A Gathering of Eagles (1963)

During the Cold War, Air Force Colonel Jim Caldwell shapes up his Strategic Air Command B-52 wing to pass a nuclear war readiness test.

Director:

Delbert Mann

Writers:

Robert Pirosh (screenplay), Sy Bartlett (story)

Stars:

Rock Hudson, Rod Taylor, Mary Peach

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Rock Hudson plays an Air Force Colonel who has just been re-assigned as a cold war B-52 commander who must shape up his men to pass a grueling inspection that the previous commander had failed, and had been fired for. He is also recently married, and as a tough commanding officer doing whatever he has to do to shape his men up, his wife sees a side to him that she hadn't seen before.

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Plot Keywords:

cold war | nuclear war | nuclear bomb | male female relationship | accident | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aguilas al acecho

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,346,500 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastman Color by Pathé) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

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.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Gen. Aymes: I just wonder if your timing is good.
Col. Jim Caldwell: Because of the ORI?
Gen. Aymes: No. Because it might look as if you have personal reasons. There's been talk, Jim. About Hollis and Victoria.
Col. Jim Caldwell: Even the grapevine around here is below par. I can't run a wing on what people think. I want him out of here.

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Connections

Featured in Rock Hudson's Home Movies (1992)

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Soundtracks

The Sac Song
Words and Music by Tom Lehrer

User Reviews

Strangely Appealing

This is one of those films which nine out of ten would pass by but the tenth would be hooked .... and I am one of the 'tenth'. I liked the Air Force Base setting and although there isn't a great deal of plot, the script is tight and suspenseful. The Aerial sequences are excellent for the period, particularly the mid-air refuelling scenes. This is a film that I am going to own as a DVD someday.

Update: I got a DVD-R of this film in widescreen and watched it again for the first time in over 40 years. I now think it is a slightly better film than I originally thought with competent performances by all concerned. I agree that Kevin McCarthy's cameo as the snooping Major General 'Happy Jack' Kirby adds to the strange appeal of this film and despite the forced accent, Mary Peach is not as annoying as I previously believed. I increased my own rating from the previous 7 to 8.