Watch The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell For Free

Best movie ever!

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Unsurprising that a noted Western star like Cooper was chosen for the lead role. In the film Mitchell is really the Lone Ranger. His best friend is not a horse but an aeroplane. He pursues his idea of right. He defies the US Marshall. The townsfolk meanwhile rally around him.The real Billy Mitchell was a pretty rough diamond. Presumably he did issue a press statement in effect accusing high-ups of treason. Cooper portrays a much gentler type; he would never have used such language. Incongruous then to find him doing just that.A final historical note. At one point Mitchell gives a pretty accurate forecast of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Was this brilliant foresight or did the Japanese read the court proceedings?

For a film about the armed forces with virtually no action, no love interest and over half its running time set in a court room this is strangely effective. Prior to Jack Lemmon's emergence on the scene in the early 50s no one did 'decency' as well as Jimmy Stewart and Gary Cooper and that being the case Cooper could have phoned this one in had he put his mind to it. Although meaningless liberties have been taken with this true story - what possible difference, for example, could it have made to acknowledge that Mitchell was married rather than imply bachelor status - it still grips in an understated way. Essentially Mitchell distinguished himself as a pilot in the First World War but grew appalled at the indifference if not bias in favour of the Army and Navy in peacetime - there was, in fact, no Air Force - and having exhausted every avenue in an attempt to address this problem he called a press conference and accused the General Staff of incompetence. His purpose, of course, was to get the army to court martial him and use this as a forum to sue for recognition and the formation of a third armed force. For his pains he died in virtual obscurity prior to the second World War he had foreseen. Cooper is solid as the dedicated army man, Rod Steiger showboats in the flashiest role in the film as Prosecuting Attorney and the support is largely out of the right bottle. On the low-key side for an Otto Preminger film but none the worse for that.

Gary Cooper plays the title role in "The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell," a 1955 film based on the real-life court martial of former Brigadier General William Mitchell, who was demoted in rank after violating orders and later court-martialed for criticizing the Armed Forces in the press.Besides also starring Ralph Bellamy, Charles Bickford, and Rod Steiger, the film also features some later TV stars - Elizabeth Montgomery, Jack Lord, John Daly, Darren McGavin and Peter Graves.Apparently the film takes some liberties with the true facts, but Mitchell believed in the power of the airplane in war and wanted an upgrade in air power for the U.S. as well as the creation of an Air Force. Much of what he said about air power came to pass, and eventually the Air Force was formed, of which he is considered the father. However, at the time, the services were faced with budget cuts and narrow thinking. They weren't convinced of Mitchell's arguments. Mitchell (in the film) disobeys orders about the size of the bomb he's carrying, using one-ton bombs to destroy the Ostfriesland, which was an World War I prize from Germany. He is demoted in rank and sent to work in Texas. When a friend of his is killed in a "death trap" flier called The Shenendoah, Billy sets himself up for a court martial so that he can bring his cause to the American public.This is a good movie which holds one's interest. I have a confession, which is that I am not always impressed with the acting of Gary Cooper, though I do love him, and this was one of those times. One of the posters suggested that James Cagney would have been a better choice given the real-life character of Mitchell. Possibly. Cooper is passionate in a quiet way but a little too one-dimensional in his performance. There are strong performances from everyone, most especially Rod Steiger. He doesn't chew up the scenery; instead, he uses his voice like a knife. He's very effective.Definitely recommended though it's not Cooper's best work.

Having fought heroically in World War I, Gen. Billy Mitchell (Gary Cooper) tried to get his superiors to establish an Air Force. When they refused, he disobeyed orders and was sent to Fort Sam Houston, demoted to the rank of colonel. After there are two fatal crashes in which the planes were not properly equipped, Mitchell denounces his superiors and is put on trial for insubordination. While the prosecution tries to prove that he made the statements, Mitchell does everything possible to show that the statements were justified.The movie seems to have even more relevance today, with the story about the Humvees in Iraq that lacked sufficient armor. The army brass could really use some advice from Billy Mitchell.As a side note, it was interesting seeing Elizabeth Montgomery (as the widow of Mitchell's friend who gets killed in one of the crashes) before she starred on "Bewitched".