Experiences of two Air Force sergeants during the 1948 Berlin Airlift.
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Title: The Big Lift (1950)
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Nominated for
1
Golden Globe.
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Montgomery Clift | ... | Danny MacCullough | |
| Paul Douglas | ... | Hank Kowalski | |
| Cornell Borchers | ... | Frederica Burkhardt | |
| Bruni Löbel | ... | Gerda | |
| O.E. Hasse | ... | Stieber (as O. E. Hasse) | |
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Dante V. Morel | ... | Dante V. Morel (as Capt. Dante V. Morel) |
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John R. Mason | ... | John R. Mason (as Capt. John R. Mason) |
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Gail R. Plush | ... | Gail R. Plush (as Capt. Gail R. Plush) |
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Mack Blevins | ... | Mack Blevins (as Capt. Mack Blevins) |
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William A. Stewart | ... | William A. Stewart (as Capt. William A. Stewart) |
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Alfred L. Freiburger | ... | Alfred L. Freiburger (as 1st Lt. Alfred L. Freiburger) |
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Gerald Arons | ... | Gerald Arons (as 1st Lt. Gerald Arons) |
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James Wilson | ... | James Wilson (as 1st Lt. James Wilson) |
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Richard A. Kellogg | ... | Richard A. Kellogg (as 1st Lt. Richard A. Kellogg) |
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Roy R. Steele | ... | Roy R. Steele (as 1st Lt. Roy R. Steele) |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
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Storyline
In 1948, the Soviet Union blockades the Allied sectors of Berlin to bring the entire city under their control. A semi-documentary about the resulting Berlin Airlift gives way to stories of two fictitious U.S. Air Force participants: Sgt. Hank Kowalski, whose hatred of Germans proves resistant to change, and Sgt. Danny McCullough, whose pursuit of an attractive German war widow gives him a crash course in the seamy side of occupied Berlin. Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Plot Keywords:
berlin airlift | aviation | airlift | semi documentary | u.s. soldier |Taglines:
From the Ruins came Hope and DespairParents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
20 July 1950 (UK) See more »Also Known As:
The Quartered City See more »Edit
Box Office
Gross USA:
$1,300,000, 31 December 1950Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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(uncredited)
Written by Günter Neumann
Played by the band at the nightclub and sung by Cornell Borchers
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
George Seaton had a run-in with Montgomery Clift, who insisted on having his acting coach, Mira Rustova, on set at all times. Clift would listen to her over director George Seaton (I), who was so angered by this that he ordered Rustova off the set. Clift said if she wasn't there, he would quit , so Seaton was forced to let her back in. See more »Goofs
When the white paint is first spilled on "Danny" (Montgomery Cliff) it splashed mostly on the lower part of the front of his uniform, from the chest down. Later, almost his entire uniform, front and back, had some paint from the shoulders down. See more »Quotes
Frederica Burkhardt: When you live in a sewer, you soon discover that the sewer rats are best equipped to survive.See more »
Crazy Credits
At the end of the movie, the "Hollywood" stars (Clift, Douglas etc.), are not credited, however a panoramic coda does credit the principal military service members who portrayed themselves in the film. It shows them standing at attention in front of a C-54, with their names and ranks scrolling across. See more »Soundtracks
Vielleicht(uncredited)
Written by Günter Neumann
Played by the band at the nightclub and sung by Cornell Borchers
See more »
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You really have to be in the mood for this one. More like a grainy tapestry of newsreel and realism. Dramatic and at the same time remarkable visions of the ruins of war torn Berlin. This film evolves around the trials and tribulations of two Airmen during the great airlift and their romancing of German women. Montgomery Clift is sullen and wooden as Sgt. MacCullough. On the other hand, Paul Douglas makes an ass of himself as the arrogant Sgt. Kowalski. I enjoyed the photogenic locales more than the story line itself. Also in the cast are:Bruni Lobel, O.E. Hasse and the mystical Cornell Borchers. Writer and director George Seaton deserves kudos for presenting the harsh realism of post-WWII Berlin.