THE COURT MARTIAL OF BILLY MITCHELL
US, 1955, 100 minutes, Colour.
Gary Cooper, Charles Bickford, Ralph Bellamy, Rod Steiger, Elizabeth Montgomery, Fred Clark, James Daly, Jack Lord, Peter Graves, Darren Mc Gavin, Robert F. Simon, Charles Dingle.
Directed by Otto Preminger.
The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell tells the story of a colonel during World War Two who stood up for the development of aerial combat and pleading for funds for the development of the air force. In that atmosphere, many of the high command in the United States did not believe in the value of planes, despite the evidence of sinking ships, and treated it more as a novelty. (This is the kind of pigheaded old-fashioned stance exemplified by the French officers in films like Kubrick’s Paths of Glory.)
Gary Cooper portrays Colonel Billy Mitchell – and the IMDB notes that the family were not very happy with this choice of actor because the real Billy Mitchell was short and quick-tempered and the ideal casting seemed to be James Cagney. Rod Steiger who appears as his major opponent might also have fitted the bill.
Cooper, fifty-five at this time, gives his usual dignified performance. A gallery of character actors present military personnel and congressmen like Charles Bickford and Ralph Bellamy. Steiger stands out with a different presence and style, very edgy, after On the Waterfront in his portrayal of Major Allan Guillion. A number of future television stars also make their appearance: Jack Lord, Peter Graves, Darren McGavin?.
The film recreates the atmosphere of World War Two and the transition from old-style warfare to new-style warfare, especially aerial combat.
The film was directed by Otto Preminger. Preminger had emerged on the scene as a significant director in the mid-40s with such films as Laura and then Forever Amber. He made a range of films during the 1950s from light comedy challenging moral stances and codes with The Moon is Blue as well as the presentation of popular novels like Not as a Stranger. He also filmed George Bernard Shaw’s St Joan with Jean Seberg. During the 1960s he moved to bigger-budget films like Exodus, The Cardinal, In Harm’s Way.
1.An interesting film? Entertaining?
2.How real did the film seem? The background of authentic documentation and quotation? Audience reaction now to such blindness and seeming incompetence?
3.What did the film have to say about people’s understanding of the present and the limitations of the point of view – especially concerning developments in the future? Prejudices and the status quo blinding outlook? The basic message about preparation for the future?
4.The structure of the film: introduction to Mitchell, action sequences, his dilemma, the court martial and court structure?
5.How real and interesting a picture did the film give of America between the wars? Attitudes towards the First World War and military warfare? The attitudes of Americans towards defence? Their looking to the future?
6.The quality of Gary Cooper’s screen presence and portrait of Billy Mitchell? His laconic style? Love of the air force, background? His role in World War One, ambitions for himself and the air force, his capacities and leadership? His suffering of rebuffs? The way that he made his complaints? The importance of the support of the Lansdownes? His decision to bomb the ship against orders? Success of the mission and his dismissal? Audience reaction – were the military right to dismiss him? The humility of his work at Houston, writing letters? His friendship with Reid, ability to fall on Reid’s support? His reaction to the accidents of the Shenandoah and the Mexico Plains? Was he right to make his statement to the press? Did he have any alternative? The importance of his integrity towards the army, not wanting to employ dirty tactics in the court martial? His behaviour during the court martial? The fact that he was victimised? His inevitable vindication? Response to the major criticism by Guillion? Audience response to his final condemnation? To his achievement?
7.How good a man was Billy Mitchell, as regards principles and conduct? How admirable? The dilemma about whether to disobey in the future? The real meaning of obedience, thinking for oneself, subordinating oneself to a higher good?
8.What tone did the action sequences give?
9.Was the portrayal of Guthrie and other military men fair? Their attitudes comprehensible? Their belief in the military, its status, code, orders? Their belief about infantry in the successive wars? Beliefs and attitudes governing their policies? Guthrie’s behaviour at the trial? Fair – the sequences in closed court?
10.How did Frank Reid form a contrast with the military men? Pragmatic politician? Why could Billy Mitchell not become a politician? The ingenuity of his support? Obeying Billy’s orders not to do anything vindictive?
11.The importance of Mrs Lansdowne’s testimony? Too emotional for the court, the film? Was it the only way to make a point?
12.The court sequences, the discussion about facts, the discussion about the justification of the statements? The handling of the case as such?
13.Portrayal of the prosecutor – as doing his job fairly?
14.The witnesses, their testimony about the state of American defences?
15.The importance of Guillion’s final attack for the dramatic impact of the film and the characterisation of Mitchell? Rod Steiger’s performance – too harsh? Would it have had the same impact were he less harsh? The importance of the quotations from Mitchell’s letters, their foretelling the future?
16.An ordinary military court film – or something special about it?
