A young pilot in the German air force of 1918, disliked as lower-class and unchivalrous, tries ambitiously to earn the medal offered for 20 kills.
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Title: The Blue Max (1966)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| George Peppard | ... | ||
| James Mason | ... | ||
| Ursula Andress | ... | ||
| Jeremy Kemp | ... | ||
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Karl Michael Vogler | ... | |
| Anton Diffring | ... | ||
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Harry Towb | ... | |
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Peter Woodthorpe | ... | |
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Derek Newark | ... | |
| Derren Nesbitt | ... | ||
| Loni von Friedl | ... |
Elfi Heidemann
(as Loni Von Friedl)
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Friedrich von Ledebur | ... |
Feldmarschall von Lenndorf
(as Friedrich Ledebur)
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Carl Schell | ... | |
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Hugo Schuster | ... |
Hans. Elderly Servant
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Alex Scott | ... |
The Orator
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Edit
Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
See All (70) »
Storyline
The tactics of a German fighter pilot offend his aristocratic comrades but win him his country's most honored medal, the Blue Max. The General finds him useful as a hero even though his wife also finds him useful as a love object. In the end the General arranges for him to test-fly an untried fighter. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords:
ambition | uncle nephew relationship | observation balloon | aristocrat | plane on fire |Taglines:
The raiding squadrons of the Red Baron... See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
21 June 1966 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Der blaue Max See more »Filming Locations:
Trinity College Capel, Trinity College, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland See more »Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (FMC Library Print)Sound Mix:
6-Track Stereo | 4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System)| Mono (optical prints) (Westrex Recording System)Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
This number is also fitted on a captured Fokker D.VII currently on display at the "Le musée de l'Air et de l'Espace" (Air and Space Museum), in Le Bourget, Paris, France which is most likely not a coincidence. See more »
(a.k.a. "The Emperor Waltz") (uncredited)
Composed by Johann Strauss (1889)
[Heard under scenes of the aristocracy]
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Hauptmann (Captain) Heidemann aircraft is a Fokker D.VII with the Construction Number 6796/18 printed on the side of the aircraft.This number is also fitted on a captured Fokker D.VII currently on display at the "Le musée de l'Air et de l'Espace" (Air and Space Museum), in Le Bourget, Paris, France which is most likely not a coincidence. See more »
Goofs
Stachel's final air battle was flown in the Fokker Tri-Plane. However in the very final shot of him firing his machine guns - he is suddenly shown seated in his (since destroyed) Pfalz scout-fighter - which has a narrower, more rounded fuselage. See more »Soundtracks
Kaiser-Walzer, Op. 437(a.k.a. "The Emperor Waltz") (uncredited)
Composed by Johann Strauss (1889)
[Heard under scenes of the aristocracy]
See more »
I'm a fan of World War One-movies and I've got several of them in my private DVD collection. "The Blue Max" isn't in it yet, but if I ever find it on a DVD, I won't hesitate for one moment to buy it. I want to have it, not only because it deals with WWI in general and because it is a good movie, but also because it gives an idea of how the war in the air was fought and how these pilots acted and saw themselves...
This movie tells the story of Bruno Stachel, an ordinary infantry soldier who has been turned into a fighter pilot. His colleagues aren't happy with him, not only because he isn't an aristocrat like they are, but also because he's extremely ambitious. He will do anything to win him his country's most honored medal, the Blue Max. But to win it, he'll have to shoot down 20 enemy aircrafts, which will all have to be confirmed by his comrades, without getting killed himself. And while being hated by his fellow pilots, he's seen as the people's hero and perfect propaganda material by the general and as the ideal lust object by the general's wife...
"The Blue Max" shows very well how the pilots during WWI were almost always noblemen (I guess the most famous one of them all was Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen, better known as the Red Barron), who considered the concept of an honorable death at the hands of a "worthy" opponent still as one of the most important things during their fights. Even at the end of the war in 1918, while on the ground troops had been anonymously slaughtered by the thousands with machine guns and gas, they still considered chivalry as one of the highest goods.
Next to the historically correct situation of the story, I also admire the rest of the movie. I know, if you aren't interested in WWI, than this might not be the most spectacular movie you've ever seen, but even than the movie has plenty of good and interesting things to offer. The story on itself is nice, the acting is very good and the airplanes are magnificent to watch, on the ground as well as in the air. This is one of those movies that has stood the hands of time, but that is known by only a small audience, which is really a shame. Personally I'm a big fan of this movie and that's why I reward it with an 8/10. My advice: don't call "Top Gun" the ultimate fighter pilot movie before you've seen this one.