WarDramaRomance

The Big Lift

- From the Ruins came Hope and Despair

The Berlin Air Lift from the point of view of two Air Force NCOs who navigate romance in a bombed out post WW2 Germany.

Release Date : 1950-04-26

Language :EnglishGerman

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : 20th Century Fox

Production Country : GermanyUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Sgt. 1st Class Danny MacCullough

Original Name : Montgomery Clift

Gender : Male

Character Name : MSgt. Henry "Hank" Kowalski

Original Name : Paul Douglas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Frederica Burkhardt

Original Name : Cornell Borchers

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gerda

Original Name : Bruni Löbel

Gender : Female

Character Name : Stieber

Original Name : O.E. Hasse

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. Dante V. Morel

Original Name : Dante V. Morel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. John R. Mason

Original Name : John R. Mason

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. Gail R. Plush

Original Name : Gail R. Plush

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. Mack Blevins

Original Name : Mack Blevins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. William A. Stewart

Original Name : William A. Stewart

Gender : Male

Character Name : 1st Lt. Alfred L. Freiburger

Original Name : Alfred L. Freiburger

Gender : Male

Character Name : 1st Lt. Gerald Arons

Original Name : Gerald Arons

Gender : Male

Character Name : 1st Lt. James Wilson

Original Name : James Wilson

Gender : Male

Character Name : 1st Lt. Richard A. Kellogg

Original Name : Richard A. Kellogg

Gender : Male

Character Name : 1st Lt. Roy R. Steele

Original Name : Roy R. Steele

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-12-27

This is certainly an authentic, atmospheric looking depiction of immediately post war Berlin as the erstwhile allies start carving up the spoils of victory. The story focusses on Monty Clift as "Danny", a flight engineer working for the US Air Force as the Soviets blockade all ground-based access to the bombed out city, and his pal Paul Douglas ("Kowalski") and follows their various escapades, loves and adventures during the short period of the siege. The story itself isn't really up to much and Clift always suited me better in a cowboy hat than in a military one - somehow he just isn't a particularly plausible soldier. Douglas, on the other hand has much more of a backstory to get our teeth into - his time in a POW camp has hardened his attitude to the German people (though the odd fling isn't entirely out of the question). There is some good aerial photography and that helps keep it interesting for a while, but at two hours long, the plot and characters start to wear quite thin and it begins to look more like a propaganda exercise for domestic consumption. Still, fans of Clift ought to enjoy it.