Product Description

An Allied flight commander and his successor run daylight bombing raids out of England. Directed by Henry King. Best supporting Oscar for Jagger.

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The wartime memories of surviving World War II bomber squadrons were still crystal clear when this acclaimed drama was released in 1949--one of the first postwar films out of Hollywood to treat the war on emotionally complex terms. Framed by a postwar prologue and epilogue and told as a flashback appreciation of wartime valor and teamwork, the film stars Gregory Peck in one of his finest performances as a callous general who assumes command of a bomber squadron based in England. At first, the new commander has little rapport with the 918th Bomber Group, whose loyalties still belong with their previous commander. As they continue to fly dangerous missions over Germany, however, the group and their new leader develop mutual respect and admiration, until the once-alienated commander feels that his men are part of a family--men whose bravery transcends the rigors of rigid discipline and by-the-book leadership. The film's now-classic climax, in which the general waits patiently for his squad to return to base--painfully aware that they may not return at all--is one of the most subtle yet emotionally intense scenes of any World War II drama. With Peck in the lead and Dean Jagger doing Oscar-winning work in a crucial supporting role, this was one of veteran director Henry King's proudest achievements, and it still packs a strong dramatic punch. --Jeff Shannon

Set Contains:

In this two-disc set, the classic World War II drama Twelve O'Clock High is presented on disc 1 in a pristine full-frame (1.33:1) transfer, with English mono and stereo soundtracks, French and Spanish mono, and optional English and Spanish subtitles. The full-length audio commentary takes a retrospective approach, with film historians Rudy Behlmer, John Burlingame, and Nick Redman sharing the microphone for a thorough discussion of Twelve O'Clock High. Behlmer's expertise focuses on Hollywood studio history, with emphasis on the making of Twelve O'Clock High under the direct supervision of hands-on producer Darryl F. Zanuck. Burlingame is an authority on film music (and in this case the spare, dramatic score by Fox's in-house composer Alfred Newman), and Redman serves primarily as moderator, asking questions and making his own observations about the film's enduring appeal. On disc 2, "Memories of Twelve O'Clock High" is a half-hour documentary about the film and its unique place among World War II films, featuring interviews with film historians Leo Braudy and Rudy Behlmer and authors Donald L. Miller (Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany) and Allan T. Duffin (The Twelve O'Clock High Logbook). Their combined expertise places the film into historical context, along with a wealth of anecdotal detail, production history, scene-by-scene analysis and interesting trivia (such as bald Oscar-winning costar Dean Jagger's reluctance to play a role without his toupée).

"World War II and the American Home Front" (7:30) is a featurette about domestic war-support activities during the period dramatized in Twelve O'Clock High, with war veteran and Stalag 17 coauthor Donald Bevan providing historical context and commentary. "Inspiring a Character: General Frank A. Armstrong" (7:25) is an inspiring, unabashedly patriotic tribute to the life and distinguished military service of Gen. Armstrong, wing commander of the 8th Air Force Bomber Command (the unit led by Gregory Peck in Twelve O'Clock High). "The Pilots of the Eight Air Force" featurette (12:20) profiles the heroic bomber crews of the 8th Air Force as depicted in Twelve O'Clock High--the largest aerial strike force in World War II, based in England and responsible for many of the war's most pivotal air raids over enemy German territory. Closing out the disc is an interactive pressbook (allowing viewers to click-and-enlarge a few pages of typical late 1940s newsprint publicity materials for Twelve O'Clock High) and a poster gallery of three reproductions of the film's poster and lobby cards. --Jeff Shannon

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.6 x 5.3 x 7.5 inches; 2.72 ounces
• Director ‏ : ‎ Henry King
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, NTSC, Black & White, Special Edition, Full Screen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 12 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ May 6, 2014
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Gregory Peck, Hugh Marlowe, Gary Merrill, Millard Mitchell, Dean Jagger
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French, Spanish
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Spanish
• Language ‏ : ‎ Unqualified, English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ 20th Century Fox
• Writers ‏ : ‎ Beirne Lay Jr., Henry King, Sy Bartlett
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2