Three Lives and a Rope
The idea is a simple one: three alpinists climb in the Mont Blanc Massif. This situation brings one face to face with the dangers of the mountain: avalanches, crevasses, fog, the climbing of the rocks, roping up, etc. All of this is magnified, transcended by a remarkable and strong use of the language of cinema. One of the first films about high mountains with Roger Frison-Roche and magnificent music by Maurice Jaubert
The Call Of The Peaks
L'Appel Des Cimes, directed by Alain Pol, is a documentary commissioned by the CAF and the various French ministries on the practice of post-war mountaineering. In 1946, climbers trained at the Fontainebleau Climbing School. Guy Poulet and Jacques Poincenot try to climb the Aiguilles de Chamonix but fail during the climbing phase. After a night in a refuge with Denise Rouzeau and the guide Pierre Allain, the mountaineers make a new attempt. Successful demonstration for those who continued the approach walk then the passage of the seracs of the glacier. On the rock, the roped party crosses a chimney and a crack to reach the summit and abseil down. Led by high mountain scouts, Guy and Jacques rediscover the glaciers and needles of the Mont-Blanc massif during the next lesson.
À l'Assaut de la Tour Eiffel
Four experienced mountaineers climb the three floors of the Eiffel Tower through the pillars of the building. A police officer, overwhelmed by the events, does not succeed in arresting the intrepid who reach the summit with agility under the stunned eyes of tourists. They then abseil and happily throw themselves into the Seine to celebrate the feat.
Alpine Refuges
Documentary on alpine refuges and the life of mountaineers. The film begins with images recreating vintage mountain climbers that end up spending a night in a fortune shelter. Then the scene is linked with images of a current refuge and explains how refuges are today, showing models and images of real refuges and explaining how life is in them and the role they play in mountaineering. The film was produced in 1942 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce during the Italian Fascist regime.
The Mountain
A film on mountain-climbing in Grand Teton National Park, Wyo. Glenn Exum, Virginia Garner, and Paul Petzoldt demonstrate mountaineering techniques and equipment. They reach the peak, shake hands, and rappel and glissade to base of mountain.
Mountain Rescue Training at Wilder Kaiser
Internationale Bergrettungstagung in Tirol 1948 is a documentary about mountain rescue that takes place in the Ötztal Alps. It was produced in 1948 by Wieser-Film.
Happy Altitudes in New Zealand's Southern Alps
Along New Zealand’s South Islands runs the mighty chain of the Southern Alps, where large and beautiful glaciers and Ice-falls abound among the towering peaks... That's how the film presents different leisure activities in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, and more specifically around the Hermitage Hotel. Activities include snow activities like snowball fights, dog sledding, ski lessons, and hunting of European chamois; and summer activities like golf practice in front of the hotel, rock climbing, and sight-seeing trips and picnic outings amid scenery of outstanding beauty.
The Ski Sled
An official training film from the War department. In April 1942, a detail of five enlisted men and two officers, Capt. Paul Lafferty and Lt. John Woodward, left the 87th Regiment at Mt Rainier for Sun Valley to produce winter training films on ski safety, snow camping, ski first aid, ski mountaineering, and ski equipment.
Marcia alpina dei giovani fascisti di Belluno
This short film shows an alpine march of the young fascists of the federal command of Belluno to the Mario Vazzoler refuge. From there, a group of three roped climbers, make a rock climbing ascent to the Torre Venezia and the Torre Trieste, in the Italian Dolomites. The film was produced in 1935 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce during the Italian Fascist regime.
L'Aspra Meta
The ascent of the spectacular needle Guglia Rudatis (2.202 meters), in the Italian Dolomites by a group of rock climbers. A group of six men leave a wood hut and approach up to the foot of the needle. We see them climbing and progressing on the steep rock face and finally making an overhanging rappel to descend. The film was produced in 1937 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce during the Italian Fascist regime.
First Aid and Emergency Repair of Equipment
An official training film from the War department. In April 1942, a detail of five enlisted men and two officers, Capt. Paul Lafferty and Lt. John Woodward, left the 87th Regiment at Mt Rainier for Sun Valley to produce winter training films on ski safety, snow camping, ski first aid, ski mountaineering, and ski equipment.
A la conquête des cimes
Hermann Perren, mountain guide, prepares the ascent of Dent du Requin with a companion. He checks the equipment necessary for any mountaineer, rope, ice axe, glasses, double socks and iron shoes. They leave Chamonix, cross the Mer de Glace and arrive at the Requin Refuge. The next morning, Perren and his companion cross the glacier and encounter huge crevasses and seracs, which slow their progress. They cautiously cross a snow bridge and bivouac a few hours later. The climb is more and more difficult. They reach the Requin shoulder and have to climb the vertical wall to the summit. Shortened and sounded version of the original 1927 film by René Moreau.
Climbing
Documentary film of the Swiss newsreel about climbing in the Kreuzbergen. The film was produced in August 1943 by the Zurich company Gloria Film AG. The camera was directed by none other than Otto Ritter (1917-1977), whose work can be admired in well-known Swiss feature films such as ´Romeo and Julia on Dorf´ . The focus is on the two climbers Beni Motzer and Ernst Anderegg, who demonstrate the ascent of the 5th Kreuzberg. Didactic sequences show the current climbing equipment of that time and how to handle it correctly. The film premiered at the Olma in 1943 and was shown in Swiss cinemas from May 1944 as part of the weekly film show. Because of his spectacular shots he enthused the critics and was very well received by the audience.
Operation White Tower
Brad and Barbara Washburn were filmed by National Geographic and RKO Pictures on their ascent of Mount McKinley in Alaska. The film is a pictorial record of the first scientific conquest of Mount McKinley, filmed with the cooperation of the Boston Museum of Science. The short is part of the RKO's 'This is America' documentary series.
Ski Equipment
An official training film from the War department. In April 1942, a detail of five enlisted men and two officers, Capt. Paul Lafferty and Lt. John Woodward, left the 87th Regiment at Mt Rainier for Sun Valley to produce winter training films on ski safety, snow camping, ski first aid, ski mountaineering, and ski equipment.
Ski Safety
An official training film from the War department. In April 1942, a detail of five enlisted men and two officers, Capt. Paul Lafferty and Lt. John Woodward, left the 87th Regiment at Mt Rainier for Sun Valley to produce winter training films on ski safety, snow camping, ski first aid, ski mountaineering, and ski equipment.
White Wall
Two climbers progress on an alpine glacier and reach the top of a mountain by climbing a long and steep slope of snow and ice. They also have to climb a completely vertical wall of ice using crampons with frontal tips, ice nails, and rope stirrups. The film was produced in 1942 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce at the end of the Italian Fascist regime.
Ski Mountaineering
An official training film from the War department. In April 1942, a detail of five enlisted men and two officers, Capt. Paul Lafferty and Lt. John Woodward, left the 87th Regiment at Mt Rainier for Sun Valley to produce winter training films on ski safety, snow camping, ski first aid, ski mountaineering, and ski equipment.
Piccoli Alpini
The film is a kind of docu-fiction about a boy who enrolls in a battalion of young mountain troops. The film follows his daily life in the military school and pays special attention to maneuvers and training exercises in the mountain, which include mountaineering and rock climbing lessons. The film, by Giovanni Vernuccio, was produced in 1942 by the Instituto Nazionale Luce at the end of the Italian Fascist regime, and was made with the collaboration of the 36th group of Alpine battalions 'Fabio Filzi' of the federal command GIL of Turin during the preparatory course for the festive camp of Balme.
A Cragsman's Day
Rock climbing on the "Cobbler". Awarded first prize by Michael Powell in the 1948 Scottish Amateur Film Festival