The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell

The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell

1955 Theatrical Poster
Directed by Otto Preminger
Produced by Milton Sperling
Written by Emmet Lavery
Milton Sperling
Starring 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
Title Card

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 The previous barring of evidence demonstrating a justification for Mitchell's criticisms is repealed and many witnesses are then called forward to corroborate Mitchell's criticisms.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

External links



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (film) — Infobox Film name = The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell image size = caption = director = Otto Preminger producer = Milton Sperling writer = Emmet Lavery Milton Sperling narrator = starring = Gary Cooper music = Dimitri Tiomkin cinematography =… …   Wikipedia

  • The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell —    Voir Condamné au silence …   Dictionnaire mondial des Films

  • Billy Mitchell (general) — For other people named Billy Mitchell, see Billy Mitchell (disambiguation). William (Billy) Mitchell Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, United States Army Air Service …   Wikipedia

  • Billy Mitchell — Infobox Military Person name= William (Billy) Mitchell born= birth date|1879|12|28 died= Death date and age|1936|2|19|1879|12|28 placeofbirth=Nice, France placeofdeath= New York City, New York placeofburial=Forest Home Cemetery caption= Brigadier …   Wikipedia

  • The Man with the Golden Arm — For the novel, see The Man with the Golden Arm (novel). The Man with the Golden Arm Saul Bass s poster for the film Directed by …   Wikipedia

  • Mitchell Lewis — est un acteur américain né le 26 juin 1880 à New York (États Unis), décédé le 24 août 1956 à Woodland Hills (États Unis). Biographie Filmographie 1914 : The Million Dollar Mystery : Gang Leader 1914 :… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mitchell, William — ▪ United States Army general byname  Billy Mitchell   born Dec. 29, 1879, Nice, France died Feb. 19, 1936, New York, N.Y., U.S.  U.S. Army officer who early advocated a separate U.S. air force and greater preparedness in military aviation. He was …   Universalium

  • History of the United States Air Force — The United States Air Force became a separate military service on September 18, 1947, with the implementation of the National Security Act of 1947. [The primary source for the history of the USAF prior to 1947 is Winged Shield, Winged Sword: A… …   Wikipedia

  • Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay — The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. Before 1940, there was an Academy Award for Best Story for writing. For 1940, it and the award in this article… …   Wikipedia

  • 1955 in film — The year 1955 in film involved some significant events. TOC Events* November 3 The musical Guys and Dolls , starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts. * June 27 The last ever Republic serial, King of the Carnival , is released.Top grossing …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”