The Fighter Pilot (11 Nov. 1966)

Straight from the Pacific, a trio of hotshot fighter aces roar into Archbury field, instantly making a bad impression with Col. Gallagher. Their leader, Capt. Dejohn, a seasoned veteran ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Douglas

Writers:

E.B. Anderson, Beirne Lay Jr. (characters based on the novel),

Stars:

Paul Burke, Chris Robinson, Frank Overton

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Paul Burke	...	Col. Joseph Anson Gallagher
Chris Robinson	...	Sgt. Sandy Komansky
Frank Overton	...	Maj. Harvey Stovall
Don Gordon	...	Capt. Dominic Dejohn
Marlyn Mason	...	Sgt. Margo Demarest
Stephen Young	...	Capt. Jerry Clinton
Mark Roberts	...	John Davidson
Jonathan Goldsmith	...	Capt. Franz Rausch (as Jonathan Lippe)
Ron Husmann	...	Lieutenant
James Devine	...	Jimmy Storm
Robert Dornan	...	Capt. Fowler
Seymour Cassel	...	Mechanic

Storyline

Straight from the Pacific, a trio of hotshot fighter aces roar into Archbury field, instantly making a bad impression with Col. Gallagher. Their leader, Capt. Dejohn, a seasoned veteran with a burning desire for combat and little discipline, bristles at his new commander's reprimand, setting the stage for a battle of wills between the two. Things only get worse after Gallagher flies rings around Dejohn in a simulated dogfight in an effort to acclimate him to the differences in the European air war. Dejohn takes the lesson as a personal affront and launches a vendetta against Gallagher. The situation approaches critical as evidence starts to appear that the new pilots arrived at the 918th under very scandalous circumstances.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 1966 (USA)

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Quinn Martin Productions (QM), 20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Historical Update

I was searching for information on the 511th Fighter Squadron and found this episode of 12 O'Clock High. I loved this series when I was a kid. My cousin served in the 511th FS in WWII and was killed in action on July 30, 1944, while attacking German ground troops near Vire, France. The show portrays the 511th as a P-51 squadron but it was a P-47 Thunderbolt squadron throughout the war. I would love to see the series again. The 511th shipped to England in December 1943, and was stationed at Christchurch, England. It began combat operations in March 1944 and moved to France at the end of June 1944. It was part of the 9th Tactical Air Force, whose main responsibility was direct support of ground troops. Most of the B-17's in the European theater were part of the 8th Air Force, which was assigned the strategic bombing mission.