This week’s mystery movie was the 1956 Paramount picture The Mountain, with Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Claire Trevor, William Demarest, Barbara Darrow, Richard Arlen, E.G. Marshall, Anna Kashfi, Richard Garrick, Harry Townes, Stacy Harris and Yves Brainville.
Screenplay by Ranald MacDougall.
Based on the novel by Henri Troyat.
Photography by Franz F. Planer.
Color by Technicolor.
Technicolor color consultant Richard Mueller.
Art direction by Hal Pereira and John Goodman.
Photographic effects by John P. Fulton.
Process photography by Farciot Edouart.
Set decoration by Sam Comer and Grace Gregory.
Assistant director William McGarry.
Edited by Frank Bracht.
Assistant to the producer A.C. Lyles.
Costumes by Edith Head.
Makeup by Wally Westmore.
Technical Adviser Charles Balmat.
Sound recording by Harold Lewis and Gene Garvin.
Music by Daniele Amfitheatrof.
Produced and directed by Edward Dmytryk.
Further information about The Mountain is available from the AFI Catalog. I also recommend James Curtis’ splendid biography of Tracy.
The Mountain is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
::
I picked The Mountain by going through the trades and figured the casting of Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner as brothers sounded interesting. It was a bit unusual, but didn’t bother me too much.
I’m going to guess that Bosley Crowther hated it (an easy call, I know).
Well, he didn’t hate it. At least he didn’t hate ALL of it (The New York Times, Nov. 15, 1956):
The sheer physical toil and terror of scaling an icy stone wall up the side of a European mountain are described and imparted in great detail in Edward Dmytryk’s new Paramount film The Mountain, which came to the Astor yesterday. Anyone who wants to know what it feels like to cling to a vertical face of frozen rock, thousands of feet above a pastoral valley, can get a pretty good idea from this film.
Mr. Dmytryk spares no nerve ends. With Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner as his climbing team and with the area of their toil made convincing by some frequent magnificent mountain views, he works these two capable actors over a pile of granite in the studio to such length and to such hair breadth flirts with mishap that it is really terrifying to behold….
… It must be said, however, that director Dmytryk’s success with this central action in his picture does not extend through the rest of it, for the drama that fits around the climbing is flimsy and hard to take.
For Monday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Anna Kashfi, and yes, she was the ex-wife of Marlon Brando and mother of Christian Brando.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious man.
Update: This is Richard Arlen.
Brain Trust roll call: Sylvia E. (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery woman) and Jenny M. (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery woman).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we a mystery woman and Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Barbara Darrow and Yves Brainville as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s mysterious gent), Jenny M. (Tuesday’s mystery gent), Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s enigmatic fellow), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s elusive chap), Sylvia E. (Tuesday’s man of mystery) and Anne Papineau (mystery movie, both mysterious guests).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have these mysterious fellows.
Update: This is, from left, Harry Townes, Richard Arlen, William Demarest and Richard Garrick.
And this mystery man.
Update: This is E.G. Marshall, with Claire Trevor hovering in the background.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery woman and Back of the Head Guy), Jenny M. (Wednesday’s mystery woman and Back of the Head Guy), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests, plus Back of the Head Guy), Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mystery woman and Back of the Head Guy), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery women) and Greg (mystery movie and all mystery guests, plus Back of the Head Guy).
For Friday, we have these mysterious guests.
Update: This is Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner.
And also these mysterious guests.
Update: This is Spencer Tracy and Claire Trevor.
Brain Trust roll call: Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery guests and off-stage mystery persons), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guest No. 5), Thom and Megan (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Suzanne Stone (Thursday’s mystery guest No. 5).
ladailymirror.com 
Anna Kashfi (and Spencer Tracy’s fingers on screen left.)
“The Mountain” 1956
LikeLike
She’s giving Katy Jurado vibes. Maybe it’s the eyebrows.
LikeLike
Anna Kashfi in The Mountain.
LikeLike
Is our mystery movie Kim?
LikeLike
A good guess, but alas, I’m afraid not….
LikeLike
Richard Arlen?
LikeLike
Richard ARlen today.
LikeLike
WHEN MY BABY SMILES AT ME?
LikeLike
Richard Arlen
LikeLike
Richard Arlen.
LikeLike
Richard Arlen.
LikeLike
Tuesday – Richard Arlen?
LikeLike
On Monday, Anna Kashfi, in “The Mountain”
LikeLike
For Wednesday, Yves Brainville and Barbara Darrow
LikeLike
Barbara Darrow and Yves Brainville (Back of Head).
LikeLike
THE MOUNTAIN. Anna Kashfi Monday, Rene Havard in the van to the left of Arlen, and Yves Brainville and Barbara Darrow today.
LikeLike
Wednesday – Barbara Darrow and BOTHG Yves Brainville.
LikeLike
Anna Kashfi and Barbara Darrow in THE MOUNTAIN.
LikeLike
Monday is Anna Kashfi. Tuesday is Richard Arlen. Wednesday is Barbara Darrow with Back of Head Guy Yves Brainville. The movie is The Mountain from 1956.
LikeLike
Thursday
Image 1- Harry Townes, Richard Arlen, William demarest and Richard Garrick
Image 2 – E.G. Marshall, plus ‘cropped for lack of mysteriousness’ Claire Trevor and ‘also cropped’ Jim Hayward. O.S. Spencer Tracy, mountain climber.
LikeLike
Harry Townes, Richard Arlen,William Demarest, and Sherwood Keith, plus E. G. Marshall.
LikeLike
Monday: Anna Kashfi in THE MOUNTAIN (1956) Wednesday: Barbara Darrow, Yves Brainville Thursday: Harry Towne, Richard Arlen, William Demarest, Richard Garrick; E.G. Marshall
LikeLike
Harry Townes, Richard Arlen, William Demarest and E.G. Marshall.
LikeLike
E.G. Marshall seems buried under a mountain of Movieland Mystery obfuscation. I well know the feeling.
LikeLike
The movie this week is “The Mountain” with Anna Kashfi for Monday. On Tuesday the guest is Richard Arlen. The actors on Wednesday are Barbara Darrow and BOTHG Yves Brainville. Thursday’s group are Harry Townes, Richard Arlen, William Demarest and Richard Garrick plus E. G. Marshall.
LikeLike
The Left Hand of God…E.G. Marshall
LikeLike
Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner.
LikeLike
Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner; Claire Trevor
LikeLike
I neglected to mention that E.G.’s biggest problem was embarrassment with the pathetic newsboy cap supplied by Costumes.
LikeLike
Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner and Claire Trevor.
LikeLike