I Aim At The Stars (1960)

The story of the famous German aerospace engineer and architect Wernher von Braun (Curt Jurgens) covering his early days in Nazi Germany and his post WWII work with NASA. Directed by J. Lee Thompson (THE GUNS OF NAVARONE). As far as movie biographies go, this one is actually pretty good. The movie doesn't let von Braun off the hook with his Nazi past and the film explores his psyche which sees himself as a scientist, first and foremost and not responsible for the death and destruction that his work for the Nazis in Germany caused. His lack of humanity stands next to his dedication to science. He surrendered to the U.S. after WWII and while some thought he should have been tried as a war criminal, instead he was put to work with the American space program which tapped his brain. Should science have a conscience? Curt Jurgens is very good as von Braun but there are two supporting performances that also stand out: Gia Scala as a German spy working for the Allies and James Daly as a U.S. Major who opposes von Braun's inclusion into the U.S. space program. With Victoria Shaw, Herbert Lom, Adrian Hoven and Karl Stepanek.