Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

Loved that this film stayed mostly on the ground. Realistic settings and characters. Tackles qualities needed for leadership. Pity we don't get close in any personal sense to the men. Wished we had more background to the flyers and the non-officer crew. Their beautiful singing is heard in voice-over. I find Gregory Peck sometimes too stolid/placid in films but here it's an asset. An unusual war film that is saved from being forgettable by its last scenes.

My mom asked me the other day, "Gregory Peck was so handsome. Why was he in military movies instead of love stories?" My answer was that Greg was the picture of American integrity, and what better setting is there than a war movie to stand tall, look determined, and decide that for the greater good, you're going to do the right thing? In Twelve O'Clock High, that's exactly what Greg does.He plays a tough-love bombardier general called in to whip a unit into shape. Since this movie was made in 1949, the use of actual war footage during the WW2 war scenes probably gave the audience a very emotional reaction. While this isn't my favorite war movie, I appreciate the acting and the obstacles in the plot. If you like WW2 movies, you can do a lot worse, but you can also do a lot better.

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.

Dean Jagger won an Academy Award for best supporting actor in this intelligent and realistic account of a "hard luck" bomber unit in England suffering from low morale, where General Frank Savage(played by Gregory Peck) has assumed command from Col. Davenport(played by Gary Merrill) Frank believes that Davenport has become too close to his men, blinding him to the harsh missions they must undertake, making them soft and overcautious. Savage decides to not let that happen to him, and institutes harsh disciplinary measures on the men, which they hate, especially a Lt. Col.(played by Hugh Marlowe) who bitterly resents the dressing down he receives. A curious thing happens though: the plan works, as the men regain their confidence and launch a series of successful bombing campaigns against Germany. Ironically though, General Savage suffers the same fate as his predecessor; over identification with the men...First-rate WWII drama(based on fact) has excellent direction by Henry King, performances by all, and an intelligent script that accurately portrays the time and place it is set. The framing device with Jagger in the modern day remembering his times with the unit is most effective.