German film director Arnold Fanck nearly single-handedly popularized the "mountain genre,' a cinematic class whose storylines center around mountaineering. His film work is noted for spectacular visual scenes and a number of jaw dropping physical stunts by his actors.
One of the best of his films, according to critics, was his November 1929 "The White Hell of Pitz Palu." The story begins with a newlywed couple who attempt to climb the north face of Pitz Palu, only to have the bride fall into a deep crevice and disappear. Actress Leni Riefenstahl picks up the story four years later as the fiancee of mountain climber Hans (Ernst Petersen). At a cabin near Pitz Palu, the romantic pair are interrupted by Dr. Johannes Kraft, who lost his new wife climbing as seen in the prologue. He's been wandering around the area since his wife disappeared and plans to tackle the North Face by himself. Hans can't let him do it alone, and joins him while Leni tags along. That's when things get really slippery.
Fanck was assisted by noted German director G. W. Pabst, who not only directed the interior studio scenes but assisted him in many of the exterior shots on and around the mountains, giving "The White Hell of Pitz Palu" an elevated artistic appearance apart from Fanck's other movies. Shooting in the Alps near the Italian-Swiss border during the winter months, the film crew and actors underwent extreme harsh conditions. One avalanche caught on film (which made the final cut) was so close to crew members they were nearly buried by tons of snow. Exposed to below-zero temperatures, Riefenstahl suffered frostbite on several areas of her skin and came down with a bladder infection, a malady effecting her for the rest of her life. Critics say her performance in "White Hell of Pitz Palu" was her best ever.
One historic figure filmed piloting the airplane flying throughout the Alps was Ernst Udet. He's seen dropping a bottle of champaign near the couple early in the movie as well as serving as a spotter for the rescue team looking for the three stranded climbers. Udet was a decorated World War One pilot who had the second highest confirmed kills for the Germans, second only to the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. He joined the Nazi Party in 1933 and was instrumental in innovating the Luftwaffe Stuka dive bombing maneuvers. He was chief of Procurement and Supply for the Luftwaffe in the early years of the war. But when Operation Barbarossa opened the Russian front, his nerves were shot and and he committed suicide in November 1941.
Fans of Quentin Tarantino will notice the scene in 2009 "Inglorious Basterds" where the main female character, Shosanna, is up on a ladder changing letters on the movie theater's marquee. The film finishing its run listed on the marquee reads "The White Hell of Pitz Palu."
One of the best of his films, according to critics, was his November 1929 "The White Hell of Pitz Palu." The story begins with a newlywed couple who attempt to climb the north face of Pitz Palu, only to have the bride fall into a deep crevice and disappear. Actress Leni Riefenstahl picks up the story four years later as the fiancee of mountain climber Hans (Ernst Petersen). At a cabin near Pitz Palu, the romantic pair are interrupted by Dr. Johannes Kraft, who lost his new wife climbing as seen in the prologue. He's been wandering around the area since his wife disappeared and plans to tackle the North Face by himself. Hans can't let him do it alone, and joins him while Leni tags along. That's when things get really slippery.
Fanck was assisted by noted German director G. W. Pabst, who not only directed the interior studio scenes but assisted him in many of the exterior shots on and around the mountains, giving "The White Hell of Pitz Palu" an elevated artistic appearance apart from Fanck's other movies. Shooting in the Alps near the Italian-Swiss border during the winter months, the film crew and actors underwent extreme harsh conditions. One avalanche caught on film (which made the final cut) was so close to crew members they were nearly buried by tons of snow. Exposed to below-zero temperatures, Riefenstahl suffered frostbite on several areas of her skin and came down with a bladder infection, a malady effecting her for the rest of her life. Critics say her performance in "White Hell of Pitz Palu" was her best ever.
One historic figure filmed piloting the airplane flying throughout the Alps was Ernst Udet. He's seen dropping a bottle of champaign near the couple early in the movie as well as serving as a spotter for the rescue team looking for the three stranded climbers. Udet was a decorated World War One pilot who had the second highest confirmed kills for the Germans, second only to the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. He joined the Nazi Party in 1933 and was instrumental in innovating the Luftwaffe Stuka dive bombing maneuvers. He was chief of Procurement and Supply for the Luftwaffe in the early years of the war. But when Operation Barbarossa opened the Russian front, his nerves were shot and and he committed suicide in November 1941.
Fans of Quentin Tarantino will notice the scene in 2009 "Inglorious Basterds" where the main female character, Shosanna, is up on a ladder changing letters on the movie theater's marquee. The film finishing its run listed on the marquee reads "The White Hell of Pitz Palu."