ma-cortes Sprawling adventure detailing the obsessive search for a crashed plane including spectacular scenarios , impressive images and maintains a fair degree of intrigue . Selfish and shady Chris Teller (a young Robert Wagner) pressures his older brother (snowy hair Spencer Tracy), a retired climber, to accompany him on a treacherous Alpine climb to loot the bodies of plane crash victims . As they set out to inspect an inter-continental routed aircraft that crashed in the French Alps . Suffering experiences in climbing the peak , it results to be evident that one brother intends to loot , while the other designs to save whatever he can .Wonderfully photographed story dealing with greed and selflessness . Interesting screenplay by Ranald MacDougall , being faithfully based on the novel by Henry Troyat . Top-notch Spencer Tracy as an expert climber who attempts to care his younger brother , as usual , he displays a quiet dignity . Acceptable acting by Robert Wagner as an ambitious young with a ruthless charm . Beautiful Swiss Alps scenery falls to partially compensate for several dreary lapses and script's shortcomings , especially the disparity in their ages is disconcerting ; as both protagonists playing brothers, Spencer Tracy was 30 years older than Robert Wagner in real life ; Tracy previously portrayed Wagner's father in the western Broken lance . Very good support cast playing brief interpretations , such as Claire Trevor as Marie , William Demarest as Father Belacchi , Richard Arlen as Rivial , E.G. Marshall as Solange and gorgeous Anna Kashfi film debut as Hindu Girl . Very real climbing images as well as perfectly staged scenes , being marvelously photographed by Franz Planer , he fills the screen with excitement and suspense. The motion picture was professionally directed by Edward Dmytryck .Filmmaker Edward , better known for overtly personal movies such as The Caine Mutiny was a craftsman whose career resulted to be interrupted by the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), a congressional committee that employed ruthless tactics aimed at rooting out and destroying what it saw as Communist influence in Hollywood . A lifelong political leftist who had been a Communist Party member briefly during World War II, Dmytryk was one of the so-called "Hollywood Ten" who refused to cooperate with HUAC and had their careers disrupted or ruined as a result. The committee threw him in prison for refusing to cooperate, and after having spent several months behind bars , Dmytryk decided to cooperate . Dmytrick's biggest film was ¨The Caine Mutiny¨ , but he also realized another mutiny film titled : ¨Mutiny¨ with Angela Lansbury , Mark Stevens and Patrick Knowles . Edward was an expert on warlike genre as ¨Back to Batan¨ , ¨Battle of Anzio¨ , ¨Young lions¨ and Western as ¨Broken lance¨ , ¨Alvarez Kelly¨ , ¨Warlock¨ among others. Rating : a complete must see , it's recommended for Spencer Tracy and climbing buffs .

vicpatjim-505-92664 I liked this movie when I was a child, watching it in black and white on TV. Liked it then for the story, the adventure, the good vs. evil. But now I appreciate it much more. Spencer Tracy is unique, there's not a moment when you don't see him as a man leading a simple life in a small alpine village, yet a courageous rock climber/mountain climber, and most important a man of integrity, showing kindness toward the injured woman, though he can't speak or understand her language, and you can guess at the kindness he's shown his brother all along, he will do anything for him. The best rope, the first bit of food or drink. As other reviewers said, he loves climbing, though he's older and experienced tragedy with the mountain. After a difficult ascent, he's joyful, and even forgets why he and his brother are on the mountain. It was different to see gorgeous, young Robert Wagner as such an unrelentingly mean and negative character. He doesn't give his brother even a little slack or respect, and no affection, even when his brother has just saved his life while injuring his own hands, and despite anything his brother does for him.In the end, Wagner's character gets what he deserves. He's awkwardly weighed down with the items he's stolen, but mostly with his own greed and anger. When he asks Zachary if a snow bridge over a crevasse is safe, Zachary tells him, "No!" But Chris can only think his brother is lying to stop him from descending with his loot; this is literally his downfall.I loved the beautiful scenery, and the taste of old-fashioned rural live in the alps. The scenes where they climbed a difficult overhang and chimney were still suspenseful, even though you knew these were sets mixed in with real mountain shots. I think those who appreciate or have done rock climbing will enjoy a look at that sport in the 1950's, and anyone will enjoy it for the drama and adventure, the questions of integrity and honesty, even the bit of loving dishonesty at the end.

Jonathon Dabell In 1950, Air India Flight 245 crashed into the side of Mont Blanc in the Alps, killing everyone on board. A couple of years later, French novelist Henri Troyat wrote a book entitled 'La Neige En Deuil' about a plane crash in the Alps, and this 1956 movie is a screen adaptation of that book. With Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner playing brothers, the film immediately gives itself credibility problems. Both good actors and both effective enough in their individual roles, but to believe in them as brothers is remarkably difficult. Wagner was 26 and looks marginally younger than that; Tracy was 56 and looks a good deal older. Their relationship simply doesn't ring true and the tremendous age gap is the key factor. Luckily, if you're willing to overlook this piece of lunatic casting the rest of the film is well-made, absorbing and very interesting.Aging sheepman and Alpine expert Zachary Teller (Spencer Tracy) hears of a terrible air crash in the Swiss Alps on a mountain he knows better than anybody. Zachary is very superstitious and refuses to climb the mountain as he has already had a few near-fatal accidents upon its slopes. A rescue party sets off to the crash site but is forced to turn back when their guide – one of Zachary's close friends – is killed in a tragic fall. Later, Zachary's impetuous and cold-hearted younger brother Chris (Robert Wagner) decides to go to the crash site to find loot and make himself rich. Zachary is appalled at the idea – he calls it pick-pocketing the dead within the sight of God – but he knows his brother will surely die if he tries to climb alone. Therefore he joins him on the hazardous climb. When they reach the crash site, they discover a young Hindu woman still alive in the wreckage. Chris wants to leave her to die so that he can fill his pockets with loot; Zachary is determined to bring her down to safety at all costs. Soon the brothers are locked in a furious moral feud.Tracy does very well as the older Teller brother. He is such a skilled actor, so very watchable. There are very few films where he doesn't command attention, and in this one his morally righteous mountain man is at once lovable and deeply humbling. Wagner is quite good too as the selfish younger brother. Obviously they don't suit each other as siblings, but the point about their incompatibility as on-screen brothers has been laboured enough. Edward Dmytryck shoots the film in glorious VistaVision, capturing his Alpine scenery in breathtaking beauty. If nothing else, this is a truly great-looking film. The narrative is rather slow in parts, particularly the opening, but it builds to some genuinely hair-raising climbing sequences later on. The ascent of the brothers to the wreck site is powerfully done, with one moment in particular (when Wagner slips and the rope slides through Tracy's hands, burning and bloodying his palms as he tries to break his fall) that lingers long in the memory. A solid character film – almost a two-hander play with a more spectacular backdrop than most – The Mountain is a very worthwhile 105 minutes.

bob7708 I thought both Spencer Tracey and Robert Wagner put in great performances. The rivalry between the two brothers added to a surprise ending. You not only wondered if they could both climb the mountain to rescue survivors but I wondered if Robert Wagner was going to end up killing Spencer Tracey. Wagner played a dangerous weasel again in another film, "A Kiss Before Dying" in which he played a very convincing murderous Sociopath.This film reminded me of a film shot in the 1930's or 1940's in which an airplane crashed atop of a mountain. the only scene I remembered from it was when one of the passengers {an opera singer} had to sacrifice his singing voice to yell out for help as loud as he could. They were rescued but it cot him his singing career. Does anyone remember the title of the movie?