Top 10 Classic Elevators from Fiction

What’s better than really good fiction or beautifully designed elevators? Amazing fictional elevators, of course! What follows is a list of the most famous, fantastical, and fascinating fictional elevators we’ve ever seen in a book or on screen.

1. Star Trek

When we started thinking about fictional elevators, especially in classic sci-fi, we immediately thought of Star Trek. Going all the way back to the original Star Trek television series and the Star Trek film franchise, there are two elevator-type devices worth mentioning: the Transporter and the Turbolift. 

The Transporter is the teleportation system of “Beam me up, Scotty!” fame and is used to teleport crew members and guests between the Enterprise (and various later Star Trek spacecraft) and other destinations. 

The Turbolift is more elevator-like. It looks similar to what we earthlings might call a regular elevator — except that it has many interesting features and capabilities, such as traveling horizontally. 

Fun fact: The phrase “Beam me up, Scotty!” is never actually said in any Star Trek television show episode or movie. However, similar phrases such as “Beam me up, Mr. Spock!” and “Beam us up” are spoken numerous times by Captain Kirk and other characters.

2. The Jetsons

3. Star Wars

Starting with the first Star Wars movie and continuing through virtually every film in the franchise, various elevators and lifts make an appearance. Here are some examples:

• In the 1977 original Episode IV: A New Hope, a platform-type elevator (much larger than our vertical platform lifts) transports Imperial Stormtroopers to the cargo bay of the Death Star.

• In The Empire Strikes Back, aside from Luke Skywalker elevating various objects with his mind under Yoda’s instruction (we are still working on that technology at Arrow Lift®!), there are several elevator appearances. Darth Vader exits via elevator after ominously asking Lando Calrissian, “Perhaps you think you’re being treated unfairly?” And later, after Luke rides a single-person platform elevator to a dark industrial-looking chamber, he encounters Darth Vader, who says, “The force is with you, young Skywalker — but you are not a Jedi yet.” 

• In The Return of the Jedi, Darth Vader exits a large cylindrical elevator (though his is metallic, not transparent like our round elevators) on the second Death Star and goes to speak with Emperor Palpatine to tell him that Luke is on the forest moon of Endor, land of the short, furry Ewoks. Later on, Luke and Vader exit the round elevator together and approach the Emperor, who tells Luke, “In time, you will call me Master.”

There are many other examples of elevators in Star Wars movies (such as this famous scene from Episode II: Attack of the Clones). It’s clear that elevators have been a fun part of the Star Wars movie series since the beginning.

4. Dune

In what is arguably the most important predecessor of Star Wars and Star Trek, there is an elevator-like device that is so unique and creative we couldn’t skip over it when creating this list. We are referring to the “suspensor” device worn by the evil villain Baron Harkonnen. This clever device allows the imposing Baron to float above other characters, sort of like an invisible elevator, and is featured in the original 1960s sci-fi novel, as well as subsequent film adaptations.

5. Doctor Who

Arrow Lift® clients who are fans of this show sometimes remark that our shaftless home elevators remind them of the TARDIS from Doctor Who. In the series, the TARDIS is not really an elevator, but rather a British police box. Well, actually, it’s a combination spaceship and time machine that makes use of dimensional engineering. 

At any rate, we promise that our shaftless elevators use tried-and-true 21st-century engineering, not sci-fi gadgetry!

6. The Hunger Games

Like the Star Wars movie series, The Hunger Games books and movies also feature numerous elevators and lifts. In the first Hunger Games movie, the grizzled Haymitch Abernathy advises Katniss Everdeen while riding an elevator together, “Seek high ground … water is your new best friend … don’t step off that pedestal early …” 

In this scene, the elevator is a small, 2-4 passenger commercial elevator with sliding doors, similar to a LULA lift. However, our LULAs typically have side-loading elevator sliding doors, rather than center-parting doors (unless they are special-ordered).

Later on, a glass tube elevator slowly elevates Katniss up to the Hunger Games arena after final preparations and a kiss on the cheek from Cinna. Someone in the Hunger Games control room then says, “OK, they’re in the tubes.” This tube lift also makes another appearance in the sequel, Catching Fire.

In the movie Mockingjay, Part 1, the District 13 head of security and Katniss board a large, space-age-looking freight lift, which, unlike our VRC material lifts, carries both people and cargo, and takes them down to the underground city to meet President Coin.

7. The Matrix

Perhaps the claim to fame for having the most elevators per minute in a sci-fi movie franchise goes to The Matrix and its sequels. Only 14 minutes into the first movie, Neo speaks with Morpheus for the first time, who warns him, “They are coming for you, Neo, and I don’t know what they are going to do … see for yourself … the elevator.” And then Neo is chased by the agents for the first time. 

There are many other examples of elevators in The Matrix, usually at momentous turning points, such as when Morpheus and Neo ride a commercial-style elevator on the way up to see the Oracle for the first time.

8. Aliens

It’s followed by a pretty violent scene, so we won’t go in depth describing it, but in terms of classic sci-fi elevator scenes, this clip from Aliens makes the cut. Yikes!

9. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Based on Roald Dahl’s children’s classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this film features an unforgettable sci-fi-like elevator at the very end. Willy Wonka says, “We’ll take the Wonkavator. Step in, Charlie.” And he continues, “This is the Great Glass Wonkavator.” And then, “An elevator can only go up and down, but the Wonkavator can go sideways and slantways and longways and backways and squareways and frontways and any other ways that you can think of.”

Arrow Lift® provides glass elevators that go up and down, as well as lifts that go “slantways” but not so much “squareways” and other ways — at least not yet!

10. The Godfather

The first Godfather movie famously opens with Vito Corleone speaking with a funeral home director who is asking a favor of him. “Bonasera, Bonasera! Whatever have I done to make you treat me so disrespectfully?” 

What you might not remember is that the second most famous scene with Bonasera is when a casket lift bearing members of the Corleone family — some alive, some not — descends into the lower level of Bonasera’s funeral home. Bonasera then has the unfortunate opportunity to return the Don’s favor. Unlike casket lifts provided by Arrow Lift, the one in The Godfather allows other people (not in the coffin) to ride up and down on it, and it also features a fancy-looking scissors gate.

Bonus: Barbie Dream House

Thanks for reading about these make-believe and fantastical elevators from film, television, and other fictional sources. We hope to help you find a real-life elevator or lift that meets your needs. Please contact us to learn more or schedule a free on-site consultation.