Damn the silence
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Damn the silence |
| Original title | The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1955 |
| length | 100 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Otto Preminger |
| script |
Emmet Lavery Milton Sparrow |
| production | Milton Sparrow |
| music | Dimitri Tiomkin |
| camera | Sam Leavitt |
| cut | Folmar Blangsted |
| occupation | |
| |
Damn Silence is an American biopic about Billy Mitchell by director Otto Preminger from 1955 with Gary Cooper in the leading role.
action
In 1921 Billy Mitchell tried to prove the effectiveness of the still young American Air Force by sinking a former German battleship from the First World War . Without the knowledge of the army and navy command, the bombs are equipped with double the explosive power. The test succeeds, the ship is sunk.
Going it alone in this matter results in punishment. He is demoted and transferred to Texas . Several serious incidents occurred during this time. His friend Zachary Lansdowne died in 1925 when an airship crashed . He has to bring the sad news to his widow. Six more planes crash due to poor maintenance. Mitchell calls a press conference and publicly criticizes the army. He will be tried in a court martial .
His lawyer Frank Reid got as far as the president to help him. The trial is suspended. The military urges him to sign a paper so that he can withdraw his criticism and save his career. Mitchell refuses to sign. The process continues. Several witnesses, including Lansdowne's widow, confirm his criticism in court. Cross-examination denounces his disobedience and fantasizing about a future Japanese attack on Hawaii.
The court found him guilty. The public sees him as a hero who has defended himself against an overpowering military apparatus. Mitchell achieved his goal. The population is informed about the critical condition of the air force. When leaving the courtroom, his fellow pilots greet him.
Reviews
“A factual report from US military history staged with a sure sense of tension. Carried by good actors, the film occasionally slips too far into tears; some phrases about conscience and obedience are likely to be at the expense of synchronization. "
background
The script, co-written by Ben Hecht , Dalton Trumbo and Michael Wilson , was based on a story by Emmet Lavery and Milton Sperling, which was based on a true story in the life of Billy Mitchell .
For lead actor Gary Cooper it was the fourth collaboration with producer Milton Sperling and the only film with director Otto Preminger after Im Secret Service , The Devil's Brigade and Wilde Glut . For the first time since counter-espionage , Cooper shot again in the USA. Billy Mitchell's family campaigned in vain for James Cagney to star.
Warner Bros. brought the film shot in CinemaScope to West German cinemas in 1956. In this synchronized version, which is still in use today, Gary Cooper got the voice of Heinz Engelmann .
Awards
- 1956 : Oscar nomination: Best Original Screenplay
Web links
- Condemned to silence in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Damn it to be silent. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .