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Twelve O'Clock High | Year: 1949 Classification: Action/Adventure Directed: - Henry King Actors/Actresses: - Gregory Peck - Hugh Marlowe Intelligent, subtle drama about leadership. This is not a traditional action based war movie. In fact, apart from one mission near the end, it is set entirely on the ground. However, the film shows the real horrors of war in a matter of fact way that no other film of the time did. For instance, early on the doctor commenting on a severely wounded, delirious pilot: "I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't looking at it. You can see his brain." The film dissects various leadership styles, showing the merits and faults of each - but in a dramatic way. Col. Davenport, who cares about his men, and gets their loyalty - but who eventually crumbles under the strain. Hard nosed General Savage's by the book "they're men - not boys" style - until he begins to care too much as well. And General Pritchard overlooking it all. Henry King knew he had a great script and cast. He basically just pointed his cameras at the actors and let them get on with it. The film is full of long one-take scenes. The scene where Savage dresses down Gately clocks in at some 6 minutes of continuous film with no cuts. No violence. No "lurve" scenes or romance. Just a deeply rewarding film experience for adults looking for more than mindless action. 12 O'Clock High, a great film about leadership 12 O'Clock High is one of the best films on leadership ever made. The story opens with the return to England of American bomber pilots from a daylight bombing mission over Nazi occupied Europe. Colonel Keith Davenport (Gary Merrill) is the commander of a squadron whose task it is to destroy German military installations. He is a competent professional officer who cares deeply for his men. Unfortunately, in his zeal to keep them from being killed, he forgets his mission and is relieved of his command. Col. Davenport is replaced by General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck), who says to the pilots at his first meeting with them, "Consider yourself already dead." This speech signals a completely different approach to leadership. General Savage relentlessly trains the pilots and succeeds in building a first-rate fighting unit. His hard line does not come without a price. His men rebel and want to be transferred out of the unit. Only with the help of his adjutant (Dean Jagger) does Savage hold the group together and begin to build competence and esprit de corp. The effects of contrasting leadership styles have seldom been so effectively portrayed. Colonel Davenport is a first-rate officer who over identifies with his men and fails miserably. The moral of the story is that the appropriate leadership style is essential to accomplish challenging goals and objectives. It is not enough to be hard working, conscientious, and caring. Leaders must analyze the situation, know the competence and commitment of their people, and then select the style of leadership appropriate for the task at hand. The dramatic scenes between Davenport, Savage, and the American pilots are expertly written and filled with tension. Actual war footage is used for several of the action scenes and the film moves forward at a steady pace. The performances of the entire cast are excellent with Gregory Peck, always a reliable actor, at the top of his form. Dean Jagger took home the Academy Award for best supporting actor in a film that deserved similar honors. The best review from someone who lived it. My father, a b-17 bomber pilot, flew 52 missions out of England (Bassingbourn) during WWII. He spoke very little about his war-time experiences, but he said that this was the closest that Hollywood ever came to capturing what it was like for the B-17 bomber squadrons during WWII. It is a great film about human beings under extraordinary stress, making extremely difficult choices and living with their consequences - but most especially it is a moving portrayal of the complexities of leadership and friendship, and the trust needed to get others to do difficult, if not impossible things. Buy Twelve O Clock High at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Twelve O Clock High Search with the Priority Search Engine on Twelve O Clock High This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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