Twelve O'Clock High

This is one of the greatest war movies of all time, one full of top-notch performances. It is also a tour de force of excellent leadership as General Savage (Peck) comes in to a "hard-luck" squadron and whips it back into shape. And, he doesn't do so using trite platitudes or superficial mission statements, but with truly insightful clarity as to how to motivate men at war. It's not surprising that this movie has been a staple of courses in leadership over the last sixty years - and, it's still a fantastic flick if you just want gripping drama.

It is difficult for the average person in America, England, or Europe to imagine the desperate air war fought in Europe from 1939 through 1945. TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH drives home the point. People today cannot imagine the thousand-plane air raids launched in 1944 and 1945: harder yet is the early years of the air war for the United States’ Eighth Air Force daylight precision bombing campaign in Europe, where entire USAAC squadrons and divisions were chopped up piecemeal by the Luftwaffe over France and Germany. Equally hard to imagine is the human toll this bombing took on American crews. From the standpoint of a commander, this movie portrays the heartbreak felt by the American personnel when bombers failed to return home, or came backs badly mauled, many aircraft were scrapped for parts or bulldozed into a junk pile. It took courage that few but veterans would ever understand, but this movie displays the raw emotions felt by those who fought the air war over Europe, where over 220,000 men lost their lives. Excellent movie, perhaps one of Gregory Peck’s best.

Excellent performances by Gregory Peck, Gary Merrill, and Dean Jagger are the core of this classic film. If you are a WWII movie fan, this is a must see not as much for the action as for the character studies of men who risked it all. Great film!

I thought this would be an over the top US war propaganda. Not so. The war is only a backdrop to a psychologically gripping portrayal of a group of men who struggle to maintain their human feelings for one another while constantly facing death. Gregory Peck, and the supporting cast, deliver an incredibly uplifting and inspiring performance. Must see!!