TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH (1949)

From the very start of Digging Star Wars, many films were thrown my way as titles that inspired Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) – more specifically, Episode 4’s Death Star battle. Among that mix was Twelve O’Clock High (1949) – produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck. Since Rogue One – A Star Wars Story (2016) not only leads up to A New Hope but also has an epic space battle featuring many of the characters also in the first Death Star battle in A New Hope, I thought it would be fun to dig into the similarities between Twelve O’Clock High and Disney’s first “Star Wars story” movie. What I didn’t expect was the Yin and Yang relationship between the films. But first, a little about Twelve O’Clock High…

Based on a novel by Cy Bartlett, Twelve O’Clock High focuses on the leadership of Brigadier General Frank Savage (played brilliantly by Gregory Peck) once he takes over the “hard luck case” American 918 Bomb Group and 8th Air Corps in England. Not the flag-waving, patriotic look at World War II one would expect from a 1940s American film, Twelve O’Clock High showed the relentless stress of the bomber crews and commanders and has been called “a major step forward for Hollywood in taking a realistic look at war” (Thomas and Sullivan, The Films of 20th Century Fox). The film was nominated for 4 Oscars and won 2: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Dean Jagger as “Major Stovall”) and Best Sound, Recording (Thomas T. Moulton).

The story: after suffering heavy losses on a bombing run, the 918 Bomb Group loses its fighting spirit and their performance shows it. Tough-as-nails General Pritchard (played by Millard Mitchell – best known as the lovable pushover studio exec in Singin’ In The Rain) orders Brigadier General Frank Savage to not only take over command of the 8th Air Corps – but fly with them. To be – in modern terms – a “player/coach”. While Savage does a good job shaking up command and demanding the best out of all his men with harsh treatment and stick-to-the-rules policies, he also slowly bonds with them and, ultimately, suffers personally by caring too much about his men’s safety and the missions at hand.

REPURPOSED FOOTAGE
The most obvious connection between Twelve O’Clock High and Rogue One is the use of existing footage. In the case of Twelve O’Clock High, the repurposed footage is film from actual combat “photography” by members of the United States Air Force and the German Luftwaffe. This footage is mainly wide shots of aerial battles – including bombers being hit and crews bailing in parachutes. The film also features a bomber’s eye view of ground targets as bombs rain down destruction, resulting in magnificent explosion upon explosion. And this is the first “same but different” connection occurs between our two films. Rogue One is the opposite in the nature of the repurposed footage. While Twelve O’Clock High shot new footage of actors in cockpits and then edited in the exterior battle scenes, Rogue One “filmed” new Rebels vs. Imperials space dogfights and repurposed cockpit scenes/audio recordings from A New Hope. This way Gold Leader and other rebel fighter pilots that we first saw in 1977’s Star Wars appeared in 2016’s Rogue One – and look exactly the same as we remember them.

ENEMY TERRITORY
Both films have good guy armed forces skirting around enemy territory for most of the film with skirmishes in neutral or to-be-conquered points on the map. That is, until the final act, when the heroes realize they MUST penetrate enemy territory in order to achieve their objective. In Twelve O’Clock High, it the big mission that the U.S. Air Corps has been waiting for: a bombing run over Germany. When the commanders roll out the mission in the briefing room (which feels A LOT like the X-wing pilot meeting at the beginning of Act 3 in A New Hope), one pilot utters with anticipatory satisfaction, “Germany!” Rogue One’s mission discussion in the war room on Yavin IV is not received as well. As matter of fact, leadership thinks Jyn Erso’s plan to infiltrate Scarif is suicidal and impossible. Especially after the fiasco of the last Imperial entanglement on the planet Eadu. Yet, Jyn, Cassian and the Rogue One crew KNOW it has to be done or the fate of the galaxy will be dire.

LEADERSHIP
As I slipped my recently acquired VHS copy of Twelve O’Clock High into my basement VCR, I figured I was about to watch on some good ol’ America-is-Great propaganda Hollywood-style. What I did not expect is a thought-provoking film about the brutality and fatality of war and how that weighs upon those called to lead. Undoubtedly, this struck a chord with me as I have recently received a promotion at my work and I am now the manager of many of my (now former) peers. While we are not in a do-or-die business, everyone I work with takes their work seriously and, since I was appointed their immediate leader, they are looking to see what kind of leader I am. But all that is fodder for another type of blog…or LinkedIn.

What made Twelve O’Clock High so impactful was that it initially paints leadership as remote, calm under pressure, always sees the big picture, willing to sacrifice men if needed and always confident. Yet, when General Pritchard (Millard Mitchell) places Brigadier General Frank Savage (Peck) over the 918 group – and thereby taking group leadership from Major Stoval (played by Dean Jagger – a role that earned Jagger the Best Supporting Actor Oscar) – a story of harsh leadership gone wrong despite military victories takes place. Savage is strict and rough on his men – enforcing discipline and strict adherence to regulations. He closes the Officers’ Bar, revokes weekend passes and literally commands the men to think of themselves “as already dead” – so that they are not distracted during missions on saving the lives of their fellow airmen and roommates – or pining for their wives, girlfriends, families and so on. (Clone Wars fans might find this eerily familiar to the “Krell” trilogy of episodes – where Jedi General Krell temporarily takes command of the 501st Clone Battalion in Anakin Skywalker’s absence). Savage’s approach turns the tide around for the 918 and they start winning battles and accomplishing missions. The approach also begins to eat away at Savage on the inside and before you know it, Savage suffers a nervous breakdown and is unable to lead his men on one of the most important missions in the story.

Rogue One has similar disconnects in the “fliers of the mission” and elite, aloof leadership that’s tucked away safely in a war room. Cassian has connections with Rebel Command and does lethal dirty work in the field for them. Early in the movie, he literally shoots an ally in the back in order to keep a secret safe from the Empire. Once Jyn enters the scene, leadership is questioned often. And as Cassian, K-2SO and Jyn’s group grows, the all look to Cassian as the leader but see Jyn has a distinct point-of-view that must be acknowledged. This culminates in Jyn pleading to the Alliance leaders in the Yavin IV war room to invade Scarif and get the plans to the dreaded Death Star – before it is too late for the galaxy. Like Savage in Twelve O’Clock High, the rebels leaders including Mon Mothma and Bail Organa are collectively afraid to take on such a mission and are paralyzed to do anything – for fear of what the Empire might do to all of them. Jyn goes on the mission anyway – with the support of Cassian and crew. Jyn’s act is also like Savage – who ignored orders from High Command on a bombing run. When every other air corps obeyed the retreat orders, Savage and his men pressed on and successfully destroyed enemy targets. That act also involved another connection between the films…

NAME THAT SHIP
In the beginning of the final act of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jyn and company has reboarded the stolen Imperial shuttle parked on the Yavin IV tarmac. The crew is about to take off for Scarif, when Yavin Flight Command radios the ship and asks it to identify itself. Realizing they’re about to be caught in an act of subordination, nervous ex-Imperial Pilot Brody stumbles on his words but, when pressured for a name, identifies the craft as “Rogue One.” The name is fitting (besides being the movie’s title), as they are the definitely “going rogue” by continuing the mission that must be done – with or without support of their leaders. They are also the first official Rebels – as most of the missions of this team have been more terroristic and guerrilla in nature. Rogue One is the first ship in what will become a blatant military mission and subsequent attack. It’s a defining battle that denotes the beginning of the Galactic Civil War. Before they are fully launched, Yavin radios the ship again and Brody ignores the call.

In Twelve O’Clock High, the naming of ship is equally important but much less flattering. When Savage takes over command, he is forceful with the entire air corps, but even harder on the 918 Air Group. He forces the previous commander to fly the bomber that has received the most damage and wounded crewmen (the “hard luck case” referred to early on in the film). Savage also renames their craft “The Leper Colony” – and orders them to paint the name on the ship for all the world to see as a constant reminder on how this crew is weaker than the rest and made of (what he deems are) subpar soldiers. Midway through the film, Savage flies a bomber alongside The Leper Colony and all bombers under his command in a joint venture to bomb an enemy target. With all the American bombers in the air and heavy flak from German forces, U.S. High Command orders all squadrons to retreat but Savage orders his men to fly on and bomb the daylights out of the German forces. Savage’s men do just that and succeed in their mission. High Command is furious with Savage and question why he didn’t turn back when ordered. Savage simply replies, “Radio Malfunction.” Savage – like Brody in Rogue One – really didn’t have a radio malfunction, they simply ignored the communication in order to achieve their objective.

And with that note, we are officially done our 8 out of 9 film entries leading up to Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker due out this December. We have just one more film to go in November! I hope you come back and check it out.

Also, I hope to post something this Halloween to commemorate the 9th Anniversary of Digging Star Wars. That’s right, Digging Star Wars was born on Halloween 2010! Stay tuned for more...