Die weiße Hölle vom Piz Palü (1929)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Directors:

Arnold Fanck
Georg Wilhelm Pabst

Writers:

Arnold Fanck (writer)
Ladislaus Vajda (writer)

Release Date:

1 June 1930 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Action | Adventure

Tagline:

Nothing like it before, nothing like it again!

Plot:

A man climbs a 12,000-foot mountain to search for his wife, who was lost on their honeymoon. Another couple makes the dangerous climb with him. |

Plot Keywords:

Mountain | Disaster | Climbing | Mountaineer

Cast

Gustav Diessl	...	Dr. Johannes Krafft
Leni Riefenstahl	...	Maria Maioni
Ernst Petersen	...	Hans Brandt
Ernst Udet	...	Flieger Udet
Mizzi Götzel	...	Maria Krafft
Otto Spring	...	Christian Klucker
Kurt Gerron	...	Mann im Salon (guest at night club)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles McNamee	...	Narrator in USA sound version (voice)

Directed by
Arnold Fanck		(as Dr. Arnold Fanck)
Georg Wilhelm Pabst		(as G.W. Pabst)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Arnold Fanck		writer
Ladislaus Vajda		writer

Produced by
Paul Kohner	....	associate producer: USA Universal 1930 version
Harry R. Sokal	....	producer (as H.R. Sokal)

Original Music by
Giuseppe Becce		(1935 German sound version) (as Dr. Guiseppe Becce)
Ashley Irwin		(1998 restored version)
Heinz Roemheld		(1930 version)

Cinematography by
Sepp Allgeier
Richard Angst
Hans Schneeberger

Film Editing by
Arnold Fanck

Set Decoration by
Ernö Metzner

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marc Sorkin	....	assistant director (as M. Sorkin)

Sound Department
C. Roy Hunter	....	recording supervisor: 1930 Universal USA version
Eberhard Leschin	....	sound engineer (b&w restored version 1998)

Editorial Department
Edward L. Cahn	....	editor: US version
Nina Goslar	....	commissioning editor (1998 restored version)

Music Department
David Broekman	....	synchronization and score (1930 version)
Frank Strobel	....	conductor (B&W restored version 1998)
Richard Bronskill	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Andor Pinter	....	orchestrator (1930 version) (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld	....	conductor (1930 version) (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld	....	orchestrator (1930 version) (uncredited)
Walter Schiller	....	orchestrator (1930 version) (uncredited)

Other crew
Heinz Landsmann	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Sokal-Film GmbH
• H.T.-Film (1935) (sound version)

Distributors

• Aafa-Film AG (1929) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1930) (USA) (theatrical)
• Bild und Ton GmbH (1935) (Germany) (theatrical)
• H.T.-Film (1935) (Germany) (theatrical) (Berlin)
• Nitzsche AG (1935) (Germany) (theatrical) (Leipzig)
• Nord-Film GmbH (1935) (Germany) (theatrical) (Hamburg)
• Arthaus Filmverleih (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
• Grapevine Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

The White Hell of Pitz Palu (UK) (literal English title)
White Hell of Pitz Palu (USA)

Runtime:

150 min | Germany:135 min (25 fps) (TV version) | USA:75 min | 90 min (1935 sound verson)

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent | Mono (Tobis-Klangfilm) (sound version: 1935)

Filming Locations:

Engadin, Kanton Graubünden, Switzerland

Company:

Sokal-Film GmbH

Goofs:

Continuity: In the Rescue scene of Maria Maioni, whilst being hoisted unconscious up the glacier, her hand suddenly awakes and holds on to the tether she's bound to. In the next scene, her hand is no longer hold the tether, and both her arms are shown dropping on both sides.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Kontsert dlya krysy (1995)

Beautiful but dangerous mountains

A beautiful frozen mountain landscape is the setting for some of the most spectacular film shots of the era which have not been surpassed even with todays technology - the use of shadow and light is excellent. The story is simple and believable of a young couple climbing in the mountains, she gets killed and he, unconsolable, wanders the mountains for years without her. Many years later another couple come to the same mountains, meet him and agree to climb with him as their guide. Disaster strikes yet again. The filming of the mountain rescue team and the local villagers is very well done. The fear of the families is clearly shown as they wait while their fathers, sons and brothers are risking their lives on the mountain and the psychological effects on the injured climbers as they battle with the elements is more than realistic. Excellent!