Storm over Mont Blanc
| Storm over Mont Blanc | |
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German theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Arnold Fanck |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Arnold Fanck |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Paul Dessau |
| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Arnold Fanck |
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Production
company |
Aafa-Film AG
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| Distributed by | Aafa-Film AG |
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Release date
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Running time
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93 minutes |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German |
Storm over Mont Blanc (German: Stürme über dem Mont Blanc) is a 1930 German film written and directed by Arnold Fanck and starring Leni Riefenstahl, Sepp Rist and Ernst Udet. The film is about a man who works alone at the Mont Blanc weather station gathering data. His only contact with the world below is via Morse code signals. He is joined by a woman friend, who helps him survive a terrible storm over the mountain. Filmed on location in Arosa, Switzerland, Babelsberg Observatory in Potsdam, Germany, and Mont-Blanc in Chamonix, France, the film is notable for its dramatic mountain footage and depictions of a violent snow storm. Storm over Mont Blanc premiered in Dresden, Germany on 25 December 1930.
Meteorologist Hannes (Sepp Rist) works alone at a remote weather station below the summit of Mont Blanc in the French Alps. Every day he gathers data on weather conditions. When the weather is clear, he is able to use his telescope to gaze down at the town of Chamonix in the valley far below. His solitary life is interrupted only by the daily weather reports he transmits via Morse code to various weather centers throughout Europe. He is also able to listen to his friend Walter perform his organ concerts on the radio.
At the Chamonix observatory down in the valley, an astronomer's daughter, Hella Armstrong (Leni Riefenstahl), gazes up at the night sky, helping her father with his work. Every evening she looks forward to Hannes' weather reports and messages—like hearing from a close friend even though they've never met. In addition to her scientific interests, Hella enjoys skiing with her friends in the mountains. One day while skiing with her friends, she meets Udet (Ernst Udet) in his small aircraft. Together they fly above the clouds to the upper reaches of Mont Blanc. As they approach Hannes' weather station, she drops a small evergreen tree down by parachute with a note introducing herself. Enchanted by the gesture, he carefully decorates his tree for Christmas.
Thrilled with her flying experience over Mont Blanc, Hella persuades her father to join her on another flight to the weather station to visit Hannes—an old friend of her father who once worked at that station. At the small remote station, Hella is fascinated by the scientific equipment—and with Hannes. The next morning, Hannes takes Hella with him to the summit of Mont Blanc to capture that day's climate conditions. While they are away, Hella's father goes out to study the geology and falls from a rocky ledge and is killed. The young meteorologist and his female companion witness the fatal accident.
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