Third Man on the Mountain (Banner in the Sky) (1959)
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78% of users liked it
(532 ratings)
Filmed on location in Switzerland, Walt Disney's Third Man on the Mountain was based on Banner in the Sky, a book by James Ramsey Ullman. James MacArthur plays a Swiss youth who vows to be the first to scale a formidable Matterhorn-like mountain called the Citadel. The fact that MacArthur's… More Filmed on location in Switzerland, Walt Disney's Third Man on the Mountain was based on Banner in the Sky, a book by James Ramsey Ullman. James MacArthur plays a Swiss youth who vows to be the first to scale a formidable Matterhorn-like mountain called the Citadel. The fact that MacArthur's father was killed attempting a similar climb only strengthens the boy's resolve. Though discouraged by his mother and uncle, MacArthur prepares for his ascent by taking practice climbs with his friends, learning vital lessons about safety and cooperation along the way. Finally, MacArthur begins making his way up the Citadel in the company of four other hardy souls. The title is a giveaway as to who doesn't reach the top of the mountain first; even so, there's a happy, satisfying ending for the so-called "loser." The film's breathtaking full-color shots of the Matterhorn are brilliantly augmented by the matte work of the legendary Peter Ellenshaw. Watch for Helen Hayes, the mother of Third Man on the Mountain star James MacArthur, in an amusing cameo role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Ken Annakin
- Written By
- Eleanore Griffin
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Kids & Family
G,
- In Theaters
- Dec 31, 1959 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Pleasant climber adventure, not bad Disney
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Cast
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Michael Rennie
as Capt. John Winter
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Janet Munro
as Lizbeth Hempel
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James Donald
as Franz Lerner
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Herbert Lom
as Emil Saxo
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Laurence Naismith
as Teo Zurbriggen
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Lee Patterson
as Klaus Wesselhoft
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Walter Fitzgerald
as Herr Hempel
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Nora Swinburne
as Frau Mott
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Helen Hayes
as Tourist
- James MacArthur
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Ferdinand "Ferdy" Mayne
as Andreas
