes place exactly when it does. It's still dramatic. Savage cannot bring himself to swing through the nose hatch of the B-17 although he tries repeatedly. The engines of all the airplanes are revving up and he holds on to a fuselage that is shivering with vibrations, whipped by wind, in an all-engulfing ocean of noise.
The only combat scene is drawn from real footage. It doesn't last long. It doesn't have to. It's horrifying and makes its point quickly and effectively.
The losses suffered by the 8th Air Force in England were appalling. I think it may have been Eaker who was in charge at that period, and he was intent on proving his point that precision daylight bombing would accomplish what de Seversky had been saying it would: the destruction of the enemy's capacity for waging war. Well, at least as implemented here at this stage of the war, it didn't. Bomber losses rose to insupportable levels and the program was suspended for a time. (The British, carrying out night-time area bombing, were no more successful.) The carefully documented Strategic Bombing Survey carried out after the war, under the guidance of John Kenneth Galbraith and others, should be required reading at all military academies. The German industrial machine managed to cope with the bombing by various means, until their fuel sources were simply pounded into oblivion and finally taken by Russian troops. At the end of the war there were hordes of new airplanes and other weapons ready for deployment, but no one left to man them, and no oil to drive them. Bombs, it was concluded, are great for tearing up cities. But they didn't weaken the morale of civilians in Germany, any more than they had earlier in England. The game was hardly worth the candle. And if it couldn't break the back of a highly industrialized country like Germany, how could we ever have convinced ourselves that it would work twenty-five years later in a country that had virtually no important industrial targets, like North Vietnam? There is something tragic about the image of an extremely expensive and effective ordnance platform like a B-52 dropping several tons of bombs and hoping to hit some peasants riding bicycles on a dirt trail through the jungle.
But the persistence of that mythos is no reflection on the experiences and valor of the men who flew in the 8th Air Force, or on this film, which turned out to be the fons et origo of so many genre cliches. It's gripping.
Realistic portrayal
perfectbond10 December 2003
This Gregory Peck vehicle is a very educational and harrowing account of the World War II experience. It shows the failings and weaknesses of the personnel just as much it shows their triumphs and victories. The acting is superb throughout. I appreciate the efforts of the filmmakers in not making a standard propaganda film or an overly dramatic movie. The stark tone is simply perfect. Strongly recommended, 8/10.
When War Movies Had A Meaning
Dan1863Sickles29 November 2013
I saw this movie on Thanksgiving night after watching CATCHING FIRE at a holiday matinée. And it's really sad how far down movies have gone in the last sixty years.
Watch TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH and compare it to modern movies like the HUNGER GAMES franchise. It's shot in black and white, with minimal special effects. (Indeed the combat footage is actual combat footage.) No poisonous fog or CGI baboons all hopped up on goofballs.
This movie starts as a bomber group comes back from a run. They show no blood and guts, but the talk will literally make you sick to your stomach. It's that real, that wrenching. Instead of pretty "tributes" having their faces in the sky they talk about arms and legs being blown off in combat. And your imagination does the rest, if you're old enough to actually form mental pictures based on the tough, honest dialog.
So then, the leader of the group begins to crack up. And it's not funny, it's not some weepy teen tantrum either. It's a grown man admitting that he can't cut it anymore. And then Gregory Peck comes in, determined to get the job done no matter what the cost in human lives. Imagine, a fully grown adult male in a leadership position!
This movie is about war, and moral choices. But it's also about the nature of fatherhood. Gregory Peck seems to have specialized in exploring this theme, in films as strikingly different as TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH, and even THE OMEN. In all three films he is the father who has to make the tough choices, torn between protecting his children and forcing them to take on adult responsibilities. 12 O'CLOCK HIGH demonstrates the meaning of "tough love" long before the phrase became cheapened by popular media. Yet 12 O'CLOCK HIGH shows the price of tough love, just as THE OMEN shows what happens when tough love becomes too tough and becomes crazed brutality. (In a sense Damien was a deadbeat just like the boys in the Leper Colony in this film. Sometimes the bad seed cannot be redeemed.)
This movie doesn't glorify war, but it does suggest that without role models, such as father figures who demand respect and insist on discipline, children are likely to remain children forever. It's no accident that in a movie like THE HUNGER GAMES or CATCHING FIRE, the adult authority figures are either villains or clowns. Whether it's the drunken Haymitch or the sinister President Snow or the campy Effie Trinket, only caricatures of adults are permitted in modern films.
TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH is the kind of movie they just don't make anymore. Because everyone knows that only teenagers are cool and it's only cool to be an adult if you're trying to stay a teenager forever.
Watch TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH and compare it to modern movies like the HUNGER GAMES franchise. It's shot in black and white, with minimal special effects. (Indeed the combat footage is actual combat footage.) No poisonous fog or CGI baboons all hopped up on goofballs.
This movie starts as a bomber group comes back from a run. They show no blood and guts, but the talk will literally make you sick to your stomach. It's that real, that wrenching. Instead of pretty "tributes" having their faces in the sky they talk about arms and legs being blown off in combat. And your imagination does the rest, if you're old enough to actually form mental pictures based on the tough, honest dialog.
So then, the leader of the group begins to crack up. And it's not funny, it's not some weepy teen tantrum either. It's a grown man admitting that he can't cut it anymore. And then Gregory Peck comes in, determined to get the job done no matter what the cost in human lives. Imagine, a fully grown adult male in a leadership position!
This movie is about war, and moral choices. But it's also about the nature of fatherhood. Gregory Peck seems to have specialized in exploring this theme, in films as strikingly different as TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH, and even THE OMEN. In all three films he is the father who has to make the tough choices, torn between protecting his children and forcing them to take on adult responsibilities. 12 O'CLOCK HIGH demonstrates the meaning of "tough love" long before the phrase became cheapened by popular media. Yet 12 O'CLOCK HIGH shows the price of tough love, just as THE OMEN shows what happens when tough love becomes too tough and becomes crazed brutality. (In a sense Damien was a deadbeat just like the boys in the Leper Colony in this film. Sometimes the bad seed cannot be redeemed.)
This movie doesn't glorify war, but it does suggest that without role models, such as father figures who demand respect and insist on discipline, children are likely to remain children forever. It's no accident that in a movie like THE HUNGER GAMES or CATCHING FIRE, the adult authority figures are either villains or clowns. Whether it's the drunken Haymitch or the sinister President Snow or the campy Effie Trinket, only caricatures of adults are permitted in modern films.
TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH is the kind of movie they just don't make anymore. Because everyone knows that only teenagers are cool and it's only cool to be an adult if you're trying to stay a teenager forever.
Starts off great, but grows repetitive in the middle
zetes19 July 2004
It starts out with a couple of beautiful sequences. A middle-aged man finds an object in a thrift store that reminds him of the war, then there is a flashback to a poetic, almost wordless sequence where a bomber squadron returns after heavy losses. It all promises a fine movie, but the rest doesn't deliver. Gregory Peck stars as the no-nonsense General who takes over an `unlucky' unit and whips them into shape. The film consists of little more than Peck playing the same note over and over. I like Peck a lot; of all the great actors to die in the last couple of years, only his death brought a tear to my eye. But this is a cliché role and a cliché movie. It goes on forever with the same stuff. There is only one air battle shown and it is constructed with stock footage. Since this footage is inevitably scratched up and easily identifiable, it feels really cheap. That technique never works. 6/10.
A fitting tribute to the men of the Mighty Eighth
ianlouisiana2 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I live and work in Cambridge,England,a major city in the East Anglian heartland of the United States Eighth Air Force's campaign to free Europe from the yoke of fascism in the second world war.At the present time when it is deeply unfashionable in the U.K. to express admiration for anything or anybody from America unless it is that appallingly self-serving multi-millionaire Michael Moore it should not be forgotten that the country so many of our so-called "opinion makers" coruscate so regularly sacrificed many many of its young men in the frozen skies over Germany in order to ensure that 65 years on we are free to criticise it to our hearts content - indeed in the case of the BBC get handsomely paid for doing so. From time to time-although,sadly,increasingly rarely as the years pass-I see groups of elderly men,often wearing windcheaters or old flying jackets,walking slowly but determinedly past King's College towards "The Eagle",a town centre pub much favoured by aircrew during World War 2.These men,of an age group so often the target for disrespect and abuse in this country,are the rapidly dwindling survivors of the Mighty Eighth.Their tormentors neither know nor care that if it was not for them and many others like them they would in all probability be speaking German or Russian,depending on which of those two former allies ended up lording it over Europe.The English language would certainly have been "verboten" or speaking it a "Niet - niet". After Pearl Harbour very few young Americans felt the European War had much to do with them.It had already been going on for over two years and Europe was notoriously unstable even in peacetime.The Pacific War,now that was a matter of national pride,why not let the English take care of the Nazis?But still these brave men set off for a cold damp impoverished country half a world away and flew across some of the most heavily-defended parts of Europe in broad daylight,a task the RAF had found far too dangerous day after day,suffering huge losses to be swindled in shops and laughed at in the country pubs.Their story deserves to be told and in "Twelve o'clock high" it is told magnificently. Nobody goes out and shoots down 6 Messerschmidts before breakfast,there are no idiots flying their planes under bridges,silk scarves trailing in the slipstream,bombing was a dirty,dangerous business and the men who flew the bombers were deadly serious about their business. With frightening casualty rates it was essential to maintain morale at the airbases,get the reputation as an "Unlucky" squadron and it could easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The responsibility for improving and maintaining morale rested on the shoulders of the C.O.In this case General Savage(Mr Gregory Peck). An early proponent of "Zero Tolerance",Mr Peck believes that slackness and indiscipline in small areas begets slackness and indiscipline on a larger scale.This brings him in conflict with many of his junior officers.The daily struggle to maintain morale,inject discipline and continuously send other men to their deaths gradually takes its toll on General Savage and he eventually breaks down under the strain. That,reductio ad absurdam,is the story of "Twelve o'clock High". But then,as somebody once said,"Hamlet" is just a story about a man who cannot make up his mind. I have seen this film many times.On one memorable occasion the BBC showed it during the Miners' Strike of 1974 with its attendant power cuts and the electricity was turned off just as General Savage was being introduced to his new flyers.I cursed Joe Gormley and all his works for weeks afterwards. Many of those young men who never made the trip home are remembered at the American War Cemetery at Madingley just outside Cambridge.If you go there and see a small group of old men standing rigidly to attention,their caps off,whisps of hair blowing in the cold Fenland wind,please spare them a silent prayer.
12 o clock high
mossgrymk25 August 2021
Agree with the previous reviewer that this film is too stage bound to be called great. But I also agree with him or her that the writing is first rate and since good writing (which includes dialogue, characterization and story) is as important to a film's overall quality as good cinematography or acting I would disagree with cjskama-956 515706 on the 4 out of 10 rating. Let's compromise on a B minus. PS...No matter what you think of the movie it's way better than the 60s TV series, especially once the producers jettisoned the intense Robert Lansing for the always bland Paul Burke.
Two Hours of Gregory Peck being a jerk
pchas-18 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
** Some spoilers**
This is a great movie if you like watching Gregory Peck being a jerk for two hours.
It's a classic war movie situation - the martinet Brigadier General is brought in to turn around a battle-fatigued unit and in the process restore their confidence in themselves. But I found Peck's depiction of Brig. Gen. Frank Savage too harsh and unforgiving to be believable. Example: after a particularly successful bombing raid, a fellow officer suggests to Savage that giving a weekend pass to London would be nice gesture. "What? and buy their loyalty?" is his response. He ignores similar entreaties from Major "Doc" Kaiser (Paul Stewart) and the unit's former commanding officer Col. Keith Davenport (Gary Merrill).
Early on, after Savage shows what kind of officer he's going to be--busts a sentry for waving his car through, busts a sergeant for not wearing his uniform, closes down the officer's club, etc., every airmen vote with his feet and puts in for a transfer. Savage conspires with his ground officer Maj. Harry Stovall (Dean Jagger) to delay their transfers to buy him time to win them over before the mass exodus from the unit comes to the attention of the Inspector General, which would make him lose his command. The big day comes, and Peck is packing up his desk, assuming that he will be sent back to Washington, but instead, every man withdraws his transfer and Savage stays. Somehow I find it most unconvincing that these men would be loyal to a commanding officer who had earlier told them that they were already dead! By the time Savage has a mental breakdown as he's about to go out on a bombing mission, we're supposed to be sympathetic, but all I could think of was "well, it's about time you got yours".
I think the movie would have been more convincing if there was some effort to make Savage more of a sympathetic character, a love interest perhaps--there are no women in this film except as nurses and canteen workers. Or if more screen time had been devoted to the airmen as they slowly, grudgingly came to accept Savage. But no, instead we get two hours of Gregory Peck being a jerk.
This is a great movie if you like watching Gregory Peck being a jerk for two hours.
It's a classic war movie situation - the martinet Brigadier General is brought in to turn around a battle-fatigued unit and in the process restore their confidence in themselves. But I found Peck's depiction of Brig. Gen. Frank Savage too harsh and unforgiving to be believable. Example: after a particularly successful bombing raid, a fellow officer suggests to Savage that giving a weekend pass to London would be nice gesture. "What? and buy their loyalty?" is his response. He ignores similar entreaties from Major "Doc" Kaiser (Paul Stewart) and the unit's former commanding officer Col. Keith Davenport (Gary Merrill).
Early on, after Savage shows what kind of officer he's going to be--busts a sentry for waving his car through, busts a sergeant for not wearing his uniform, closes down the officer's club, etc., every airmen vote with his feet and puts in for a transfer. Savage conspires with his ground officer Maj. Harry Stovall (Dean Jagger) to delay their transfers to buy him time to win them over before the mass exodus from the unit comes to the attention of the Inspector General, which would make him lose his command. The big day comes, and Peck is packing up his desk, assuming that he will be sent back to Washington, but instead, every man withdraws his transfer and Savage stays. Somehow I find it most unconvincing that these men would be loyal to a commanding officer who had earlier told them that they were already dead! By the time Savage has a mental breakdown as he's about to go out on a bombing mission, we're supposed to be sympathetic, but all I could think of was "well, it's about time you got yours".
I think the movie would have been more convincing if there was some effort to make Savage more of a sympathetic character, a love interest perhaps--there are no women in this film except as nurses and canteen workers. Or if more screen time had been devoted to the airmen as they slowly, grudgingly came to accept Savage. But no, instead we get two hours of Gregory Peck being a jerk.
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