Released: April 1950

Directed by: George Seaton

Cast: Montgomery Clift, Paul Douglas, Cornell Borchers, Bruni Lobel, O.E. Hasse, Dante V. Morel, John R. Mason, Gail R. Plush, Mack Blevins, William A. Stewart as Capt. William A. Stewart.

Shot in 1949, at the tail end of the Berlin Airlift, The Big Lift is a propaganda film. But unlike most propaganda films, The Big Lift is uniquely palatable. It is also significant.

As time marches on. The aftermath of the Second World War gets swallowed up by the scope of the Cold War. Along with it the humanitarian efforts to bring relief to the civilians of West Germany. Most importantly, the suffering of those civilians in Berlin. Who had already endured the unspeakable horror of bombings, the fall of Berlin to the Soviets. Then caught in a tug-of-war between east and west. Leading to the Soviets to blockade the city from getting food and other necessities of life. And using the citizens of Berlin as political pawns.

This is around the time of the ‘Red Scare’ films. Which came in the form of ‘information films’ shown at the Moose Lodge. And as Hollywood films like I Married a Communist, I Was a Communist for the F.B.I.. As well as, various films disguised as science fiction to deliver their paranoid message. But The Big Lift was there in Berlin to tell, in semi-documentary fashion, the story of the humanitarian effort. And the impact on the civilian population.

The story is told through the eyes of Sgt. 1^st Class Danny MacCullough (Montgomery Clift) and his buddy MSgt. Hank Kowalski (Paul Douglas). Danny is a wide-eyed young man who missed the war. But has enlisted, and become a flight engineer in a Troop Carrier Squadron. Now assigned to Berlin as part of the Berlin Airlift. Kowalski is a GCA (ground-controlled approach) operator, as well as a cynical ex-POW with a hatred for all things German.

What The Big Lift does is give different points of view toward Germany. The Allied and Soviet occupation of Berlin. The Soviet Union in general, and the civilian opinion of the American presence, both positive and negative.

The portrayal of Kowalski’s hatred is less than subtle, at times offensive, and revenge driven. However, he does learn that revenge does not bring closure, but rather guilt and shame. Personally, several years ago I met a veteran and former POW. He still bore a bitter hatred of his former enemy. So, Kowalski’s hatred, though distasteful, holds truth for some.

Danny, on the other hand, has found love with a young woman from Berlin. And this serves as our gateway into the still heavily damaged city. The world of food and coal shortages, civilians working for the Soviets, the black-market. As well as, a determined effort to return to some type of normalcy.

The paths of Danny and Kowalski provide the perceived truths of what was going on in Berlin. But in an entertaining fashion. Rather than a lecture, we are shown the good and the bad of everyone involved. A scene on a subway passing through the Soviet Sector involving coffee smuggling. And a nightclub scene where Montgomery Clift hides from the police by joining a jazz band are gems. As is the character of Stieber (O.E. Hasse), who is Danny’s guide into the clandestine world of occupied Berlin.

The airlift itself is handled with director Seaton’s usual attention to detail. We are shown the dangers of landing a large C-54 transport at Tempelhof airport, in the center of Berlin. Contending with bad weather, red tape, and the gratitude of the citizens of Berlin. As the film proudly proclaims, “With the exception of Montgomery Clift and Paul Douglas, all military personnel appearing in this film are actual members of the U.S. Armed Forces on duty in Germany.”

It’s these kinds of details, and film footage, that make The Big Lift significant. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line The Big Lift fell into the public domain. The existing copies, on VHS and DVD, are made from poor quality 16mm prints. Often murky, over-saturated, frames missing, and filled with scratches and dust.

The Big Lift is a good, entertaining film, not without its flaws, but significant for its capturing of history. For that reason, the film deserves proper restoration and preservation. The film could possibly be seen in a different light, other than propaganda. To be seen as it was in 1950, clear, sharp, proper contrast, etc., and the benefits of modern HD technology.

In a way The Big Lift is a time capsule to a blip in history, destined to be forgotten. A time when the victors, at tremendous risk, provided humanitarian aid to the civilian population of their former enemy. An enemy whose government had committed the evilest of war crimes only to fall victim of another evil regime. The Soviet Union, willing to starve innocent civilians as a political tool. And discovering that the defeated civilians are indeed like the rest of us. Human beings.

Currently, The Big Lift is hard to find on regular streaming services. It can be found on the YouTube; however, the quality can be poor. I’ve left a link if you’d like to see for yourself. Is The Big Lift worthy of restoration? I think so.