| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Montgomery Clift | ... | ||
| Paul Douglas | ... |
Hank Kowalski
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| Cornell Borchers | ... |
Frederica Burkhardt
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| Bruni Löbel | ... |
Gerda
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| O.E. Hasse | ... |
Stieber
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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)
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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 <[email protected]>
Unlike so many war time dramas of that time where characters one dimensionally and the Americans were always the good guys this one is a breath of fresh air. Most of the characters are simply trying to survive and behave in a manner consistent with that aim while some, like Clift's character, are at little too saintly to be plausible. How the two women handle the war reflects how when people are faced with the face crisis can respond in dramatically different ways. The American government deserves kudos for allowing its soldiers to be used in the film.
Some of the images are haunting such as seeing a devastated Berlin and others like planes landing and taking off are just plain cool. ('Scuse the pun.)