This week’s movie was the 1951 Twentieth Century-Fox film “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain,” with Susan Hayward, William Lundigan, Rory Calhoun, Barbara Bates, Gene Lockhart, Lynn Bari, Ruth Donnelly, Kathleen Lockhart and Alexander Knox.
Screenplay by Lamar Trotti from a novel by Corra Harris.
Color by Technicolor, Monroe W. Burbank consultant.
Music by Sol Kaplan, photography by Edward Cronjager.
Art direction by Lyle Wheeler and Maurice Ransford. edited by Barbara McLean, wardrobe direction by Charles Le Maire, costumes by Edward Stevenson, musical direction by Lionel Newman, orchestration by Edward Powell. Makeup by Ben Nye, special photographic effects by Fred Sersen, sound by Eugene Grossman and Roger Heman. Technical advisor the Rev. Wallace Rogers.
Produced by Lamar Trotti.
Directed by Henry King.
“I’d Climb the Highest Mountain” is available on DVD from TCM.
I picked “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain” because it was one of the top-grossing films of 1951.
Film Bulletin (Feb. 26, 1951) reported: Atlanta had its biggest movie excitement since GWTW when 20th-Fox’s “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain” opened to a huge $21,000 ($215,352.52 in 2020 dollars) take on opening night, proceeds to charity, and has continued to play to capacity crowds since.” Modern Screen, in a feature on star William Lundigan, reported that a sequel with Susan Hayward was in the works, but I can’t find any trace of it.
The story is simple: The experiences of a country preacher (William Lundigan) and his new bride (Susan Hayward) with his rural congregation.
There is the troublemaker (Rory Calhoun), though he’s really not all that bad, and the stern atheist (Alexander Knox) who comes to respect the preacher. There’s the country doctor (Frank Tweddell) who hasn’t much use for religion but likewise comes to respect the preacher after getting the community through an epidemic by using the little country church as a makeshift hospital. There is triumph and tragedy, underscored as Lundigan and Hayward stop in the cemetery to visit their infant son’s grave before leaving town.
But as one review said, it’s a gentle movie and the company took great efforts to make the movie accurate, including filming in Georgia, although the the film never establishes the location besides being “in the hills” and a foreign territory to “a city girl.”
Sadly, the print that airs on Fox Retro is dismal and blurry with a horrible shift in colors, so bad that it looks like a primitive attempt at colorizing a black and white film. I don’t know if the DVD is in better shape (TCM has only shown the movie once, in 2016), but I would hope so.
Corra Harris’ 1910 book “A Circuit-Rider’s Wife) is in public domain and available via Google Books.
And let’s see which New York Times critic hated it…..
Surprise! Bosley Crowther (May 10, 1951), gave it a solid review:
Outside of the slight improbability of Susan Hayward’s appearance as the wife of a Methodist circuit-rider in the red-clay Georgia hills, there is character and general plausibility in 20th Century-Fox’s amiable film about a horse-and-buggy preacher, now on the Roxy’s screen.
“I’d Climb the Highest Mountain,” which producer Lamar Trotti has derived from a novel by Corra Harris, “A Circuit-Rider’s Wife,” is not what you’d call a picture with a strong dramatic plot, rising to peaks of high excitement or theatrical suspense. It is rather a loosely rambling recount of touching and amusing episodes in the lives of a country parson and his inexperienced city-bred wife as they patiently devote themselves to the service of the people back in the hills. But it is done with such winning affection and it is so agreeably played by William Lundigan as the parson that it carries a warm and cheering glow.
The production used large numbers of locals to add authenticity. The New York Times said that the company had residents look in their attics for the grandparents’ clothing to wear as costumes.
The opening scene at the railroad station – with the only Black people in the entire movie.
For Monday, we have some mysterious singing twins.
Update: This is Fay Fogg and Kay Fogg.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Frank Tweddell.
For “Hm Wednesday,” here’s a somewhat better image of Tuesday’s mystery gent. And although you may be wondering if this movie was colorized, it’s a Technicolor. Although the colors seem to have shifted over the years.
Update: This is also Frank Tweddell.
Also for “Aha Wednesday,” we have this mysterious bookish gent.
Update: This is Alexander Knox.
And finally, we have this elegant mystery woman.
Update: This is Lynn Bari.
For “Aha Thursday,” we have these mysterious folks.
Update: This is Gene and Kathleen Lockhart.
We also have this mysterious raffish gent.
Update: This is Rory Calhoun.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious singing twins and Wednesday’s mystery guests,) Jenny M. (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mysterious bookish gent and elegant lady), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Gary (Wednesday’s mysterious elegant lady), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mysterious elegant lady), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious singing twins and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sheila (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), and Patrick (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests).
And for Friday, we have a mystery couple.
Update: This is William Lundigan and Susan Hayward.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Floyd Thursby (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gents), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Chrisbo (Thursday’s mystery gent No. 1), FunkyPhD (mystery movie, Thursday’s mystery couple and Wednesday’s elegant mystery woman), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Gary (mystery movie, mystery singing twins and Thursday’s mystery gent No. 2), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Noir Allie (Thursday’s mystery gent No. 2), Blackwing Jenny (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mysterious bookish gent and Thursday’s mystery gents), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gents), Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Thursday’s mystery cast, mystery director and the mystery cast) and Megan and Thom (mystery movie, Thursday’s mystery gent No. 1 and Wednesday’s elegant mystery woman).
ladailymirror.com 
Is that Andy Devine starting on his diet?
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Don’t know about the sisters, but is that Andy Devine having dinner standing up?
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That’s two votes for Andy Devine. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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With all those Andy Devine guesses, I am emboldened and just for grins will guess that the cropped out woman seated screen left is Marjorie Main.
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That’s my usual m.o., but alas, no mystery people are cropped out in these pictures.
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Is it just me, or do the twins look like the daughters of Ely Malyon?
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We like Eily around here. She lived in South Pasadena — or she died there, anyway.
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Because of the inauguration last week, I thought this week might be something political, but I couldn’t believe it was WILSON from the first photos, but it is. Alexander Knox today and Ruth Nelson.
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Alexander Knox and Lynn Bari in I’d Climb the Highest Mountain.
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I thought it was Cinecolor. Fox didn’t preserve their Technicolor elements.
I’D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN (1951)
Monday: Fay and Kay Fogg
Tuesday: Frank Tweddell
Wednesday: Alexander Knox; Lynn Bari
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Lynn Bari looking lovelier than ever.
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Lynn Bari.
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Fay and Kay Fogg as the twins with Alexander Knox and Lynn Bari make this I’D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN.
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Alexander Knox and Lynn Bari for Wednesday, ‘I’d Climb the Highest Mountain’.
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I’d Climb the Highest Mountain (1948) w/ Fay & Kay Fogg, Lynn Bari, Alexander Knox, Susan Hayward, William Lundigan, Rory Calhoun…
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Alexander Knox and Lynn Bari in I’d Climb the Highest Mountain from 1951.
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I’D CLIMB THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN. Kay and Fay Fogg Monday and Lynn Bari today with Knox.
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Wild guess…I Dream of Jeanie…1952.
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The year’s very close. But there’s no Larry Hagman to be found.
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Gene Lockhart and Kathleen Lockhart and Rory Calhoun.
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For Thursday we have Gene Lockhart and Rory Calhoun. The movie is ” I’d Climb the Highest Mountain.”
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Gene and Kathleen Lockhart; Rory Calhoun.
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Is that Gene Lockhart and Florence Bates in The Inside Story?
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Thursday’s mysterious couple are Gene and Kathleen Lockhart. The movie is “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain.” Wednesday’s elegant woman is Lynn Bari.
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I’d Climb the Highest Mountain for a clue to this one.
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William Lundigan, Susan Hayward.
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“I’d Climb the Highest Mountain”
Mon – Fay and Kay Fogg
Tues – Frank Tweddell
Wed – Mr. Tweddell, Alexander Knox, Lynn Bari
Thurs – Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, Rory Calhoun
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I’d Climb the Highest Mountain with Kay and Fay Fogg v…and Rory.
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Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, Rory Calhoun.
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Rory Calhoun
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I was going nuts trying to ID Alexander Knox(the poor main’s Mr. Jordan). I finally got it thanks to Rory Calhoun and Gene Lockhart’s later appearance. “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain”-which I’ve seen and remember nothing about. You’d think I wouldn’t forget those twins. And for the record-I was this close to guessing Andy Devine on Monday, but I thought you wouldn’t let even a sliver of him appear so early if it were.
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Gene Lockhart, Ruth Donnelly (?), and Rory Calhoun in I’d Climb the Highest Mountain 1951
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Rory Calhoun?
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Finally remembered Mr Lockhart’s name.
I’m going to guess the movie is “I’d Climb the Highest Mountain” 1951. I’m an admirer of director, Henry King.
Susan Hayward, William Lundigan, Rory Calhoun, Gene Lockhart, Ruth Donnelly, Barbara Bates, Lynn Bari, Alexander Knox.
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Our mystery movie is I’d Climb the Highest Mountain, with Gene Lockhart today, and Lynn Bari yesterday.
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William Lundigan and Susan Hayward
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William Lundigan and Susan Hayward.
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William Lundigan and Susan Hayward.
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Susan Hayward
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Movie: I’d Climb the Highest Mountain
Monday: Fay and Kay Fogg
Tuesday: Frank Tweddell
Wednesday: Alexander Knox, Lynn Bari
Thursday: Gene Lockhart, Kathleen Lockhart, Rory Calhoun
Friday: William Lundigan and Susan Hayward
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WITH A SONG IN MY HEART 1952. Saw Alexander Knox, Susan Hayward and Rory Calhoun. PS Love flying boats in old movies, but they’re sure tricky to take off and land
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