Berlin Express is an unusual movie. It works on several levels: as a fine film noir as well as a historical document. It was the first American studio movie shot in Germany after World War II. Wreckage is everywhere as we follow our characters’ peregrinations from Paris to the train to Frankfurt and finally via rail to Berlin.

The title refers to the train our characters travel on. Most of the action takes place in Frankfurt. It was easier to film there because it was in the American occupation zone:  producer Bert Granat only had to deal with one power instead of three as in Berlin.

Approval was granted to finish the film in Berlin much to Billy Wilder’s consternation. He had hoped to make A Foreign Affair the first film shot in post-war Germany. Granat and director Jacques Tourneur beat him to the punch.

Berlin Express brings together players from the victorious powers, France, United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union. In this still, Charles Korvin, Robert Ryan, Merle Oberon, Robert Coote, and Roman Toporow play tourist:

Initially, their relationships are characterized by mutual mistrust. It’s even worse for the Germans. Eventually, they get past their suspicions and work together to thwart a group of Nazi dead-enders running an underground operation. That’s the plot in broad strokes: the good guys struggle but win in the end.

The cast of Berlin Express is outstanding and mostly well-cast:

Robert Ryan plays an American USDA official there to feed the hungry people of Europe. It’s a rare good guy role for Ryan who was one of the greatest villains in film history. It was disorienting for this viewer to see Ryan play someone who was like his real life self instead of a hiss-provoking baddie.

Paul Lukas was Hungarian but often played Germans onscreen. In this case, he was one of the leaders of the internal resistance to Nazism. He has big plans for the reconstruction of his war torn nation and continent. The dead-enders want Lukas dead, so they kidnap him and spirit him off to a bombed out brewery.

The only player that’s miscast is Merle Oberon as Lukas’ assistant. I suspect the suits at RKO thought: She’s a beautiful brunette under contact to the studio, so she can play a beautiful Frenchwoman. Oberon is competent but uncomfortable in the role. It’s one of the few things I didn’t like about this fast-paced and exciting post-war thriller. She does, however, look as gorgeous as always:

Berlin Express was made before the Cold War went into the deep freeze, so it ends on  hopeful note about relations between the Soviets and the West. That makes it a fascinating, albeit ephemeral period piece.

The film was based on a story by Curt Siodmak and written by Harold Medford. They keep the balls in the air and the action moving as does director Jacques Tourneur. Cinematographer Lucien Ballard was Oberon’s husband, so she looked good if somewhat out of place throughout the movie. Ballard also does a great job of capturing the wreckage wrought by Allied bombing.

Grading Time: I give Berlin Express 3 stars and an Adrastos grade of B. It rates higher as a historical artifact.

The long sheet posters are splashy and alliterative:

So are the quads:

Three exclamation points? Oy just oy.

The cast struggled to get food on the train. The train’s dining car always seemed to be closed, so the cast was hungry while riding the rails. Let’s all go to the lobby and get some snacks.

They didn’t have Weiner schnitzel, so I had to settle for a hot dog. Oh well, what the hell.

While we’re in the lobby, let’s case the lobby cards, which can be found in a display case or after this overlong sentence:

It’s trailer time:

The last word goes to Eddie Muller’s Noir Alley intro and outro: