Gregory Peck delivers a strong performance in this realistically portrayed story about a fatigued USAF squadron during World War II. Peck portrays "Gen. Savage," who is brought in to take the place of a well-liked but ineffective squadron leader. His strict methods, applied to their training and attitudes, initially create resentment among the men, but gradually—with the help of the perceptive camp administrator/chief of staff “Maj. Stowell” (Dean Jagger)—he works to shift these feelings, as well as some of his own beliefs, before the unit is reassigned. Henry King has directed a film that avoids melodrama while capturing aspects of the frustration, anxiety, diminished spirits, and psychological impact experienced by everyone—regardless of their position—due to the constant danger of repeated missions and the uncertainty of survival. The other actors, including Hugh Marlowe and Gary Merrill, support Peck’s performance well; the aerial battle sequences are impressive, and the Sy Bartlett screenplay has sufficient momentum and detail to make this two-and-a-quarter-hour examination of leadership facing intense strain a genuinely enjoyable and occasionally insightful experience.

Source on TMDB