Hitchcoc
Being very young and actually seeing this film on the big screen, I remember being totally engrossed in the trial of this man who was really a hero. The military doesn't like rebels very much and Mitchelll was just such a rebel. He saw the future of air power in warfare. His record and knowledge of his specialty were public record, but when he began to slam the shortsightedness of his superiors, it didn't work well for him. He faced a court martial and was in the sights of the lawyers who were determined to get him. Many of the films that involved courts martial have as the punishment, the death penalty. This was not on the table because he was dealing with charges of insubordination. His punishment was to be drummed out. I was so lucky to see Gary Cooper in an actual movie theater and be moved by his performance. Some say he was miscast, but I thought he showed a well rounded, solid characterization of Mitchell. Historians may disagree.
escaparc-1
1st of all ...you need to realize what exactly sank the greatest battleship that ever so briefly sailed the sea was the German Bismark sunk a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor even happened --- they were WWI biplane torpedo dive bomber in a last ditch desperation attack flying off an English carrier by disabling the battleship's rudder control thereby demonstrating the point that Gen Mithchell was trying to make ! Next ...I saw Billy Mitchell in a mid 30's news reel - pretty much in the Chuck Yaeger - Gary Cooper style - if I remember correctly - sitting back in khakis - cane at his side - " What I've been fired for - predicting the aviation dynamics of the next war - the devastation of - civilian targets - cities - the enemy nations industrial capacity to fight wars - WHEN THE NEXT WAR STARTS THE HEADS ARE GOING TO ROLL - what I have gone through will be nothing in comparison ! " What the movie got right so dramatically ... a poetic Hollywood license --- was when citizen Mitchell walked out from his court martial trial there was a propeller biplane fly - bye which turned into the Air Force JET Thunderbirds that the movie ended on ! My thoughts on all this is America will be secretly attacked again and again - unprepared - coward into protracted generational conflicts due to the public's unwillingness to see the problem - get the job done ! Clock punchers - pencil pushers - paper shufflers - war criminals - incompetents ! Thank God for men like Billy Mitchell !
plparshall
Don't look for for exacting factual screenplay here, rather enjoy Gary Cooper's sensitive acting. I agree it runs more like a play and in that sense is done very well and all the actors perform well. Half the fun of this movie is watching the younger supporting cast and identifying the future stars of Hawaii FiveO, Bewitched, The Nightstalker, and a few others I haven't figured out yet. You'll see better than half the supporting cast on the situational comedies of the 1950's. The cross examination scene with Rod Steiger and Gary Cooper is pretty good too. As much as I like Gary Cooper it would have been interesting, and probably a better movie, to see Cagney as Mitchell.
thomasja5
This movie which is supposed to be about Billy Mitchell, an early proponent of air power and of his subsequent court martial for insubordination was entertaining, but as with most Hollywood productions which are made from true stories, was filled with errors.During the first part of the movie, Billy Mitchell allegedly violated orders by using one-ton bombs that he was told not to use. That is a falsehood. Mitchell had permission to use the heavier bombs. In addition, in the movie, the general overseeing the bombing tests was a General Guthrie. There was no such person.The movie showed Mitchell being reduced in rank for violating orders which was another falsehood. He was reduced in rank, but not for this reason. As previously stated, Mitchell had permission to use the heavier bombs.The movie also portrayed Mitchell as being a bachelor, when in reality, he was married. In fact, pictures of Mitchell at his court martial show his wife sitting next to him!The movie also showed Mitchell telling Congressman Reed, that he wouldn't go along with Reed wanting to challenge Army members of the court for prejudice. In reality, Mitchell had one general removed for that reason. After his removal, the general remarked that he and Mitchell were now enemies.Just once, I wish that Hollywood, when making a movie of a true event, would make it like it really happened and stop changing things to suit what they want the public to see.I think the biggest mis-casting was having Gary Cooper playing Billy Mitchell. The real Billy Mitchell was a firebrand who wasn't afraid to speak his mind. Cooper, in the movie, was more laid back and just didn't impress me as being the right actor to play Mitchell.
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