High Conquest
Cast & Crew
Irving Allen
Anna Lee
Gilbert Roland
Warren Douglas
Beulah Bondi
Sir C. Aubrey Smith
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In 1932, at the Alpine Club in London, Col. Hugh Banning recounts the story of an expedition that took place thirty years before on Switzerland's famed Matterhorn mountain, noting that when the men were near the top, the lead guide fell, taking an American, Jim Stevens, with him. Upon finishing his tale, Banning is joined by American chemist Jeffrey Stevens, Jim's son, who is planning a trip to Switzerland to visit his father's grave. Still haunted by his father's death, Jeffrey bitterly rejects Banning's suggestion that he tackle the Matterhorn. On the train to Switzerland, Jeffrey meets Marie Carrel, a Swiss pianist returning from London to spend the summer with her uncle, Peter Oberwalder, who was one of the guides on the ill-fated expedition. At the Matterhorn, meanwhile, noted alpine guide Hugo Lannier, the son of the doomed guide, fends off the advances of novice climber Clara Kingsley, then learns that Marie has arrived. Hugo plans to ask Marie to marry him and is annoyed to see her with Jeffrey. After Peter gives Jeffrey his father's diary, which mentions his dream of someday climbing the Matterhorn with his son, Hugo offers to be Jeffrey's guide. Jeffrey, however, insists that he will never be ready to climb the mountain. Later, after Marie takes Jeffrey to his father's grave, they join Hugo and the Oberwalder family for a celebration dinner. During the evening, Hugo proposes to Marie, but she asks him for more time to be sure of her feelings. The dinner is then interrupted by the news that two English women have been injured and are stranded on the Matterhorn. Hugo prepares to lead a rescue party, and Peter, Jr., asks to go along. His parents reluctantly consent, and when the boy slips on the icy mountain and falls to his death, Hugo angrily reproaches the two women, blaming them for the accident. Meanwhile, the growing attraction between Jeffrey and Marie has not escaped the notice of Hugo's fellow guide, Jules Koerber, who teases Hugo about it. The jealous Hugo confronts the couple and challenges Jeffrey to climb the mountain. Jeffrey agrees, and early the next morning, Hugo, Jeffrey and Marie set off. The climb is arduous, with many near-disasters, especially for Marie, and the tension between Hugo and Jeffrey escalates. Near the top, Marie hurts her leg, but she insists that the men finish the climb without her. While the townspeople watch the climb through a telescope, Jules comes to warn them that Clara saw Hugo pack a revolver in his gear. A special relief party is quickly assembled to intervene. On the mountain, meanwhile, Hugo and Jeffrey finally reach the top, and Hugo pulls out his gun. Jeffrey strikes the gun out of Hugo's hand, but Hugo knocks him unconscious and cuts the rope, leaving Jeffrey alone to die. Upon rejoining Marie, Hugo admits what he has done, and Marie declares her love for Jeffrey and begs Hugo to go back for him. Hugo agrees, but falls to his death while attempting to reach Jeffrey, who has regained consciousness. Marie and Jeffrey are then rescued by the relief party. Later, at the Alpine Club, Jeffrey concludes his tale of adventure, prompting the members to speculate about what makes men climb mountains. Marie enters, and Jeffrey introduces her as his wife.
Director
Irving Allen
Cast
Anna Lee
Gilbert Roland
Warren Douglas
Beulah Bondi
Sir C. Aubrey Smith
John Qualen
Helene Thimig
Alan Napier
Eric Feldary
Mickey Kuhn
Louis Mercier
John Good
John Vosper
Wilton Graff
Ferike Boros
Maurice Cass
Fritz Leiber
Eddie Parks
Mary Field
John Bleifer
Douglas Walton
Regina Wallace
Richard Flato
Gaza De Rosner
Allen Mathews
William Edmunds
William Kimberly
Joel Conlin
Shelby Payne
Crew
Irving Allen
Richard Angst
Raymond Boltz Jr.
Harry Bourne
Tony Braun
William Calihan
Glenn Cook
Charles Craft
Frank Fox
Renee Garrigueuc
Lud Gluskin
Jack Greenhalgh
E. R. Hickson
Aben Kandel
Augie Lohman
Otho Lovering
Lorraine Maclean
Lucien Moraweck
Lynn Murray
Max Trell
Frank Webster
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
As noted in the film's credits, exteriors for the picture were shot in Switzerland. According to Hollywood Reporter news items, 60,000 feet of film was shot there in August 1946. Sir C. Aubrey Smith, who plays "Col. Hugh Banning" in the picture, narrates part of the story, as does Warren Douglas, as the character "Jeffrey Stevens." Although Minerva Urecal is listed in reviews in the role of "Miss Woodley," onscreen credits list Mary Field in that part. Hollywood Reporter news items add Carl Ledell, Albert Moser, Gordon Armitage and Bill Martin to cast, but their appearance in the completed film has not been confirmed. In February 1947, Hollywood Reporter announced that composers Lucien Moraweck and Rene Gararrasgune, were "to be used to prepare" the film, but only Moraweck is credited with music in the onscreen credits and in reviews.
High Conquest was produced shortly before the announced start of RKO's mountain-climbing film, The White Tower, which was also based on a James Ramsey Ullman book . RKO postponed production on The White Tower, in part because of feared competition with High Conquest; The White Tower was finally made in mid-1949 and released in 1950. Swiss cinematographer Tony Braun, who is credited with exterior photography on High Conquest, also worked on The White Tower. According to a New York Times article, while producer-director Irving Allen was filming High Conquest in Switzerland, he shot footage for a short documentary called Climbing the Matterhorn, which was released by Monogram in 1947.
