Twelve O’Clock High: solid military drama, with good, if unspectacular, acting and story. The sparing and effective use of actual archival footage for aerial battle scenes increases the drama and excitement; on the ground, the film caters to an old bias as Henry King, many times, let whole scenes unfold with long takes. When that happens, the camera is not static, but using dolly movements to re-frame the action as needed: it’s both economical and effective.