A Gathering of Eagles (1963)

What a waste of my time!!!

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Directed by Delbert Mann, with a story by producer Sy Bartlett that was adapted by Robert Pirosh, the film received an Academy Award nomination for its Sound Effects - lots of hardware on display including the requisite takeoffs and a dangerous landing."It's lonely at the top" is the movie cliché that's recycled in this drama; in fact, its story is so much like Strategic Air Command (1955) with James Stewart and June Allyson, and even other earlier wartime dramas like The Dawn Patrol (1938), Command Decision (1948) and Bartlett's own Twelve O'Clock High (1949), that one might be tempted to write this one off (which would be a mistake).Like those other military leadership stories, it works, due (in no small part) to its lead actor's performance. In this one, Rock Hudson plays Colonel Jim Caldwell, who's just been assigned the Wing Commander of a SAC base that's just failed a surprise operational review. Dubbed an ORI, it's an extensive simulated test of base readiness. A failure to respond to such an alert with maximum efficiency could mean disaster for the United States, hence (according to the film) there were 51 bases complete with B-52 bombers, Titan missiles, and appropriate staff established and trained to meet any threat.The plot's first ninety minutes establishes the difficulty Caldwell has in setting new, even higher standards of performance for those under his command. These lead to clashes and conflicts with (or firings of) virtually everyone else including the likable vice commander - his former Korean War veteran friend Colonel Hollis Farr (Rod Taylor), an aging base commander that drinks to better handle the stress - Colonel Bill Fowler (Barry Sullivan), the hands-on maintenance officer who doesn't delegate responsibility very well - Colonel Joe Garcia (Henry Silva), and his British wife Victoria (Mary Peach), who receives comfort from Fowler's spouse Evelyn (Leora Dana). Caldwell does manage to befriend a handball-playing maintenance Sergeant Banning (Robert Lansing, who looks remarkably like Steve McQueen); otherwise it's tough sledding for the hard- nosed first time commander. Others in the cast include Richard Anderson and Leif Erickson; future Best Actress Oscar winner Louise Fletcher appears (uncredited, in a hospital no less) as a crewman's wife near the end of the movie.The story's final 30 minutes, which begins with Caldwell inspiring an attempted suicide wounded now former Colonel Fowler, is intended to demonstrate the results of the commander's efforts. Once surprise inspector General 'Happy Jack' Kirby (Kevin McCarthy) arrives to conduct a follow-up ORI, everyone pulls together to pass the test with flying colors.

This is a study in the problems of military command, about how to reconcile the difficulties of a leader trying to decide whether to be a buddy to his men or a tough and hated son of a bitch who just wants to get the job done, no matter what the personal cost. In this case, Rock Hudson plays the commander of a Strategic Air Command B-52 bomber wing and missile base in Northern California.As a command study, it was all done far better in films like "Twelve O'Clock High" and "Command Decision" although some of the aerial footage is impressive. The one reason I watched this film is that it contains a song called "The SAC Song" written by musical satirist Tom Lehrer (known for song parodies such as "National Brotherhood Week" and "The Vatican Rag" a number of which were sung on the 1960s TV show "That Was the Week That Was." ) The song is very short (it is sung in about a minute) but it is typical Lehrer and, probably for legal reasons, does not appear in the recent complete CD collection of his works "The Remains of Tom Lehrer.) I am going to try to put it in this listing as a quote.

"Rock Hudson" is almost synonymous with either lighthearted battle-of-the-sexes romantic comedy (many with Doris Day) or director Douglas Sirk's 'soap' melodrama (two with Jane Wyman), but a serious role in a story about military life (Air Force SAC squadron) is truly a departure.I was fortunate to catch the film "A Gathering of Eagles" 1963 by director Delbert Mann on TCM cable in August when they showed several Rock Hudson movies the same day. This is a rare instance with Rock Hudson in an earnest role and he delivered a mighty convincing Col. Jim Caldwell in the Air Force to shape up the SAC (Strategic Air Command) squadron."A Gathering of Eagles" 1963, is known to be accurate in depicting the lives of SAC men. Director Delbert Mann himself is not unfamiliar with Air Force life, having been a bomber pilot and flew combat missions in the war years. Script by Robert Pirosh gave us a dramatic story covering military duty life in the Air Corps: family and wives, camaraderie spirits, demanding duties/schedules, firm disciplines and technical aspects included. Hudson was solid in his performance as a tough tireless Colonel assigned to lead the SAC members to ensure they're tightly trained with repeated alert exercises, that the fighter bombers be in absolute tip-top conditions for any unannounced "ORI" (operational readiness inspection).Cinematography by Russell Harlan with editing by Russell Schoengarth 'showcased' scenes of "MITO" (Minimum Interval Take Off) of B-52's and aircraft aerials quite impressively. Good supporting cast includes Rod Taylor as Col. Hollis Farr, Barry Sullivan as Col. Bill Fowler, Henry Silva as Col. Joe Garcia, Leora Dana as Mrs. Fowler, and Mary Peach as Victoria Caldwell, the British wife to Hudson's colonel. Besides the involving 'storyline' of the day to day challenges of Col. Caldwell's military responsibilities, the family aspect of balancing the role of a loving husband to Victoria is well portrayed. The script poignantly afforded uncertainty situations in the mix for Peach, as 'military' wives may have to go through - adapting herself and trying to understand and to cope with her husband's dedication to the Air Force in his chosen career.Music score is by the prolific Jerry Goldsmith. "A Gathering of Eagles" is not yet on DVD. Hope to catch it again on cable/TV, or VHS rental.Other serious roles by Rock Hudson: "Seconds" 1966, the intriguing thriller/science-fiction directed by John Frankenheimer, enhanced by remarkable b/w cinematography by James Wong Howe. "Hornets' Nest" 1970, a wartime WWII story set in Italy with an 'army' of young boys helping Hudson's Captain Turner to complete his mission (I stumbled onto this movie one late TCM cable night). He's also in Douglas Sirk's "The Tarnish Angels" 1958, appearing once again with Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone (they were in Sirk's melodrama "Written on the Wind" 1956).

Extremely unpleasant film has Rock Hudson (looking exhausted) playing Air Force Colonel assigned to head up Strategic Air Command Base near San Francisco, but once he gets there and starts cracking the whip, eliminating employees, nobody wants anything to do with this Boss from Hell. Hudson's character, ostensibly succumbing to a power-hungry ego, isn't given enough dimension; when we first meet him, genially conducting a tour, he's pleasant and eager to please. His sudden personality change isn't explained nor is it convincing; he becomes such a hard-nose that even his adoring wife wants to leave him! It's an insanely misguided picture, with the strategies of the Air Force used almost as a backdrop. The opening sequence, with Kevin McCarthy performing a war simulation ground-maneuver, seems to have little to do with what follows, and only Rod Taylor and Barry Sullivan come up with performances of interest. ** from ****