8.4/10113 votes#1 - Golden Boy Had Nine Black Sheep
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/18/1964
Captain Joe Gallagher aborts twice in a row bringing him to the attention of General Savage. Savage feels that Gallagher has a chip on his shoulder and is not pulling his weight and assigns him a new plane ""The Leper Colony "" . He tells Gallagher he is going to get a crew of malcontents, ""a co-pilot who is all thumbs, a navigator who can't find his feet, a bombardier who could not hit his plate with a fork"". Gallagher applies for a transfer, but Harvey delays it. Gallagher will have to turn them into a crew. Captain Gallagher is tough on his crew but they start to perform well and after 5 missions, Savage says they have earned the right to change the name. They all decide to keep it, but Gallagher's transfer has come through and he still wants out. Before he goes he wants in on a special 2 plane mission. Savage agrees and they complete the mission but Gallagher's airplane is hit and co-pilot Blake wounded. He can not abandon the aircraft so he gets it home safe. Savage promotes him to
Director: Don Medford
Writer: N/A
- 8.5/1076 votes
#2 - Follow the Leader
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 9/25/1964
Savage wants the 918th to try a new technique, bombing on the leader. Instead of each bombardier sighting his own target and then making his own bomb-run, the entire group would synchronize with the lead bombardier and when he drops, the whole Group drops. Both Generals' Crowe & Pritchard are opposed to the idea but Savage presses for it. His lead crew consists of Bishop, Zimmerman & Mellon. Mellon has been recommended for the DFC for a previous mission. When his best friend the Navigator was badly wounded, Mellon stayed at his post and made the bomb run anyway. The run was successful but the friend died. Mellon is shaken and on the next mission, the entire group misses and bombs a school. Unsure whether it was faulty equipment or his error, Mellon does not want to be lead bombardier any longer. Savage pushes Mellon and they go up again and successfully bomb the target.
Director: William A. Graham
Writer: N/A
- 8.5/1083 votes
#3 - The Men and the Boys
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/2/1964
Tom Lockridge is a copilot, on a mission the pilot is killed, and he takes over allowing the crew to bail out. His best friend Captain Wade Ritchie disobeys orders and flies cover with his B-17. Back on the ground Savage tells Ritchie he is going to charge him with disobeying an order for leaving formation. When Lockridge returns and finds this out he turns his back on the General. Savage tries to explain to Lockridge the concept of formation discipline, but he is only concerned about his friend. Ritchie draws a court martial and is reduced in rank to 1st Lieutenant. Savage speaks to Libby MacAndrews, Lockridge's girl and she and Savage both keep working on him. On the next mission Lieutenant Ritchie flies as copilot with Savage and they get hit, Lockridge now an aircraft commander realizes he can't break formation.
Director: William A. Graham
Writer: Harold Jack Bloom
- 8.3/1077 votes
#4 - The Sound of Distant Thunder
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 10/16/1964
Andy Lathrop is an unsophisticated Tennessee boy. Flying as Savage's lead bombardier, he saves Savage's life, gets promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and gets recommended for the DFC. On leave he meets and falls in love with Barmaid Mary Lean and asks her to marry him, she agrees. Later the pub she and her father have is destroyed during an air raid and Mary is killed. Crazed with grief he goes AWOL. He and Savage talk and he reconsiders and returns to duty a little wiser.
Director: Don Medford
Writer: Edward J. Lakso
- 8.2/1073 votes
#5 - The Climate of Doubt
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/23/1964
General Crowe is waiting for Savage to return from a mission, he notices that when the aircraft ""High Flyer"" lands an ambulance rush out to meet it. Out gets a pretty girl dressed in a hula skirt who welcomes the crew. He questions Savage about it. Savage explains he just approved the marriage of one of the gunners, a Hawaiian nicknamed ""Pineapple"" to an English girl, Dorothy Hall. Crowe tells Savage he wants him to meet some one, and whisks him back to his hotel where Savage meets resistance leader Nicole Trouchard. Crowe wants the 918th to bomb two targets on the next mission, first the Rouen marshalling yards, the second being a Gestapo building the French Resistance wants destroyed. Crowe feels this will make the resistance feel that the Americans are true Allies and points out that they need the resistance to help with downed airmen. Crowe also reveals that he and Nicole had a brief affair in the past. Savage is concerned that his men will get hit badly on the second run, Crowe te
Director: Don Medford
Writer: N/A
- 8.5/1075 votes
#6 - Pressure Point
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 10/30/1964
Senator Clay Johnson wants to shut down the long range bombing program because of high aircraft & manpower losses. Savage argues that they just need adequate fire power and long range fighter support. Since the P-51 mustang is not yet deployed, they lack long range fighter cover. Savage wants to bomb Hamburg or Kiel using aircraft armed with 50 mm guns instead of 20 mm guns. Grounded by bad weather, Savage gets a visit from the Vicar of Archbury who asks him why he has denied permission for Eddie Pryor & April Barret to get married. Perplexed Savage says he has no such request, then speaks to Pryor who confesses he is scared of the commitment. The weather clears and on the next mission Pryor gets trapped in the Ball Turret by damage. Savage turns the mission over to Major Roberts and then he & Mewlay land the damaged plane with Pryor still trapped. The mission is a success - no casualties. Pryor marries April Barrett.
Director: William A. Graham
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/1059 votes
#7 - Decision
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/6/1964
Major Jack Temple leads the low Squadron on a raid to bomb the flying Bomb (V2) assembly plant at Laon. His aircraft ""The Lucky Lady"" is hit and he is forced to bail out with his crew. Major Temple and 4 of his crew (Kinner, Nichols, Weinstock & Moody) are captured and taken before Oberst Alfred Hoeptner, the commander of the Laon facility. Hoeptner decides that he is going to keep the men prisoner at the factory to prevent them from being bombed. Major Temple states that it is a violation of the Geneva Convention, and Hoeptner aggress hoping that the Americans will file a protest with the Red Cross. All he needs is a little time to close down the factory and move the machinery elsewhere. Back at Archbury, Frank & Harvey are listening to Lord Haw Haw's broadcast outlining the capture of Temple and the fact that he and his men are being held at Laon. Frank and Harvey head off to the officers club, and when Harvey suggests darts, Savage comes up with the idea of pinpoint bombing the targ
Director: William A. Graham
Writer: Jack Turley, Clair Huffaker
- 7.7/1067 votes
#8 - The Hours Before Dawn
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 11/13/1964
The 918th is assigned in top secrecy to bomb Dortmund. The only one who has the details is Savage and after being briefed by Stoneman, Crowe & Colonel Meyers he heads back to base. On the way he is caught in an air raid and is rescued by Doker Drew. Drew escorts Savage and another straggler Jennifer Heath back to Heaths place so that Savage can telephone the base. After the air raid subsides Savage & Jennifer are surprise by a wounded German flier, wearing the uniform of an Obergefrieter (Corporal). Savage recognizes the man for what he really is a German Oberst (Colonel) in the Luftwaffe. After a struggle Jennifer is wounded and Savage is forced to kill Haff.
Director: Don Medford
Writer: Donald S. Sanford
- 7.8/1064 votes
#9 - Appointment at Liege
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 11/20/1964
Major Gus Denver returns to the 918th from the States. While he was away on special instructor duty at Langley, his original crew was shot down over Liege and all were killed. Now back as a Squadron & Aircraft commander he wants to get back to bomb Liege. The 918th is ordered to bomb Masstricht at 8000 feet in a raid planned by Ed Chandler. On the mission the co-pilot, navigator & radioman die. Savage is unsure of Denver.
Director: Don Medford
Writer: Charles Larson
- 8.5/1080 votes
#10 - Interlude
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 11/27/1964
After loosing his best friend Joe Farrell, Savage goes on leave ordered by General Crowe. He goes to Inverness by train then to the Isle of Dunfergus aboard the Glencoe Lass. On the train he meets a Wren officer, Ann Macrae, who is going home on leave. After several unfortunate disagreements, Frank and Ann start to get along and finally fall in love. Savage learns that she has terminal cancer and not long to live. There is nothing he can do and she dies.
Director: William A. Graham
Writer: Dean Riesner
- 8.0/1067 votes
#11 - Here's to Courageous Cowards
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 12/4/1964
Ross Lawrence a clerk in the Group Office stows away with Joe Morse's crew and shoots down an FW. Later Morse offers to have Lawrence transferred to a flight crew, but he refuses. Suspicious, Morse asks Sergeant Meadows to pull the file from the Ground Exec's office and finds out that Lawrence spent a year in an internment camp as a conscientious objector. Morse who has been lead pilot on too many missions is starting to crack and Savage wants him to step down voluntarily as lead pilot. On the next 2 missions they are badly hit and several of Morse's crew are wounded or killed. Needing replacements, Savage orders Lawrence to report for gunnery training, he does and is assigned to the ""Terrible Tillie"" as left waist gunner. On the next mission Wilson leads when Morse blanks out. They get to the target, and Lawrence hesitates until his friend is killed then he shoots down a fighter. At the debriefing, Major Morse recommends Wilson as the new lead pilot.
Director: Don Medford
Writer: N/A
- 7.9/1063 votes
#12 - Soldiers Sometimes Kill
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 12/11/1964
After loosing his memory Savage is found wandering around Berkley Square south Grosvenor Street by Lieutenant Ryan. After being examined by Kaiser, he reads in the paper that Barbara Talbot was murdered in London. Later Inspector Thorne and Sergeant Padget from the CID come to see Savage, they found a lighter with a 918th crest in Barbara's flat. Savage is missing his lighter and he has no memory. He starts to retrace his steps to Redgraves Club tnen Barbara's flat. It turns out that Redgraves is a blackmailer & spy, he uses women like Barbara to lure important people into compromising situations. Frank realizes that Redgraves killed Barbara and that Padgett works for Redgraves. Frank confronts Regraves, and as Regraves is about to kill Frank, he is shot and wounded by Inspector Thorne. Next mission will be to Saarbrücken .
Director: Sutton Roley
Writer: Charles Larson
- 7.8/1063 votes
#13 - The Suspected
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 12/18/1964
Reporter Clifford Moran believes that Jim Driscoll is really a convicted killer from St Louis named George Kern Turner who in 1933 when 16 years old beat his step father to death. He was sentenced to life in prison and escaped. Driscoll has now been married to Meg, Savage's former clerk for 1 year. Driscoll meets Moran at the Black Raven Pub in Chelsea and refutes Moran. Moran is later killed by falling in front of a subway train at Sloane Square Station. The next day Driscoll does not report in and Savage goes to locate him. He finds that Driscoll's wife had a baby, a son at St Stephens Hospital. It is later revealed that Moran was killed when a pick pocket tried to lift his wallet and Moran fell in front of the train. On the next mission the plane is hit and two engines are out, Lieutenant Eagan, the co-pilot is wounded. Savage orders the crew to bail. Savage can not see and Driscoll stays to help Savage land the aircraft. Driscoll admits he is Turner. Back at base, Turner is ready t
Director: Don Medford
Writer: Charles Larson, Jack Turley
- 7.6/1058 votes
#14 - An Act of War
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 12/25/1964
The group returns from a bomb run the air frame factory at Metz. The leader, Major Cobb reports complete destruction of the target, but the Intelligence officer Major Herrick says the factory is still operating. General Crowe chews Frank out and he takes a single B-17 to scout the target. He and Lieutenant Canello find out that they have been bombing a decoy area, locate the real factory but get shot down before they can return with the information. Canello is killed. Captured by angry French partisans who hate the Americans' for bombing them, Savage must fight for his life. He eventually persuades the partisans that the bomb raids are necessary.
Director: William A. Graham
Writer: Donald S. Sanford
- 8.0/1060 votes
#15 - Those Who Are About to Die
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 1/1/1965
The 918th draws a particularly tough mission, an aircraft plant in Rhone Valley, 120 miles beyond fighter support range, surrounded by 500 anti-aircraft batteries and at the bombers maximum fuel range. At least 3 squadrons of fighters will be waiting for the bombers and they will not have a lot of fuel for evasive action. Fog rolls in and they stand down for 3 days, the tension of waiting is driving the men crazy. Tom Lockridge has flown 24 missions and has been hospitalized with hepatitis. He and Sergeant Rutherford are the only members of the original crew, all the others completed there tours or were killed. Major Kaiser wants to keep Lockridge is hospital a little while longer but Lockridge wants to get his tour over with.
Director: Abner Biberman
Writer: Harold Jack Bloom
- 7.9/1058 votes
#16 - In Search of My Enemy
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 1/8/1965
Major Peter Gray and his wife Ann arrive at the 918th. Savage knows Ann as Ann Goss and was going to marry her a year ago. At Wing HQ, a WAC in photo reconnaissance points out something suspicious on a map, and because she says it reminds her of a Michellene (Mechlin) Lace pattern Savage dubs the investigation photo reconnaissance mission ""Operation Spelling Bee"". As Major Jake Hays is still laid up with a fractured knee, Savage chooses Gray to lead and tells him it is a milk run. The mission is to bomb the rail yards at Saint Edouard, then fly over the camouflaged area for photo reconnaissance. Gray is jealous of Savage's former relationship with his wife and feels that Savage assigned him this mission on purpose. It turns out that the camouflaged area at Saint Edouard are really launching sites for new V-2 bombs and German fighters are around in droves. Only 12 of 20 of the planes return from the photo reconnaissance mission. On the next mission to Saint Edouard, Savage leads a 4 gro
Director: Don Medford
Writer: N/A
- 6.9/1055 votes
#17 - The Albatross
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 1/15/1965
Kane completed his 25 missions and is going back to the States on a Public Relations Tour. He will be performing in Winged Victory and wants to resume his career as an actor after the War. Savage asks Kane to volunteer for one last mission as his co-pilot and when the Flight Engineer & Bombardier are killed on the mission, Kane goes to check the oxygen tanks and is badly burned in the face. Back at base Doc Kaiser asks the General if Kane was a good actor before the War, Savage says he was, Doc says ""Well he can be retrained of course"". When we next see Kane he is bandaged about the right size of his, face, feeling sorry for himself he refuses to see anyone or eat. After refusing to see his buddies, then being rejected by his fiancé he steals an airplane and goes on a suicide mission. Savage talks him down and later Kane (sans bandages) offers Savage his Lighter, a signal he is no longer afraid.
Director: William A. Graham
Writer: N/A
- 8.3/1071 votes
#18 - The Lorelei
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 1/22/1965
Crowe assigns Colonel Royce as Deputy Group Commander. On his arrival he goes out to meet ""Lorelei"" piloted by Lieutenant Josephs and finds all the crew dead. Royce takes over the plane with a new crew calls her Four Leaf Clover II. On the first mission, Royce's (Red Badger 1) controls freeze up, He leads the next mission (Blue Jay Leader) and the bomb release malfunctions. Each time the plane is checked they can find nothing wrong. Leaving Royce to lead the next mission, Savage goes to London to a SHAEF meeting and runs into Carol Royce. He Returns to base to find that the mission was flown by Major Cobb and that Royce is on sick call. The replacement pilot of the Lorelei, Captain Wayne Parsons was killed in a bizarre accident when a piece of the engine housing flies off and kills him. On the next mission, Royce leads (Red Dog Leader) and Lorelei again malfunctions, he aborts and on the way home orders the crew to bail out, the plane keeps on going and Frank and Joe Cobb take the Picc
Director: Don Medford
Writer: N/A
- 8.3/1075 votes
#19 - Faith, Hope and Sergeant Aronson
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 1/29/1965
Before a big mission, Savage is injured with a piece of shrapnel by his heart and consigned to the hospital. He meets a gunner from Major Cobb's crew Sergeant Aaronson who has just seen his best friend Saul Barstein die and he looses his will to live. He and Savage form a bond. To save Savage, Dr. Kaiser calls in his mentor Dr Simon Lewis a cardiologist to operate. The aircraft carrying Lewis crashes and Lewis is killed, forcing Kaiser to operate - successfully along with a blood donation from Aaronson. Savage & Aaronson help each other recover. The big mission is to the Ruhr Valley, after which Aaronson & Ivy get married.
Director: László Benedek
Writer: Carey Wilber
- 8.1/1058 votes
#20 - To Heinie, with Love
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 2/5/1965
On a mission to bomb the rail yards at Eissen, Muller the new Navigator performs perfectly but is knocked down during a maneuver. His wallet falls out of his pocket and it contains a picture of a man in a Nazi Uniform. A few minutes later Pike has to break up a fight between Muller & Magill. While Muller is an excellent Navigator his is unpopular because he is German. The fight broke out over the picture Muller keeps of his father in a Nazi uniform. When questioned by General Savage, Muller explains that is his only picture of his father who was an American Bund Nazi. Muller is the lead Navigator on the next mission. Out for walk in the country, Muller meets a deaf girl, Nora and falls in love. Out with Nora, Muller is late for briefing and does not swing his compass before take off. As a result they are off course and miss the target. Muller realizes his error and corrects but the plane is hit and Bombardier Magill is badly wounded. Muller thinking he is dead does not help him. On the
Director: Ralph Senensky
Writer: Charles Larson, Gilbert Ralston
- 7.6/1050 votes
#21 - The Clash
Season 1 Episode 21 - Aired 2/12/1965
General Savage is shot down while on a bomb run to the Sub Penn's @ Trondheim. The onlly suvivor of his crew, he ends up in a life raft with a Luftwaffe ME-109 Pilot near the Faroe Islands, 150 miles west of Trondheim. Oberst Dieter does not want to be captured and orders Savage to row (at gunpoint) towards Norway. Back at base, General Crowe orders Harvey to make another attack at Trodheim. Savage & Dietter enage in a battle of wills, and match wits over whether the Germans of Allies will rescue them. Washed ashore on a deserted isle, Savage is forced to kill Dieter.
Director: N/A
Writer: Jack Turley, Meyer Dolinsky
- 7.7/1050 votes
#22 - The Ticket
Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 2/26/1965
The Brauberg Damn needs to be bombed. Savage thinks that a specially equipped P-51 with 2 500 lb bombs can take it out. He asks Paul Stiger a Kentucky farm boy who takes risks and volunteers for a all special missions. Stiger volunteers the wins the football pool £ 20,000. He begins to realize that there is more to life. He falls in love with Myra his girl and wants to get married. Savage denies his request. He goes on mission and survives Crain becomes friend tries to help him.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
- 8.2/1056 votes
#23 - The Trap
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 3/5/1965
While working on a plan to bomb Strassbourg, Savage gets trapped in a cellar during an Air Raid. Trapped with him are Lady Constance, Dr Glenway, Miner Bert Higgs and a pregnant woman Eleanor Nicholls. We learn more about the each of the people as they try to free themselves. Dr. Glenway turns out to be Archie Lewis, a lower class con man who redeems himself. After they are freed, Lady Constance decides to open Penrose Hall up as a home for young women like Eleanor.
Director: Ralph Senensky
Writer: Richard L. Newhafer
- 7.4/1052 votes
#24 - The End of the Line
Season 1 Episode 24 - Aired 3/12/1965
A Squadron Commander, Major Joe Gallagher scrubs himself from a mission and his replacement Captain Larry Hollander is killed. Gallagher feels responsible and goes to meet Hollander's girl May. May is a sweet young British girl living with her Aunt Nell. He finds out that they were going to be married, and May thinks he is there to check her out for security so that she and Hollander can be married. When she realizes why Gallagher is there she breaks down. Gallagher starts to look after May and they fall in love. Gallagher finds out that she is pregnant and offers to marry her. He talks with General Savage who will not approve as she has not yet been cleared. May tries to kill herself and Gallagher goes back to Savage. Savage asks Major Stovall to check her out, he calls and she is apparently out at a seedy bar. Savage & Stovall go to check and she is out drinking with another man. When Gallagher confronts her she denies everything then when Gallagher asks her to take a pregnancy test
Director: Sutton Roley
Writer: Dean Riesner
- 7.9/1051 votes
#25 - The Threat
Season 1 Episode 25 - Aired 3/19/1965
Axis Sally is broadcasting some very accurate information about the 918th. Including that Savage is going to be killed. When a bomb blast injures 2 men it turns out to be sabotage. Getting treatment for a minor injury, Savage is almost killed by an overdose of 20,000 cc's of morphine administered by a new Nurse, Lt Dietrich. Colonel Reed from G-2 arrives to investigate. Savage leads the next mission and no German planes shoot at Piccadilly Lilly, but shoot down 2 other planes and badly damage 5 more. At base Savage learns that Axis Sally's has made a new broadcast. He aircraft was not shot at as she wants him to die on the 13th. Colonel Reed arrests several people in the Group including Lieutenant Dietrich. Unknown to all Gilly Bright the barber turns out be the spy and he and Savage are going fishing on the River Wye. Gilly tries to shoot Savage on the day after Friday the 13th but at 13:00 hours in compartment 13 on the train; Savage throws him off the train.
Director: Ralph Senensky
Writer: Jack Turley
The Best Episodes of 12 O'Clock High Season 1
Every episode of 12 O'Clock High Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of 12 O'Clock High Season 1!
This series chronicles the adventures--in the air and on the ground--of the men of the 918th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Eighth Air Force. First...
Genres:DramaWar & Politics
Network:ABC
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"Golden Boy Had Nine Black Sheep" is the best rated episode of "12 O'Clock High" season 1. It scored 8.4/10 based on 113 votes. Directed by Don Medford and written by N/A, it aired on 9/18/1964. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "Follow the Leader".