Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
-
95% of critics liked it
(21 reviews) -
81% of users liked it
(5,676 ratings)
How much can a man give? When the U.S. 8th Army Air Force 918th Bombardment group is ordered on their fourth harrowing mission in four hard days, Brigadier General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck) demands "maximum effort." The bombers are forced to fly lower, to fly farther, and to test… More How much can a man give? When the U.S. 8th Army Air Force 918th Bombardment group is ordered on their fourth harrowing mission in four hard days, Brigadier General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck) demands "maximum effort." The bombers are forced to fly lower, to fly farther, and to test themselves -- overspent and fatigued -- right up until death's door. When their dedicated colonel speaks out in their defense, Savage mercilessly takes over command -- an officer should not sympathize with his men. The Brigadier General will compel the 918th to stop pitying itself and to hone its morale in the face of danger. Yet, as the men grow colder due to Savage's orders and the missions bring them closer to their crucial German targets, the officer learns the practical impossibility of raising the confidence of young men while also sending them to their deaths. He begins to understand that it is the burden of command that makes even the toughest leader sympathetic. Eventually caring for his men above all else, it is Savage who is forced to carry the hardships of "maximum effort" -- asking himself, how much can a man take? ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi
- Directed By
- Henry King
- Written By
- Sy Bartlett, Beirne Lay
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1949 Wide
- Studio
- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
-
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Sincere, square, and interminable.
-
Variety Staff, Variety
As a drama, High deals soundly and interestingly with its situations.
-
Tom Milne, Time Out
One of Peck's best performances.
-
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Wisely, the writers and director, Mr. King, have husbanded the potential of an illustrated mission for one big concentrated punch, and they have got into this major sequence great excitement and reality.
-
, Film4
Peck is superb as the man out of his depth, while King's solid direction and some fine camerawork make Twelve O'Clock High one of the most compelling examples of the genre.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
Gregory Peck
as Gen. Frank Savage
-
Hugh Marlowe
as Lt. Col. Ben Gately
-
Gary Merrill
as Col. Keith Davenport
-
Millard Mitchell
as General Pritchard
-
Dean Jagger
as Major Harvey Stovall
-
Paul Stewart
as Major "Doc" Kaiser
-
Robert Arthur
as Sergeant McIllhenny
-
John Kellogg
as Major Cobb
-
Joyce Mackenzie
as Nurse
-
Lee MacGregor
as Lieutenant Zimmerman
-
Sam Edwards
as Birdwell
-
Roger Anderson
as Interrogation Officer
-
John Zilly
as Sergeant Ernie
-
William Short
as Lieutenant Pettinghill
-
Richard Anderson
as Lieutenant McKessen
-
Lawrence Dobkin
as Captain Twombley
-
Kenneth Tobey
as Sentry
-
Campbell Copelin
as Mr. Britton
-
Peter Ortiz
as Weather Observer
-
Steve Clark
as Clerk in Antique Shop
-
Patrick Whyte
as Clerk
-
Russ Conway
as Operations Officer
-
Don Hicks
as Lieutenant Wilson
-
Robert Patten
as Lieutenant Bishop
-
John R. McKee
as Operations Officer
- Barry Jones
- Leslie Denison
- Gary Mitchell
