Movie:
Twelve O'Clock High, originally released in 1949, was directed by Henry King. Nominated for four Oscars, the film won two: for Best Sound and Best Supporting Actor (Dean Jagger). The film stars Gregory Peck (Brigadier General Frank Savage), Hugh Marlowe (Lieutenant Colonel Ben R. Gately), Gary Merrill (Colonel Keith Davenport), and Dean Jagger (Major Harvey Stovall).

In the fall of 1942, daylight precision bombing was determined by the United States Air Force to be a key to winning World War II. Stationed in Britain, the 918th Bomb Group is taunted by the Germans for heavy losses in their bombing campaigns. The Group Commander, Keith Davenport, is at his limit and is relieved of his command for not pushing and demanding the "maximum effort" of his men. Brigadier General Frank Savage replaces him and his hard style of discipline leads all his men to ask for transfers. With only a maximum of ten days before he's forced to sign the transfers, Savage pushes his men further and beings to turn them into a fighting team to be reckoned with. They decide to stay, and under Savage, suffer fewer and fewer losses or injuries. But the pressure begins to take its toll on Savage, and he soon finds out what "maximum effort" can do to a man.

I really enjoyed Twelve O'Clock High. The film does have a few slow spots, but for the most part, the film remains interesting throughout with a great storyline. The performances are terrific all around as well; I was especially impressed with Peck and how his character changes throughout the film.

Picture:
Twelve O'Clock High is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1. The transfer definitely has its fair share of defects – specks, marks, lines, and grain appear almost continuously to some degree throughout the film. Most of them are easily overlooked while engrossed in the film, but a few defects, such as the occasional vertical line slicing through characters, aren't so easy to ignore. The footage from actual air battles that's inter-cut with the film fares far worse than the rest of the movie, and its quite easy to tell them apart. Having said that, Twelve O'Clock High is certainly watchable, and for a film 52 years old, it could've been worse. In black and white, contrast is quite good, though blacks vary from rich to slightly soft.

Sound:
Twelve O'Clock High is presented in a new English Stereo 2.0 mix, along with the original Mono 2.0 track in English and French. Differences between the Stereo and Mono tracks are few, though the Stereo track does sound slightly better, as its better defined. The film is dialogue heavy and it remains understandable throughout, though it lacks crispness. The dialogue is muffled near the end of the film as well. Subtitles are also available in English or Spanish.

Extras:
Extras include trailers for The Longest Day, Patton, Sand Pebbles, The Thin Red Line, and Tora! Tora! Tora!

Summary:
Twelve O'Clock High is a classic in every sense of the word: a great movie with a great cast giving terrific performances. Fans of the cast or WWII movies should definitely give Twelve O'Clock High a look. Recommended!