American Toby Jug Museum 

Frank Savage character jug produced by Archbury of Bakerfield, California, circa 1999. General Frank Savage, played by Gregory Peck as depicted in this jug, is the main character in the 1949 movie "Twelve O'clock High". The movie is set at Archbury in the English midlands, where the “hard-luck” 918th Bomb Group has accumulated the highest loss rate and the worst bombing effectiveness record in all of Eighth Air Force. Morale is a disaster. General Pritchard, head of Bomber Command, concludes that the problem is the group commander whose leadership style has allowed discipline to erode. He replaces the commander with the tough operations officer, Brig. Gen. Frank Savage. Savage incurs the immediate enmity of both aircrews and support people when he clamps down on discipline and deals harshly with slackers. Among the first to feel his wrath is the guard at the gate who carelessly waves Savage through, neither saluting nor checking his ID. Resentful of the new order, all of the pilots ask for transfers out, but Savage sticks to his principles. As the group recovers its focus and combat effectiveness improves, the pilots change their minds and rally to the support of Savage, who leads the 918th on a big mission over the German heartland. An American flag and bomber in the clouds form the handle of the jug. Only about 100 Frank Savage jugs were produced.