Delbert Mann’s “A Gathering of Eagles,” from a screenplay by Robert Pirosh, stars Rock Hudson at the peak of his popularity as Jim Caldwell, a colonel in the peacetime Strategic Air Command, assigned with the task of shaping up the unit.
However, his devotion to the cause and harsh tactics alienate some of his soldiers and also introduce strain into his otherwise happy marriage.
Hudson got credit at the time for putting his screen image on the line by playing a largely unsympathetic role, though a good and complex one.
British actress Mary Peach makes a rare Hollywood appearance as Hudson’s English wife.
The supporting cast include Rod Taylor, Barry Sullivan, and Kevin McCarthy.
Ultimately, the film is just a footnote in the otherwise richer careers of both director Mann and actor Hudson.
Oscar Nominations: 1
Sound Effects: Robert L. Bratton
Oscar Awards: None
Oscar Context:
The Sound Effects Oscar went to Stanley Kramer’s all-star comedy, “It’s a Mad, Mad Mad, Mad World.”
Bratton was again nominated but didn’t win for Universal’s “The Lively Set,” in 1964.
Credits:
Universal
Running time: 115 Minutes.