Above and Beyond

Director: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama

Overview

Above and Beyond is the story of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as told from the perspective of the man who flew the mission. Robert Taylor stars as Col. Paul Tibbetts, commander of the Enola Gay. Once selected for this extremely dangerous mission, Tibbetts must hand-pick a crew worthy of the task. He is also forced to keep his mission a closely guarded secret, even unto withholding all information from his loving and patient wife Lucey (Eleanor Parker). The film concentrates on the strain placed upon Tibbetts, his crew and their families in the crucial days before the "big drop". The bombing itself is handled with taste and decorum, though the horror and mixed emotions of the moment are brilliantly conveyed on the faces of Tibbetts and his men. Above and Beyond represents a rare noncomedy endeavor from the writer-director team of Melvin Frank and Norman Panama.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/25/2008
UPC:	4897007031979
Original Release:	1952
Source:	Castaway Pictures
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	2:02:00
Sales rank:	56,974

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Robert Taylor	Col. Paul Tibbets
Eleanor Parker	Lucy Tibbets
James Whitmore	Maj. Uanna
Marilyn Erskine	Marge Bratton
Larry Keating	Maj. Gen. Vernon C. Brent
Larry Gates	Capt. Parsons
Stephen Dunne	Maj. Harry Bratton
Robert Burton	Gen. Samuel E. Roberts
Hayden Rorke	Dr. Ramsey
Lawrence Dobkin	Dr. Van Dyke
Jack Raine	Dr. Fiske
Jonathan Cott	Dutch Van Krik
Jeff Richards	Thomas Ferebee
Dick Simmons	Bob Lewis,Bob Lewis
John McKee	Wyatt Duzenbury,Wyatt Duzenbury
Pat Conway	Radio Operator
Patrick Conway	Radio Operator
Christie Olsen	Paul Tibbets Jr.
William Lester	Driver
Barbara Ruick	Mary Malone
Jim Backus	Gen. Curtis E. LeMay
G. Pat Collins	Maj. Gen. Creston
Harlan Warde	Chaplain Downey
Crane Whitley	Gen. Corlone
Don Gibson	Dexter
John Baer	Captain
John Close	Co-Pilot
Lee MacGregor	Gen. Robert's Aide
Ewing Mitchell	Gen. Wolfe
Robert Fuller	Extra,Extra
Mack Williams	Gen. Irvine
Sammy McKim	Captain
Robert Forrest	MP Officer
Dabbs Greer	Haddock
John Hedloe	Lt. Malone
Dorothy Kennedy	Nurse
Frank Gerstle	Sgt. Wilson
John Pickard	Miller,Miller
Gregory Walcott	Burns
Roger McGee	Johnson
Richard Grayson	Officer On Train
Hugo Friedhofer	Composer

Technical Credits

Melvin Frank

Norman Panama

Beirne Lay Jr.

Melvin Frank	Producer,Screenwriter
A. Arnold Gillespie	Special Effects
Warren Newcombe	Special Effects
Norman Panama	Producer,Screenwriter
Beirne Lay Jr.	Screenwriter

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Above and Beyond
1. Project at Witchater [20:17]
2. Operation Silverplate [20:56]
3. Joining Paul at Wendover [18:52]
4. You and You Alone to Decide [19:31]
5. Blue Light [20:28]
6. Atomic Bomb Over Hiroshima [21:15]

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Disc #1 -- Above and Beyond
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Subtitles
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Editorial Reviews

Above and Beyond takes as its focus the men who were responsible for delivering the atomic bomb to Hiroshima, with a particular emphasis on Col. Paul Tibbets, the commander in charge of the mission. It's a good film, despite a variety of flaws, the major one being that it attempts to attack the story from two angles and manages to dilute the potential force of the piece thereby. Those two angles are the professional and the personal, or the details that went into the planning and execution of the mission and the effect that the mission -- and especially its top class secrecy -- has upon Tibbets' marriage. Above would have been a better film had it concentrated solely on either aspect; by trying to cover all bases, the professional sections come across as a bit too dry and technical and the personal as far too soapy and contrived. However, there are a number of points worth noting, including the fact that Above is unafraid to depict the difficult conditions that at the time confronted any married couple in which one of the spouses was in the armed services. And while some of the details concerning the lead-up to the bombing drag on a bit, the actual mission itself is tense and gripping. Robert Taylor turns in one of his stronger performances, and there's a palpable chemistry between Taylor and Eleanor Parker; James Whitmore provides valuable support. The direction is uneven, but when it hits, it hits solidly.