The Big Lift
Encyclopedia
The Big Lift is a 1950 drama film
shot on location in the city of Berlin
, Germany
, that tells the story of "Operation Vittles", the 1948-1949 Berlin Airlift
, through the experiences of two U.S. Air Force sergeant
s (played by Montgomery Clift
and Paul Douglas
).
The film was directed and written by George Seaton
, and was released April 26, 1950, less than one year after the Soviet blockade of Berlin was lifted and airlift operations ceased. Because the film was shot in Berlin in 1949, as well as using newsreel footage of the actual airlift, it provides a contemporary glimpse of the post-war state of the city as it struggles to recover from the devastation wrought by World War II
.
in Hawaii
are ordered to report to their squadron in July 1948. What is briefed as a temporary "training assignment" in the United States becomes a flight halfway around the world to Germany
for the C-54 Skymaster
s of the 19th, where the Soviets have blockaded Berlin
in an attempt to force out the Allies by starving the city. Tech Sgt. Danny MacCullough (Montgomery Clift
), flight engineer of a C-54 nicknamed The White Hibiscus, is immediately ordered to fly with his crew from Frankfurt
into Tempelhof Airport to deliver a load of coal. His friend Master Sgt. Hank Kowalski (Paul Douglas
), a Ground-Controlled Approach
operator, hitches a ride with them to his new station. Hank, a POW during World Way II, resents the German people and goes out of his way to be rude and overbearing to them. Danny on the other hand is frustrated by not being able to leave the airport because of the necessity of quickly offloading and returning to Frankfort.
Months later the crew of call sign "Big Easy 37" renames their airplane Der Schwarze Hibiscus because of the grimy soot that has accumulated in it from hauling coal. They become temporary celebrities on a mission when they are the 100,000th flight of "Operation Vittles" into Berlin. Danny is immediately enamored of Frederica Burkhardt (Cornell Borchers
), an attractive German war widow chosen to thank him on behalf of the women of Berlin. When a news correspondent covering the ceremony recruits Danny for a public relations
stunt, Danny jumps at the opportunity as a means of getting a pass in Berlin and seeing Frederica again. During a tour of the city, Danny's uniform is accidentally covered with paint, forcing him to wear civilian working clothes while his uniform is cleaned. They meet Hank and his "schottzie," the friendly and intelligent Gerda, at a night club, where Hank is rude to Frederica and treats Gerda as an inferior. Hank chances to see the former prison guard who tortured him as a POW and nearly beats him to death. Danny is able to stop Hank only by knocking him down and mistaken for a German attacking Hank, is chased into the Russian Sector
by MPs
.
Danny and Frederica barely escape back into the American Sector
, where Hank is waiting for them at Frederica's apartment and has unexpectedly befriended her neighbor and Danny's friend, Herr Stieber (O.E. Hasse
). Danny falls in love with Frederica, despite learning from Hank that she lied to him about the backgrounds of her dead husband and father. She exploits Danny's feelings as an opportunity to go to America, where her German lover is living. When Danny receives notice that he is due to rotate back to the United States soon, he arranges to marry Frederica. Herr Stieber suspects duplicity in Frederica and intercepts a letter she has written to her German lover, confirming that she intends to divorce Danny back in the United States as soon as she legally can—and see her lover behind his back until that happens.
In the meantime, Hank, in trying to teach Gerda the meaning of democracy
(and deeply ashamed of the beating he inflicted on the former guard), comes to see that he has been hypocritical in his own actions toward Germans. He begins treating Gerda as an equal and with affection as they meet Frederica to be witnesses to the wedding. When Danny arrives, he tells Fredrica she will have to wait a long time, if ever, to get to America. Herr Stieber has given Danny the letter she wrote. Hank reveals to Danny that he is not going home but has switched his temporary assignment in Berlin to permanent duty. Danny's flight out departs amidst rumors that the Russians will soon end the blockade.
at Rhein-Main Air Base
as depicted in The Big Lift. The copilot of Der Schwarze Hibiscus, 1st Lt. Alfred L. Freiburger, was a C-54 pilot with the 14th Troop Carrier Squadron who had participated in the final months of Operation Vittles.
The production crew for The Big Lift arrived in Berlin in May 1949 just as the blockade was lifted by the Russians, and shot actual airlift activity at both terminals. Principal shooting began in July. Montgomery Clift became available after he dropped out of the film Sunset Blvd, in which he was to have been the lead, before shooting began in June. Even so, all scenes involving him were shot first to allow him to return to the United States to begin location shooting for A Place in the Sun in October.
Aerial sequences were accomplished, often in bad weather to demonstrate conditions under which the airlift was flown, using a Fairchild C-82 Packet as a camera platform, taking advantage of its removable rear fuselage to take panoramic
shots of up to 170 degrees. Director George Seaton reported that he finally overcame political complications with Russian authorities to complete location shooting inside the Brandenberg Gate leading into East Berlin, but that on the day of the shooting the Russians set up loudspeakers to harass the set with propaganda. The scene was shot without sound and dialogue was later added by dubbing.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
shot on location in the city of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, that tells the story of "Operation Vittles", the 1948-1949 Berlin Airlift
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War and the first resulting in casualties. During the multinational occupation of post-World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway and road access to the sectors of Berlin under Allied...
, through the experiences of two U.S. Air Force sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
s (played by Montgomery Clift
Montgomery Clift
Edward Montgomery Clift was an American film and stage actor. The New York Times’ obituary noted his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men"....
and Paul Douglas
Paul Douglas (actor)
Paul Douglas was an American actor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Paul Douglas Fleischer.-Career:...
).
The film was directed and written by George Seaton
George Seaton
George Seaton was an American screenwriter, playwright, film director and producer, and theatre director.Born George Stenius in South Bend, Indiana, Seaton moved to Detroit after graduating from college to work as an actor on radio station WXYZ. John L...
, and was released April 26, 1950, less than one year after the Soviet blockade of Berlin was lifted and airlift operations ceased. Because the film was shot in Berlin in 1949, as well as using newsreel footage of the actual airlift, it provides a contemporary glimpse of the post-war state of the city as it struggles to recover from the devastation wrought by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Plot
Off-duty American airmen of the 19th Troop Carrier Squadron19th Airlift Squadron
The 19th Airlift Squadron was most recently part of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operated C-12 Huron and C-21 aircraft providing executive airlift.-History:...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
are ordered to report to their squadron in July 1948. What is briefed as a temporary "training assignment" in the United States becomes a flight halfway around the world to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for the C-54 Skymaster
C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...
s of the 19th, where the Soviets have blockaded Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in an attempt to force out the Allies by starving the city. Tech Sgt. Danny MacCullough (Montgomery Clift
Montgomery Clift
Edward Montgomery Clift was an American film and stage actor. The New York Times’ obituary noted his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men"....
), flight engineer of a C-54 nicknamed The White Hibiscus, is immediately ordered to fly with his crew from Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
into Tempelhof Airport to deliver a load of coal. His friend Master Sgt. Hank Kowalski (Paul Douglas
Paul Douglas
Paul Howard Douglas was an liberal American politician and University of Chicago economist. A war hero, he was elected as a Democratic U.S. Senator from Illinois from in the 1948 landslide, serving until his defeat in 1966...
), a Ground-Controlled Approach
Ground-controlled approach
In aviation a ground-controlled approach , is a type of service provided by air-traffic controllers whereby they guide aircraft to a safe landing in adverse weather conditions based on radar images...
operator, hitches a ride with them to his new station. Hank, a POW during World Way II, resents the German people and goes out of his way to be rude and overbearing to them. Danny on the other hand is frustrated by not being able to leave the airport because of the necessity of quickly offloading and returning to Frankfort.
Months later the crew of call sign "Big Easy 37" renames their airplane Der Schwarze Hibiscus because of the grimy soot that has accumulated in it from hauling coal. They become temporary celebrities on a mission when they are the 100,000th flight of "Operation Vittles" into Berlin. Danny is immediately enamored of Frederica Burkhardt (Cornell Borchers
Cornell Borchers
Cornell Borchers is a German actress, active in the late 1940s and 1950s, who starred along with Errol Flynn and Nat King Cole in the film Istanbul .-Biography:...
), an attractive German war widow chosen to thank him on behalf of the women of Berlin. When a news correspondent covering the ceremony recruits Danny for a public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
stunt, Danny jumps at the opportunity as a means of getting a pass in Berlin and seeing Frederica again. During a tour of the city, Danny's uniform is accidentally covered with paint, forcing him to wear civilian working clothes while his uniform is cleaned. They meet Hank and his "schottzie," the friendly and intelligent Gerda, at a night club, where Hank is rude to Frederica and treats Gerda as an inferior. Hank chances to see the former prison guard who tortured him as a POW and nearly beats him to death. Danny is able to stop Hank only by knocking him down and mistaken for a German attacking Hank, is chased into the Russian Sector
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
by MPs
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
.
Danny and Frederica barely escape back into the American Sector
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, where Hank is waiting for them at Frederica's apartment and has unexpectedly befriended her neighbor and Danny's friend, Herr Stieber (O.E. Hasse
O.E. Hasse
Otto Eduard Hasse was a German film actor and director.- Biography :Hasse was born to Wilhelm Gustav Eduard Hasse, a blacksmith, and Valeria Hasse in the village of Obersitzko, Province of Posen, Imperial Germany and gained his first stage experiences at highschool at Kolmar together with his...
). Danny falls in love with Frederica, despite learning from Hank that she lied to him about the backgrounds of her dead husband and father. She exploits Danny's feelings as an opportunity to go to America, where her German lover is living. When Danny receives notice that he is due to rotate back to the United States soon, he arranges to marry Frederica. Herr Stieber suspects duplicity in Frederica and intercepts a letter she has written to her German lover, confirming that she intends to divorce Danny back in the United States as soon as she legally can—and see her lover behind his back until that happens.
In the meantime, Hank, in trying to teach Gerda the meaning of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
(and deeply ashamed of the beating he inflicted on the former guard), comes to see that he has been hypocritical in his own actions toward Germans. He begins treating Gerda as an equal and with affection as they meet Frederica to be witnesses to the wedding. When Danny arrives, he tells Fredrica she will have to wait a long time, if ever, to get to America. Herr Stieber has given Danny the letter she wrote. Hank reveals to Danny that he is not going home but has switched his temporary assignment in Berlin to permanent duty. Danny's flight out departs amidst rumors that the Russians will soon end the blockade.
Main cast
- Montgomery CliftMontgomery CliftEdward Montgomery Clift was an American film and stage actor. The New York Times’ obituary noted his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men"....
as T/Sgt. Danny MacCullough - Paul DouglasPaul Douglas (actor)Paul Douglas was an American actor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Paul Douglas Fleischer.-Career:...
as M/Sgt. Hank Kowalski - Cornell BorchersCornell BorchersCornell Borchers is a German actress, active in the late 1940s and 1950s, who starred along with Errol Flynn and Nat King Cole in the film Istanbul .-Biography:...
as Frederica Burkhardt - Bruni Löbel as Gerda
- O.E. HasseO.E. HasseOtto Eduard Hasse was a German film actor and director.- Biography :Hasse was born to Wilhelm Gustav Eduard Hasse, a blacksmith, and Valeria Hasse in the village of Obersitzko, Province of Posen, Imperial Germany and gained his first stage experiences at highschool at Kolmar together with his...
as Stieber
Crew
- Directed by: George SeatonGeorge SeatonGeorge Seaton was an American screenwriter, playwright, film director and producer, and theatre director.Born George Stenius in South Bend, Indiana, Seaton moved to Detroit after graduating from college to work as an actor on radio station WXYZ. John L...
- Written by: George SeatonGeorge SeatonGeorge Seaton was an American screenwriter, playwright, film director and producer, and theatre director.Born George Stenius in South Bend, Indiana, Seaton moved to Detroit after graduating from college to work as an actor on radio station WXYZ. John L...
- Produced by: William PerlbergWilliam PerlbergWilliam Perlberg was an American film producer.William Perlberg was born Wolf Perelberg, son of Israel Jakob Perelberg , a fur manufacturer, and Tajbe Markus. Seven months after his father, he came to the U.S.A...
- Music by: Alfred NewmanAlfred NewmanAlfred Newman was an American composer, arranger, and conductor of music for films.In a career which spanned over forty years, Newman composed music for over two hundred films. He was one of the most respected film score composers of his time, and is today regarded as one of the greatest...
Production
All military roles except those of Clift and Douglas were portrayed by actual military personnel stationed in Berlin as themselves. The 19th Troop Carrier Squadron was an actual Air Force unit based in Hawaii and was one of the first to deploy for Operation Vittles in July 1948. However it participated only until August 26, when it was deactivated and its personnel and equipment absorbed into the 53rd Troop Carrier Squadron53d Airlift Squadron
The 53d Airlift Squadron is part of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It operates C-130 Hercules aircraft for airlift and airdrop operations.-History:...
at Rhein-Main Air Base
Rhein-Main Air Base
Rhein-Main Air Base was a U.S. Air Force / NATO military airbase near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It occupied the south side of Frankfurt International Airport. Its airport codes are discontinued....
as depicted in The Big Lift. The copilot of Der Schwarze Hibiscus, 1st Lt. Alfred L. Freiburger, was a C-54 pilot with the 14th Troop Carrier Squadron who had participated in the final months of Operation Vittles.
The production crew for The Big Lift arrived in Berlin in May 1949 just as the blockade was lifted by the Russians, and shot actual airlift activity at both terminals. Principal shooting began in July. Montgomery Clift became available after he dropped out of the film Sunset Blvd, in which he was to have been the lead, before shooting began in June. Even so, all scenes involving him were shot first to allow him to return to the United States to begin location shooting for A Place in the Sun in October.
Aerial sequences were accomplished, often in bad weather to demonstrate conditions under which the airlift was flown, using a Fairchild C-82 Packet as a camera platform, taking advantage of its removable rear fuselage to take panoramic
Panorama
A panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model....
shots of up to 170 degrees. Director George Seaton reported that he finally overcame political complications with Russian authorities to complete location shooting inside the Brandenberg Gate leading into East Berlin, but that on the day of the shooting the Russians set up loudspeakers to harass the set with propaganda. The scene was shot without sound and dialogue was later added by dubbing.