TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH 329
cracks down on the men of the 918th and is soon roundly despised. When all of
the pi lots ask for transfers, Savage has his trusted adjutant, Major Stoval (Dean
Jagger), drag his feet on the paperwork in order to buy the time needed for the
men to acclimate to Savage’s new morale- building regimen. As the group recovers
its self- confidence and combat effectiveness improves, the pi lots change their
minds and begin to warm to Savage’s leadership. Pi loting the lead plane, Savage
leads the 918th on a crucial mission: to destroy a German ball bearing factory
deep in enemy territory. The B-17s inflict heavy damage on their target, but a sec-
ond strike is needed to finish it off. As Savage attempts to climb into his bomber
to lead a second strike, he suffers a mental breakdown after many months of
intense stress and emotional self- repression. As Major Stovall notes, “He swept his
feelings under the carpet. It had to spill out.” Nonetheless, 19 of 21 planes return
from their mission, having “clobbered” their target: welcome news to Savage who
begins to come out of his psychological fugue as the film ends.
Reception
Twelve O’Clock High had three U.S. premieres: one for the studio, at Grauman’s Chi-
nese Theater in Hollywood, on 21 December 1949 (with Gens. Armstrong, Eak-
ins, and Curtis LeMay in attendance); another for the Air Force, at Offutt AFB in
Omaha, Nebraska (hosted by Gen. LeMay, chief of the newly formed Strategic Air
Command) on 16 January 1950; and an East Coast debut at the Roxy in New York
City on 28 January 1950. The film went into general release in February 1950 to
rave reviews and robust box office returns. The Times picked Twelve O’Clock High
as one of the 10 Best Films of 1949. After attending the first premiere, General
LeMay averred that he “ couldn’t find anything wrong with it.” It was once required
viewing at all the U.S. ser vice academies, where it was used as a teaching example
for Hersey- Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory. The film is still widely used
in both the military and civilian worlds to teach the princi ples of supposedly effec-
tive leadership.
Reel History Versus Real History
Though a work of fiction, Twelve O’Clock High is firmly rooted in Eighth Air Force
history, and many of its characters are loosely based on real people. The actual
“hard- luck” group was the 306th Bomb Group at Thurleigh, which, multiplied by
three, became the 918th at mythical Archbury. Gregory Peck’s General Savage is
based on General Frank A. Armstrong, Jr. (aka “The Fireman”). A troubleshooter
for Eighth Air Force chief Ira Eaker, Armstrong was assigned to rebuild two under-
performing Bomb Groups: the 67th in the fall of 1942 and the 306th in early
- (Unlike Savage, Armstrong did not crack up but was sidelined with bleed-
ing ulcers.) Major General Pat Prichard is based on Eaker. Col. Keith Davenport is
a kinder and gentler version of Col. Charles B. “Chip” Overacker, the obstreper-
ous, incompetent first commander of the 306th Bombardment Group, who was
fired by Eaker and replaced by Armstrong on 3 January 1943. Lt. Jessie Bishop
(Robert Patten) is based on Lt. John Morgan, a B-17 co- pilot who was awarded the
Medal of Honor for landing his B-17 after his pi lot was severely wounded during