''24 Hour Alert'' is a 31-minute 1955 American

docu-drama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typ ...

, made by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

The film describes how, in 1955, the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

is ready for enemy attack during the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

.Pendo 1985, p. 256. ''24 Hour Alert'' was directed by Robert M. Leeds from a screenplay by Beirne Lay Jr. and Richard L. Breen. With the rising number of complaints about noise from military aircraft in the 1950s, the film was intended to acquaint viewers and residents in the United States as to the importance of air defense.

Plot

When

filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

and old friend Jack Webb visits Col. Jim Breech ( Art Balinger), a U.S. Air Force base commander to gather information on

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

"lingo", he finds there is something going on at the temporary base. Col. Breech has received civilian complaints about noise from Mayor Hogan (

Walter Sande Walter Sande (July 9, 1906 – February 22, 1972) was an American character actor, known for numerous supporting film and television roles. Films Born in Denver, Colorado, he was one of those stern, heavyset character actors in Hollywood no pe ...

), the mayor of the nearby town, which he treats seriously. After the mayor attempts to have the base relocated, on their flight returning from

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, the mayor and town council encounter heavy fog that could be deadly. An interceptor from the base is able to help coax them to a safe landing speaking. The mayor is now convinced that the air force is important and along with the base commander. he sets about educating the town leaders and residents about the importance of the work of the USAF. A series of promotional events including tours of the base and an air show serve to bring residents out to the base. Ultimately, the town learns to accept the presence of the air force base as a necessary part of the defense of the United States.

Cast

* Jack Webb as himself * Art Balinger as Col. Jim Breech (credited as Art Ballinger) *

as Mayor Hogan * Ralph Moody as City Councilman Boggs * James Hayes * Mel Pogue F-86D at Moffett Field

Production

''24 Hour Alert'' was heavily supported by the United States Air Force as well as Mark VII Ltd., Walt Disney Productions in co-production roles. Major Lester Arasmith served as a

technical advisor In film production, a technical advisor is someone who advises the director on the convincing portrayal of a subject. The advisor's expertise adds realism both to the acting and to the setting of a movie. Nipo T. Strongheart Nipo T. Stronghear ...

. A large number of current operational types were seen in the film, including the

Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter The Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter is a long-range heavy military cargo aircraft developed from the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, B-29 and Boeing B-50 Superfortress, B-50 bombers. Design work began in 1942, the first of three prototype XC-97s flew on ...

Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic aircraft, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the ...

Douglas A-4 Skyhawk The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company, and later, McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated A4D und ...

Fairchild C-123 Provider The Fairchild C-123 Provider is an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and built by Fairchild Aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. In addition to its USAF service, which included later service with the Air Force Reserve a ...

Grumman F-11 Tiger The Grumman F11F/F-11 Tiger is a supersonic, single-seat carrier-based fighter aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Grumman. For a time, it held the world altitude record of , as well as being the first supersonic ...

Lockheed C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 w ...

Martin B-57 Canberra The Martin B-57 Canberra is an American-built, twin-engined tactical bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that entered service with the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1953. The B-57 is a license-built version of the British English Electric ...

McDonnell F-101 Voodoo The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo is a Supersonic aircraft, supersonic jet fighter designed and produced by the American McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. Development of the F-101 began in the late 1940s as a long-range bomber escort (then known as a ...

, North American Fury,

North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allies of World War ...

North American F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing Sov ...

North American F-100 Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United ...

and

Republic F-84 Thunderjet The Republic F-84 Thunderjet is an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thunde ...

, Two experimental aircraft were also on display: Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket and Douglas X-3 Stiletto. The primary filming location was fictional Millville United States Air Force Base, possibly standing in for Southern California's

March Air Force Base March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB), is located in Riverside County, California, between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Comm ...

in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

Mountain area.

Reception

''24 Hour Alert'' had its premiere in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

on December 22, 1955, as the second feature along with ''

The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell ''The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell'' is a 1955 American CinemaScope biographical drama film directed by Otto Preminger, and starring Gary Cooper and co-starring Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy, Rod Steiger, and Elizabeth Montgomery in her fil ...

''. The film, subsequently, was paired with the longer feature in major cities.Paris 1995, p. 185. ''24 Hour Alert'' was nominated along with producer Cedric Francis for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

as Best Short Subject, Two-reel."Awards: 24 Hour Alert (1955)."
IMDb. Retrieved: May 18, 2019.

References

Notes Citations Bibliography * 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

*
''24 Hour Alert'' at AllMovie
* {{TCMDb title, 848289 1955 films American aviation films Films about the United States Air Force Warner Bros. films 1955 drama films Films shot in California 1950s English-language films 1950s American films American drama films English-language drama films