| **News and Events: Jan. 22: The White Hell of Pitz Palu |
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| Tue, January 16, 2007 01:59 PM |
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Jan. 22: The White Hell of Pitz PaluThe White Hell of Pitz Palu
Monday, January 22
7 p.m. @ The Paramount, Seattle
$12
Webmaster's note: This is a rare chance to see not only a seminal movie with mountaineering as the focus, it's an opportunity to attend The Paramount Theater's excellent Silent Film Series with their mighty Wurlitzer organ. That alone is worth the price of admission.
One of the most celebrated mountain films of all time, THE WHITE HELL OF PITZ PALU was also an international box-office success--indeed it was the first German film to play the giant Roxy Theatre in New York City. Riefenstahl stars as a newlywed who gets trapped on a mountain ledge with her husband on their ill-fated honeymoon. While Arnold Fanck staged the outdoor action with his characteristic pictorial flair, the Expressionist director G.W. Pabst was brought in to oversee dramatic scenes shot in the studio. Working for Pabst, Riefenstahl distinguished herself as an accomplished actress among Fanck's gang of mountaineers, and the critics were quick to single her out for praise: "For the heroine, Leni Riefenstahl, renewed and unexpectedly fresh, unexpectedly charming. A flowing free rhythm, breath-catching beauty, genuine alarm. Not blatant or manufactured, but sensed with authenticity."
Patrons will be able to enjoy a short commentary about this classic treasure led by Dennis James with special guest Jennifer Bean.
The Paramount Theater's website
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