"12 O'Clock High" (1964) TV series 1964-1967

Creators:

Sy Bartlett
Beirne Lay Jr.

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

18 September 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

This series chronicles the adventures--in the air and on the ground--of the men of the 918th Bombardment Group of the U.S...

Plot Keywords:

Time For Title | Sergeant | Bomber | Number In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins

Cast

Paul Burke	...	Col. Joseph Anson Gallagher / ... (48 episodes, 1964-1967)
Chris Robinson	...	Sgt. Sandy Komansky / ... (47 episodes, 1965-1967)
Frank Overton	...	Maj. Harvey Stovall / ... (33 episodes, 1964-1967)
Robert Lansing	...	General Frank Savage / ... (32 episodes, 1964-1965)
Barney Phillips	...	Doc Kaiser / ... (28 episodes, 1964-1967)
John Larkin	...	Major General Wiley Crowe (25 episodes, 1964-1965)
Robert Dornan	...	Capt. Fowler / ... (22 episodes, 1965-1967)

Runtime:

60 min (78 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

The Air Museum, Ontario, California, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

While trying to get sponsors for this series the producers approached the Volkswagen executives and showed them the pilot show which featured actual bombing footage from the war. During the film one of the executives recognized the plant that was being bombed as the VW plant which had made cars for the German army at the time. He commented, "There goes our plant", and the executives then and there decided not to sponsor the show.

Goofs:

Continuity: Reconnaissance flights are often shown with a P-51D taking off but a P-51B in flight. Due to their radically altered canopy configurations, these two types are plainly different.

Movie Connections:

Follows Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

12 O'clock High

The first season of 12 O'clock High was a credit to all involved. As a 10 year old watching in 1965 there was not enough action. However, the story lines were good and the acting and production seemed believable. You really felt an empathy for COL Savage as one of his planes and 10 men took a hit and went down in flames. Filming in Black & White added that "look" that was also the trade mark of that great TV series "Combat". It is a shame that Lansing did not get along with Quinn Martin (mentioned above) as the series went down hill when he left. I still recall the episode when he did'nt come back from a mission. Twelve O'clock High is a memorial to those Pilots and Aircrew of the US 8th/5th Air Force as the majority of the young men did not make it through to their 20 odd missions and return to the States. Imagine sitting in a B-17, cold and miserable, freezing to death for up to 8 hours or more then having to fly through the wall flak on that final run to the target. Being jumped by enemy fighters on the way in and out of the target with nowhere to hide. They were sitting ducks. The British gave up daylight Bombimg.

Regrads Pete H, Sydney, Australia