The Idolator
- Episode aired Oct 4, 1965
- 1h
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
50
YOUR RATING
A Lt. friend who grew up feeling overshadowed by Col. Gallagher, does everything from air stunts to disobeying orders to outshine him.A Lt. friend who grew up feeling overshadowed by Col. Gallagher, does everything from air stunts to disobeying orders to outshine him.A Lt. friend who grew up feeling overshadowed by Col. Gallagher, does everything from air stunts to disobeying orders to outshine him.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn this episode, Gary Lockwood portrays a roughish young lieutenant who plays on his long-time friendship with his Commanding Officer. A year later, he plays a similar character on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before."
- Quotes
Brig. Gen. Ed Britt: War wouldn't be so bad... if it were something happening only to the enemy.
Featured review
Why try to get assigned to the unit of a man you deeply resent?
"The Idolator" is a poor installment of "12 O'Clock High", as I simply didn't believe the story could be possible. And, the Colonel's reaction to the Lieutenant seemed bizarre and inconsistent to say the least.
When the story begins, a new pilot arrives with his crew at the base. However, instead of radioing in to announce who he was and get permission to land, Lt. McGraw (Gary Lockwood) buzzes the base and behaves like he's a barnstormer. Not surprisingly, the Colonel is furious...until he sees it's McGraw and McGraw happens to be an old friend. Suddenly, the Colonel's anger disappears and McGraw ends up receiving no punishment for this major infraction.
On McGraw's first mission as the pilot of his bomber, he disobeys orders and goes off on his own mission. It turns out to be successful, but McGraw simply won't listen to orders and it soon becomes apparent that he has a MAJOR inferiority complex when it comes to the Colonel. He MUST prove himself superior to the Colonel by doing great AND constantly questioning his authority. Yet, oddly, this happens again....and the Colonel doesn't lower the boom on McGraw.
Later, he goes off on his own....and then he threatens to call his important daddy if the Colonel punishes him!! Finally, the Colonel has had enough and brings the General in to help deal with McGraw. But, again, the Colonel backs off and doesn't really deal with McGraw.
Now I really found this episode frustrating. McGraw is a Lieutenant....and a green one. So, I found it hard to believe he'd be that cocky and insubordinate. I also found it hard to believe that the Colonel wouldn't have barbecued McGraw early in the episode....as McGraw gave him at least four instances where he should have court martialed him or reassigned him. After all, a bomber group can't have such a divisive and oppositional guy....and by the end of the show, he STILL didn't lower the boom on McGraw.
Overall, an episode which seems to contradict everything prior episodes emphasized...that the bombers all function as one and that pilots follow instructions to the letter. A pilot like McGraw would likely have faced arrest with such a record! You can't help but wonder why this episode was made in the first place. It MIGHT have worked had McGraw's actions been more subtle or happened occasionally over a much longer period. As it is, the episode just showed poor writing....and showed the Colonel to be a lousy leader!
When the story begins, a new pilot arrives with his crew at the base. However, instead of radioing in to announce who he was and get permission to land, Lt. McGraw (Gary Lockwood) buzzes the base and behaves like he's a barnstormer. Not surprisingly, the Colonel is furious...until he sees it's McGraw and McGraw happens to be an old friend. Suddenly, the Colonel's anger disappears and McGraw ends up receiving no punishment for this major infraction.
On McGraw's first mission as the pilot of his bomber, he disobeys orders and goes off on his own mission. It turns out to be successful, but McGraw simply won't listen to orders and it soon becomes apparent that he has a MAJOR inferiority complex when it comes to the Colonel. He MUST prove himself superior to the Colonel by doing great AND constantly questioning his authority. Yet, oddly, this happens again....and the Colonel doesn't lower the boom on McGraw.
Later, he goes off on his own....and then he threatens to call his important daddy if the Colonel punishes him!! Finally, the Colonel has had enough and brings the General in to help deal with McGraw. But, again, the Colonel backs off and doesn't really deal with McGraw.
Now I really found this episode frustrating. McGraw is a Lieutenant....and a green one. So, I found it hard to believe he'd be that cocky and insubordinate. I also found it hard to believe that the Colonel wouldn't have barbecued McGraw early in the episode....as McGraw gave him at least four instances where he should have court martialed him or reassigned him. After all, a bomber group can't have such a divisive and oppositional guy....and by the end of the show, he STILL didn't lower the boom on McGraw.
Overall, an episode which seems to contradict everything prior episodes emphasized...that the bombers all function as one and that pilots follow instructions to the letter. A pilot like McGraw would likely have faced arrest with such a record! You can't help but wonder why this episode was made in the first place. It MIGHT have worked had McGraw's actions been more subtle or happened occasionally over a much longer period. As it is, the episode just showed poor writing....and showed the Colonel to be a lousy leader!
helpful•30
- planktonrules
- Sep 3, 2021
Details
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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