Original subtitles

THE WHITE HELL OF PIZ PALÜ had its premiere in 1929.

The original negative is lost. However, a nitrate print survived.

The print was partially out of sequence and its subtitles...

...differed from those of the original release version.

With the help of the censor records these errors have been corrected.

The restoration of the film took place in 1997 in collaboration between...

...the Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek and Taurus Film in the Federal Archive.

THE WHITE HELL OF PIZ PALÜ

The screenplay by Dr. Fanck is based on a brief newspaper...

...report about some young mountain climbers who lost...

...their way in a rock face near Innsbruck...

...and fought for their lives for seven days.

FÖHN ...a warm Alpine wind...

...lashes the faces of Piz Palü.

The Mountain rages, steaming with snow dust.

"Don't be cocky up here, Hannes!"

"The fist holds steady!"

"The rope does not reach far enough down...!

...Wait here, I'll run down to the valley to get help."

Suddenly... The mountain is silent.

Once again, two young people stand in front of this mountain.

DAIVOLEZZA HUT

2,977 meters above sea level

The mountain basks in sunshine.

"Udet! Udet!"

All the best to the engaged couple!

"You know, suddenly all that ice up here seems foreboding."

"Today we are alone for the first time, Maria."

Log of the Diavolezza Hut

October 6

...1925 Off to the Piz Palü. Guide: Christian.

Dr. Johannes Krafft and Maria Krafft...

...died by accident in the Piz Palü glacier.

"Don't you know the story of Dr. Johannes Krafft?"

"It happened at Piz Palü... the pale mountain..."

"And since then, he goes as a restless solitary wanderer...

...over all the ridges and faces of the Palü...

...The local community calls him...

...GHOST of the Mountain."

"Come, let's make some tea."

"May I offer you a cup of tea?"

The warm Föhn wind drifts through the valleys.

"Why do you go to the mountain again and again?"

"And why do you wander always alone?"

"It was only a narrow crevice in the Palü Glacier...

...but it reached far down into darkness..."

"There... an urgent cry for help came out from the icy depths...

...Maria was still alive...!"

"Maria...!"

"Maria...!"

"But only the sub-glacial stream roared down in the dark."

"Maria...!"

"Since then, the Mountain holds her captive in its icy grave."

"Please come in and join us for dinner."

"Do you know there are students from Zurich...

...coming tomorrow to attempt the north face of the Piz Palü?"

"This is the face that poses the last big problem here at the Palü."

"Is it that difficult?"

"He tried it already twice by himself...

...but without the security of a second person it is too dangerous."

"I'll come up again tomorrow evening."

"My God, the Föhn us blowing in... now the ice will thunder at the Palü."

"Stop being so ambitious here in the mountains, Hannes."

"Don't you think we shouldn't let him go by himself?"

October 7 1928 Tomorrow at 6:30 a.m...

...off to the north face of the Palü.

Dr. Johannes Krafft

...Alone.

"She should not lie close to the wall...

...there is a strong draft through the cracks."

"Wait a moment... I'll go with you."

Dear Maria, I go with Dr. Johannes to attempt the north face...

...because it leaves me no peace...

...I want to prove that I can achieve something, too...

...Don't be angry, we'll be back this evening and hopefully...

...we'll stay alone after that. - Yours, Hans

Dear Maria, I go with Dr. Johannes to attempt the north face...

...because it leaves me no peace...

...I want to prove that I can achieve something, too...

...Don't be angry, we'll be back this evening and hopefully...

...we'll stay alone after that. - Yours, Hans

"You cannot leave me alone in the hut... you have to take me with you!"

"No, this is not for a girl."

"Look, we have to cross the great gorge of the Piz Palü...

...underneath a dangerous ice face."

In the fantastic world of a glacial break.

"Kids, Dr. Johannes is ahead of us."

"Let's climb directly through the gorge...

...that is the only way we can still beat him."

"Let's hope that the whole mess...

...doesn't come crashing down just today!"

"From here on, I'll go first."

"I don't want to be behind all the time."

"Be reasonable."

"Go fast!"

"Now we are stuck."

Distress in the mountains!

October 7 1928 Tomorrow at 6:30 a.m...

...off to the north face of the Palü. Dr. Johannes Krafft

-A-l-o-n-e- With Hans Brandt and Maria Maoni

Sudden temperature drop.

"Distress signal at the Palü!"

"Yes, yes, I am coming."

"Take pitch torches and stretchers with you!"

"We reach the peak from south...

...and from there we try to descend the north face."

"Go with me to the face..."

"Through the glacier break you'll find somebody who has been thrown...

...across the crevice. The others are lying below."

"Take my sweater."

Hell

ALPINE MISFORTUNE In the Engadin Mountains five young...

...climbers were overcome by an avalanche and were found dead...

...A second party, a young couple, guided by the well known mountaineer...

...Dr. Johannes Krafft, lost their way in the north face of the Piz Palü...

...For three days a rescue team searched from the summit down...

...to find the missing, but the face is just too vast...

...From time to time calls for help from the missing can be heard.

The third night.

"If he loses his nerve and starts to act wild...

...you'll have to help me, Maria."

"Can't we let him loose?"

"He would throw himself down immediately to end his agony."

Dropping provisions is impossible...

...I'll show you now the exact location by flying as close to it as possible.

"Hans is freezing to death!"

"Hans is freezing to death!"

His last walk.

Old Christian: In a few hours you might have succeeded in climbing down to us...

...It will just be in time for the two...

...I tried to keep them warm as best I could...

...But don't search for me for too long. Leave me where I belong.

You know I alway was good friends with the ice.

But the mountain rages.

"They are coming... THEY ARE COMING!"

"Two have been saved. They are up in the hut."

"And where is Dr. Johannes?"

You know I always was good friends with the ice.

THE END