"THE CHALLENGE"

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 1 July 1939, Page 13

"THE CHALLENGE"

INSPIRING EPIC OF BRITISH COURAGE

An historic challenge and tragic feat of mountaineering is recalled by “The Challenge.” the new London film. Taken from a real life incident of more than seventy years ago, it retells the story, part fact, part fiction, of the first ascent of the Matterhorn which until actually climbed in 1865 was considered unconquerable. The main ‘character in the drama was a noted English mountaineer, Edward Whymper, who with three fellow

countrymen and three Swiss guides, set i out from Zermatt, a village at the foot of the Matterhorn, and raced a party j of Italians starting from the Italian i side of the summit. Descending, the j Englishmen met with disaster. Four were killed. Whymper. returning with two guides. Scandal arose from a per-

isistent rumour that one of the guides had cut the rope. Eight weeks were spent on location in Switzerland, filming amongst the Alps, and the spectacular mountain backgrounds secured for scenes in'•‘The Challenge” have probably never been surpassed in the history of screen entertainment. Heading the cast of the film is Luis Trenker, the Austrian actor-director, famous for “The Doomed Battalion.”

L j He plays the role of Jean-Antoine Car* . rel. leader of the Italian attempt. ■ | The role of Whymper is taken by i j Robert Douglas, the promising young 1 1 actor who is at last obtaining some * j measure of recognition. Other leading [ parts are played by Joan Gardner and Mary Clare.