CHARMED LIFE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 197, 23 August 1935, Page 2

CHARMED LIFE

CRIPPLE’S ADVENTURES The luckiest man in the whole world of film-making has begun work on London Film Productions’ “Conquest of the Air,” which Mr. Churchill is supervising. His name is Han>s Schneeberger, and he is one of the geatest authoities on aerial photography. Though he also photographed such famous pictures as “The White Hell of Pitz Palu,” “The Blue Light” and “The Blue Angel”—the last made Marlene Dietrich a star—it. was his ability to achieve amazing effects, while an aeroplane is falling into a ravine or nose-diving toward a glacier that led to his appointment as cameraman for this British epic of the air. But Herr Schneeberger’s life has been more remarkable than his films. Born in the Austrian Tyrol, he became a crack pilot in the war, was shot down by the Italians, and had his thigh broken so badly that the surgeons wished to amputate. As he was an officer, they had to have his permission, and he refused.

He took to crutches, was able to discard them in 18 months, and within another year had recovered so completely as to become ski ing champion of Austria—a distinction he held for several yeans.

Working generally on “stunt” pictures, he has had some astonishing adventures. While ho was flying < ver the African jungle with the famous German pilot, Ernst Udet, filming the animal'stampede in “Sanders of the River,” a leaky petrol tank forced them to land in wild country, where they were lost four days.

By a coincidence that no intelligent scenario writer would dare to use, lie .nd Udet were rescued by one of the

airmen whom Udet had shot down the war. While Schneeberger was shooting “5.0.8. Iceberg,” an iceberg split and he dropped 40 feet, breaking both hips; and on another occasion his balloon collapsed and he fell, breaking some bones in his back.