ferbs54
Even those of us with the most general knowledge of American history probably know the broad facts concerning WW2 Air Force Col. Paul Tibbets; how, on August 6, 1945, he flew his B-29 bomber the Enola Gay from Tinian, in the northwest Pacific, to Japan, covering the 2,000 miles in around six hours, and then dropped the first atomic bomb ever used in warfare over Hiroshima, hastening the end of that global conflict. It is a part of world history that we should all be aware of, at least in part. For those of us wanting more information on Tibbets the man and on the background of this most top secret of military operations, there is the MGM movie "Above and Beyond," which tells, in docudrama fashion, just how Tibbets wound up in command of this project, and the personal consequences the mission had on both himself and his family. Released in November 1952, just seven years after the events depicted, the film works wonderfully well as both history lesson and as drama, abetted greatly by a very fine script and acting turns by its two lead performers, Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker.The film is narrated by Mrs. Tibbets (Parker) in flashback, as she awaits her husband at the airport after his historic flight. When we first encounter Tibbets (Taylor) in the film, he is engaged in combat over North Africa, but is quickly given the task of testing the new B-29 bomber in Wichita, Kansas. After many months of flying and evaluating the unwieldy new air wonder, Tibbets is sent to Colorado Springs and is selected for a new assignment: the fitting out of the new B-29 for the atom bomb drop over Japan, code-named Operation Silverplate. He is put in charge of a top-secret unit ensconced in the desolate wilderness of Wendover, Utah, and indeed, this project is so very top secret that even the wives and families of the men involved cannot be told what is going on. The lonely barracks life and the fact that Mrs. Tibbets must be kept in the dark as to her husband's work, and why he is continually distracted, aloof and absent, produces a great strain on the couple's marriage, going very far to break the loving pair up completely. The film shows us the lousy, spartan, day-to-day life in the Wendover barracks, the meticulous testing of the B-29, the painstaking target practices, many instances of the remarkable security that had to be put in place, AND, most significantly, the doubts and fears that Tibbets entertained before his date with destiny. Ultimately, however, that B-29, dubbed the Enola Gay (the name of Tibbets' mother, we learn), is ready for its mission, and in a surprisingly tense denouement (and I only say "surprising" because although we all know what will eventually happen, the great skill of the filmmakers here makes it still somehow nerve racking, nonetheless), Tibbets and his crew embark on their historic mission, dropping their 15-kiloton "Little Boy" payload to the astonishment of the world."Above and Beyond" was written and directed by the team of Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, who would eventually be responsible for the writing and/or direction of such classic films as "Road to Utopia," "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House," "White Christmas," "Knock On Wood," "The Court Jester" and "The Road to Hong Kong." Taylor and Parker (need I even mention?) work marvelously together (Parker would later say that Taylor was her favorite leading man, and the two would go on to appear together in 1954's "Valley of the Kings" and 1955's "Many Rivers to Cross"), and they are abetted by such sterling character actors as James Whitmore, two years before appearing as Sgt. Peterson in "Them!," here playing the chief security officer at Wendover; Larry Keating, one year before starting his five-year run on the "Burns and Allen Show," here as General Brent; Hayden Rorke, 13 years before playing Dr. Bellows on "I Dream of Jeannie," here portraying another kind of doctor, the physicist Ramsey; and Jim Backus, three years pre-"Rebel Without a Cause," as General LeMay. In all, it is very much a prestige film, given the typical MGM touch of class, and one that should be well received by all who'd care to learn more about a seminal event in world history, or by those who enjoy seeing a terrific drama movingly brought to life by two great acting pros. Eleanor, I might add, looks absolutely gorgeous in the film ("Above and Beyond" was released just five months after "Scaramouche," in which she had never been more stunning), and really, where else are you ever going to see her wearing a leather Air Force bomber jacket? For we fans of this wonderful and under-appreciated actress, the film is almost worth the price of admission for that moment alone. In all, very much recommended!
cteevan
The baloney that dropping the A-bomb saved anyone's life is still showing up in textbooks, and most of the confusion traces back to this blockbuster. Without recognizing pure Hollywood myth, audiences swallowed hook, line and sinker its careful rewrite of history, so that ultimately it became the American excuse for using nuclear weapons on a country that was already on its knees, had no defenses left, and was actively negotiating terms for surrender. My daughter returned home from school one afternoon recently and described the printed warnings, dropped from American planes by kind-hearted soldiers, that Hiroshima would soon be vaporized and residents had better leave. I remember learning about them myself. That's a great story, but the fact is, no warnings were ever dropped. Most Americans don't know that. This film is why. Our firebomb assaults had already fried 85% of Tokyo; Japan's planes and navy were gone; what would be the strategic advantage of incinerating 100% of two remaining cities other than to test the costly atomic weapons? Even the Manhattan Project scientists expected these bombs to be used as a threat -- rather than actually be dropped on anyone -- and petitioned the President with that message. Rewriting the truth to paint a kind, gentle American everyman pilot, the plot assures viewers we did the right thing. By the time the story's over, there is no question that dropping bombs this big was the right thing to do, saving countless lives -- except that these mitigating things simply never happened. Any red blooded American can look up the facts. I did. For its cock and bull story, this film is a treasure. Read it and weep.
