JohnHowardReid A Walt Disney Production, released by Buena Vista in the USA: November 1959. New York opening at the Normandie: 11 November 1959. U.K. release through Walt Disney: November 1959. Australian release through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer: 17 March 1960. 105 minutes. U.S. TV title: Banner in the Sky.SYNOPSIS: A juvenile re-make of "The White Tower" which was based on a 1945 novel of the same name by — guess who? — James Ramsey Ullman. The bitterness and astringency of the 1945 novel has been considerably toned down here. The engagingly hard, lead characters, played in the 1950 film by Glenn Ford and Alida Valli, have been translated into porous teenagers, whilst the embittered philosopher (originally enacted by Claude Rains) has been transformed into a slightly physically handicapped but overall unconvincingly comic figure (Laurence Naismith). The less said about the rest of Ullman's self-bowdlerizations, the more you will enjoy "Third Man on the Mountain".NOTES: Location scenes filmed in Zermatt, Switzerland. Although the story is fictitious, the events closely parallel the first ascent of the Matterhorn by Edward Whymper, an Englishman, in 1865. Four members of the expedition were killed after reaching the summit. But the remaining three — including Whymper and a Swiss youth — returned safely. (Available on an excellent Walt Disney DVD).COMMENT: Despite all the compliments handed out to "Third Man on the Mountain" by contemporary critics, it is possible to justify a few negative comments: Though set in 1865, disappointingly little use is made of the period background; James Macarthur and Janet Munro are hardly convincing as Swiss peasants; but then neither are James Donald or Laurence Naismith; and my final gripe is that the story is both derivative and ridiculously clichéd, whilst the dialogue is often embarrassingly, amateurishly theatrical.Fortunately, none of these quibbles really matter. All told, they do little to undermine the breathtaking suspense of the mountaineering sequences and the stark beauty of the alpine scenery.OTHER VIEWS: Comes near being a primer for incipient climbers, and it stays exciting to the end...Like so many Walt Disney productions in this genre, it maintains a 'boy's book' tone... The suspense, which is high, springs from the very authoritativeness of setting and incident. — Paul V. Beckley in The N.Y. Herald Tribune.

Jumbajookiba I love the Disney live action movies, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Treasure Island and so many more. Now, I am a fan of both them and actor James Donald, so when I had a chance to watch it I jumped at the chance. What a great way to spend an evening, great story filmed in beautiful surroundings and wonderful performances. Why isn't this available more widely? I'm not going to recap the story as other reviewers have already done so. It is, however, full of tension in marvellously filmed climbing sequences, just watching it for those is worthwhile. As I said earlier, great performances from a largely British cast with every role perfectly cast, Janet Munro runs circles around the modern Disney starlets for a start, always excellent Michael Rennie and Laurence Naismith and a young and cute James MacArthur as the lead, but, as a big fan of James Donald it was fantastic to see him playing something other than a soldier or doctor and doing his usual solid and terrific job and to see him smiling broadly at the end was an added treat, what a badly underused actor he was. Anyway, enough of the fangirl, this is one worth seeking out and I hope that Sky Disney will show it, after seeing The Island At The Top Of The World being shown (another favourite) I live in hope.

treeline1 The story opens in the mid-19th century in a picturesque Swiss village under the towering Citadel. Young Rudi Matt (James MacArthur) wants desperately to be a famous climbing guide like his late father and finally gets the chance to accompany an English climber (Michael Rennie) on a trek up the never-before-scaled mountain.If you like mountain climbing, you'll love this movie which was beautifully filmed on location in Zermatt and the Matterhorn. The story is pure Disney with an idealist hero, his spunky girl friend (Janet Munroe), and lot of lovable villagers looking after them. MacArthur is sweet and boyish and contrasts well with Rennie's sophisticated gentleman. The first half of the movie was more interesting for me than the final ascent (featuring Herbert Lom as a semi-villain), which was somewhat anti-climatic, but it's a feel-good movie all the same.An interesting note: Walt Disney loved the location so much that he built the Matterhorn bobsled ride at Disneyland after filming this movie.

oldyale6 I was eight years old in 1970, when our primary school in Northern Ireland assembled all the students into the gymnasium to see "a film". The film was Third man on the Mountain. A quiet loner who detested the boredom of sports that chased an object around an enclosed playing field, I was captivated by this film, and knew that I wanted to climb. I am 43 years old now, and have spent my life climbing and enjoying the beauty of the mountains. I have just purchased this film on DVD but will wait until Christmas Eve, to see it for the first time in 35 years.In an age where Hollywood gratifies violence, profanity, and promiscuity, caring parents would do well to, not only let their children see this great adventure story; but to sit with them and watch it as a family. As a teenager, I never once attended a 'house-party', drank, or engaged in the trash that often creates arrogant, ungrateful, and belligerent adolescents. The memory of this film never left my mind, and kept me focused in life. Honour, self discipline, respect for our elders and caring about what others think of us; as well as a great story of personal determination and effort, young people today need to be presented with the values that used to be 'normal' in society.The real locations used in the filming provide a welcome relief from the slick, computer-animations and green-screen fakery of modern celluloid, and the climbing depictions are far, far superior to anything that has since been passed off by Hollywood, as 'mountaineering'. Having to EARN respect, working and striving for goals, personal sacrifice, and a good story: parents owe this film to their children.