Protraph Lack of good storyline.

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Peereddi I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

bombersflyup Twelve O'Clock High is a watchable straight forwardly told World War II drama. Its scope is rather narrow, only telling the story of one man and his assignment and not delving into his life and thoughts outside of that assignment.We could of got to know each of the crew a bit or got to know Savage more or perhaps more detail in the actual dropping of the bombs. I respect the film and what it's about, it just didn't do enough for me. There was too much drama and not enough war and all of it surface level.

deickos Though I have seen most of HK's films thought I couldn't like this one as well. The theme appeared too familiar and too predictable for my taste. But HK worked his magic one more time again - the movie was made as it should, nothing more nothing less. This enables HK to pull through with success again: simplicity is his magic that works wonders from most common things. He only deals with what is essential and the result is a paradigm of film-making.

DKosty123 Gregory Peck is the Ultimate Air Force General here. This film, based upon the actual combat in the air by the US Air Force 8th Daylight Bomber group. General Savage character is totally absorbed and realistically played and indeed made real by Peck.The story starts with a 1949 view of an overgrown and abandoned air field in Britain after the war. Savages assistant is visiting it and then he flashes back to what happened there in the war.Based upon the novel, MGM pulled out all the best production stuff they could including real combat footage to make this film feel real. In the process they tell a very strong and emotional story about the real events the book and film are based upon. Great performances by a great cast. I had only seen the ABC TV series before this. Strongly salute the film makers and suggest watching this film before looking at that TV series. This is excellent.

swjg Henry King's 1949 classic about faltering command during the early period of the 8th Army Air Force's missions against Germany from English bases during WWII.The film opens with a flashback sequence as the squadron adjutant Harvey Stoval - played by Dean Jagger who won an Oscar for best supporting actor - buys the squadron mascot in a junk shop in post war London and revisits the remains of the airfield and his memories.The film flashes back to a returning mission of B17's with damaged and shot up aircraft. In one of the most spectacular real effects filmed, stuntman Paul Mantz belly landed a real B17, wheels up on a field - plowing it through a tent and debris. The stunt was carefully prepared - the plane coming in with almost no fuel aboard to cause a post crash fire. The B17's were many and surplus in 1949. Can't imagine that being repeated in this day and age! The film moves to examine the command structure and the "bad luck" the bomb group is suffering. Gregory Peck - as Colonel Savage - is sent in to sort things out - replacing a popular - but ineffectual commander. Savage's brand of tough, no nonsense, no compromise, no favorites, command proves immensely unpopular with the crews whose morale is low and only gets lower.Slowly Savage's demands produce unit cohesion and lower casualties and crews see there is a chance they might come home if they do it Savage's way. The first mission into Germany produces hidden unit indiscipline as everyone who can - stows away on B17's for the "Big One". This mission is actually portrayed using real WWII combat footage and no punches are pulled as B17's spiral in and fighters swarm all over the formations. The credits are at pains to point out - this real footage was shot by both sides in the conflict. The gritty black and white - emphasizing the mud and the cold and the generally poor conditions at the airfields in the UK this also allows the incorporation of this real wartime combat footage.Ultimately - as the unit begins to produce results the strain begins to tell on Savage who suffers a complete collapse at the start of a mission. Such has been his ability to built a team that the mission proceeds without him and produces outstanding results.2015 - The film is still used at the US Coastguard Academy as a study in command styles.