With Walt Disney in real life having a love of Switzerland, it's pretty obvious that this Disney studio project, set in and filmed in Switzerland, had a special place in his heart. It must also have been a real heartbreaker for Walt when the movie didn't do especially well at the box office. Having watched the movie for myself, I think I have some idea why audiences at the time didn't embrace the movie. It's very leisurely paced, for one thing, and it could have used some more excitement. However, if you and your children are among more patient viewers, the movie does have its rewards. The movie looks great, shooting directly in the Swiss mountains and with a minimum of special effects - you'll see that the actors (or their stunt doubles) are really climbing those mountains. Also, the youthful hero of the movie comes across as an agreeable and likable fellow despite making some mistakes here and there. The movie's not perfect, but there are plenty of family movies (Disney or not) that are much worse than this one.

I love the Disney live action movies, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Treasure Island and so many more. Now, I am a fan of both them and actor James Donald, so when I had a chance to watch it I jumped at the chance. What a great way to spend an evening, great story filmed in beautiful surroundings and wonderful performances. Why isn't this available more widely? I'm not going to recap the story as other reviewers have already done so. It is, however, full of tension in marvellously filmed climbing sequences, just watching it for those is worthwhile. As I said earlier, great performances from a largely British cast with every role perfectly cast, Janet Munro runs circles around the modern Disney starlets for a start, always excellent Michael Rennie and Laurence Naismith and a young and cute James MacArthur as the lead, but, as a big fan of James Donald it was fantastic to see him playing something other than a soldier or doctor and doing his usual solid and terrific job and to see him smiling broadly at the end was an added treat, what a badly underused actor he was. Anyway, enough of the fangirl, this is one worth seeking out and I hope that Sky Disney will show it, after seeing The Island At The Top Of The World being shown (another favourite) I live in hope.

I saw this movie around 1962 and never forgot it. At that time I lived in a small country town and the cinema was practically our only entertainment. One weekend, Saturday, I went to see "Third Man on the Mountain" and I was completely entranced with the movie. The story touched me deeply impressed me and landscapes. It was as if, somehow, I always had that picture in mind, then, suddenly, I saw on the screen. It was an amazing experience. Back then, in my small town, the film screened on Saturday was repeated on Sunday afternoon and there I was again. In the following years I tried a lot but could not find it. Time passed. Only now fifty years later could see him again and the feeling was the same. It's a film that I bring in my heart forever.

One of the well hidden Disney classics is Ken Annikens Third Man on the Mountains released in 1959. It stars Michael Rennie as Captain Winters who comes to a Swiss village to climb the Citadel, one of the worlds highest and most dangerous mountains and the peak that claimed the life of Rudy Matt's father, played by James McCarther. It was filmed on location in Zermatt Switzerland where the 14,000 foot Matterhorn stands. It is one of the great adventure films of all time taken from the book Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey Ullman. Very few movies have been made about mountain climbing, The Mountain with Spencer Tracy, The White Tower with Glenn Ford and The Eiger Sanction with Clint Eastwood. But Third Man on the Mountain has the most heart. All of the above films are on video tape.