Warbird Information Exchange

It was on TCM last nite. Its probably the 15th time I have seen it and I have to say the more I watch it, the more I enjoy it. I love Major Stovall's comment "you know what the difference is between Col Davenport and Gen Savage, General Savage is about this much taller" while showing a 3 inch difference using the thumb and the forefinger on his left hand. Dean Jagger was outstanding in the movie and he was rewarded by taking the home an Oscar for best supporting actor in 1948.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

I watched it again last night as well, it just never seems to get old.

My favorite line is after General Savage discovers that Stovall stowed away on one of the Fortresses as a waist gunner. After chewing him out, Savage apparently relents and says "Well, how did you do?"

Stovall: "I think I got a piece of one"

Savage: "Ours or theirs?"

Having some degree of familiarity with the 384th, I would be inclined to agree that there are elements of the 384th's experience as part of the story: A hard luck outfit that suffered high losses turned into one of the better groups in the 8th AF. Their first C.O. Peaslee was loved by his crews and being relieved of command was considered an injustice. Dale Smith, his replacement, was definitely not well liked initially, but once his programs began to pay off if better bombing and fewer losses, the crews became more loyal to him. Yes, I read Smith's memoir "Screaming Eagle" -- many, many times, and still is one of my favorite books on the European Air War.

I wonder how many groups had similar experiences to the 384th? Most sources indicate that "12 O'Clock High" was based on Lay's experience with the 306th BG, and the 918th moniker was generally because it was 306 times 3...maybe just a coincidence. "12 O Clock High" tends to deal with the earlier raids, from fall/winter 1942 through spring or so in 1943...before the 384th became operational, but being able to write this as a fictional account allows one to draw elements from later dates and incorporate them into the story.

Last year I watched the all of the episodes of 12 O'clock High tv series on Youtube. They were ok. Good entertainment if you have free time.

How many episodes of the TV show were made?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
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I recognized quite a few guest actors as I watched the series.

There were two authors.

In 1948 authors Sydney "Sy" Bartlett and Bernie Lay Jr. published their novel Twelve O'Clock High. Both had served as officers in the 8th Air Force during the war - Bartlett as a Major and Lay as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Cheers,

Tom Walsh.

Dean Jagger was my favorite actor in that film. With 60mph winds causing -10 degree wind chills outside, my wife and I our laying on the couch watching more TCM movies from their "31 Days of Oscars". Love these old movies, just saw a very young Marilyn Monroe in "Asphalt Jungle".

Chappie

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Brrring. Dispersal? TWO SECTIONS SCRAMBLE!!

Ditto on the old classics. If you Google something like "list of WWII movies", you will get some good returns. Take those titles to Youtube and see if someone loaded up the whole movie. I do that often to see the lessor known WWII movies.....some US, some British....pretty much a pot luck.

Like most of you, it's one of my favorite movies of all time.
I had an odd experience with the locations, I once flew with the Collings folks in 909 into Crestview, the nearest civilian airport to Eglin, where they filmed the airfield scenes. So, after landing, I rented a car to drive back home to Tallahassee and I went a little out of my way to see Duke Field. I ran into a USAF reservist who said that one of the buildings on the field was there during the filming. This was about 95 or 96 if memory serves. I need to dig up the photos I took of that building. So, that's as close as someone can get to flying into 'Archbury,' I guess...

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
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Former REMF (US Army, O3)

TCM is our favorite channel!!

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

a royal doultan toby mug of robin hood fetches a good price because of that movie...... very highly sought after.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

In the 80s (and possibly later) someone was selling replicas of the mug, licensed by 20th Century Fox, with ads in Air Classics et al.

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