- The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell
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The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell
1955 Theatrical PosterDirected by Otto Preminger Produced by Milton Sperling Written by Emmet Lavery
Milton SperlingStarring Gary Cooper Music by Dimitri Tiomkin Cinematography Sam Leavitt Editing by Folmar Blangsted Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Release date(s) December 22, 1955 Running time 100 min. Country United States Language English The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell is a 1955 film directed by Otto Preminger. It stars Gary Cooper as Billy Mitchell, Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy, Rod Steiger and Elizabeth Montgomery in her film debut.
Plot
Brigadier General William Mitchell tries to prove the worth of the Air Service as an independent service by sinking a battleship but is held back by his superiors. He disobeys their orders and proves his aircraft can sink the ex-German World War I battleship, Ostfriesland, previously considered unsinkable. Politically vocal, he is demoted to colonel and sent to Texas. After two high-profile air disasters kill many, Mitchell calls a press conference in which he makes harsh criticisms of the Army. He is then court-martialed.
It goes slowly for Mitchell's attorney, who tries everything, until he subpoenas President Calvin Coolidge and the court decides to adjourn. Mitchell refuses to sign a paper his attorney has presented him in which he withdraws his criticisms. Margaret Lansdowne then tells her story to the press and appears in court. The previous barring of evidence demonstrating a justification for Mitchell's criticisms is repealed and many witnesses are then called forward to corroborate Mitchell's criticisms. Finally Mitchell testifies and is cross-examined by a prosecutor who ridicules his foresightedness, accurately describing, in 1923, both jet aircraft and the Attack on Pearl Harbor. The court finds Mitchell guilty but he has presented his case to the public, which is somewhat of a win considering he wanted to raise awareness about the state of the Air Service. As his pilots salute him Mitchell steps out and looks up and sees a squadron of four biplanes in flight, the biplanes are replaced with a squadron of jets, demonstrating what Billy Mitchell's actions will do to the future of the United States and its air force.
Cast
- Gary Cooper - Col. Billy Mitchell
- Charles Bickford - Maj. Gen. Jimmy Guthrie
- Ralph Bellamy - Congressman Frank R. Reid
- Rod Steiger - Maj. Allan Guillion
- Elizabeth Montgomery - Mrs. Margaret Lansdowne
- Fred Clark - Col. Sherman Moreland
- James Daly - Lt. Col. Herbert White
- Jack Lord - Lt. Cmdr. Zachary Lansdowne
- Peter Graves - Capt. Bob Elliott
- Darren McGavin - Capt. Russ Peters
- Robert F. Simon - Adm. Gage
- Charles Dingle - Senator Fullerton
- Dayton Lummis - Maj. Gen. Douglas MacArthur
- Adam Kennedy - Yip Ryan (uncredited)
External links
- The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell at the Internet Movie Database
- The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell at AllRovi
- The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell at the TCM Movie Database
- The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell at History on Film
Films directed by Otto Preminger 1930s 1940s Margin for Error (1943) · In the Meantime, Darling (1944) · Laura (1944) · A Royal Scandal (1945) · Fallen Angel (1945) · Centennial Summer (1946) · Forever Amber (1947) · Daisy Kenyon (1947) · The Fan (1949) · Whirlpool (1949)1950s Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) · The 13th Letter (1951) · Angel Face (1952) · The Moon Is Blue (1953) / Die Jungfrau auf dem Dach (1954) · River of No Return (1954) · Carmen Jones (1954) · The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) · The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955) · Saint Joan (1957) · Bonjour Tristesse (1958) · Porgy and Bess (1959) · Anatomy of a Murder (1959)1960s Exodus (1960) · Advise & Consent (1962) · The Cardinal (1963) · In Harm's Way (1965) · Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) · Hurry Sundown (1967) · Skidoo (1968)1970s Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970) · Such Good Friends (1971) · Rosebud (1975) · The Human Factor (1979)Categories:- English-language films
- American films
- Films directed by Otto Preminger
- 1955 films
- Courtroom dramas
- Aviation films
- Biographical film stubs
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