I am almost 100% , possibly , sure that the film was made entirely in the USA ? I seem to remember reading that the control tower was closely copied from an RAF design and built in the 'States and destroyed after filming had been completed . Good film , great actor in Jimmy Stewart who of course did fly operationally with the USAAF .
The film that launched my interest in old airfields
I posted this on the flypast forum recently; ' I had listened in to a conversation with a very old fellow at the Kermit Weeks Museum in Florida in 1996. His name, I think was Joseph Martin. He was giving a small talk next to the B-17, to a few people about his time with the 100th Bomb Group. He mentioned Beirne lay Jr who co wrote the original book, and that he landed a job on the film production of '12 O clock high' as the location managers assistant.
He mentioned that the actual film was shot at several different locations. The main flying sequences were at Eglin, some of the location work at an abandoned airfield in Ohio, and a small sequence was filmed in the UK at a disused airfield. It was this small sequence at Barford St John, that I believe was the location of the opening shots up as far as when Dean Jaggers character, the Adjutant's 'view' changed to seeing the Bombers returning.
He was, as I have said quite elderly then, he was just a fellow chatting to a few people who had gathered around him and his wife. But I earwigged in as that film is probably one of my all time favourites. Could he have got his American locations mixed up I wonder, but he did mention Ohio more than once I recall'.
a great film, no gung ho heroic,s, i could watch it over and over.Just one point thou, Gregory Peck played Gen. Savage, and not the great James Stewart (he flew B.24,s anyway!) would have had to do a conversion course before filming!.
We use cookies to improve our website and your experience when using it. Cookies used for the essential operation of this site have already been set. By continuing to use this site you are agreeing to this. To find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them, see our privacy policy.