A Gathering of Eagles (1963)

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 | Airforce | Military | 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 many scenes, officers are wearing hats and caps indoors. Air Force custom dictates that personnel will not wear headgear indoors, except when participating in ceremonies.

Quotes:

Col. Hollis Farr: But what about this transfer request?
Col. Jim Caldwell: I never saw it.
Col. Hollis Farr: Aw, come on, Jim! If you hold this up, he'll only go to the Inspector General. Why go out on a limb?
Col. Jim Caldwell: Out on a limb!? How do you think I've been living since the time I got here? What's wrong with going out on a limb?
Col. Hollis Farr: I'm just saying that...
Col. Jim Caldwell: You leave this one with me. And if anyone saws off that limb it'll be my neck, not yours!

Description

A Gathering of Eagles stars Rock Hudson as a colonel in the peacetime Strategic Air Command. His devotion to his duty as a wing commander takes a toll on his men, his marriage, and his own well-being. It is to Hudson's credit that he was willing to put his image on the line with this essentially unsympathetic characterization, and a tribute to his underrated ability as an actor that he compels us to care for him. Popular British leading lady Mary Peach makes a rare Hollywood appearance as Hudson's English wife. An unexpected bonus to A Gathering of Eagles is a semicomic musical piece, "The SAC Song," by dilettante satirist Tom Lehrer.

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