The Mountain (1956 film)
The Mountain is a 1956 dramatic film starring Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner. The supporting cast included Claire Trevor, Richard Arlen, William Demarest, and Anna Kashfi. It is based on La neige en deuil, a 1952 French novel by Henri Troyat which was inspired by the crash of Air India Flight 245 in 1950.
The Mountain | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Edward Dmytryk |
Written by | Ranald MacDougall Henri Troyat (novel) |
Starring | Spencer Tracy Robert Wagner |
Music by | Daniele Amfitheatrof |
Cinematography | Franz Planer |
Edited by | Frank Bracht |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 105 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $2,119,000[1] |
Box office | $1.8 million (US)[2] |
Plot
When a passenger plane crashes near the top of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, greedy Christopher Teller (Wagner) decides to go and rob the dead. However, he has no hope of getting to the crash site without the help of his older brother Zachary (Tracy), a highly skilled mountain climber. Zachary wants to leave the dead in peace, but Chris hounds him until he finally gives in.
When they reach the downed plane, they find one badly injured survivor, an Indian woman (Kashfi). Chris wants to leave her there to die, but Zachary insists on bringing her down the mountain.
On the descent, Chris, ignoring Zachary's warning, tries to cross an unsafe snow bridge and falls to his death. When Zachary gets the woman to his village, he tells everyone that he went up the mountain to rob the plane and forced his brother to go with him, but his friends (Trevor, Demarest) know better.
Cast
- Spencer Tracy as Zachary Teller
- Robert Wagner as Christopher 'Chris' Teller
- Claire Trevor as Marie
- William Demarest as Father Belacchi
- Barbara Darrow as Simone
- Richard Arlen as C.W. Rivial
- E.G. Marshall as Solange
- Anna Kashfi as Hindu Girl
- Richard Garrick as Coloz
- Harry Townes as Joseph
References
- James Curtis, Spencer Tracy: A Biography, Alfred Knopf, 2011 p720
- 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1956', Variety Weekly, January 2, 1957