▁Air ▁Command ▁as ▁a ▁consult ant . ▁ ▁Some ▁comment ators ▁have ▁spec ulated ▁that ▁the ▁plot ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁Boston ▁Red ▁So x ▁legend ▁Ted ▁Williams , ▁a ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁veter an , ▁who ▁was ▁re called ▁for ▁Korean ▁War ▁service ▁as ▁a ▁U . S . ▁Marine ▁Corps ▁av i ator , ▁at ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁his ▁baseball ▁career . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁The ▁St or z ▁M ansion ▁in ▁O ma ha , ▁Neb r aska , ▁was ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁op ul ent ▁parties ▁celebr ating ▁the ▁film . ▁Its ▁premier ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁O ma ha , ▁the ▁home ▁of ▁Off utt ▁A FB ▁and ▁of ▁S AC ▁Head quarters . ▁The ▁premier ▁party ▁was ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁M ansion , ▁with ▁guests ▁that ▁included ▁Stewart ▁and ▁Al ly son , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Str ateg ic ▁Air ▁Command ▁commander , ▁General ▁Curt is ▁Le May . ▁ ▁Sh ot ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁V ista V ision ▁process , ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁the ▁sixth ▁highest - g ross ing ▁film ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁Crit ics ▁were ▁lu ke w arm ▁about ▁the ▁performances ▁of ▁all ▁except ▁for ▁Stewart , ▁who ▁was ▁called ▁" cap able ", ▁" ch arm ing ", ▁and ▁" comp et ent ". ▁ ▁Public ▁reaction ▁centered ▁on ▁the ▁spect ac ular ▁aer ial ▁foot age , ▁so ▁much ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁B - 3 6 ▁and ▁B - 4 7 ▁aircraft ▁were ▁arg u ably ▁the ▁real