Gregory Peck in “Twelve O’Clock High”

Twelve O’Clock High is an American WW II drama directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck. The strong supporting cast includes Hugh Marlowe, Gary Merrill, Millard Mitchell, and Dean Jagger.

Brigadier General Frank Savage (Peck) replaces Colonel Keith Davenport (Merrill), who was accused of being too involved with the men under his command. Savage struggles with some of the same issues that challenged Davenport.

The film, told in flashback, focuses on Savage's leadership in England and how he struggled to bring discipline to the group that he found lacking.

Does this look back change defend  Savage’s leadership?

Gary Merrill and Gregory Peck

Henry King (1886 - 1982) was an American actor and director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Director, and seven films he directed were nominated for Best Picture, including The Song of Bernadette (1943), where he directed Jennifer Jones to a Best Actress Academy Award. While under contract to Twentieth Century-Fox directed many films starring Tyrone Power and Gregory Peck. Some popular films directed by King include Lloyd's of London (1936), In Old Chicago (1937), Jesse James (1939), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), The Gunfighter (1950), David and Bathsheba (1951), The Sun Also Rises (1957), and The Bravados (1958).

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations early in his career for The Keys to the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox, which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Other classic Peck film roles include Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961). He finally won a Best Actor Academy Award for his iconic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

Twelve O’Clock High trivia

• Gregory Peck originally turned the role down. He was convinced to take the role by the director Henry King. Peck would go on to make five more films together. John Wayne was offered the role but turned it down.
• An early Hollywood film to deal with the psychological effects of soldiers at war.
• The film was originally planned to be filmed in color but was filmed in black and white so they could incorporate black and white stock footage.
• The B-17 was intentionally crashed by stunt pilot Paul Mantz. He was paid $4,500 for the stunt.
• Dean Jagger won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his performance.

 

Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

 

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Discussion questions

1. Did you think this was a realistic portrayal of men at war?
2. What did you think of Gregory Peck’s performance?
3. The film has a strong supporting cast. Did any member stand out to you?
4. Dean Jagger won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance. Was it well deserved in your opinion?

 

Jeanne Crain in her big starring moment as "Margie"

In 1943 at 18, Jeanne Crain was under contract with 20th Century Fox. She had a small part in the Alice Faye musical The Gang's All Here. The next year she played the love interest of Lon McCallister in Home in Indiana also starring Walter Brennan. The Technicolor film was a big hit with movie audiences and Crain was on her way to movie stardom.

Darryl F. Zanuck, head of 20th Century Fox, wanted to groom Crain as the next Janet Gaynor. Crain's natural beauty and pleasant screen personality made her a hit with film fans. Typical of the studio system, Crain was in movies one after the other. In 1944 she starred in In the Meantime, Darling directed by Otto Preminger and Winged Victory. In 1945, she co-starred with Dana Andrews, another star on the rise, in State Fair in the role that Gaynor created in 1933. Also that year, she played the good girl cousin of bad girl Gene Tierney in Leave Her to Heaven, the studio's biggest box office success up to that time.

Crain's banner year would be 1946. She starred in Centennial Summer, again directed by Preminger, Fox's attempt to match the success of M-G-M's Meet Me in St. Louis. She received top billing over Cornel Wilde and Fox veteran Linda Darnell. But her biggest success that year was Margie.

The film begins with the now-married Margie telling her daughter about her high school days at Central High, the school her daughter is attending.

Every once in a while an actress makes a role her own and it's hard to imagine anyone else playing the part. This was the case with Margie, directed by Henry King. The film with music set during the 1920s was a perfect fit for Crain. At just 21 years of age, she was totally believable as Margie McDuff a high school senior with a crush on her French teacher (Glenn Langan).

Crain as Margie McDuff, daydreaming while studying

The promotion of Crain for the film was enormous. The poster proclaimed "Jeanne Crain in her big starring moment as Margie." The poster went on to call Crain "The girl of the moment..." She was on the cover of Life magazine. In the film, Crain is surrounded by a wonderful supporting cast which includes Langan, Lynn Barrie, Allan Young, Barbara Lawrence, Conrad Janis, Esther Dale, and Hattie McDaniel. But it's Crain's picture.

As the shy Margie always having trouble with her bloomers, Crain is believable and charming. It's easy to see how she quickly endeared herself to movie audiences. During the 1940s, her fanmail was second only to Betty Grable.

A month before the movie's release, Jeanne Crain was on the cover of Life with the cover story promoting Margie.

Crain's Margie wishes she were popular like her best friend Marybelle Tenor and her steady beau Johnny "Johnikins" Green (Janis). But her strict grandmother (Dale), who she lives with, encourages her to concentrate on her studies and not to be as flighty as Marybelle. Margie is smart and she's a good debater. The debate scene in the film is classic with the subject being of great concern to many Americans during the 1920s: "Take the Marines out of Nicaragua!"

Margie's father (Hobart Cavanaugh) is an undertaker or "mortician" as Margie would say to Roy Hornsdale (Young). Her father's profession embarrasses her but she adores him. He lives apart from Margie and her grandmother and always seems occupied with his work.

Jeanne Crain, Conrad Janis, and Barbara Lawrence

When the new Central High French teacher Professor Ralph Fontayne (Langan) arrives on the scene, Margie becomes smitten with him and it seems that the feeling may be mutual. Through several embarrassing situations between Margie and the professor, Margie is convinced she has ruined her chances of winning his attention. But Margie is about the underdog coming out on top so you can be sure of a happy ending.

Of all the films Crain made none is as much fun as Margie. She's lovely, sweet, and absolutely perfect in the title role.

If you haven't seen this film, you own it to yourself to give it a look.

Ann E. Todd, Glen Langan, and Jeanne Crain

Must see Jeanne Crain films

Home in Indiana (1944)

State Fair (1945)

Leave Her to Heaven (1945)

Apartment for Peggy (1948)

The Fan (1949)

A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

Pinky (1949)

Cheaper by the Dozen (1950)

The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951)

People Will Talk (1951)

Dana Andrews and Jean Peters are in "Deep Waters"

Deep Waters (1948) is a drama film directed by Henry King and starring Dana Andrews and Jean Peters. The film co-stars Cesar Romero, Ed Begley, Anne Revere, and Dean Stockwell. Others in the cast include Mae Marsh and Will Geer.

Hod Stillwell (Andrews) quit his studies in architecture to become a fisherman in Maine. Social worker Ann Freeman (Peters) is so disappointed with his decision that she calls off their engagement. She doesn’t want to be among the rest of the wives in the village always wondering if their husbands will return home from the sea alive.

Ann places an 11-year-old orphan Donny Mitchell (Stockwell) with her friend Mary McKay (Revere). Donny’s father and uncle both died at sea and he has a fascination with them and with the fishing lifestyle of Hod and his partner Joe Sanger (Romero). Donny’s interest in the sea and fishing put Hod and Ann at odds and Donny is not easily managed by Mary.

Will Danny be able to settle into life with Mary or will he be sent away due to his continued misbehavior?

And what about Hod and Ann? Will they be able to reconcile and settle their differences?

Henry King (1886 - 1982) was an American actor and director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Director and seven films that he directed were nominated for Best Picture including The Song of Bernadette (1943) where he directed Jennifer Jones to a Best Actress Academy Award. While under contract to Twentieth Century-Fox he directed many films starring Tyrone Power and Gregory Peck. Some popular films directed by King include Lloyd's of London (1936), In Old Chicago (1937), Jesse James (1939), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), The Gunfighter (1950), David and Bathsheba (1951), The Sun Also Rises (1957), and The Bravados (1958).

Dana Andrews (1909 – 1992) was an American stage, film, and television actor. During the 1940s, Andrews was a major star and leading man starring in Laura (1944), State Fair (1945), A Walk in the Sun (1945), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Canyon Passage (1946), Boomerang! (1947), and Daisy Kenyon (1947), the latter co-starring Joan Crawford and Henry Fonda. During the 1950s, film roles were harder to come by, but he had success in Elephant Walk (1954) co-starring Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Finch, While the City Sleeps (1956), and Curse of the Demon (1957). In 1958 he replaced Henry Fonda on Broadway in Two for the Seesaw. Andrews worked a lot on television guest-starring on shows like The Twilight Zone, Checkmate, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Ben Casey, The Love Boat, Ironside, and Falcon Crest. He also starred in the daytime soap opera Bright Promise (1969 - 1971).

Jean Peters (1926 - 2000) was an American film actress. She was under contract with 20th Century-Fox from the late 1940s and early 1950s. Early in her career, she got a boost co-starring with Tyrone Power in The Captain from Castile (1947). She later went on to costar with Dana Andrews, Ray Milland, and Marlon Brando. She was set to play the female lead in The Robe co-starring Richard Burton but was replaced by Jean Simmons when she discovered she was pregnant. Peters married Howard Hughes in 1957 and retired from film. After her divorce from Hughes in 1971, Peters appeared on television in several mini-series. Her last acting role was in Murder, She Wrote in 1988. Today she is probably best remembered for her role as Candy in Samuel Fuller's Pickup on South Street.

Dana Andrews, Anne Revere, Dean Stockwell, and Jean Peters

Deep Waters trivia

• Mark Stevens was originally announced as the male lead.
• Jean Peters received several marriage proposals from a fan during filming. 
• Filming took place in Maine where the story takes place.
• Dana Andrews, Jean Peters, and Dean Stockwell reprised their film roles for broadcast on “The Screen Guild Theater” on February 17, 1949.
• The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Special Effects but lost out to A Portrait of Jenny.

To watch the movie on YouTube, click the link below.

Discussion questions

1. Did the relationship between Jean Peters and Dana Andrews seem believable?
2. What did you think of the Maine setting? Did the film benefit from the location shooting?
3. Do you think Peters's portrayal of a social worker was true to the era?
4. Dean Stockwell was one of the most popular child actors of the 1940s. What did you think of his performance?
5. The film is filled with several popular character actors. Did you have a favorite?

To join the discussion online, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to the discussion on Zoom.

Gregory Peck is "The Gunfigher"

The Gunfighter (1950) is an American western drama directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck. The cast members include Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell, Karl Malden, and Jean Parker. The cinematography was by Arthur C. Miller (How Green is My Valley).

Gregory Peck stars as Jimmy Ringo, who is famous for being the fastest draw in the West. Because of his renown, he is constantly hounded by younger gunslingers who want to take him on. When Ringo is confronted by a young cowboy named Eddie, he has no choice but to defend himself. When Eddie’s three brothers find out they follow Ringo out of town. Ringo ambushes the brothers, disarms them and drives their horses away. He tells the brothers to walk back to town but they follow him on foot.

Ringo eventually arrives at the town of Cayenne where his wife and son live. He hasn’t seen either of them in eight years. Ringo wants to reunite with his wife (Helen Westcott) and son but Peggy doesn’t see how they could make a life for themselves and their son due to his gunfighter notoriety.

What remains for Ringo? Will he be able to carve a new life for himself or will his gunfighter’s reputation keep him from living a quiet, “normal” life?

Gregory Peck

Henry King (1886 - 1982) was an American actor and director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Director and seven films that he directed were nominated for Best Picture including The Song of Benadette (1943) where he directed Jennifer Jones to a Best Actress Academy Award. While under contract to Twentieth Century-Fox he directed many films starring Tyrone Power and Gregory Peck. Some popular films directed by King include Lloyd's of London (1936), In Old Chicago (1937), Jesse James (1939), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), The Gunfighter (1950), David and Bathsheba (1951), The Sun Also Rises (1957), and The Bravados (1958).

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations early in his career for The Keys to the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox, which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Other classic Peck film roles include Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961). He finally won a Best Actor Academy Award for his iconic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

The Gunfighter trivia

• The script was originally written with John Wayne in mind.
• The producers hated Peck's period mustache.
• The western street is the same one used in The Ox-Box Incident (1942).
• This was supposedly one of Gregory Peck's favorite roles.

To watch the movie on YouTube, clicked the link below.

To join the discussion on October 3, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Was Peck convincing as an outlaw on the run?
2. The producers hated Peck's mustache that fit the period and thought it contributed to the film's failure at the box office. Did Peck's mustache work for you or did you agree with the producers at Twentieth Century-Fox?
3. Do you think Peck's character had a chance at a new life with his wife and son?
4. Was the ending inevitable? Would you have written a different ending?
5. Why do you think audiences didn't embrace The Gunfighter in spite of the mostly glowing reviews from the critics? 

Gregory Peck and Helen Westcott

Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, and Ava Gardner star in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”

The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) is an American drama directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, and Ava Garnder. The film is based on a short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway published in Esquire Magazine in 1936.

The plot centers around Harry Street (Peck) a man who is suffering from an infection he contracted while on safari in Africa. As he is waiting to die, he contemplates his life. His past life with Cynthia Green (Gardner) and his present life with Helen (Hayward) who is determined not to let him die.

A huge commercial and financial success when first released, it was the number two box office hit of 1952, second only to The Greatest Show on Earth that went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Henry King (1886 - 1982) was an American actor and director. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Director and seven films that he directed were nominated for Best Picture including The Song of Bernadette (1943) where he directed Jennifer Jones to a Best Actress Academy Award. While under contract to Twentieth Century-Fox he directed many films starring Tyrone Power and Gregory Peck. Some popular films directed by King include Lloyd's of London (1936), In Old Chicago (1937), Jesse James (1939), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), The Gunfighter (1950), David and Bathsheba (1951), The Sun Also Rises (1957), and The Bravados (1958).

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2002) was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He had three Best Actor nominations early in his career for The Keys to the Kingdom (1944), The Yearling (1946), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and Twelve O’Clock High (1949). He had non-exclusive contracts with David O. Selznick and Twentieth Century-Fox, which gave him great flexibility in the roles he chose to play. Other classic Peck film roles include Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961). He finally won a Best Actor Academy Award for his iconic portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

Susan Hayward (1917 – 1975) was an Academy Award-winning actress for her role as Barbara Graham in I Want to Live (1958). Hayward worked as a fashion model but traveled to Hollywood in 1937 to try out for the role of Scarlett O’Hara. She didn’t win that coveted role, but she secured a film contract. Hayward’s career took off in the late 1940s when she was nominated for Best Actress for Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman (1947). She received four more Best Actress nominations for My Foolish Heart (1949), With a Song in My Heart (1952), I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955), and I Want to Live. Later in her career, Hayward replaced Judy Garland as Helen Lawson in Valley of the Dolls (1967).

Ava Gardner (1922 - 1990) was an American actress who signed a film contract with M-G-M in 1941. She played minor roles in a variety of films until her breakout performance in The Killers (1946) on loan to Universal. She hit her stride in the 1950s with films like Mogambo (1953), The Knights of the Round Table (1953), Bhowani Junction (1956), The Sun Also Rises (1957), On the Beach (1959), and 55 Days in Peking (1963). Later in her career, she had a recurring role on the television series Knots Landing (1985). During her prime, Garnder was considered one of the world’s most beautiful women.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro trivia:

• Gregory Peck threw out his knew while lifting up Ava Gardner during filming. Production was shut down until he recovered. 
• There was substantial location shooting in Kenya, but most of the main stars filmed their scenes in Hollywood.
• Actors considered for the role of Harry Street include Humphrey Bogart, Richard Conte, and Marlon Brando.
• The highest grossing film for Twentieth Century-Fox that year and the third highest overall at the box office.
• Gene Tierney and Anne Francis were under consideration for the Ava Gardner role.
• Bullfight footage is from Blood and Sand (1941).

Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward had a hit the year before
with David and Bathsheba.

Why watch this film?

• The film features the second pairing of Hayward and Peck who scored a previous box office success with David and Bathsheba (1951).
• It serves as an example of 1950s popular cinema as envisioned by popular studio director Henry King.
• Besides Peck and Hayward, the film also features the star power of Ava Gardner.
• The color cinematography is by multiple Academy Award winner Leon Shamroy.
• The legendary film composer, Bernard Herrmann wrote the film score.

To watch the film on YouTube, click the link below.

To join the discussion on November 29, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an email invitation with a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions:

1. What did you think of the film overall?
2. Who had the better chemistry with Peck? Hayward or Gardner?
3. From what you know of Ernest Hemingway, does this film seem Hemingwayesque?
4. The was the second time Peck played a Hemingway hero; what did you think of his performance?
5. Did the film’s flashback narrative work for you?