24 Hour Alert

I loved watching this 31 minute short movie. This was a very good , 1955 historical account of the 1950's USAF inventory. Millville Army Air Force Base, NJ was a WWII training base between 1940-1946, near Dover AFB, DE. The photography was really good and I enjoyed Jack Webbs narration and story.

My older brother and I were both in the Air Force. He was a 1963 USAFA grad and I was a 1971 grad. Many of those planes were still flying in the 1960's when we were both in the USAF. I flew in several of them.

Unfortunately, most of the reviewers made some mistakes in identifying the aircraft. Jack Webb got a ride in a T-33 Trainer (note the "TR" number on the fuselage".) His description of the plane was inaccurate. I made two flights in T-33's from Peterson Field, Colo. Springs in 1967 and 1970.

An F-86 "nudged" the landing gear of the B-25, not an F-100.

The cargo plane was a C-123 Provider, not an "early C-130". I have flown in both types.

This movie was very relevant for its period. Some of the reviewers don't have the perspective of the seriousness of the Cold War situation in 1955. I woke up on my seventh birthday in May 1956, afraid that Kruschev was going to attack the US that day. I had recurring dreams for over twenty years of Russian Bombers and Missles flying over Main Street of my home town.

I saw it for the first time this morning (April.24,2023) on TCM, as a filler between two other movies. I can't believe that I never saw it, while a Cadet at the Air Force Academy or since.

Jack Webb, narrating in the same staccato style that he used in DRAGNET, heads over to a temporary air force base to speak with an old friend and try to pick up some contemporary dialogue for a story. He winds up with a civics lesson about the purposes and methods of air defense and the difficulties of getting along with the civilian neighbors.

Of more interest to me is the lovely photography by Edward Colman, not only the jets -- I used to assemble Aurora models of them when I was a kid -- but images of the jet engines firing up and the scenery they fly past -- and the flocks of turkey gabbling at the noise, upsetting the civilians.

It's a good point, driven home, in Jack Webb style, with a sledge hammer, but the pictures are beautiful.

I am watching 24 Hour Alert right now on TCM. Jack Webb stars in and narrates this documentary style short film about a fictional town that wants the nearby temporary Air Force base to move. The locals don't like the noise the jets make. There are numerous 1950s jets shown in action and they are really the stars of this tribute to the Air Force and the great work it does protecting the country. Jack gets to go for a ride in a T-33 trainer with the base commander as pilot and gets to see what a jet can do. An uncredited role is the film is "2nd pilot in ready room" with Gordon Cooper as that pilot. I don't know if that is the Gordon Cooper who later became an astronaut. 24 Hour Alert is only 31 minutes long and is well worth a look, especially if you are interested in vintage aircraft.

24 Hour Alert (1955)

** (out of 4)

This short from Warner runs 31-minutes for some reason and it also picked up an Oscar nomination for some reason. Jack Webb appears as himself and also narrates as he talks about a U.S. Air Force base that is coming under attack by local residents who are unhappy over all the noise that the jets are making. Webb goes with the some experts as they talk to the people and see if they can come to some sort of understanding since the work of the jets are so important. Um, yeah, I'm really not sure what the entire point of this film was but it's certainly a strange little picture. I'd be lying if I said it was any good in regards to entertainment but I'll at least give it credit for being well made. The entire subject matter is just so bland and boring that it's impossible to really care about anything going on. I'm sure those who enjoy watching jets in motion should at least get some mild entertainment out of that. The only great thing in the film is its WarnerColor, which looks downright terrific. Seriously, the colors are so remarkable that it really does seem as if you're watching some sort of animated movie.

Outstanding aerial shots of 1950's USAF fighter jets. If you like warplanes, this little gem of a movie is an absolute must see.

Great narration by Jack Webb. This film honors those who served in the USAF back in the Cold War 1950's. There are no combat scenes, but there is plenty of aerial action.

At the end, there is extensive high quality footage of a 1950's USAF air show. B-52's, F-100's, B-47's, early C-130's, and F-86's. The highlight was the Pre-Thunderbirds USAF aerial demonstration team called the Sabre Knights.

Never heard of this short movie. But it was great.

Jack Webb did a great job honoring the USAF.