Wonderfully photographed story dealing with adventure, survival fight, greed and selflessness. Including excellent cast with Glenn Ford and Alida Valli in the prime of their careers. Shot in the French Alps, where a group of people from different countries join their efforts to achieve their cherished dream: reaching the peak of the highest mountain. A group of people come together in the Swiss Alps to climb a previously unconquered mountain, revealing their inner selves in the process. The White Tower, a Matterhorn-like mountain in the Swiss Alps, has never been climbed. Carla Alton's father, a famous mountaineer, died in a long-ago attempt. Now, Carla, determined to fulfill her father's dream, has assembled an unusual climbing party to tackle the nearly-impossible ascent. Before the war Alessandro Alton was a mountaineer who only had one obsession: to summit the so-called white tower, a very high mountain, impressive and monstrous at the same time, in the Swiss Alps. However, he did not succeed and during the expedition he disappeared and was left for dead. After the war, her daughter Carla (Alida Valli) organizes a climb to the same mountain in tribute to her father. To do this she relies on two old friends: Andreas (Oskar Homolka), a town guide, and Nicholas Radcliffe (Sir Cedric Hardwicke). A British geologist, along with a group of adventurous mountaineers (Glenn Ford, Lloyd Bridges..) of different nationalities, who risk their lives during the expedition to the Swiss Alps. Every gasping thrill in color by Technicolor!
Sprawling adventure movie detailing the obsessive conquest of a mountain peak including spectacular scenarios, impressive images and maintains a fair degree of interest and tension. Nice film with snowbound, breathtaking scenes , thrills, emotion, piolets, ropes and piton daredevil drivel; and , of course, fight for life. Beautiful Swiss scenary fails to totally compensate for a great number of slow-moving scenes. Each person's true nature is revealed as they climb the peak, which many climbers have defied and failed in previous attempts. Top-notch Glenn Ford as an expert climber, as usual, he displays a quiet dignity. Decent acting by Lloyd Bridges as an ambitious young with a ruthless charm and Nazi thoughtful. Beautiful Swiss Alps scenery falls to partially compensate for several dreary lapses and script's shortcomings , especially the disparity of characters. The film is pretty well ; however, slightly overwrought with several dreary lapses, but exciting and stirring enough. This one belongs to ¨Climbling Subgenre¨ with important films, such as: " The Eiger sanction" with Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy, Jack Cassidy , ¨K 2¨by Franc Roddam with Michael Biehn, Matt Craven and recently "Himalaya" with Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright , Jake Gyllenhaal , Sam Worthington and Kiera Knightley.
Behind the camera Ted Tetzlaff , a director who started in silent films and achieved great success as a cinematographer in the 30s and 40s. And he directed some decent films, such as: The Treasure of Lost Canyon, Son of Sinbad, Riffraff, World premiere, The Window, among others. Rating: 6/10. Acceptable and passable mountain film.
Sprawling adventure movie detailing the obsessive conquest of a mountain peak including spectacular scenarios, impressive images and maintains a fair degree of interest and tension. Nice film with snowbound, breathtaking scenes , thrills, emotion, piolets, ropes and piton daredevil drivel; and , of course, fight for life. Beautiful Swiss scenary fails to totally compensate for a great number of slow-moving scenes. Each person's true nature is revealed as they climb the peak, which many climbers have defied and failed in previous attempts. Top-notch Glenn Ford as an expert climber, as usual, he displays a quiet dignity. Decent acting by Lloyd Bridges as an ambitious young with a ruthless charm and Nazi thoughtful. Beautiful Swiss Alps scenery falls to partially compensate for several dreary lapses and script's shortcomings , especially the disparity of characters. The film is pretty well ; however, slightly overwrought with several dreary lapses, but exciting and stirring enough. This one belongs to ¨Climbling Subgenre¨ with important films, such as: " The Eiger sanction" with Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy, Jack Cassidy , ¨K 2¨by Franc Roddam with Michael Biehn, Matt Craven and recently "Himalaya" with Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright , Jake Gyllenhaal , Sam Worthington and Kiera Knightley.
Behind the camera Ted Tetzlaff , a director who started in silent films and achieved great success as a cinematographer in the 30s and 40s. And he directed some decent films, such as: The Treasure of Lost Canyon, Son of Sinbad, Riffraff, World premiere, The Window, among others. Rating: 6/10. Acceptable and passable mountain film.