If you took the time to see this film, you should take the time to investigate what led up to suspicious and distrusting world Governments spending so much time, effort and manpower to frighten populations to the point of spending untold billions for a war which was concocted out of fear rather than reality. There are those who say, The military created SAC to prevent a global war and which justified the bottomless Money Pit which continues to this day. The same can be said by those who believe, we created a defensive system against fire breathing dragons and since there has never been an attack by dragons, proves the Dragon defensive system worked. That said, one can watch as Rock Hudson as Col. Jim Caldwell as he takes command of a substandard Air Force base and with a proficiency ax brings the wing into line with others bases in the United States. Helping him is handsome Rod Taylor as Col. Hollis Farr his second in command. Barry Sullivan plays Col. Bill Fowler with Kevin McCarthy as Gen. 'Happy Jack' Kirby, Henry Silva as Col. Joe Garcia and Robert Lansing as Sgt. Banning. A superb cast and a fine film. ***

ROCK HUDSON is a Strategic Air Command colonel who pushes his men to the limits and neglects his British wife (MARY PEACH) while alienating his colleague (ROD TAYLOR) whom he thinks is getting too chummy with the men under his command.There's nothing about this service yarn to distinguish it from other such efforts, as STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (with James Stewart/June Allyson) or ABOVE AND BEYOND (Robert Taylor/Eleanor Parker). The romantic interest is dull and Rock Hudson's character is never made too plausible. He starts out as an amiable instructor but switches gear without sufficient character explanation.A broken fuel line provides some tension at the 45-minute point in the film where Hudson and crew have to make a safe landing without an electrical spark from the landing gear causing a fire. Beyond that, the dramatic tension for the first hour is limp and the story is slow and mechanical.With the main focus on Readiness Alert, it's still a timely service film hampered by a bad performance from leading lady Mary Peach, an American looking gal with a heavy British accent. Chemistry between Peach and Rock Hudson is practically non-existent. Fortunately, ROD TAYLOR is fine in a co-starring role and BARRY SULLIVAN sympathetic as a man whose drinking problem gets him booted out by Hudson who says he's "not running a rehabilitation center". He shocks his wife with Sullivan's dismissal and his brusque behavior begins a strain in the marriage.With Hudson dismissing Taylor from command, the story loses steam before the final Operation Readiness Alert goes into action with Taylor subbing for absent Hudson and eventually redeeming himself in Hudson's eyes in time for a happy ending.Supposedly a tribute to the Officers, airmen and wives of the Strategic Air Command, it should be of above average interest to those service personnel but of limited interest for the average movie-goer in search of strong entertainment.

"Rock Hudson" is almost synonymous with either lighthearted battle-of-the-sexes romantic comedy (many with Doris Day) or director Douglas Sirk's 'soap' melodrama (two with Jane Wyman), but a serious role in a story about military life (Air Force SAC squadron) is truly a departure.I was fortunate to catch the film "A Gathering of Eagles" 1963 by director Delbert Mann on TCM cable in August when they showed several Rock Hudson movies the same day. This is a rare instance with Rock Hudson in an earnest role and he delivered a mighty convincing Col. Jim Caldwell in the Air Force to shape up the SAC (Strategic Air Command) squadron."A Gathering of Eagles" 1963, is known to be accurate in depicting the lives of SAC men. Director Delbert Mann himself is not unfamiliar with Air Force life, having been a bomber pilot and flew combat missions in the war years. Script by Robert Pirosh gave us a dramatic story covering military duty life in the Air Corps: family and wives, camaraderie spirits, demanding duties/schedules, firm disciplines and technical aspects included. Hudson was solid in his performance as a tough tireless Colonel assigned to lead the SAC members to ensure they're tightly trained with repeated alert exercises, that the fighter bombers be in absolute tip-top conditions for any unannounced "ORI" (operational readiness inspection).Cinematography by Russell Harlan with editing by Russell Schoengarth 'showcased' scenes of "MITO" (Minimum Interval Take Off) of B-52's and aircraft aerials quite impressively. Good supporting cast includes Rod Taylor as Col. Hollis Farr, Barry Sullivan as Col. Bill Fowler, Henry Silva as Col. Joe Garcia, Leora Dana as Mrs. Fowler, and Mary Peach as Victoria Caldwell, the British wife to Hudson's colonel. Besides the involving 'storyline' of the day to day challenges of Col. Caldwell's military responsibilities, the family aspect of balancing the role of a loving husband to Victoria is well portrayed. The script poignantly afforded uncertainty situations in the mix for Peach, as 'military' wives may have to go through - adapting herself and trying to understand and to cope with her husband's dedication to the Air Force in his chosen career.Music score is by the prolific Jerry Goldsmith. "A Gathering of Eagles" is not yet on DVD. Hope to catch it again on cable/TV, or VHS rental.Other serious roles by Rock Hudson: "Seconds" 1966, the intriguing thriller/science-fiction directed by John Frankenheimer, enhanced by remarkable b/w cinematography by James Wong Howe. "Hornets' Nest" 1970, a wartime WWII story set in Italy with an 'army' of young boys helping Hudson's Captain Turner to complete his mission (I stumbled onto this movie one late TCM cable night). He's also in Douglas Sirk's "The Tarnish Angels" 1958, appearing once again with Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone (they were in Sirk's melodrama "Written on the Wind" 1956).

Extremely unpleasant film has Rock Hudson (looking exhausted) playing Air Force Colonel assigned to head up Strategic Air Command Base near San Francisco, but once he gets there and starts cracking the whip, eliminating employees, nobody wants anything to do with this Boss from Hell. Hudson's character, ostensibly succumbing to a power-hungry ego, isn't given enough dimension; when we first meet him, genially conducting a tour, he's pleasant and eager to please. His sudden personality change isn't explained nor is it convincing; he becomes such a hard-nose that even his adoring wife wants to leave him! It's an insanely misguided picture, with the strategies of the Air Force used almost as a backdrop. The opening sequence, with Kevin McCarthy performing a war simulation ground-maneuver, seems to have little to do with what follows, and only Rod Taylor and Barry Sullivan come up with performances of interest. ** from ****