Above and Beyond (1952) User Reviews

Sticks to the Personal

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 19 November 2005]

The actual development of the atomic bomb was documented in films like The Beginning or the End and in Fat Man and Little Boy. Above and Beyond concentrates on the pilot of the B-29 that actually did the deed.

Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker play Colonel and Mrs. Paul Tibbetts who's marriage was put under an incredible strain due to the security surrounding his assignment. Taylor was between his marriages to Barbara Stanwyck and Ursula Thiess and was involved with Parker at the time Above and Beyond was being filmed. Probably that helped a lot during the romantic interludes in the film.

Because this film sticks to the personal story of the Tibbetts marriage and avoids all the debate about the use of the atomic bomb, it still holds up well for today's audience.

In the supporting cast I would have to single out James Whitmore who plays the security head at Wendover field where Tibbetts is training the potential crew for the mission as the most outstanding. He's virtually the only one Taylor can bare his stoic soul to with the assignment he has.

Even with the debate over Hiroshima still raging I would still recommend viewing this film.

A bit of a surprise...in a good way.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 9 June 2010]

Despite my love for aviation films, I somehow never got around to seeing "Above and Beyond" until now. Much of this is because although I like airplane films, I incorrectly assumed that this movie would basically be a by the numbers and very dull documentary about the dropping of the first atomic bomb. Seeing them recreate this somewhat mundane process depressed me and I only got around to seeing it finally because the film starred Robert Taylor--an exceptional actor. Fortunately, my assumptions about the film were mostly wrong--and it was a very good retelling of this true story.

I think the biggest reason I liked "Above and Beyond" is because it does NOT show as much of the technical aspects as I thought it would. Instead, it focused a lot of the film on the personal toll the project took on its commander, Col. Tibbets. Now this is NOT the toll on him after the dropping of the first A-bomb (he actually seemed to have no problems with this from everything I've read--saying that it DID help end the war)--but how the secrecy demands of the project took a major toll on the Colonel's marriage. I had just assumed, incorrectly, that Tibbets was some guy chosen at the last minute to command this mission and that he was already serving in the Pacific. Instead, he was picked long before and headed an unit in Utah that spent many, many months working out the specifics of the bombing. The security for all this surprised me--as I'd just assumed this was only for the Manhattan Project itself.

Interesting, well-written and acted, this is a nice historical piece that is both fascinating and entertaining. I was particularly impressed by the recreation of the atomic bomb drop from the point of view of the crew as it happened--it was well done and believable. The only negative, if there is one, is that the film really doesn't even mention the second bomb dropped a few days later--a bit on an odd omission. I guess being second doesn't hold a lot of interest to most folks.

Sensitive portrayal of a serious subject, the dropping of the first atomic bomb.

[Slim-4 · 6/10 · 19 December 1999]

This film tells the story of the dropping of the first atomic bomb. Pilot Tibbets is played by Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker portrays his wife. The rest of the cast includes a bunch familiar faces, but the performances are standard. Taylor does a particularly good job as the officer tormented by the morality of his task and the disintegration of his marriage.

This film has some good moments. One of them is uncharacteristically humorous. The colonel comes home one afternoon to hear sounds from the kitchen. His wife tells him that she has found someone to fix the plumbing. "Who?", enquires Taylor. "One of the sanitary engineers", she says, referring to the men in white coats she pointed out to her husband upon their arrival. The plumber turns out to be one of the scientists with the Manhattan Project. "He is very nice," she says, "but he's very smart."

Another powerful moment is when the "Enola Gay" drops the bomb on Hiroshima. There is one word of dialogue in this scene. Taylor looks at the mushroom cloud and says "God." The enormity of this moment does not need words, and the film delivers.

The film makes a sincere effort to deal with the morality of the bomb. In one scene the general questions Tibbets' feelings about his mission. If I wasn't concerned about what I'm about to do he says I wouldn't be much of a man. After dropping the bomb, he angrily responds to a reporter's question about how he feels about killing 80,000 people by saying "How do your reader's feel?" When his wife hears what he has done she retreats to her room in silence, ignoring the eager reporters.

I found the scene in which Tibbets is selected for his mission to be problematic. It is hard to buy in to the premise that an officer would be rewarded for insubordination by a top-secret assignment.

This film was a bit too long, but it is well worth watching. It may not be fun to watch the story of the atom bomb, but it is a story that deserved to be told. The movie does a credible job with it and should be recognized for that.

An extraordinary film, for a variety of reasons.

[alan-rosenberg · 6 February 2004]

Considering that "Above and Beyond" was made during the height of the hysteria now known as McCarthyism, one would have expected a jingoistic flag-waver out of Hollywood. Instead, surprisingly, the screenplay as written allows the Paul Tibbets character (Robert Taylor) the opportunity to register a variety of emotions, in a most realistic and compelling performance.

This is ironic, seeing as the real Tibbets, decades after the event (the bombing of Hiroshima), is to this day unrepentant. Not to criticize his position in any way, because that was a different time and place, and it's Tibbets' view that he had a job to do, and the morality of it all, he has stated, is best debated by others.

But the film is all the more compelling because of the ambivalence written into the Tibbets character, and Taylor's especially fine work. There are uniformly strong performances throughout the cast, notably those of Eleanor Parker (Lucy Tibbets), James Whitmore (the security officer) and Larry Keating (General Brent).

Another surprise: the team of Melvin Frank and Norman Panama (screenplay, direction) had been best known for their Bob Hope comedies, when under contract at Paramount. Their first dramatic effort was "Above and Beyond," and they acquitted themselves admirably.

Final note: the musical score by Hugo Friedhofer is immensely satisfying: stirring in an emotional sense, with just a touch of, but not too much of, militaristic flavor.

Dore Schary, a Democrat, had succeeded fervent Republican Louis B. Mayer at MGM in 1951, and had encouraged the production of "Above and Beyond." One wonders if (a) the film would have been made at all on Mayer's watch, and (b) if it had, would it have been more of a cornball, John Wayne-type flag-waver. Thankfully, those questions are moot. "Above and Beyond" is a stirring, finely-crafted film. I would stress again the unusual nature of the protaganist's ambivalence as portrayed in a film made during a very sensitive time in America's history.

Good film with adequate performance by Robert Taylor as the pilot of Enola Gay , which dropped the first atomic bomb

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 4 June 2022]

1943. In viewing an act of subordination, Maj. Gen. Vernon C. Brent (Larry Keating) of the US Air Force decides to take a chance in appointing Lt. Col. Paul Tibbets (Robert Taylor) , the said insubordinate, to lead the testing of a new long range bomber, Boeing's B-29, for use in military service, as the plane operates like a dream in ideal conditions, but is known to be a deathtrap in extreme conditions often faced by the military. Paul Tibbets is married to beautiful Lucey (Eleanor Parker) forming a happy marriage . Then Col. Paul Tibbets is assigned a secret mission : to pilot the plane ¨The Enola Gay¨ that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in World War 2 . "You're not the man I married. Not any more. You're ambitious...cold...and heartless!". This is the story that changed their lives---and our lives---forever! MGM's Love Story Thru the Eyes of a Woman! . The Love Story Behind The Billion Dollar Secret

This is a personal and sensitive story of pretty Lucey Tibbets well played by Eleanor Parker who had the hard luck to fall in love with a hero , Paul Tibbets , nicely performed by Robert Taylor . Meaningful account of a brave pilot , the thorny decision to drop the atom bomb, the secrecy surroundingbthe mission, and the men who flew it. It mainly focuses on his training and its effect on his personal life . Although , it relies heavily on the relationship between Taylor and Parker and the strain this perilous mission puts on marriage . Fine acting by Robert Taylor as Col. Paul Tibbets , the man who piloted the Enola Gay , which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima . Attractive Eleanor Parker displays an agreeable interpretation as well .They're well accompanied by a good support cast , such as : James Whitmore , Larry Keating , Larry Gates , Stephen Dunne, Robert Burton , Lawrence Dobkin, Jim Backus , Jeff Richards and uncredited Robert Fuller . This film could not be made until the highly classified material upon which it is based was released . For permission to use this material and for their wholehearted cooperation we wish to express our gratitude to the Department of Defense and to the officers and men of the Unites States Air Force.

It contains an appropriate and evocative musical score by Hugo Friedhofer , as well as atmospheric cinematography in black and white by cameraman Ray June. The motion picture was decently and professionally written and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama. Rating : 6.5/10 . Acceptable and passable film based on historical events . Story also told in 1980 TV movie¨Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb¨ (1980) by David Lowell Rich with Billy Crystal , Kim Darby , Patrick Duffy as Colonel Paul Tibbets , Gary Frank , Gregory Harrison , Stephen Macht , James Shigeta.

"Don't drop that thing on a paddy field."

[brogmiller · 7/10 · 23 December 2023]

Of the three films that Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker made in quick succession in the early 1950's, this has the least entertainment value but is by far the most interesting, which is hardly surprising considering its subject matter!

The military aspect is filmed in the manner of a docudrama as Lt. Colonel Paul Tibbets is assigned the task of preparing the unwieldy B29 bomber which will be used to drop a 10,000 ton nuclear bomb on Hiroshima whilst the traditional Hollywood 'human interest' element is supplied by his marriage being pushed to breaking point by the secrecy and silence imposed on him by his mission. By all accounts the relationship between Mr. Taylor and Miss Parker was more than strictly professional and their palpable chemistry works to the film's advantage. Robert Taylor never thought much of himself as an actor but it must be said that given a role of greater gravitas than usual, he is very, very good. Naturally aviation historians felt that the domestic scenes got in the way of the action, whereas Eleanor Parker's character would resonate with the wives of servicemen.

Beirne Lay Jr who was a colonel in the Air Rorce Reserve, has contributed to the screenplay as he had done for 'Twelve 0'Clock High' and was to do for 'Strategic Air Command'. The film is aided immeasurably by Hugo Friedhofer's score.

As for the real Tebbits, deified as war hero and demonised as war criminal, he was ideally suited to the task for not only had he flown over forty combat missions, he was fervently patriotic, unswerving in his duty and utterly convinced of the rightness of his mission. He maintained that 'whether dropping a bomb or shooting a rifle, morality has no place in warfare' and professed to have 'slept clearly'.

Although there are a few longueurs in the film the last half-hour is especially gripping and the actual dropping of the bomb cannot fail to arouse feelings of horror and nausea. The scale of the death toll and subsequent effects of radiation give a new dimension to the now familiar and somewhat euphemistic American expression, 'collateral damage'.

Very simplistic telling of a very complex story

[PudgyPandaMan · 6/10 · 20 February 2009]

This film chronicles the life and career of Paul Tibbets, who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima. Far from getting heavy into the ethics or justification of that event, it mainly looks at the personal life of the man involved in this controversial bombing.

There is one scene early on when one of his commanders is trying to decide if Tibbets is right for the job. He asked him if he could end the war tomorrow and save half a million American lives and others but would have to kill 100,000 people in the process, could he do it. He hands him a buzzer, and asks is he could push it. Tibbits pushes it. And thus he is chosen to head the mission.

They go into a great deal of time in chronicling the relationship with his wife and the strain his "secret" mission put on the marriage. So it was interesting to see if from this personal perspective.

But overall I found it a simplistic approach to a very difficult topic. The film was made in 1952 and the country was still very much pro-war in regards to WWII. To be certain if the film were made today, it would look VERY different by the liberals in today's Hollywood.

Mucxh of the film is told from the viewpoint of Tibbets wife, played by Eleanor Parker. She in fact narrates much of the film to add necessary details. I suppose this tactic was used to make the viewer more sympathetic and forgiving of a difficult subject - and kept them from delving too deeply into the controversy.

There is one attempt at the end when, after the bombing makes news and Tibbets is revealed as commander, a reporter asks him what he felt personally about dropping the bomb. He doesn't want to comment, but when the reporter pushes with a "but my readers WANT to know!", he turns the question back to the reporter. He says "How do THEY feel about it?"

Don't look to this film for any in depth answers to difficult questions. But if you enjoy seeing the personal side of the story to those involved, then this is a well made film with an adequate cast.

realistic

[tyrianacacia · 9/10 · 5 June 2006]

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.

The personal side of a controversial moment in history

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 17 March 2006]

"Above and Beyond" stars Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker and chronicles the story of Paul Tibbets, the man who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. The event today, seen with modern eyes, is more unsavory than it was to people who lived in the midst of World War II. I watched the film with a skewed perspective unheard of in the '40s, as I interviewed Hiroshima survivors some years ago and discussed the event and their various health problems with them. Known as the "hibachi," they are human beings like everybody else. But as we all know, in war, human life is cheap, especially as far as warring governments are concerned.

The story as told in "Above and Beyond" is factually correct. The focus is not just on the technical details of outfitting the planes, the training, the secrecy, the testing, etc., but also on Tibbets' personal life. I read Tibbets married in 1953 or 1954, but I did not learn if he had a wife at the time of Hiroshima. In this movie, he had a wife and two small children. The high security of the base, the constant pressure of Tibbets' work, and the weight of the act he was to perform put a strain on his marriage and his relationships with friends. I suspect most of the personal life aspects of the film were heavily fictionalized. First of all, in the movie, the character of Tibbets is deeply conflicted about his assignment. In real life, Tibbets never had a moment of regret. Secondly, one would think a military wife would have understood that if security was so high and her husband was abrupt and tense - and there was a war on - there must be a reason other than "he's changed." Instead, he is accused by her of "playing it too big." She even takes her confusion to one of his bosses, who, instead of saying, "Your husband is working on something important and is under a lot of pressure," gives her no help at all. But that was probably to get her off of the airbase.

Robert Taylor was about 40 when this movie was made. It was a different world then - cigarettes and the lack of an eyelift robbed him of his boyish beauty, but he was still ruggedly handsome and does well in the role. Taylor wasn't a great actor, nor was he a bad one. Like his 20th Century Fox counterpart, Tyrone Power, he suffered at the hands of the critics because of his outrageous good looks, but he was always believable in the right role. Eleanor Parker is lovely and effective as his wife.

The film was obviously meant to show the action of dropping the bomb and to put the character of Tibbets in a sympathetic light. The stars are likable, it's thought provoking, and of some interest. It has, of course, the Robert Alda as Gershwin moment - you know, "I'll write a rhapsody - a Rhapsody in Blue" when Tibbets is asked what he wants to name the plane, and he decides on "Enola Gay." It's for historians to say if in actuality this horrendous event by the Enola Gay shortened the war and saved lives, and they've been arguing about it for years. I can't say. I didn't live through the war; I just interviewed some of its victims.

Above and Beyond and then Some-Above & Beyond ****

[edwagreen · 10/10 · 28 February 2009]

Highest rating with Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker giving phenomenal performances, perhaps the best ever in both of their careers.

After he has been chosen to test pilot the B-29 bomber, Taylor is so affected by his work in the preparation of dropping the atomic bomb on Japan, that he becomes intolerable to live with and is extremely harsh with all those under his command. He had no choice as the objective of his work obviously had to remain top secret.

This is definitely a superior story of the human spirit in triumph.

Taylor is aided by an excellent supporting cast headed by Larry Gates, Larry Keating and the recently departed James Whitmore.

The emotional pain of Taylor is sincerely etched in his face in an unforgettable performance.

careful historical biopic drama

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 7 July 2021]

Veteran WWII bomber pilot Col. Paul Tibbets (Robert Taylor) questions his commander. Instead of a reprimand, he is recruited for a special project with the B-29. He would pilot the plane which drops the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

I get a sense that the movie is very careful in portraying these people. I'm sure that it's accurate in the important military aspects. The family aspect is melodramatic in its acting. The wife should know that his husband is doing some crazy secret war stuff. She's acting well above reason. It's a way to give them human emotional drama. Most importantly, I don't think the movie would ever allow any blemish into the makeup of these people. These are saints in America's eyes. The story has no real tension and nothing is truly in doubt. Any drama feels inserted.

Robert Taylor in the most compelling performance of his career.

[mamalv · 10/10 · 3 March 2005]

I just finished watching "Above and Beyond" and could not believe what a wonderful overlooked film this is. Robert Taylor as Col. Paul Tibbets is amazing. What a horrible job he had to do, to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima ending World War Two. His life was nearly destroyed by this call to duty. Eleanor Parker is great as his wife, Lucey. She loves him, they have two children, and there life seems idyllic, until he is given this horrible task. Top secret, no talking, no telling, and certainly no way out. Duty comes before anything even the love of his wife and his children. He becomes sullen, withdrawn, and unable to give any affection to her, and in the pursuit of duty almost loses everything that means anything to him. James Whitmore is the aide that has to keep all together and his performance is one of restraint and conviction. I don't get why Taylor was always overlooked by the Academy, first for "Johnny Eager" then for "Waterloo Bridge" and then at the height of his maturity, "Above and Beyond." What a insult to this remarkable performer to never get his due as an excellent actor. This film gives us a look at the personal devastation of the private Paul Tibbets, and somehow we can understand that if the bomb had not been dropped, many more lives would have been lost. A great film, with insight and daring.

Story of the Enola Gay crew which dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima

[jacobs-greenwood · 6/10 · 13 December 2016]

Directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, who also wrote the screenplay, this historical drama was adapted from Beirne Lay Jr.'s story, for which Lay Jr. received a Best Writing, Motion Picture Story Academy Award nomination; Hugo Friedhofer's Score was also nominated.

Similar to The Beginning or the End (1947), this film tells the story behind the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima during World War II. However, instead of the focus being on the development of the bomb itself, this one is told from the perspective of the Air Force Colonel in charge of the mission which executed the task itself.

Robert Taylor plays Colonel Paul Tibbets, pilot of the Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber which flew the mission and delivered the payload. Eleanor Parker plays Tibbets's wife Lucy, and much of the story focuses on the affect this mission had on Tibbets and his family.

The film begins by giving some historical background on Tibbets, who as a Lieutenant Colonel during the early years of World War II was flying bombing missions in North Africa under General Roberts (Robert Burton). Visiting General Brent (Larry Keating) witnesses an outburst by Tibbets that bordered on insubordination, but decides on the spot that Tibbets is just what he needs for shaking out the bugs in the B-29, a plane thought to be a deathtrap. These events comprise the first 30 minutes or so of the picture.

Later, Brent has another mission, a top secret one, for Tibbets. After testing Tibbets's ability to "pull the trigger" to release a bomb that would kill 100,000 people in order to end the war and possibly save five times that many lives, and a thorough security check by Major Uanna (James Whitmore), Brent offers Tibbets the job of assembling the team to drop the first atomic bomb. Appropriately, the General warns Tibbets that if his decision is "yes", there is no going back.

Later, the General will similarly tell Tibbets that it is his sole responsibility to "blue light" the mission. Even though Tibbets accepts, Brent is unable to promote him to full (bird) Colonel because of his earlier conflict with Roberts. Later, Roberts will become a temporary barrier to some transports Tibbets needs to fulfill for his mission, dubbed Silverplate. Uanna is assigned as Tibbets's security officer, but otherwise it is up to the Lieutenant Colonel to staff, outfit and plan the entire operation with utmost secrecy. This includes keeping his wife Lucy in the dark, which obviously puts a considerable strain on their 5 years marriage, only seven weeks of which they'd spent together anyway per the war.

A couple of other characters used to tell the story and detail the strain under which Tibbets was placed, or self-imposed, are the Brattons: Major Bratton (Stephen Dunne) is a friend and co-pilot of Tibbets, his wife Marge (Marilyn Erskine) is the closed thing to a confidant that Lucy has. Larry Gate plays the significant role of Captain Parsons, the man who arms the atomic bomb during the flight to Hiroshima. Most will recognize two television actors, Haydon Rorke (I Dream of Jeannie) as Dr. Ramsey, a scientist, and Jim Backus (Gilligan's Island) as General LeMay, in command of the flight's launching point, Tinian Island - both appear briefly.

The emphasis of the story is on the life of Tibbets, and the impact on his wife and family, during this time period; Whitmore's character plays the important role of confidant for Tibbets, given the fact that he can't explain his actions to Lucy.

Unfortunately, it's a bit too much "soap opera" (perfect for actress Parker, not so for much for actor Taylor) and the film could have been much shorter - as it is, it exceeds 2 hours by a few minutes.

Still it's a solid retelling of historical events, though I don't claim to know how accurate it is. There are several (obviously) Hollywood fictionalized bits, one which involves Lucy getting an important scientist-technician to fix the plumbing in her kitchen.

Another is a convenient plot device (a new bottle of perfume) which ties things together. Plus, though everyone should know that Hiroshima was indeed "successfully" bombed, I don't really know if the subsequent status of the Tibbets' marriage was per this film's ending.

At last we know for certain why the atomic bomb was dropped

[gcglee · 3/10 · 11 June 2005]

According to this film's take on the dawning of the atomic age, Col. Paul Tibbetts rushed the bomb to the skies of Hiroshima to save his marriage. The premise of this simplistic look at a complex and critical event in human history is every bit as pernicious as it sounds. The top secrecy surrounding the preparations to drop the bomb put an intolerable strain on the commander of the operation's marriage. To reassure his wife required the deaths of 80,000 Japanese, but hey, Tibbett's family life was saved.

Given what they had to work with, Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker as Mr. and Mrs. Tibbetts do manage to create some mild emotional interest. Given the film was made only seven years after the event, multidimensional analysis or a nuanced reassessment of this watershed event in history could hardly be expected. Taylor's character merely reiterates the self-justifications that the real Paul Tibbetts always offered for his actions in interviews. It was an awful thing thing to have to do, but it was his job, and it shortened the war, saving lives. In the sixty years' since, history has built a far more complex explanation of the forces that led to this ghastly conclusion to the war. The film shows no such hesitations about the morality of the project, and in several scenes characters confidently and without irony pray for God's blessing on the enterprise.

The film is of some scientific and historical interest in its depiction of the technology that went into the Enola Gay's mission. The sequence of the bombing itself is compelling. The remorse Taylor displays in these scenes was probably his finest acting moment in a lengthy career that earned him little distinction for acting ability. However, the simplified technological explanations at times have the quality of a scientist in a b&w grade B sci fi movie of the 50's explaining where the giant ants or octopus came from. The viewer must remind him or herself that fantastic as it sounds, this was real, which only reinforces the horror of atomic weapons.

In short, this attempt to stuff the life of Paul Tibbetts and the outcome of the Manhattan Project into the standard formulas of Louis B. Mayer's post-war Hollywood is inappropriate, unwieldly, and in the end, offensive to today's post-Cold War sensibilities.

Robert Taylor Terrific

[etz1699 · 1 October 2013]

The Japs would NOT sign a defeat Treaty UNLESS they were Convinced after a SECOND Atomic Bomb that it's time to pack it in and find a new way of life. In fact their Ego was SO misguided,that for YEARS Jap Soldiers still hid in caves waiting for their next order. ROBERT TAYLOR plays Colonel Paul Tibbets,the pilot who's Bomber plane "The Enola Gay" (named after his Mother)put an end to Japanese delusions in World War II. Colonel Tibbets under personal and G.I. Strain,manages to pull it off. Eleanor Parker as his Wife,almost loses it a few times,as not knowing what his actual mission is,nor did MOST of the military personnel who were actually involved. This is an important film and should be a MUST see for present generations.

(mostly) true story

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 1 June 2021]

Robert Taylor is a WW II pilot. To bring things to a quicker halt, the decision is made to drop the biggest, most destructive bombs ever made on two cities in japan. They had yanked the U. S. into the war by attacking Pearl Harbor in december 1941. Some of the scenes are overly dramatic... I'd be surprised if Tibbets (Taylor) really argued with his superiors in that manner. And i'd be surprised if his wife (Eleanor Parker) was really that whiney about all the waiting she did while her husband was flying. We spend a lot of time discussing the many technical and mechanical problems that had to be worked out on the B29 bomber before it would make the journey to japan. Wikipedia says that Tibbetts had been asked to be the technical adviser for the film, but refused. Keep an eye out for Jim Backus... Mr. Howell ! Story by Beirne Lay; he had been a flyer during the war, and had various jobs in DC. Directed by Frank and Panama. It's pretty accurate, regarding the bomber, the mission, and what little information is discussed on the bomb itself. Nominated for two oscars. Best writing, best music.

Wow. My dad lived that..?

[herrick416 · 9/10 · 6 February 2020]

I give this 9 stars but by today's standards it won't make sense. It makes sense to me because I heard about this from my father who was over in Okinawa flying bombing missions (he was in charge of bombing and photography when he had a free hand in between cigarettes) I loved hearing from other reviewers that this was more factual and less yahoo cowboy Uncle Sam (Like most of the other movies depicting the end to the war and the Japanese surrender. They didn't glamorize it just as my dad always minimized any of his heroics that earned him the DFC with cluster) But this is what my dad didn't know either -he wasn't told just like the majority of servicemen weren't told. Even those on the plane itself weren't notified until the mission was under way. Wow. I believe it. All my dad knew was the celebratory "The Japs surrendered !" Pardon my use of an abbreviation that sounds derogatory. But this is the reality of the times-reflecting how well our government continued the demonization that a surprise attack on our naval bases in Hawaii understandably ignited. The mixed emotions of those privy to the enormity of the undertaking's results were brilliantly portrayed, less in words than in their anguished faces -never exaggerated either. A history lesson and a perspective forced upon so few who must have felt the impact for the rest of their lives. The greatest generation indeed and we need them if just a grand glimpse like this one. .

Factually correct and a history lesson

[wlb · 8/10 · 29 April 2010]

I knew of Wendover Airbase long before seeing this movie. Although the movie infers that Tibbets picked the field for its isolation (true) it was also where they taught heavy bomber crews during WW2. So the field hardly had to be developed for the special mission of the 509th.

And today it has another famous reason - it is the site of many movie scenes, such as Independence Day and ConAir.

In fact, when I went to visit the site - right on the Utah-Navada border, they were filming ConAir.

Today all one sees as a reminder of its importance are the old concrete foundations of the many wooden buildings - with signs telling you what each building's purpose was.

But to the movie - I know that the main points were factually correct - right down to the flight time a B29 required flying from Saipan or Tinian to Japan - and back.

14 hours.

It seems that the secrecy at this base was as stringent as Los Alamos, where the Bomb was developed.

Besides being an entertaining movie it is educational.

My God!

[sol-kay · 8/10 · 28 February 2006]

Taking off in the early morning hours of August 6, 1945 on the giant B-29 air base in Tinian in the Mariana Islands the super-fortress "Enola Gay" is on a secret mission to end the Second World War, and end it with a bang.

Within sight of it's target the two escort bombers along the "Enola Gay" peal off from formation and head home as it flies over the Japanese port city of Hiroshima. At exactly 8:15 AM the Enola Gay drops a uranium based Atomic Bomb that explodes with an blinding air-burst, some 1,600 feet above ground zero, wiping out the city and 100,000 of it's inhabitants in less then a minute. With another Atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Nagasaki three days later the war in the Pacific as well as WWII ended with the Japanese government surrendering unconditionally to the allies.

The movie "Above and Beyond" reconstructs the development of the Atomic Bomb as well as the means to deliver it, the B-29 bomber. It goes back to 1943 in North Africa where Let.Col. Paul Tibbets, Robert Taylor, is secretly chosen by the top military brass in the Pentagon to be the man to fly the B-29 that's to drop the bomb.

Tibbets a maverick in his dislike of his superiors in sending him and his fellow pilots out on suicide missions against the Germans in Tunisia is just the man that their looking for to perfect the flying of the new giant B-29 bomber. The super-fortress is considered to be a death trap at the time by USAAF pilots but was the only plane capable of carrying a 9,700 pound Atomic device that if dropped and successfully detonated ,on either Germany or Japan, could very well end the war

Back in the states at Wendover AFB in Utah Tibbets is told by his friend and commander of the base Maj. Gen. Vernon C. Brent, Larry Keating, what his mission is to be and to keep it secret not only from his fellow airmen but also his wife Lucey, Eleanor Parker. This causes so much tension between the two that it almost wrecks their marriage. The sweet and lovable Tibbets quickly becomes an unfeeling robot to his wife and two young children overnight. Worst of all is that Tibbets has to keep his feelings, about being the one to drop the bomb, to himself which almost leads him to have a breakdown.

The movie goes on with the Atomic Bomb being perfected at the Los Alamos Manhattan Project army base in New Mexico and with the secret but successful testing of the bomb in the New Mexican desert outside of Alamogordo a town with a name eerily similar to Valley of Armageddon in the Bible, where the last great war is to be fought between Good and Evil, on July 16, 1945. After the successful Atomic Bomb testing Tibbets and his B-29 crew are then flow to the Tinian island B-29 air base to write the final chapter of the Second World War.

Tense filled and extremely accurate movie about the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima, were actually shown what the Atomic Bomb looks like and told how it works in the film. Robert Taylor gives one of his best performances as Lt.Col, and later full Col, Paul Tibbets as we see him overcome his fear and what seems guilt in piloting the B-29 super-fortress "Enola Gay",named after his mom Enola Gay Tibbets. Flying some 2,000 miles and six hours to drop a bomb that would eventually kill more people then almost any of the 1,000 plane raids, with the possible exception of the allied 1945 Valentine Day fire bombing of the German city of Dresden, on Japan or Germany during WWII changed Co. Tibbits life forever.

Eleanor Parker as Let.Col Tibbets' pretty and long suffering wife Lucey is extremely effective in her concern for her husband who seemed to have turned into an unfeeling zombie since he was assigned to the secret Wendover AFB. Lucy later realizes, after the announcement of the dropping of the A Bomb and Tibbets being the pilot of the B-29 that dropped it,why her husband acted that way to her and his friends. Tibbets had to keep all that about his secret mission over Japan inside him which ate him up alive.

"Above and Beyond" is unusually even-handed in it's depicting of the devastating Atomic Bombings of Japan. The films unflinching anti-war and anti-nuke message, for as movie made at the hight of the Cold and Korean War back in 1952, seen now has all the impact and effect on it's audience as it did back then.

P.S it should be noted that the ultra-secret 509th Atomic Bomb Group, the only Atomic Bomb unit of any air force on earth at the time, that Col. Tibbets Atomic Bomb fitted B-29 "Enola Gay" was part of made the news again two years later. The very same 509th was involved in the July 1947 "Roswell Incident" where there was a supposedly government cover up of an alien controlled spaceship that crashed in that same desert where the testing of the first Atomic Bomb took place place in the summer of 1945!

Plain Vanilla Story of First Use of Nukes.

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 3 July 2007]

In 1945 a B-29 piloted by Colonel Paul Tibetts (Robert Taylor) dropped the first atom bomb on human beings in Hiroshima, killing some 78,000 people and destroying with one blow about three square miles of urban landscape, virtually ending World War II.

All things considered, including the fact that this was released in 1953, it's an interesting if shallow story. That's too bad because the narrative has a lot of intrinsic energy. The movie, though, follows the usual conventions of the time and, for one reason or another, doesn't really want to get into cumbersome reality or moral implications.

The commanding general comments during Tibetts' training that, for a moment, Tibetts looked a little uncomfortable. Tibetts explains that while he'd been a bomber pilot over Germany he walked through the bomb bay before every flight and it occurred to him every time that there were going to be "people down there." "You're right, sir, I did feel uncomfortable. I wouldn't think much of myself if I didn't." General: "Neither would I." Tibetts is going to kill almost 80,000 people, mostly civilians of different ages, and it makes him "uncomfortable." End of philosophical quandary.

There are some nice shots of B-29s landing, taking off, and in flight -- but not many of them. And not much goes on in the interiors either that isn't required for the telling of the story. Pilots often complained that the B-29 was a beast to fly.

Probably a lot of material having to do with the development of the bomb and Tibetts' mission was still classified, so much -- maybe most -- of the film is given over to Tibetts' family life. He has a beautiful wife and a child. When she gives birth to a second, Tibetts isn't there for her and she resents it. The conflict intensifies over time because Tibetts is heavily burdened with the responsibility of preparing for the all-important bombing. He becomes snappish with his family. He fires old friends for breaches of security. He doesn't handle his wife delicately either. "It's none of your business," he tells her. And, mollifyingly, "I'll tell you what. You take care of the house and children and let me take care of my work." Of course he can't tell her about why his work is so important. It's a secret. What's worse, he has to keep secret the fact that it's a secret.

The entire domestic theme could have been eliminated and the time spent in pursuit of other things if the writers and producers had wanted to go that way, but they didn't. I'm not entirely sure they should have. It would have been a different kind of film. As it is, the result is a rather shallow film that's in its own way kind of reassuring because it's so nostalgic. The wife has a full-time job at home, and the husband goes out and fights in the jungle to make a living or win a war. And they were locked together for life. Divorce, while not unheard of, would have been a disgrace. Candidates have lost presidential nominations for having been divorced. (Ronald Reagan was our first and only divorced president).

A couple of observations. Tibetts took off for Hiroshima from a USAAF base on the island of Tinian. New Yorkers would have felt at home on Tinian. The streets were laid out and named as they were in Manhattan. The main drags were Broadway and Fifth Avenue, West End Avenue was where it should have been, and so forth.

The bomb was armed in flight by a Navy officer. "It's been planned ahead of time." Why Navy, you ask? I mean -- this being an Air Force mission and all? Official justifications aside, the Navy probably didn't want to be left out of the show. It would probably be a mistake to believe the dynamics of celebrity are less primitive than that.

Tibetts and crew certainly had awesome responsibilities but had little to do with the development of the bomb. Their job was to carry the thing to its target and deliver it as planned, rather like the driver of a UPS van. But there are times when the script gives Tibetts what appears to be control over the scientists he deals with. Nobody ever remembers who came in second, who dropped the bomb over Nagasaki, so we might point out his name was Bock and his plane was Bock's Car.

At any rate, it's a dated but watchable movie and for those too young or inattentive to history to already know the story, it's worth catching.

A history we must not forget

[boots-15 · 10/10 · 20 September 2000]

The youth of today must never forget what dropping this bomb did. It saved hundred of thousands of American AND Japanese lives. The United States never started the war. Remember that. Coventry England and Dresden Germany were obliterated by many planes and many bombs. Is there a difference if one plane and one bomb could do the job? Stopping wars is the only way to solve all of this.

Superb film about the man and those around him who would bring WW II to an end

[SimonJack · 10/10 · 4 April 2020]

"Above and Beyond" belongs to a select group of movies about World War II. It's not one with many scenes of battle or combat. Rather, it belongs in the field of superb war dramas. These are the stories that focus on the people who bear the brunt of war - military and civilian. It's of those who wrestle with the unknowns in planning military actions. Or those who endure the suffering of wartime carnage. Or any of the many others who work behind the scenes, on the home front, in industries and home guards, and think tanks for ways to end the war.

This film looks at the human element of the people who carried out the final mission to end World War II. Specifically, it's about Lt. Col. Paul Tibbets who is picked to choose, train, and lead the crews that will drop the atomic bombs on Japan. That makes "Above and Beyond" of significance also as a biographical and historical film.

All of the cast of this film are superb. Robert Taylor gives one of the best performances of his career as Tibbets. Eleanor Parker plays his wife, Lucey, in a role that is probably very close to the anguish and torment other air wives and sweethearts felt during the war. James Whitmore is excellent as Maj. Uanna, the watchdog for Tibbets and his only confidant during the secrecy of their mission. Larry Keating as Maj. Gen. Vernon Brent and Larry Gates as Capt. Parsons lead a fine supporting cast.

The film was made just seven years after the end of WW II and with the Korean War then taking place. So, it very realistically captures a sense of the time and places. The military aircraft, vehicles and other equipment, as well as uniforms and civilian dress and materials had not changed that much.

Although Hollywood studios had begun to do some filming on locations by this time, MGM didn't do any of the filming at Wendover Air Base in Utah. That was where Tibbets had set up shop in 1944. It was there that he assembled and trained the crews that would work on and fly the modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress. The team began with the 393rd Bomb Squadron transferred from Fairmont Army Air Base in Nebraska. At the end of the year, it left Wendover for the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. And, it was then organized as the 509th Composite Group for the assault on Japan.

The Utah air base was still open and operational in 1952 - it closed in 1969. But MGM instead chose to do its airfield filming near Tucson, Arizona. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the nearby Gilpin Airport had much better facilities and accommodations for movie crews and cast. The former also had plenty of aircraft available since it is the boneyard of military aviation.

Tibbets had chosen Wendover in 1944 as the best place to assemble and train the crews for the top-secret mission. That was based on its remoteness, terrain and weather. Wendover was a very small town isolated from any large population centers - Salt Lake City is 100 miles to the East.

This film received high praise for its accuracy, portrayal of the mission preparation, and military family life of the air service of the time. A year after the end of WW II, the U.S. Army Air Corps officially became the U.S. Air Force. Tibbets approved of the film but declined being an advisor because he felt he had been too close to the story to be objective. Instead, MGM used other officers who had been involved with the mission.

On the morning of Aug. 6, 1945, the 30-year-old commander of the 509th group, Lt. Col. Paul Tibbets, flew the mission and dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. After the second bomb three days later over Nagasaki, Japan surrendered and brought World War II to a close.

Good Work

[abooboo-2 · 8/10 · 26 June 2001]

Real good work. Its straight ahead, no frills film-making had me in its grip every step of the way. Just a good old-fashioned major studio A picture; it's like tooling around in a luxury car. And I don't care what anybody says - Robert Taylor was a fine actor. I've seen a number of his films now and he hasn't given a bad performance yet. It is a tad disconcerting to have Mr. McGoo playing General Curtis LeMay, but it's a small part and I let it slide.

A factual representation of history

[dickcl · 10 December 2002]

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.

Enola Gay, this kiss you give, it's never ever gonna fade away

[TRULEIGH · 1/10 · 9 August 2000]

This movie is a perfect example of how to use Hollywood to manipulate public opinion. Let's hope it has changed.

My guess is that this movie has no artistic origin. It must have been made based on an almost direct order from the political influences at the time. Notice the absence of quality actors and directors etc.

TCM is running this movie presently. Let's hope this will mean that people will learn more from this movie than ever was intended by its makers.

So whatever made Robert Taylor, the airace to end all airaces, accept this part? Maybe, afterall, he also lost his heart in the Waterloo Bridge traffic that so compellingly claimed Myra's life a few years earlier.