good back-story, and good acting

A Masterpiece!

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

If you took the time to see this film, you should take the time to investigate what led up to suspicious and distrusting world Governments spending so much time, effort and manpower to frighten populations to the point of spending untold billions for a war which was concocted out of fear rather than reality. There are those who say, The military created SAC to prevent a global war and which justified the bottomless Money Pit which continues to this day. The same can be said by those who believe, we created a defensive system against fire breathing dragons and since there has never been an attack by dragons, proves the Dragon defensive system worked. That said, one can watch as Rock Hudson as Col. Jim Caldwell as he takes command of a substandard Air Force base and with a proficiency ax brings the wing into line with others bases in the United States. Helping him is handsome Rod Taylor as Col. Hollis Farr his second in command. Barry Sullivan plays Col. Bill Fowler with Kevin McCarthy as Gen. 'Happy Jack' Kirby, Henry Silva as Col. Joe Garcia and Robert Lansing as Sgt. Banning. A superb cast and a fine film. ***

ROCK HUDSON is a Strategic Air Command colonel who pushes his men to the limits and neglects his British wife (MARY PEACH) while alienating his colleague (ROD TAYLOR) whom he thinks is getting too chummy with the men under his command.There's nothing about this service yarn to distinguish it from other such efforts, as STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (with James Stewart/June Allyson) or ABOVE AND BEYOND (Robert Taylor/Eleanor Parker). The romantic interest is dull and Rock Hudson's character is never made too plausible. He starts out as an amiable instructor but switches gear without sufficient character explanation.A broken fuel line provides some tension at the 45-minute point in the film where Hudson and crew have to make a safe landing without an electrical spark from the landing gear causing a fire. Beyond that, the dramatic tension for the first hour is limp and the story is slow and mechanical.With the main focus on Readiness Alert, it's still a timely service film hampered by a bad performance from leading lady Mary Peach, an American looking gal with a heavy British accent. Chemistry between Peach and Rock Hudson is practically non-existent. Fortunately, ROD TAYLOR is fine in a co-starring role and BARRY SULLIVAN sympathetic as a man whose drinking problem gets him booted out by Hudson who says he's "not running a rehabilitation center". He shocks his wife with Sullivan's dismissal and his brusque behavior begins a strain in the marriage.With Hudson dismissing Taylor from command, the story loses steam before the final Operation Readiness Alert goes into action with Taylor subbing for absent Hudson and eventually redeeming himself in Hudson's eyes in time for a happy ending.Supposedly a tribute to the Officers, airmen and wives of the Strategic Air Command, it should be of above average interest to those service personnel but of limited interest for the average movie-goer in search of strong entertainment.

Extremely unpleasant film has Rock Hudson (looking exhausted) playing Air Force Colonel assigned to head up Strategic Air Command Base near San Francisco, but once he gets there and starts cracking the whip, eliminating employees, nobody wants anything to do with this Boss from Hell. Hudson's character, ostensibly succumbing to a power-hungry ego, isn't given enough dimension; when we first meet him, genially conducting a tour, he's pleasant and eager to please. His sudden personality change isn't explained nor is it convincing; he becomes such a hard-nose that even his adoring wife wants to leave him! It's an insanely misguided picture, with the strategies of the Air Force used almost as a backdrop. The opening sequence, with Kevin McCarthy performing a war simulation ground-maneuver, seems to have little to do with what follows, and only Rod Taylor and Barry Sullivan come up with performances of interest. ** from ****

It was because of this movie I joined the USAF and actually worked in SAC on ICBMs for over 20 years. I was fortunate enough to be assigned to a base that had both B-52s, KC-135s, and ICBMs. Every time I see this movie it makes me proud of my association with the slogan "Peace is our Profession" and winning the "Cold War" without having to fire a shot. When my daughter asked me "What did you do in the War daddy" I showed her the movie and that said it all. This movie is timeless and gives those who were never in SAC a very small glimpse of this unique arm of the US Air Force. Every time I hear the PAS (Primary Alerting System)warble, it brought back memories. The ORIs (Operational Readiness Inspections) were just like I remembered them, including all the inspectors that fan out through the base. When this movie comes out on DVD, I'll be the first in line.