Twelve O’Clock High (film)
**Twelve O'Clock High** is a 1949 American war film that chronicles the experiences of the United States Air Force's 918th Bomb Group during World War II. The narrative begins in 1949, with former officer Harvey Stovall reflecting on his time in the war after encountering a memento from his service. The film highlights the transition of command from Colonel Keith Davenport to Brigadier General Frank Savage, who must confront the challenges of leading a demoralized and resentful squadron facing perilous bombing missions. Unlike many earlier war films, *Twelve O'Clock High* focuses on the psychological toll of combat rather than glorifying the machinery of war, earning praise for its authenticity from veterans.
The film was groundbreaking in its portrayal of the harsh realities faced by soldiers and was informed by the real-life experiences of its writers. It incorporates both dramatic narrative and actual combat footage, enhancing its realistic depiction of aerial warfare. Directed by Henry King, the film received critical acclaim upon release, earning four Academy Award nominations and winning two, including Best Supporting Actor for Dean Jagger. It was later preserved in the National Film Registry for its cultural and historical significance, cementing its status as an important work in American cinema.
Subject Terms
Twelve O’Clock High (film)
- Release Date: 1949
- Director(s): Henry King
- Writer(s): Sy Bartlett; Beirne Lay Jr.
- Principal Actors and Roles: Gregory Peck (Gen. Frank Savage); Robert Arthur (Sgt. McIllhenny); Dean Jagger (Major Harvey Stovall); Hugh Marlowe (Lt. Col. Ben Gately); Gary Merrill (Col. Keith Davenport); Millard Mitchell (Gen. Pritchard); Paul Stewart (Capt. "Doc" Kaiser)
- Book / Story Film Based On: Twelve O'Clock High by Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay, Jr.
Twelve O’Clock High is an American war film about the United States Air Force’s 918th group, who performed daylight bombing missions during World War II.
In 1948, executives at Twentieth Century Fox sought out the rights to the novel on which the movie is based in hopes of turning the story into a war picture for the studio. The studio ended up paying out nearly $200,000 for the rights (which was an extremely high price at the time), jumping at the opportunity to secure the rights after hearing that Paramount was interested for a William Wyler directed picture. Hesitant to spend such a large amount on the story rights, producers only went through with the deal after confirming they would have the support of the US Air Force during production. After obtaining the rights to the novel, the producers held up production due to script delays and stipulations from the Air Force that they would not fully sign on to help with the film until seeing a draft of the script. A first draft of the script was turned into Air Force officials, and returned with the request to reduce the amount of drinking by soldiers, as well as an insistence to tone down the severity of Savage’s mental breakdown.
Plot
The film begins in 1949 in England, where Harvey Stovall, a former Air Force officer, is on holiday. While perusing an antique shop, Stovall comes across a Robin Hood Toby Jug that reminds him of one his group had during World War II. After inquiring about the jug, Stovall learns that it is from Archbury, where he served during the war, and buys it.
The film continues as a flashback as Stovall remembers his time in Archbury, where he served in the 918th bomb group, which carries out many tricky daylight bombing missions but is characterized by a lack of morale. Their commander, Colonel Keith Davenport, has a close bond with the group, but this also causes a lack of respect and of command discipline with his men. Upon learning that the 918th has been ordered on a particularly dangerous, low-flying mission, Davenport travels to the base’s headquarters to bring up his concerns with his friend and Brigadier General Frank Savage. However, Davenport’s complaints cause Savage to inform General Pritchard that Davenport is unfit to command the 918th and following Savage’s recommendation, Pritchard dismisses Davenport and instead hands over command of the 918th to Savage.
The men of the 918th do not take Davenport’s dismissal well, and immediately begin to resent Savage for replacing him, as well as for Savage’s tough and demanding leadership tactics. The group’s dissatisfaction leads all of the pilots to put in requests for unit transfers, but Savage hopes to buy more time to win the men over and in order to delay the transfer requests, Savage asks Stovall to stall the paperwork. Over time, Savage’s tactics begin to show improvement in the group’s performance on missions, and this in turn slowly improves the men’s opinion of Savage. Soon, however, the Inspector General arrives to investigate the delayed transfer requests, but the case is thrown out when Lieutenant Jesse Bishop retracts his request and the other pilots do the same.
As the war goes on, missions become more and more dangerous and several men of the 918th are killed in action, including Jesse, whose plane is shot down. The loss of Jesse affects Savage, although he makes attempts to conceal his grief. However, just before an important raid, Savage is unable to enter his aircraft and begins to have a nervous breakdown. Another pilot takes his place, and Savage continues to stay in shock until the men return from their mission.
Significance
The producers of the film sought to shift focus from the fancy aircrafts and machinery to the struggles of the men fighting the war. Many earlier war films romanticized or glorified the brutal realities of war, ignoring the devastating psychological effects experienced by soldiers. Twelve O’Clock High was one of the first Hollywood films to change this tone and highlight real experiences, even if they were bleak. This authenticity was later applauded by veterans of the Air Force, who upon seeing the film praised it for being the most realistic depiction of their experiences as portrayed in a film. Writers Bartlett and Lay, both of whom served in the Air Force, drew upon their real life experiences to further add to the authenticity. Gregory Peck’s character, Frank Savage, was based on the real General Frank Armstrong, with whom Bartlett worked closely with during his service. Additionally, the 918th bomb group was based on the real 306th group, which carried out many of the important bombing missions during World War II, and many of the film’s characters are based on real people. Original intentions to shoot the film in Technicolor were scrapped in order to use real combat footage from the war, which had been shot in black and white. Director King included this footage in combat sequences, and it was the first time that German Luftwaffe footage was used depicting American aircraft under attack.
The film was shot between April and July of 1949, primarily at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. In order to scout locations that could pass for England, where the film is set, King flew thousands of miles in the surrounding areas. He eventually came across the nearby Duke Field, where the production constructed a replica of the Archbury base, complete with fifteen buildings. Upon release, Twelve O’Clock High was received well by audiences and critics alike. Many service academies and training schools, as well as business corporations, made the film required viewing as a good example of leadership techniques. In the United States alone, the film grossed over $3 million, and the New York Times ranked it as one of the top ten best films of 1949. The film was also nominated for a total of four Academy Awards, including best supporting actor (Dean Jagger), best actor (Gregory Peck), best sound recording, and best picture, and took home the awards for Jagger’s performance and the film’s sound. In 1998, the Library of Congress selected Twelve O’Clock High for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, deeming it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Awards and nominations
Won
- Academy Award (1949) Best Supporting Actor: Dean Jagger
- Academy Award (1949) Best Sound Recording
Nominated
- Academy Award (1949) Best Picture
- Academy Award (1949) Best Actor: Gregory Peck
Bibliography
Duffin, Allan T., and Paul Matheis. The 12 O’Clock High Logbook: The Unofficial History of the Novel, Motion Picture, and TV Series. Boalsburg: BearManor Media, 2005. Print.
Jeansonne, Glen, and David Luhrssen. War on the Silver Screen: Shaping America's Perception of History. Lincoln: Potomac, 2014. Print.
Lay, Beirne, and Sy Bartlett. Twelve O’clock High! New York: Ballantine, 1965. Print.
Rubin, Steven Jay. Combat Films: American Realism, 1945–2010. Jefferson: McFarland , 2011. Print.
"Twelve O’Clock High (1949)." Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Turner Entertainment Networks, 2015. Web. 1 Sept. 2015. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/94088/Twelve-O-Clock-High/>.