CIA agent Harry Wargrave is sent to aid Gen. Marenkov, a senior Russian official, who is defecting to the west. Wargrave decides they should travel to safety on a train across Europe, the "Atlantic Express". During the journey, they must survive attacks by terrorists and an avalanche, all planned by Russian spy-catcher Nikolai Bunin.
This first film adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s play about class distinctions was made in 1955 in the Vienna Rosenhügel studios, but it was only premiered five years later. Curt Bois plays the rich capitalist Puntila who only becomes somewhat agreeable when he is drunk (which he is most of the time in this film). In his inebriated state, Puntila not only gets amorously involved with three different ladies but also suggests that his daughter Eva marries his chauffeur Matti. The chauffeur, however, doesn’t really agree…
Albin Skoda embodies a frantic Adolf Hitler in his last days, scrambling to keep the Third Reich alive as morale within the bunker wanes and Berlin is encircled by enemy troops. Based on Michael A. Musmanno's book Ten Days to Die, Oscar Werner costars as fictional Nazi Hauptmann Wüst, a disillusioned middleman.
The Hungarian noble Nikki von Kormendy is traveling incognito as a blind passenger on the Danube ferry "Fortuna". Captain Korngiebel keeps him busy with various tasks. When the young singer Anny Hofer comes on board, both men fall in love with her and compete for her affactions. Out of sheer jealousy, Korngiebel lets his ship run aground and now fears for his captain's license. But Kormendy generously acquires the boat and leases it to Peter and Anny ... with the sole condition that the ship bear his name from this date forward.