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The Big Lift
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The Big Lift (1950) More at IMDbPro »

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The Big Lift (1950) -- Experiences of two Air Force sergeants during the 1948 Berlin Airlift.
The Big Lift (1950) -- Experiences of two Air Force sergeants during the 1948 Berlin Airlift.

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   384 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 4% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
George Seaton
Writer:
George Seaton (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Big Lift on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 April 1950 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | War more
Plot:
Experiences of two Air Force sergeants during the 1948 Berlin Airlift. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. more
User Comments:
Realistic, gritty and sad. more
US TV Schedule:
Sat. July 1810:00 AMTCM   

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Montgomery Clift ... Sgt. 1st Class Danny MacCullough
Paul Douglas ... M / Sgt. Henry "Hank" Kowalski
Cornell Borchers ... Frederica Burkhardt
Bruni Löbel ... Gerda
O.E. Hasse ... Stieber
Captain Dante V. Morel ... Himself
Captain John R. Mason ... Sergeant
Captain Gail R. Plush ... Himself
Captain Mack Blevins ... Himself
Captain William A. Stewart ... Himself
First Lieutenant Alfred L. Freiburger ... Himself
First Lieutenant Gerald Arons ... Himself
First Lieutenant James Wilson ... Himself
First Lieutenant Richard A. Kellogg ... Himself
First Lieutenant Roy R. Steele ... Himself
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Additional Details

Runtime:
120 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording) | Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Associated Press correspondent Richard O'Malley and ABC News correspondent Lyford Moore play themselves in the film. more
Quotes:
Frederica Burkhardt: When you live in a sewer, you soon discover that the sewer rats are best equipped to survive. more
Soundtrack:
National Emblem March more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
14 out of 16 people found the following comment useful:-
Realistic, gritty and sad., 5 September 2005
9/10
Author: CmdrCody from United States

The movie, "The Big Lift," starring Montgomery Clift as Flight Engineer Danny MacCullough, represents a time machine back into the beginnings of the Cold War. It's shot in gritty black and white by director George Seaton to enhance the images of life among the ruins of post WWII Berlin. It's also a very nice slice of Air Force flying in the early 50's and as a professional pilot, I can say that the flying sequences showing the C-54 cockpit are quite realistic. In one scene, Clift runs cockpit checklists for the pilots who are flying that are completely authentic. There is also a nice description of how GCA approach control works, which still exists as a backup at todays airports.

Some claim that Paul Douglas' character, "Kowalski," isn't believable as an anti-German bigot, but I thought he was "spot-on." There are men in their 80's today who still feel the same way.

German actor O.E. Hasse portrays "Stieber, the Scrounger." He's a bit of comic relief as a spy for the Russians, watching Templehof field, counting the Allied aircraft as they land. He says that he has to lessen the count so that the Russians will believe him. Look for Hasse in another excellent war picture, "Decision Before Dawn", where he plays Wehrmacht Colonel Von Ecker of the XI Panzer Corps, deployed east of the Rhine to counter the American Seventh Army during the closing months of the war. Also like "The Big Lift," this movie was shot amongst the ruins of Germany and used real Army personnel on screen.

"Decision Before Dawn," "Battleground," "The Best Years of Our Lives" and "The Big Lift" are four b+w movies made in this era which attempted to get a real taste for the movie goer of what the men experienced during World War II and the period just after. All four are favorites of mine and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Thank you for reading my comments.

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This was a good movie but only fault (SPOILIER WARNING) wtl471629
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