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The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)
Director: Otto Preminger
Writers: Milton Sperling & Emmet Lavery (screenplay)
Cast: Gary Cooper, Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy, Rod Steiger
Genre: Fictionalized Biography, Drama, War
For an Otto Preminger film that stars Gary Cooper, this was pretty darn milquetoast. Uninspired and insipid. It's based on a true story about the 'father' of the U.S. Air Force, Billy Mitchell. He faced a court martial by the Army for blasting them in the newspapers over their lack of safety for pilots and for the lack of readiness. This was back in the mid 1920s. Though the film doesn't have any sort of period piece feeling about it. The last half of the film is the trial which is held in an old building.
Now, I like Preminger, he directed Laura (1944) Whirlpool & Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) among many other fine films. Later in 1959 he would do another court room drama and get it right with Anatomy of a Murder (1959)...But this movie didn't have anything to compelling. Gary Cooper who I also like, seemed ill at ease and uninspired in his role.
Gary Cooper shares a scene with a young Elizabeth Montgomery, this is her first movie. Later she would go onto fame as TV's Samantha Stephens in Bewitched.
Veteran character actors, Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy play very familiar roles here, and they're good at it. Bicfkord is crusty and stern, like usual...Bellamy is rock steady and calm, like usual.
But there's one saving grace, a fiery, soul stirring performance by Rod Steiger as the prosecuting attorney. He was electrifying when he was speaking. To bad he didn't have more screen time.
Overall a bit of a disappointment and yet I'm still glad I watched it.
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)
Director: Otto Preminger
Writers: Milton Sperling & Emmet Lavery (screenplay)
Cast: Gary Cooper, Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy, Rod Steiger
Genre: Fictionalized Biography, Drama, War
For an Otto Preminger film that stars Gary Cooper, this was pretty darn milquetoast. Uninspired and insipid. It's based on a true story about the 'father' of the U.S. Air Force, Billy Mitchell. He faced a court martial by the Army for blasting them in the newspapers over their lack of safety for pilots and for the lack of readiness. This was back in the mid 1920s. Though the film doesn't have any sort of period piece feeling about it. The last half of the film is the trial which is held in an old building.
Now, I like Preminger, he directed Laura (1944) Whirlpool & Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) among many other fine films. Later in 1959 he would do another court room drama and get it right with Anatomy of a Murder (1959)...But this movie didn't have anything to compelling. Gary Cooper who I also like, seemed ill at ease and uninspired in his role.
Gary Cooper shares a scene with a young Elizabeth Montgomery, this is her first movie. Later she would go onto fame as TV's Samantha Stephens in Bewitched.
Veteran character actors, Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy play very familiar roles here, and they're good at it. Bicfkord is crusty and stern, like usual...Bellamy is rock steady and calm, like usual.
But there's one saving grace, a fiery, soul stirring performance by Rod Steiger as the prosecuting attorney. He was electrifying when he was speaking. To bad he didn't have more screen time.
Overall a bit of a disappointment and yet I'm still glad I watched it.