Movie Review:12 O'Clock High - Chip's 10 Best Aviation Movies

12 O'Clock High - Movie Review

Reviewed by LCDR Chip Lancaster, USN (Ret.)

I chose this movie because of my father, who flew B-26 Marauders with the Ninth Air Force out of England and France in 1944 and ‘45. He said that this depiction of the Army Air Forces bomber operations out of England was the most accurate one he had ever seen. The film is more about command leadership problems rather than the details of air combat.

The movie starts on a London Avenue some years after the end of World War II where a gentleman is exiting a haberdashery having purchased a stylish new bowler. From his conversation with the owners, it’s obvious he’s an American. The man is Harvey Stoval, a key player in the upcoming story, played by veteran character actor Dean Jagger (in hundreds of appearances from 1929-80). Down the street he passes a curio shop with a pirate faced stein in the window. He recognizes it and immediately purchases it even though it’s damaged. Harvey is next seen riding a bicycle in the English countryside where he stops beside a wood pole fence. Through the fence, he walks to the tarmac and dilapidated buildings of the abandoned airfield of Archbury. With airy music and war tune singing in the background, Harvey’s taken back years to 1942 where his reminiscing fades into the throaty cranking of a radial engine and a flight of B-17 bombers returning from a mission.

The returning planes are from the 918th Bomb Group with many damaged aircraft and wounded not including several lost with their crews. One of the severely damaged aircraft makes a gear up landing next to the runway. The crash crew and ambulance arrive as the crew is stumbling out with the wounded. The aircraft commander has a severe head wound from a 20mm projectile. The copilot took over and got the damaged ship back to the field. COL Keith Davenport, the Group Commander is out of his aircraft and there to meet the crew. When Davenport, played by Gary Merrill (renowned actor and author from the ‘40s to the ‘80s) learns of the situation, he recommends the copilot for the Medal of Honor. After the mission debrief, the group is ordered to fly again the next day only at the dangerously low altitude of 9000 feet vice their normal 19,000 feet. LTC Ben Gately, the Air Exec (XO) played by Hugh Marlow (The Day the Earth Stood Still, Elmer Gantry) is enraged, telling Davenport that it will be suicide at that altitude.

Davenport drives to 8th AF Bomber Command to protest to Assistant Chief of Staff BG Frank Savage, played by Gregory Peck (Moby Dick, To Kill a Mockingbird, MacArthur). Frank and Keith are old friends and when Keith leaves, Frank goes in to talk to his boss LTG Pritchard, played by Millard Mitchell (renowned character actor from the ‘30s to the ‘50s).

Frank tells the general that he thinks Keith is on the verge of a breakdown from the strain of leadership. He thinks that he has become too emotionally close to his men such that the heavy losses are depressing him with that attitude flowing down to the crews. Despite his close friendship with Keith, he thinks he needs to be relieved of his command. The two generals go to Keith’s quarters that night to confront him about his command. They let him know their concern that he’s so close to his men, he can’t even reprimand the group navigator who threw the day’s mission timing off, and his “bad luck” attitude is infecting his men. LTG Pritchard knows that Bomber Command is on the edge of failure and can’t tolerate a Group Commander with emotional attitude issues. He relieves Keith, makes him his CSO and puts Frank in his place as Group Commander.

Frank arrives the next morning, canceling all leaves and liberty and sending the MPs out to retrieve everyone who’s not on base. He puts the group on a daily bombing and training mission schedule riding the crews until they’re ready. The difference between easy going Keith and hard-riding Frank is stark, causing all the pilots to put in for transfers. Frank, however, needs more time to get the Group ready. In steps the Group Adjutant MAJ Stovall, a prior lawyer, who understands Frank’s problem and knows how to work the military bureaucracy to drag the paperwork out to get extra time. They finally get a mission, but when the entire bomb command is recalled in flight due to weather, Frank’s group ignores the call claiming radio failure. They press on, bombing the target with good results, the only group to do so. Pritchard is upset but recommends the group for a Distinguished Unit Citation. Frank continues leading the group, despite his boss wanting him to return to Bomber Command staff, until leadership pressure reaches the boiling point. That’s the rest of the story. You need to see the movie to see the inflight action and if and how things resolve.

The film is adapted from the 1948 novel 12 O’Clock High by Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay who based the circumstances, units and characters on actual WWII servicemembers, units and events. Academy Award winning producer Darryl Zanuck (Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Longest Day) assembled an award winning director and cast. With Academy Award winning director Henry King (The Bravados, King of the Khyber Rifles) and an award winning cast of Peck, Marlowe, Merrill and Jagger, Zanuck insured success. The Air Force fully supported the movie enabling production to use actual inflight combat camera film as well as Air Force and Luftwaffe gun camera footage. The film was purposefully shot in black and white to accommodate this effect. The military also allowed the use of Eglin AFB to simulate Archbury as well as other outlying Florida airfields. Twelve B-17s, pulled from drone service and the depot, were recovered and restored to 1942 conditions and paint schemes. This was well before the advent of any Hollywood computer tech, everything depicted was accomplished with actual aircraft and flying. The wheels up landing at the beginning was a real B-17 flown solo by veteran Bendix Trophy air-racer and Hollywood stunt pilot Paul Mantz (God is My Copilot, The Flight of the Phoenix).

12 O’Clock High was nominated for several motion picture awards, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Dean Jagger) and Best Sound Recording. USAF GEN Curtis LeMay, Commander of the Strategic Air Command, attended the premiere remarking that he “couldn’t find anything wrong with it." The film was made required viewing for all the service academies and the officer candidate programs for the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard as an example for situational leadership. It has also been used in the civil, police and corporate world to teach leadership principles. My neighbor, a retired SDPD Officer, said it was required viewing when he went through the police academy. This beautifully made film not only focuses on leadership but represents an historically accurate picture, selecting it for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up. You can see the whole movie on YouTube, however, get your popcorn, drink of choice, and watch it on a big screen with surround sound for the best experience. You won’t be disappointed.

Chip’s List of 10 Best Aviation Movies

You probably had your own plans for vegging out at home during the holidays. If you don’t have anything better to do, and we know you probably don’t, here’s our top ten aviation flicks for your consideration:

1. Midway (2019)

This got bad reviews, but we don’t care. The Navy flying action more than makes up for it.

2. Planes: Fire and Rescue (2014)

Seriously, you will love this one. The boss is a helicopter.

3. Red Tails (2012)

WWII Tuskegee Airmen with plenty of aerial combat action with Mustangs and ME’s.

4. Always (1989)

Firebomber action with an all star cast, including Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfuss.

5. Flyboys (2006)

WWI aerial combat with amazing sound, your favorite drink, special effects, and a zeppelin.

6. Black Hawk Down (2001)

Gritty graphic Army helo action in Somalia.

7. Pearl Harbor (2001)

Bad reviews again, but we don’t care. Great WWII aerial combat action.

8. Air America (1990)

Vietnam aviation dramedy from another point of view.

9. The Aviator (2004)

Great flying with Howard Hughes and the Spruce Goose.

10. Apocalypse Now (1979)

You’ll definitely want to flathat (but don’t do it!) after this powerful Vietnam flick.

There’s ten for you or maybe you have your own list. Let us know if you do. Whatever the case, grab some popcorn and sit back with a good flick. Have a good one from all of us at Rotor Review.