Skip to main content

Hollywood Takes to the Air: Twelve O'Clock High

Hollywood Takes to the Air: Twelve O'Clock High
Twelve O'Clock High
Linwood Dunn Theater
1313 Vine St
Los Angeles, CA 90028

 

 

 

Based on the true story of the 306th Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force, Twelve O’Clock High offers a dramatic glimpse of the group of aviators who flew daylight bombing missions against Nazi Germany and occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II.

Co-writer Beirne Lay, Jr. brought his own wartime experiences to bear in the screenplay, and the film was one of the first to present a more realistic view of the enormous difficulties faced by bomber crews during WWII. Instead of using extensive special effects to create the aviation action, the filmmakers included combat footage that was actually filmed in the skies over Europe by U.S. Air Force and German Luftwaffe photographers.

Legendary stunt pilot Paul Mantz crash-landed an actual B-17 bomber for the opening scene in the film. Dean Jagger received an Academy Award for Supporting Actor for his work in Twelve O’Clock High, which also won an Oscar for Sound Recording and was nominated for Best Picture. Star Gregory Peck received his fourth Best Actor nomination for his performance as the group’s dedicated leader.

1949, 133 minutes, black and white, 35mm | Directed by Henry King; written by Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay, Jr., based on their novel; with Gregory Peck, Hugh Marlowe, Gary Merrill, Millard Mitchell, Dean Jagger, Robert Arthur, Paul Stewart, John Kellogg.

CRAIG BARRON has contributed visual effects to more than 100 films including The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Hugo. He earned an Oscar® nomination for his work on Batman Returns and received an Oscar for Visual Effects for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

BEN BURTT's first two Oscars® were Special Achievement Awards for the creation of the alien, creature and robot voices featured in Star Wars and for Sound Effects Editing for Raiders of the Lost Ark. He has since earned Oscars for his work on E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and nominations for Return of the Jedi, Willow and WALL-E, among others.