User reviews

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.

Excellent portrayal of the US heavy bomber offensive in Europe in WW2. Gregory Peck is superb as the hard-nosed group commander (but, then, that is a given I guess - I can't think of a less-than-great performance by him).

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

..... 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.

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!)

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

Agree with the previous reviewer that this film is too stage bound to be called great. But I also agree with them 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.

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

Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

Not just about the aerial bombings of World War II, by American fliers in Europe, but a vivid recreation of it. Or, more truthfully, a story leading up to a long stretch toward the end that shows battle, drawn in part from actual footage from the war, taken by both American and the German photographers during the war. The gradual development of characters, all with flaws, and all looking out for each other, makes up the first two thirds of this long movie.

It's a man's movie, meaning it's about men and their role in the war. Romance and the other usual layers of civilian life are missing. Not that you miss this. The urgency and ongoing action which seems to propel even the lulls between action is heroic and impressive, for sure, but far more important is how tender it is, and tragic, and how much you want to weep through it all. Which for me is a good war movie.

But a lot of attention was paid to filming (and editing) the flying sequences, and as an outsider to all that, I found it all exciting in a kinetic, historic, and horrifying kind of way. You can tell what some of the authentic footage is and because it's real it has amazing impact--you know it's not CGI or Hollywood matte shooting.

In fact, the authenticity of the non-combat sections is impressive, and comes partly because it was filmed just four years after the surrender of Germany, and the attitudes, language, cadence are all right on. (Compare this to movies made now of that time, as good as they might be in other ways, like Saving Private Ryan for one.) So even when it's slow (and the first half hour is slow) it's absorbing. And the acting is excellent--Gregory Peck just one of many great performers in straight ahead, convincing roles.

A note on the tone, the pessimism throughout. Clearly in contrast to the positive films made during the war, and following a trend of introspection and frankly loneliness (detachment, doubt) started with The Best Years of Our Lives in 1946, this movie is consistently dour and tainted with struggle and questioning. No cheerleading here, but lots of sober analysis, probing conversations, or interior confessions of anger or disagreement. This only makes it more persuasive--war, when it's being fought, is psychologically challenging and damaging, and the movie lays all of this open.

A final thought about the fighting scenes--the hard core aerial photography doesn't occur until almost two hours into the movie (it's a long movie). So the rest of the time you really do depend on the psychology and the interpersonal drama to float it all. Which it does very well. Director Henry King is no great stylist, but he directed this with great control, and it's taut and rather beautiful throughout.

This is a war film without any of the traditional heroics such as rolling on the ground under machine gun fire and tossing a grenade to destroy the enemy. This depicts another side of war. That it is a dirty business and not much time to have human compassion either for your enemies or at times for your own comrades. Gregory Peck puts in a fine performance as the commander of a bomber group that has lost its edge because of human compassion.

A popular with his men group commander played by Gary Merrill is relieved due to failure to reprimand and relieve one of his crew after a mistake during a flight. He is replaced by Peck who is secretly burned out from his own combat missions and enjoys his desk job away from the stress of combat flying but pulls on his boot straps and dives into it again when asked to take over the group by his superior. He puts on a stage face as a hard core even though his true nature is most likely not to be that way. It eats at him, and the acting ability of Peck lets the viewer know this. With very little actual combat footage this film is one of the all time great war movies. Dean Jagger although in a supporting role probably puts in the overall best acting performance in the picture as the administrative head of the bomber group. The U.S. Navy used this movie in their Leadership Management Education and Training course due to it's high content of leadership scenarios. i.e. why did Gary Merrill's character fail? What did Peck do different? Why did he do it differently? etc. The flashback style that the story is told is great. More films today should be made like this one.

"Twelve O'Clock High" is an impressive war movie starring Gregory Peck, Dean Jagger, Hugh Marlowe, and Gary Merrill, about a U.S. airborne division set in World War II England. The story begins with Jagger in the late '40s standing on the old division grounds reminiscing. In the story, Peck steps in to take over command from Merrill, who has become too attached to his downtrodden men. They're low on morale and making a lot of mistakes. Peck runs a tight outfit with plenty of training and discipline, advising the men to grow up. "Forget about passes, forget about going home. Accept the fact that you're already dead and it'll be easier for you," or words to that effect, he says by way of advice. His toughness works and turns the division into a highly successful one. But along the way, there are casualties, and Peck has to sublimate a lot of his true emotions.

This is an excellent movie, both gripping and poignant, with actual fighter plane combat footage taken by both American and German soldiers that is mixed in with the film. The movie really makes you stop and think about what soldiers at war go through psychologically and what they face in battle. "Twelve O'Clock High," (the title of which refers to a plane's position in the sky in relation to other planes) makes you care about this division and most of all, about its commanding officer. Try as he might, as tough as Peck is in this film, he somehow manages to convey a warmth and quiet concern - the qualities that make Atticus Finch perhaps the greatest character in movies. Handsome, with an authoritative voice and strong presence, Peck's personality permeates throughout, as it does so often.

Highly recommended.

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.