WixComRev #1 - 12 O'clock High, the movie

rclausen · **Posted:** Sun Jul 11, 2010 10:04 pm

One of the finest parts of 12 O'Clock High for me was the part where General Savage first sends for the Air Exec and chews him a new one, inaugurating 'The Leper Colony' in the process. While some of why I liked it involved what was said and the descriptive manner used, the most remarkable part for me was that the entire sequence was about 3 minutes long with no cuts or camera angle changes whatsoever -- just one take. They don't do that much anymore.

whistlingdeath77 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 3:11 pm

Jerry O'Neill wrote:

I can count how many times I've seen "They Were Expendable". It is a great film and very realistic too!
Oh yeah, and Donna Read also! Whoa baby!
Jerry

did you like flying leathernecks? Loved that movie too but wish they used the corsair more in the movie instead of just at the end. What happened to all those hellcats in the movie?

Apteryx · **Joined:** Wed May 19, 2010 8:20 pm **Posts:** 6

No mention of "The War Lover" yet...?

catzodellamarina · **Joined:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 3:25 pm **Posts:** 21

I haven't seen "12'O'clock" in a while. I'm not a big Gregory Peck fan. I do remember him smoking alot and being all business. I will need to refresh my memory.

The last 2 avaition movies I've seen have been "Richtoffen and Brown" and (new) "The Red Baron".
R&B is well done for late 60's or early 70's and leaves out the romance.
Baron is typical modern movie making war story. Graphics and gotta have a love story in it.
Both movies take a stab at Richtoffen's uncertain death.

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Wed Jul 21, 2010 2:28 pm

Second Air Force wrote:

Jerry O'Neill wrote:

12 O'Clock High is one of my top ten all time greatest films. The opening alone is one of the greatest cinematic sequences ever filmed. Perfect way to "go back" in time.
Jerry

Yup, seeing Dean Jagger bicycle out to his one-time home always gives me a little chill. Whenever I set foot on one of the WWII training fields that are now returning to nature I think of all the people who trained and worked on them nearly seventy years ago. I can't imagine how it would feel to have actually been stationed at one of the combat airfields and then returning years later.

Scott

A great movie! Dean Jagger playing the part of Major Stovall gave the perfomance of his career and was awarded an Oscar. My favorite part in the movie is when Major Stovall says, "You know what the difference between Gen Savage and Col Davenport is, Gen Savage is about that much taller". At this time Major Stovall is holding up his hand and measuring out a 2 inch gap between is thumb and forefinger. What a great line!

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Wed Jul 21, 2010 2:36 pm

Jerry O'Neill wrote:

I can count how many times I've seen "They Were Expendable". It is a great film and very realistic too!
Oh yeah, and Donna Read also! Whoa baby!
Jerry

I have to agree with you about Donna Reed. A beautiful woman and a great actress. She died much too young just prior to her 65th birthday in 1986.

K5DH · **Posted:** Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:04 pm

Apteryx wrote:

No mention of "The War Lover" yet...?

As much as I am a fan of Twelve O'Clock High, both the movie and the TV series (and I own them both on DVD!), I really think The War Lover is a better film (I own it on DVD too). Much more realistic, especially the flight gear the crew wore and the look of the inside of the B-17.

Jerry O'Neill · **Posted:** Thu Jul 22, 2010 9:12 am

k5dh wrote:

Apteryx wrote:

No mention of "The War Lover" yet...?

As much as I am a fan of Twelve O'Clock High, both the movie and the TV series (and I own them both on DVD!), I really think The War Lover is a better film (I own it on DVD too). Much more realistic, especially the flight gear the crew wore and the look of the inside of the B-17.

Good film too!
Except they are wearing the very late war B-5 Mae Wests. They really were not the prevalent in the combat areas during the war. They saw a lot more post war use and in Korea.
Jerry

hang the expense · **Posted:** Sat Sep 04, 2010 8:14 pm

Seeing this movie as a kid really set the hook in me.The war lover was just a great movie period.Anybody remember which B-17 they used for the over the channel sequence?

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:42 pm

I believe that they had 3 B-17's for the film. Two may have been PB-1W's. I think the star B-17 "The Body" was Fuddy Duddy.

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:00 pm

According to Aerovintage, the B-17s in "The War Lover" were:

B-17G 44-83883 (N5229V)
B-17G 44-83877 (N5232V)
B-17G 44-83563 (N9563Z)
B-17G 44-83811 (fuselage only, studio shots)

You're right Chris, two of the Forts were PB-1Ws that had been lying derelict at Love Field in Dallas, and were resurrected for the film. Unfortunately they were scrapped afterwards. B-17G 44-83563 (N9563Z) of course went on to become Fuddy Duddy.

I've never actually seen "The War Lover." I may have to seek out the DVD now that I have a decent TV.

SN

seabee1526 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:18 pm **Posts:** 459

You mentioned that Fuddy Duddy was in War Lover, any other "movie star" warbirds out there? I know the Movie Memphis Belle and that Yankee Lady was in Tora Tora Tora.

b29flteng · **Posted:** Wed Feb 02, 2011 6:05 pm

The real story from The Air Force Times.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/Magazi ... 1high.aspx

JohnB · **Posted:** Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:35 pm

whistlingdeathcorsairs wrote:

....did you like flying leathernecks? Loved that movie too but wish they used the corsair more in the movie instead of just at the end. What happened to all those hellcats in the movie?

I've read they were F6F-3K or 5K drones borrowed from the Navy.
Don't know how accurate it is...but Hellcat drones were still in service through much of the 50s.

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WixComRev #1 - 12 O'clock High, the movie

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