A Gathering of Eagles (1963)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Delbert Mann

Writers:

Sy Bartlett (story)
Robert Pirosh (writer)

Release Date:

21 June 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

THE HIGHER THEY FLY...THE FASTER THEY LIVE! THEY CAN'T SLOW UP EVEN FOR LOVE! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Rock Hudson plays an Air Force Colonel who has just been re-assigned as a cold war B-52 commander who...

Plot Keywords:

Cold War | Squash | Male Female Relationship | Airforce | Bomber

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Rock Hudson	...	Col. Jim Caldwell
Rod Taylor	...	Col. Hollis Farr
Mary Peach	...	Victoria Caldwell
Barry Sullivan	...	Col. Bill Fowler
Kevin McCarthy	...	Gen. 'Happy Jack' Kirby
Henry Silva	...	Col. Joe Garcia
Leora Dana	...	Mrs. Evelyn Fowler
Robert Lansing	...	Sgt. Banning
Richard Anderson	...	Col. Ralph Josten
Richard LePore	...	Sgt. Kemler
Robert Bray	...	Lt. Col. Gales
Jim Bannon	...	Col. Morse
Nelson Leigh	...	Gen. Aymes
Russ Bender	...	Col. Torrance
John McKee	...	Maj. Travis

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Norway:12 | Finland:S | Spain:7 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Beale Air Force Base, Marysville, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

The scene where Mary Peach's character goes out "on the town" shows her exiting a theater into a grand lobby where she meets friends. That lobby is the actual foyer of the San Francisco Opera House, which looks virtually the same to this day.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In several scenes, flight line maintenance personnel and command staff officers are not wearing hearing protectors while standing near jet aircraft with running engines. Air Force policy requires personnel to wear hearing protection while around operating engines to prevent permanent hearing damage caused by the extremely loud, high-pitched sound produced by jet engines.

Quotes:

Col. Hollis Farr: [Singing "The SAC Song" by Tom Lehrer] Here at SAC we're filled with pride There's just one thing we can't decide Which we'd rather be clobbered by-- An enemy attack or ORI! Our wing commander's got a racket, But sometimes it's hard to hack it, Whenever he gets his wife alone, Ding-a-ling-aling goes the little red phone...

Lansing Upstages Hudson

Although Rock Hudson did finally excel in comedy genre as well as his one laudable effort in "Giant," during the scene where he is one-on-one performing with Robert Lansing (playing the maintenance sergeant) Hudson comes off a poor second. The quiet power demonstrated by Lansing simply staggers the imagination and causes it to catch its breath. It was not just a case of "underplaying," but rather bringing forth such great depth to the role's character and demeanor. One of the most underrated of our excellent American actors, it is a shame we couldn't have seen Robert Lansing in many more, larger roles on the big screen in Hollywood's truly major films. What did the casting directors miss here? Much, in my opinion.