''The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell'' is a 1955 American CinemaScope

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

directed by

Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( , ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian-American theatre and film director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre. He first gai ...

, and starring

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

and co-starring

Charles Bickford Charles Ambrose Bickford (January 1, 1891 – November 9, 1967) was an American actor known for supporting roles. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943), '' The F ...

Ralph Bellamy Ralph Rexford Bellamy (June 17, 1904 – November 29, 1991) was an American actor whose career spanned 65 years on stage, film, and television. During his career, he played leading roles as well as supporting roles, garnering acclaim and ...

, Rod Steiger, and

Elizabeth Montgomery Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1932 – May 18, 1995) was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She is best remembered for her leading role as the witch Samantha Stephens on the televisi ...

in her film debut. The film is based on the notorious 1925 court-martial of General

Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...

, who is considered a founder of the U.S. Air Force. During the

28th Academy Awards The 28th Academy Awards were held on March 21, 1956 to honor the films of 1955, at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California. At just 90 minutes, '' Marty'' became the shortest film to win Best Picture, as well as the second to hav ...

, it received a nomination for Best Story and Screenplay for

Milton Sperling Milton Sperling (July 6, 1912 – August 26, 1988) was an American film producer and screenwriter for 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., where he had his own independent production unit, United States Pictures. Biography After leaving the City ...

and

Emmet Lavery Emmet Godfrey Lavery (November 8, 1902 – January 1, 1986) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Born in Poughkeepsie, Lavery trained as a lawyer, before devoting his career to the theatre and to film. He wrote the English libretto for E ...

. The award, however, went to

Interrupted Melody ''Interrupted Melody'' is a 1955 biographical musical film, filmed in CinemaScope and Eastman Color, directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Glenn Ford, Eleanor Parker, Roger Moore, and Cecil Kellaway. The film was produced for Metro-Goldwyn-Ma ...

(

William Ludwig William Ludwig may refer to: * William Ludwig (screenwriter) * William Ludwig (baritone) William Ludwig (born William Ledwidge) (15 July 1847 – 25 December 1923) was an Irish operatic baritone who rose to fame in the second half of the ninete ...

and Sonya Levien).

Plot

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

William "Billy" Mitchell (

) tries to prove the worth of the Air Service as an independent service by sinking a battleship under restrictive conditions agreed to by Army and Navy. He disobeys their orders to limit the attack to bombs under 1,000 pounds from an altitude of greater than 5,000 ft. and instead loads 2,000-pounders. With these, Mitchell directs his aircraft to fly at 1,500 ft. and proves he can sink the ex-

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

battleship , previously considered unsinkable. His superiors are outraged. Mitchell is demoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

and sent to a ground unit in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. A high-profile air disaster occurs in which his close friend Zachary Lansdowne (

Jack Lord John Joseph Patrick Ryan (December 30, 1920 – January 21, 1998), best known by his stage name, Jack Lord, was an American television, film and Broadway actor, director and producer. He starred as Steve McGarrett in the CBS television progra ...

) is killed in the crash of the dirigible . This is followed by a second disaster in which six aircraft crash after flying from a base on the

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

coast to Fort Huachuca,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. They were poorly maintained because of lack of funds. Mitchell is outraged by the tragedy and calls a press conference in which he harshly accuses the Army and Navy of criminal negligence and almost treasonable disregard of the air service. This results in a

court martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

in Washington, D.C. He is represented by his friend, Illinois Congressman Frank R. Reid (

), an advocate of air power in Congress. None of the officers hearing the case, which includes

General Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...

, are in the Air Corps. Reid makes little headway. His request to call witnesses on the merits of Mitchell's position are denied. He asks who preferred the charges against Mitchell, and receiving no clear answer he demands the appearance as a witness of President Calvin Coolidge as commander of all armed forces. The court adjourns to consider the request.. Mitchell refuses to sign a paper Reid has presented him in which he withdraws his criticisms in return for saving his career as an Army officer. Margaret Lansdowne (

), widow of Mitchell's dead friend from the ''Shenandoah'', then appears in court. Coolidge declines to appear, but witnesses on air power previously excluded are now allowed to testify to corroborate Mitchell's criticisms, including

Eddie Rickenbacker Edward Vernon Rickenbacker or Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient.Carl Spaatz (Steve Roberts),

Henry H. Arnold Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), ...

( Robert Brubaker) and

Fiorello LaGuardia Fiorello Henry LaGuardia (; born Fiorello Enrico LaGuardia, ; December 11, 1882September 20, 1947) was an American attorney and politician who represented New York in the House of Representatives and served as the 99th Mayor of New York City from ...

(

Phil Arnold Phil Arnold (born Philip Aronoff Arnold; September 15, 1909 – May 9, 1968) was an American screen, stage, television, and vaudeville actor. He appeared in approximately 150 films and television shows between 1939 and 1968. Arnold is familiar ...

). Finally Mitchell testifies and is cross-examined by Maj. Allen W. Gullion ( Rod Steiger), a prosecutor specially brought in for the job. He stresses that Mitchell had disobeyed his superior officers. Gullion also ridicules Mitchell's claims, such as his prediction that Japan would attack the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor. The court finds Mitchell guilty, however his men in the air service salute him as he departs. Mitchell steps out and looks up to see a squadron of four biplanes and fades to a squadron of jets, demonstrating what Billy Mitchell's actions will result in for the future of the United States and its Air Force.

Cast

as Col. Billy Mitchell *

as Maj. Gen. Jimmy Guthrie (based upon Maj. General Charles Pelot Summerall and Maj. General Robert Lee Howze) *

as Congressman Frank R. Reid * Rod Steiger as Maj. Allen W. Gullion *

as Mrs. Margaret Lansdowne *

Fred Clark Frederick Leonard Clark (March 19, 1914 – December 5, 1968) was an American film and television character actor. Early years Born in Lincoln, California, Clark was the son of Fred Clark Sr. He attended Stanford University with plans to become ...

as Col. Sherman Moreland * James Daly as Lt. Col. Herbert White *

as Lt. Cmdr. Zachary Lansdowne *

Peter Graves Peter Graves (born Peter Duesler Aurness; March 18, 1926 – March 14, 2010) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Jim Phelps in the CBS television series ''Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series), Mission: Impossible'' from 1967 ...

as Capt. Bob Elliott * Darren McGavin as Capt. Russ Peters * Robert Simon as Adm. Gage *

Charles Dingle Charles Dingle (December 28, 1887 – January 19, 1956) was an American stage and film actor. Early life Dingle was born December 28, 1887, in Wabash, Indiana. His father was John Crockett Dingle, and he was said to be a descendant of Davy ...

as Unnamed US Senator *

Dayton Lummis Dayton Lummis (August 8, 1903 – March 23, 1988) was an American film, television and theatre actor. He was perhaps best known for playing the role of General Douglas MacArthur in the 1955 film ''The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell''. Lummis d ...

as General Douglas MacArthur * Tom McKee as Capt.

Eddie Rickenbacker Edward Vernon Rickenbacker or Eddie Rickenbacker (October 8, 1890 – July 23, 1973) was an American fighter pilot in World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient.Carl Spaatz *

Herbert Heyes Herbert Harrison Heyes (August 3, 1889 – May 31, 1958) was an American film actor. He appeared in nearly 100 films between 1915 and 1956, including the famed 1947 film '' Miracle on 34th Street'', in which he played an ahistorical "Mr. Gimbel ...

as General John J. Pershing * Robert Brubaker as Major H. H. Arnold *

Ian Wolfe Ian Marcus Wolfe (November 4, 1896 – January 23, 1992) was an American character actor with around 400 film and television credits. Until 1934, he worked in the theatre. That year, he appeared in his first film role and later television, as a ...

as President Calvin Coolidge * Will Wright as Admiral William S. Sims

Production

Producer and screenwriter Milton Sperling began work on Mitchell's story in 1938, just two years after the general's death. In the successive years, he continued to seek out help from Mitchell's family until 1955 when production began in earnest. Under the direction of Otto Preminger, the first 10 days of principal photography took place on location in Washington, D.C. in the original sites involved in the story. The old War Department Building, Army-Navy Club and State Department buildings, among others, were featured in key scenes. Aerial sequences under the direction of second unit director Russ Saunders and aerial coordinator

Paul Mantz Albert Paul Mantz (August 2, 1903 – July 8, 1965) was a noted air racing pilot, movie stunt pilot and consultant from the late 1930s until his death in the mid-1960s. He gained fame on two stages: Hollywood and in air races. Early years Ma ...

took place at the Fletcher Airport in

Rosamond, California Rosamond is a unincorporated community in Kern County, California, US, near the Los Angeles county line. Rosamond is part of Greater Los Angeles and is located in the Mojave Desert just north of Lancaster and Palmdale, two of the largest cities ...

. The aircraft that were used in the film included two

Curtiss JN-4 The Curtiss JN "Jenny" was a series of biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for th ...

biplanes, de Havilland DH-4,

Grumman J2F Duck The Grumman J2F Duck (company designation G-15) is an American single-engine amphibious biplane. It was used by each major branch of the U.S. armed forces from the mid-1930s until just after World War II, primarily for utility and air-sea resc ...

and

Waco 10 The Waco 10/GXE/Waco O series was a range of three-seat open-cockpit biplanes built by the Advance Aircraft Company, later the Waco Aircraft Company. Design and development The Waco 10 was a larger span development of the Waco 9, both single-en ...

biplanes.Orriss 2018, p. 92.

Reception

''The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell'' had its national premiere in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

on December 22, 1955 as the main feature along with the short ''

24 Hour Alert ''24 Hour Alert'' is a 31-minute 1955 American docu-drama, made by Warner Bros. The film describes how, in 1955, the United States Air Force is ready for enemy attack during the Cold War.Pendo 1985, p. 256. ''24 Hour Alert'' was directed by Ro ...

''.Pendo 1995, p. 256. The films, subsequently, were paired with the longer feature shown first in major cities.Paris 1995, p. 185. When ''The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell'' was released, Mitchell's sister

Ruth Ruth (or its variants) may refer to: Places France * Château de Ruthie, castle in the commune of Aussurucq in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France Switzerland * Ruth, a hamlet in Cologny United States * Ruth, Alabama * Ruth, Ar ...

, who served in World War II with Yugoslavian Chetnik guerrillas and later wrote a book about her brother, toured the U.S. doing publicity for the film."Ruth Mitchell, sister of general, dies at 80."
''Milwaukee Journal'', October 27, 1969, p. 11.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Orriss, Bruce. ''When Hollywood Ruled the Skies: The Post World War II Years''. Hawthorne, California: Aero Associates Inc., 2018. . * Paris, Michael. ''From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema.'' Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995. . * Pendo, Stephen. ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. .

External links

* * * *
''The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell'' at History on Film
{{DEFAULTSORT:Court-Martial Of Billy Mitchell, The 1955 films 1950s biographical drama films American biographical drama films American aviation films Films scored by Dimitri Tiomkin Drama films based on actual events Films directed by Otto Preminger Films set in the 1920s Military courtroom films Warner Bros. films Films with screenplays by Michael Wilson (writer) Films with screenplays by Ben Hecht Films with screenplays by Dalton Trumbo Cultural depictions of Calvin Coolidge Cultural depictions of Douglas MacArthur Films set in Washington, D.C. Films set in Texas 1955 drama films CinemaScope films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films