Ernst Udet Movies
In the same year that she directed Victory of the Faith (1933), her first of several famous cinematic projects for the Nazi Party, German actress and filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl played a supporting role in this epic adventure, co-written and co-directed by her frequent "mountain film" collaborator Dr. Arnold Fanck. Rod La Rocque stars as Dr. Carl Lawrence, leader of a mission to Greenland to recover the lost records of the ill-fated, real-life Alfred Lothar Wegener polar expedition of 1929-30. Lawrence's party includes experienced explorer/guides, as well as an adventure-seeking financier, who is in over his head and slowly driven mad by the perils of the voyage. When Lawrence's band is trapped on an iceberg, Lawrence's wife Ellen (Riefenstahl) -- a famous female pilot fashioned after Amelia Earhart -- takes off on a rescue mission, but she crashes her aircraft upon landing and is stranded along with the others. Before total disaster claims the Lawrence party, however, native eskimos and Major Ernst Udet (playing himself) arrive via kayak to save the day. Two surviving members of the Wegener party served as advisors for this well-received Man vs. Nature treatise, filmed on location in Greenland. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rod La Rocque, Leni Riefenstahl, (more)
This romantic "mountain film" takes place on Mont Blanc, where the meteorologist Hannes (Sepp Rist) resides in an isolated observatory. Hella Armstrong (Leni Riefenstahl), who lives in the valley below with her astronomer father (Friedrich Kayssler), sees Hannes's observatory while flying over it in an airplane with stunt pilot Ernst Udet (who plays himself). She subsequently visits Hannes and the two fall in love. He urges her to visit his ailing musician friend Walter (Mathias Wieman), but when she does he starts to fear that they have become lovers. The distraught Hannes decides to stay for another year of work on Mont Blanc, but his hands freeze when he loses his gloves and is caught in a storm. Unable to build a fire, he tries to descend to safety but the cracks that have formed in the glacier compel him to turn back. Hella picks up his mayday message on the radio in her father's observatory and heads to Mont Blanc with a rescue team. Before she reaches Hannes, Udet is able to fly in and save his life by building a fire. 30/110 ~ Nicole Gagne, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leni Riefenstahl, Sepp Rist, (more)
After his wife falls to her death in a glacier crevasse, Dr. Johannes Krafft (Gustav Diessl) wanders alone through the Bernina Alps and becomes known as the legendary "Spirit of the Mountain." He encounters Maria Majoni (Leni Riefenstahl) and Hans Brandt (Ernst Petersen) in a mountain shelter, and he and Maria find themselves drawn to each other. Krafft heads out alone the next day but is pursued by the jealous Hans. Maria goes after Hans, who breaks his leg trying to follow Krafft. She and Krafft stay with him, and a powerful storm threatens their lives. After several days Krafft attempts to climb down to get help but freezes to death. The rescue team finds Maria and Hans and returns them to safety. Note that this popular silent "mountain film" was also released in Germany in a shortened (92-minute) sound version in 1935. 29/127 ~ Nicole Gagne, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leni Riefenstahl, Ernst Petersen, (more)
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