Third Man on the Mountain

1959 "Conquering the past would be the climb of his life"
7| 1h45m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 10 November 1959 Released
Producted By: Walt Disney Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://www.mntnfilm.com/en/film/third-man-on-the-mountain-1959
Info

Third Man on the Mountain is an American film directed by Ken Annakin and produced by Walt Disney Productions, released in 1959. It is adapted from a novel by James Ramsey Ullman, entitled "Banner In The Sky". In the middle of the 19th century in Switzerland, a famous British mountaineer, Captain John Winter, wanted to climb a difficult summit, the Citadel. He goes to a small village but no guide wants to accompany him. A young man from the village, Rudi Matt, whose father died fifteen years earlier during an attempt to climb the Citadel, is determined to accompany him, with the help of his uncle. Winter also manages to hire a guide from a neighboring village and competitor, Emil Saxo. The roped party of four men then begins the ascent of the still untouched summit.

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Director

Ken Annakin

Production Companies

Walt Disney Productions

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Third Man on the Mountain Audience Reviews

GamerTab That was an excellent one.
Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.
Spondonman Wonderful stuff! I saw this at a school screening in 1970, noticed over the years afterwards it was seldom shown on UK TV, however never forgot it even though I was never interested in becoming a mountaineer or a sherpa when old enough. It's a simple wholesome family Disney live action adventure, today's cynical polluted generations could probably spend days poring over its stereotypes and corn and missing the point: to enjoy a harmless 107 minutes with a feelgood movie.Young lad Rudi (James MacArthur) dreams of climbing the Matterhorn but is forced to be a hotel dishwasher instead, therefore something's got to give: you can't bottle the wind after all. He gets his chance when kindly top mountaineer Michael Rennie takes him under his wing much to his cautious uncle James Donald's disgust and later greasy guide Herbert Lom's disdain. Some splendid shots of bodies climbing impossible rocks, lovely sunny Swiss scenery and much angst between the characters leads to an admittedly rather flat conclusion, but all was well anyway. Rudi's doe eyed ever smiling girlfriend Lisbeth (Janet Munro) was perfect in her supportive role; it's always sad to recall how real life turned out so crap for her. Favourite bits: her charming meeting under her umbrella with Rudi and his boots in the rain; Rudi squeezing up the "chimney" – I nearly felt the panic. And as a sign of his parts to come I almost wished Lom had ended up stuttering and twitching!All in all, totally inconsequential entertainment, lovely to revel in and regret that not even Planet Disney can be as wholly heartwarming any more.
Rulzul Bulzul I watch any Mt climbing movie I can get my hands on. Since I have never seen one about the Matterhorn, I am watching this one. No one called Matt, has ever died on it tho. First ascent was on July 14, 1865 by Edward Whymper, Charles Hudson, Lord Francis Douglas, Douglas Robert Hadow, guide Michel Croz, and the father and son guides Peter and Peter Taugwalder via the Hörnli Ridge, the most common route of ascent today. Just below the summit on the descent, Hadow slipped, knocking Croz off. The rope came tight and pulled Hudson and Douglas and the four climbers fell down the north face. The elder Taugwalder was belaying with the rope over a rock spike, but the impact broke the rope thereby saving the Taugwalders and Whymper from certain death. I would think Disney could have got this historic fact correct. Great movie tho! If you want historic accuracy, watch Into Thin Air. Or, the North Face.
jpm4444 I am in my 30's and I never heard of this film but after a night out I came home and watched it on television. How lucky I was. What a great cast. James MacArthur is as solid as it gets in the history of Disney films. He plays Rudy Matt, the son of the famous mountain climber Joseph Matt who tragically lost his life while climbing the famed Citadel mountain. Rudy's father sacrificed his own life to save the climber that he was responsible for as his guide. People talk about Harry Potter's character Hermoine, but she cant' hold a candle to the great Janet Munro playing Rudy's love interest Lizbeth. Janet Munro could melt any mans heart. She is sweet, fun, spunky and outgoing. A beautiful ball of energy. It's easy to realize why Walt Disney saw so much in her. The great Micheal Rennie as the famous climber captain Winter helps Rudy with his support when his uncle, played by James Donald, does not want him to be a guide and meet with the same fate as his father. Laurence Naismith as always gives a great performance as Teo; the older friend and climber of Rudy's father who was there when he died. Teo's bark is worse than his bite and his warmth and love for both Lizbeth and Rudy is seen in many ways. There chemistry is fun and sweet. The acting is amazing, the cinematography is breathtaking. As is said this was filmed on location in Zermatt Switzerland where the 14,000 foot Matterhorn stands. Walt Disney named the famous ride after the Matterhorn. It still remains one of the most beautiful climbing films of all time. If you are a fan of Walt Disney, this is a must see film. Rarely is there a film that I never tire of, and this one is it. If you have even half a heart, you will love this film.This is the way movies should be made. It's sad Hollywood does not do it like this anymore.
telegonus I saw this film on the old Disney show back decades ago, and liked it very much, then sort of forgot about it. These days the Disney channel shows it periodically, and whenever it's on and I'm watching television, I can't help but stayed tuned to this one. For anyone who's ever climbed a mountain this movie is a treat. The story is beyond simple: a young man in 19th century Switzerland whose father was killed trying to climb the Citadel (which is what the Matterhorn is called here) wants to become a mountaineer himself, and of course climb to the top of the Citadel, which no man has done. His mother strictly forbids it, and his uncle downright nasty to him whenever the subject comes up. Persistent fellow that he is, the boy hooks up with an English mountain climber, then coaxes his uncle to take him along on a climb, makes an ass of himself, then has a go at it again. The boy doesn't really have the maturity for the task, but persists, and in time he grows up, almost in spite of himself.There's a larger than life quality to this movie, which was filmed on location. Director Ken Annakin, who never achieved his potential, shows himself a first-rate movie man here. The Swiss village and the looming mountains beyond convey an odd mood, as the place feels alternately dangerous, as if on the edge of the world, and beautiful, because of what one sees out the window every day. There's an intimacy between the clannish villagers, with their peculiar garb and gingerbread homes, that's caught to absolute perfection by Annakin and his crew. Everything seems real in this film; stylized as it sometimes is, it has an unmistakable ring of (admittedly Disneyfied) truth.As to the climbing scenes, they are wonderfully photographed, with the camera seemingly in the right place at all times. One gets just close enough to experience at least some of the danger and excitement of mountain-climbing, with the camera pulling back periodically to show a larger view, invariably breathtaking. The actors are all competent. James MacArthur's non-charisma actually helps movie the picture along, as one is often more aware of who he's with than his character. He fades into the background somewhat, as young men often do, with the older, more experienced adults dominating. James Donald is brilliant as his uncle, creating a fully rounded portrait of a man who looks after his nephew, who for reasons never wholly explained, likes to belittle him. Michael Rennie is sturdy as the Englishman and Janet Munro makes a perky love interest. Herbert Lom almost steals the show as Saxo, the outsider from beyond, who also wants to climb the Citadel, and has a disagreeable disposition. He dresses differently from the others, and even wears a different sort of hat. Lom comes across as foreign, as we can see why people don't take to him in this little close-knit society. There are few surprises in this film, but it tells its familiar and largely predictable story with great flair and feeling for the people it's about, showing once more that one can make an outstanding, maybe even great film, out of seemingly routine, even threadbare material, if one hunkers down really hard and gives it one's best shot, as clearly everyone connected with this movie did.