
Third Man on the Mountain (1959)
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- Approved
- 1h 47min
- Adventure, Drama
- 10 Nov 1959 (USA)
- Movie
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
Michael Rennie | ... |
Captain John Winter
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James MacArthur | ... |
Rudi Matt
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Janet Munro | ... |
Lizbeth Hempel
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James Donald | ... |
Franz Lerner
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Herbert Lom | ... |
Emil Saxo
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Laurence Naismith | ... |
Teo Zurbriggen
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Lee Patterson | ... |
Klaus Wesselhoft
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Walter Fitzgerald | ... |
Herr Hempel
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Nora Swinburne | ... |
Frau Matt
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Ferdy Mayne | ... |
Andreas
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Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Joyce Bulifant | ... |
Young Woman Tourist (uncredited)
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Roger Delgado | ... |
Italian Tourist (uncredited)
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Leonard Fenton | ... |
(uncredited)
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John Gabriel | ... |
Paul - Guide (uncredited)
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Helen Hayes | ... |
Tourist (uncredited)
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James Ramsey Ullman | ... |
Tourist (uncredited)
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Directed by
Ken Annakin | ... | (directed by) |
Written by
Eleanore Griffin | ... | (screenplay by) |
James Ramsey Ullman | ... | (book "Banner in the Sky") |
Produced by
Bill Anderson | ... | producer (produced by) (as William H. Anderson) |
Walt Disney | ... | producer (uncredited) |
Alan Jaggs | ... | associate producer (as Alan L. Jaggs) |
Music by
William Alwyn | ... | (music by) |
Cinematography by
Harry Waxman | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
Peter Boita | ... | film editor |
Production Design by
John Howell |
Production Management
Basil Keys | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerry O'Hara | ... | assistant director (as Gerald O'Hara) |
Gaston Rébuffat | ... | second unit director |
Otto Plaschkes | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
Eddie Fowlie | ... | property master (uncredited) |
Sound Department
Chris Greenham | ... | sound editor |
Tom Otter | ... | boom operator (uncredited) |
Visual Effects by
Peter Ellenshaw | ... | matte artist |
Camera and Electrical Department
Georges Tairraz II | ... | photographer: mountain unit |
Alec Mills | ... | focus puller (uncredited) |
Trevor Wrenn | ... | clapper loader (uncredited) |
Location Management
Bernhardt Biner | ... | location liaison: Zermatt |
Music Department
Muir Mathieson | ... | conductor |
Additional Crew
Mme. Derivaz | ... | choreographer |
Walt Disney | ... | presenter |
Gaston Rébuffat | ... | director: mountain unit |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Buena Vista Film Distribution Company (1959) (United States) (theatrical) (as Buena Vista Film Distribution Co., Inc.)
- Triangel Produksjon A/S (1960) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Cinédis (1960) (France) (theatrical)
- Daiei (1960) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Buena Vista International Mexico (1961) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- Cawall Film (1961) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1963) (United States) (tv) (original airing)
- Disney Channel (1983) (United States) (tv) (as The Disney Channel)
- Walt Disney Home Entertainment (2004) (United States) (DVD)
- Disney+ (2021) (United States) (video) (VOD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (acknowledgement)
- RCA (sound recording)
Storyline
Plot Summary |
In 1865 Switzerland, a country mostly covered by high mountains, the main hobby is mountain-climbing. For some locals it's a personal passion and for others it's a lucrative business. Many tourists, mostly rich foreigners and explorers, come to Switzerland to attempt world records by climbing mountain peaks that have never been climbed or seldom been climbed before. Of course, some of these brave explorers lose their lives in their dangerous quests. The local Swiss villages provide experienced mountain guides and porters to the mountain climbers willing to pay the price, in coins or lives. Kurtal is such a small Swiss village located at the base of the famous Citadel mountain. The Citadel is the highest and the most dangerous peak in the region. Many have died trying to climb it but for the past 16 years no one has ventured on it. The last man to lose his life on the Citadel was the famous local mountain guide Josef Matt who died sacrificing himself in order to save the lives of his clients for whom he was serving as a guide. Josef's son, Rudi, is raised by his mother and by his uncle, Franz Lerner, who is also a professional mountain guide. Rudi is only 18 years old but he dreams of becoming a guide like his father. His family disapproves of Rudi's dangerous aspirations and relegate him to much safer jobs, such as being the dishwasher at the local motel run by Herr Hempel and his daughter Lizbeth. Often times, Rudi sneaks out of the kitchen to go climb smaller mountain peaks for exercise. Rudi knows the local rumor claiming that his father Josef had discovered a secret path to the summit of the Citadel on the day he died. Rudi hopes to one day climb the Citadel himself and find the secret path to the top his father supposedly discovered. One day, Rudi is at work washing dishes at the motel and he decides to sneak out of the kitchen in order to do a bit of mountain climbing. On the mountain, Rudi finds a stranded foreign tourist who got trapped when he fell onto a crag into a crevasse. Rudi throws a rope into the crevasse and saves the man who is none other than famed British mountain climber Capt. John Winter. The Captain thanks Rudi for saving his life and explains that accidents on the mountain could even happen to the most experienced climber. On their way back to town, Rudi and the Englishman pass by Rudi father's grave and the two pay their respects. The Captain reveals to Rudi that he believes in the dream of finding Josef's secret path to the top of the Citadel. In town, the Englishman hires Rudi's uncle Franz Lerner as a guide and convinces him to allow Rudi to come along as a porter. He also buys a new complete set of equipment and climbing gear for Rudy. Secretly, the foreigner wants to take a closer look at the famed and evil Citadel. When Rudi's uncle finds out the real aim of Capt. John Winter, he vehemently refuses to be the Englishman's guide to the Citadel. The Englishman leaves town and Rudi's uncle sells Rudi's new climbing gear that was gifted to Rudi by the foreigner. However, Rudi's girlfriend Lizbeth has purchased the hiking boots from Rudi's uncle and gives them back to Rudi. For the next few weeks Rudi undergoes a strict training in mountain climbing and guiding under the supervision of Teo Zurbriggen, Rudi father's old partner. Teo tells Rudi to never work for praise, glory and rewards but rather for the safety of his clients. Soon after, the locals spot two men, climbing the Citadel, through a telescope. One of them is Englishman John Winter and the other is Emil Saxo, a Swiss mountain guide from a nearby rival village. The next day, curious onlookers spot three men climbing the Citadel. With Rudi Matt gone from the village and nowhere to be found, the biggest question in everyone's mind is - who is the third man on the mountain ? Written by nufs68 |
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Taglines | FROM WALT DISNEY A NEW HIGH IN THRILLING ACTION, SUSPENSE AND EXCITEMENT! (original ad - all caps) See more » |
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Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
Budget | $2,000,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
Trivia | The Matterhorn was an actual set location and actors and crew were required to climb the summit for filming. See more » |
Goofs | The amount of blood on Captain Winter's bandage keeps changing from scene to scene at the end of the movie. See more » |
Movie Connections | Featured in Perilous Assignment (1959). See more » |
Soundtracks | Climb the Mountain See more » |
Quotes |
Emil Saxo:
It's the end of it, for him. But it needn't be for us. Franz Lerner: What do you mean? Emil Saxo: Tomorrow the weather will be good, after that, who knows? If we leave at first dawn, we'll be there by eight. The boy will stay with him, he won't be left alone. And it's what he would want us to do. Franz Lerner: It isn't a question of what he would want. A guide - at any rate, a guide of Kurtal - does not leave his client on a mountain and go on alone. See more » |