The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

Milton Sperling (story) and
Emmet Lavery (story)

Release Date:

31 December 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | War

Tagline:

He defied the army and navy . . . and they gave him a Court Martial!

Plot:

A dramatization of the American general and his court martial for publically complaining about High Command's dismissal and neglect of the aerial fighting forces.

Plot Keywords:

General | Court Martial | Battleship | Admiral | Judge

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Col. Billy Mitchell
Charles Bickford	...	Gen. Jimmy Guthrie
Ralph Bellamy	...	Congressman Frank R. Reid
Rod Steiger	...	Maj. Allan Guillion
Elizabeth Montgomery	...	Margaret Lansdowne
Fred Clark	...	Col. Moreland
James Daly	...	Lt. Col. Herbert White
Jack Lord	...	Lt. Cmdr. Zachary 'Zack' Lansdowne
Peter Graves	...	Capt. Bob Elliott
Darren McGavin	...	Capt. Russ Peters
Robert F. Simon	...	Adm. Gage (as Robert Simon)
Charles Dingle	...	Sen. Fullerton
Dayton Lummis	...	General Douglas MacArthur
Tom McKee	...	Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker
Stephen Roberts	...	Major Carl Spaatz (as Steve Roberts)

Also Known As:

One Man Mutiny (UK)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) (magnetic prints)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #17602) | UK:U | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company:

United States Pictures

Trivia:

The Mitchell family was very unhappy with the film, especially the casting of the tall, laconic Gary Cooper in the lead role. The real Billy Mitchell was short with an explosive temper. The family thought James Cagney would have been ideal.

Quotes:

Admiral William S. Sims: Just because you read a lot of books about golf, doesn't make you a good golfer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "M*A*S*H: 5 O'Clock Charlie (#2.2)" (1973)

The Court Martial of an Aviation Visionary

In 1925 the U.S. Naval Air Force's major new piece of military hardware was a zeppelin that had been built in Germany at the end of the First World War, which was given to the U.S as a reparation, and renamed the U.S.S. Shenandoah. The craft had a crack team running it, and it had an excellent head, Commander Zachary Landowne. It was in fair demand around the country, for most people believed that the future of long distance air travel would be in airships, not airplanes. So the Navy brass frequently sent the Shenandoah on public relations flights, rather than using it for military purposes or long distance flights.

It was sent to Ohio where local politicians wanted to use the zeppelin to impress voters. Unfortunately, there was a storm front with heavy thundershowers in the path of the zeppelin, and the zeppelin had recently had some damage to a fin on it's tale. There had been no time to repair the damage. So when the zeppelin crossed into the storm front, the zeppelin was ripped apart by the winds and crashed killing Landsdowne and fourteen men.

Landsdowne's close friend, Brigadier General Billy Mitchell was exceptionally critical of the disaster. He blamed the politicians and military brass who ordered the flight. As Mitchell had been long a thorn in the side of these two groups, as he tried to push his views on air power and the need for a unified, strong air force, he was charged with insubordination and ordered to be court martial-ed.

Gary Cooper plays Mitchell well, as an honest, honorable man, who realizes that the future will be only safe for those who have a strong air arm. He is fighting old fashion ideas, mouthed by old fashioned army leaders like Fred Clark. He does have allies like his lawyer, a Congressman played by Ralph Bellamy, and like one of the judges (General Douglas MacArthur - who was the only one to vote for acquittal). But the issue goes down to the Mitchell's insubordination. And this leads to the dramatic high point, when Cooper is cross-examined by the malicious and clever Rod Steiger. Steiger is able to get Cooper to not only reveal his lack of respect for the brass but to reveal his mistrust of the Japanese. That he is correct in the long run does not save him - he is found guilty and suspended without pay from the army for five years.

Mitchell died in 1936, not in time to see his vindication five years later. But he is remembered now as the real founder of the modern American Air Force. The film is a pretty good retelling of his story, and reminds us how frequently a prophet is despised and rejected in his or her time.