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Truly Dreadful Film

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

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!

This movie is the best production of the first A-bomb attack. Though Hollywood produce another shortly after the war and despite the cast, Brian Donlevy, as General Groves, and Robert Walker it was highly fictional.My late uncle served with Colonel Tibbits in the 509th and he said that Robert Taylor captured the colonel exactly. James Witmore is very effective as the security officer whose task is as difficult as Taylor's. The film captures the enormity of the task of developing the A-Bomb in almost total secrecy from the public and the enemy.The grimness of this is clearly shown throughout the movie. There is very little flag-waving in this picture and one does not fail to realize that the bombing was necessary to prevent a greater loss of life if the Japanese homeland was invaded.

I wouldn't have bought this movie for myself, but got it for my Dad's 75th birthday. Dad had fond memories of it from seeing it on the big screen in 1952.It seems to me that the movie was designed (maybe inadvertently) to appeal to men AND women. The primary emphasis is how Tibbetts' job of getting a squadron ready to drop the first atomic bombs affected his marriage. That looks pretty dumb in print, but it's true. Much is made of how long the Tibbetts were separated during the war and how the stress of Paul's job and the need for secrecy (even where his wife was concerned) almost caused their marriage to fail.The acting is typical for the era: melodramatic. This aspect of old movies probably turns off more people than black and white does. The characters don't seem real. I don't think anyone talked that way even in World War II. The only actor who seemed the least bit natural was the infant playing the Tibbetts youngest son.This last bit is minor compared to my major gripes, but no other reviewer mentioned it so here goes:After the bomb has exploded the crew of the Enola Gay use binoculars in the cockpit to see fires burning on the ground in Hiroshima. This would have been impossible as the bomber was speeding AWAY from the city.

I recently spoke with Paul Tibbets and asked him about this movie. He was complementary about the movie and felt it fairly well represented the facts. Some names were changed to protect the guilty.Within the context of early black & white, 1950s movies, this one was entertaining in spite of typical mediocre acting by both leading characters--not unusual for the time. If one is interested in the project that led up to the bombing of Heroshima and the bombing itself, this is an easy way learn out how it happened.