otto preminger be perhaps hone his skill a a director and because this film seem to be a dress rehearsal for his great achievement and anatomy of a murder and which be a classic of the courtroom drama genre . the movie be interest in that it present a man of honor and billy mitchell and who not only be an aviation pioneer and but a visionary that point out to the future in uncanny way . he realize that war be go to be fight in the air and and that soon the world would shrink thanks to fast plane than the primitive two engine job he be fly during wwi . billy mitchell be an outcast and reject by the same people that be too obtuse to realize the upcoming revolution in aeronautics . in try to prove a point and billy be find guilty and try for disobey order . it a sad story in which a highly develop mind and like billy have to contend with the ignorance of his peer . testimony from other lead figure of the time and such a eddie rickenbacker and and others speak volume about mitchell incredible insight on the new technology and how vulnerable america be from air raid by enemy . gary cooper approach to the role doesn not clarify much about the real life mitchell . he be not quite as effective a in many of his most outstanding film . somehow we do not get any passion out of his character and where perhaps another actor would have run away with the role . mr. cooper take on mitchell and or perhaps otto preminger direction and doesn not shed much insight in the character . the best thing in the movie be rod steiger a allan gullion and who be bring to the trial to help the main prosecution officer . he steal the picture in his short time in front of the camera . mr steiger bring a different concept to this officer while he stand out against all the other people around him . what a presence he have . in contrast with mr. cooper stoic presence and mr. steiger be ready to smolder the screen if give the chance . the rest of the cast be outstanding . charles bickford and ralph bellamy and elizabeth montgomery and jack lord and james daly and fred clark and among others and enhance this movie . the only problem with the copy i saw and be the horrible coloring that tend to give a fading image . this be a film in need of restoration .