Plot: What’s it about?
Brigadier General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck) is used to working behind a desk, but now he’s been assigned to lead a core of bombers into action. The former leader of the squadron was removed after heavy losses and failed missions, which are problems Savage is supposed to solve and then turn into successful runs. As he meets his new soldiers, Savage is greeted with coldness and resistance, as the men have been beaten down by their failures. But Savage is determined to complete his task, so he continues to try to reach the men and sooner or later, he figures they will have to see some good results. So as time passes, his bombers begin to take notice of his presence and ideas, which leads to them having new outlooks on their post. Soon the squad has some real accomplishments under their wings, but not all is well with this unit, as they soon discover. Savage has started to break down under the pressure of command, with each passing moment taking him closer to the breaking point…
As usual, Gregory Peck turns in a terrific performance and anchors the cast, which is vital in an ensemble picture like this one. As I mentioned above, this movie has a lot of gifted workers, but Peck manages to keep them all together and in the end, that is what makes Twelve O’Clock High succeed as it does. It is nice to see great solo turns, but a cohesive core of great performances is even better, which is what we have here. Peck is given a not so easy role in this movie, but he seems to handle it without much trouble, especially as the film moves along and he gets more positive screen time with his costars. The conflict scenes work very well of course, but I think Peck shines once the rough spots have been smoothed, so to speak. Even in a cast loaded with talent, Peck manages to surface as the standout of the bunch. You can also see Peck in such films as The Omen, To Kill A Mockingbird, Spellbound, The Guns of Navarone, and The Boys From Brazil. The cast here also includes High Marlowe (All About Eve, Seven Days In May), Dean Jagger (King Creole, Bad Day At Black Rock), and Millard Mitchell (Singin’ in the Rain, The Gunfighter).
I happen to like the war movies from this period of time, so I was pleased to see Twelve O’Clock High given a release on this terrific format. I have to admit, I am a little let down with the attention given to the title, but the movie is well presented, which is what counts. This movie features an excellent cast and in the end, it is the performances that make this one memorable, to be sure. Some of the names seen here include Gregory Peck, Dean Jagger (who won an Oscar for his work here), Millard Mitchell, Gary Merrill, and Hugh Marlowe, among other talented workers. The actors ensure the storyline unfolds as it should and even when the movie is less than engaging, you can always just enjoy the performances, they’re that good. I like the premise and the writing is good, but it seems a little heavy handed at times, very patriotic and almost guilty of cheerleading at times. Even so, Twelve O’Clock High is a more than solid film and of course, it makes a nice addition to any war cinema buff’s collection. This new double disc Cinema Classics Collection release has more supplements, so fans of the extras will want to upgrade. I can’t recommend that in total, as there isn’t much depth, but this is a better overall release than the last one.
Video: How does it look?
Twelve O’Clock High is presented in full frame, as intended. This is the same transfer as before, but it still looks solid. This presentation is better than expected, but the movie was made in 1949 and as such, it shows some signs of age, to be sure. The print isn’t too beaten up, but you can see some flecks and debris at times, though not too much. The black & white image looks solid though, as contrast is well balanced and on the whole, the picture is very sharp indeed. I think this is as good as we can hope for, unless a restoration is done, which is unlikely anytime soon.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc includes the film’s original mono mix, which is limited of course, but sounds good enough in this case. Given that this movie was made in 1949, I think the materials have held up well enough, much better than expected in any case. Of course, this means the experience is limited, but since the basics come through well enough, I have no real complaints in the end. The dialogue is clean and easy to understand, while the other elements are well presented also. This disc also includes an English stereo mix, French and Spanish language tracks, and subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The first disc is home to an audio commentary, as film historians Rudy Behlmer, Nick Redman, and Jon Burlingame discuss the production. As always, Behlmer is excellent and provides some terrific insight, but his co-commentators don’t sleep through the session. The trio combine to offer a talkative, informative track with minimal downtime. Memories of Twelve O’Clock High is the best of the included featurettes, covering a wide array of topics from production issues to realism in the flight sequences. Not as in depth as some behind the scenes pieces, but solid all around. The other featurettes aren’t as long or insightful, but they’re worth a look if the material in the film interests you. Rounding out the extras, we have a selection of production photos, as well as an interactive press kit with some goodies to peruse.
