"[addressing the 918th for the first time at 0800] There will be a briefing for a practice mission at 1100 this morning. Thats right, practice. Ive been sent here to take over what has come to be known as a hard luck group. Well, I dont believe in hard luck. So were going to find out what the trouble is. Maybe part of its your flying, so were going back to fundamentals. But I can tell you now one reason I think youve been having hard luck. I saw it in your faces last night. I can see it there now. Youve been looking at a lot of air lately... and you think you ought to have a rest. In short, youre sorry for yourselves. I dont have a lot of patience with this, "What are we fighting for?" stuff. Were in a war, a shooting war. Weve got to fight. And some of us have got to die. Im not trying to tell you not to be afraid. Fear is normal. But stop worrying about it and about yourselves. Stop making plans. Forget about going home. Consider yourselves already dead. Once you accept that idea, it wont be so tough. Now if any man here cant buy that... if he rates himself as something special, with a special kind of hide to be saved... hed better make up his mind about it right now. Because I dont want him in this group. Ill be in my office in five minutes. You can see me there."
Twelve O'Clock High is a 1949 American war film directed by Henry King and based on the novel of the same name by Sy Bartlett and Beirne Lay Jr. It stars Gregory Peck as Brig. General Frank Savage. Hugh Marlowe, Gary Merrill, Millard Mitchell, and Dean Jagger also appear in supporting roles.
"Rights, Gately? Youve got a right to explain to General Pritchard cowardice, desertion of your post, a yellow streak a mile wide! And maybe he can explain it to your father so that theyll both be proud of you! You can tell him right now."
"Gregory Peck - Brig. Gen. Frank Savage"
"Millard Mitchell - Maj. Gen. Pritchard"
"Capt. Doc Kaiser: [referring to Gen. Savages complete collapse in a state of shock] Did you ever see how bright a light bulb is just before the filament burns out? I think they call it maximum effort."
"That is not why I am drunk tonight. I got drunk because I am confused. I was thinking, which is a thing a man should not do, and all at once I couldnt remember what any of them looked like. I, I couldnt see their faces, Bishop, Cobb, Wilson, Zimmy, all of them. All of you. They all looked alike, just one face. And it was very young. It confused me. I think I shall stay drunk until Im not confused anymore."
"Gary Merrill - Col. Keith Davenport"