Arnold Fanck(1889-1974)

Director
Producer
Writer

Arnold Fanck in The White Hell of Pitz Palu (1929)

Arnold Fanck was born March 6, 1889, in Frankenthal, Germany. A trained geologist, he began making documentary and action films after the end of World War I, and his love of geology inspired him to shoot his films in remote mountain locations. These pictures became immensely popular with the German audiences and led to what is known as the "mountain films", a genre that was pretty much begun by Fanck but carried on by other German and Austrian directors. Fanck worked most notably with Leni Riefenstahl, Georg Wilhelm Pabst and American director Tay Garnett.

IMDbProStarmeter See rank

Awards
- 1 win total

Photos2

Known for

The White Hell of Pitz Palu

7.3

Director(as Dr. Arnold Fanck)

1929

Der Berg des Schicksals

6.6

Director

1924

Atarashiki tsuchi

5.7

Director

1937

Pömperly's Kampf mit dem Schneeschuh

Director

1923

Credits

IMDbPro

Director

Der weiße Rausch - Einst und jetzt
- Director
- 1966
Arno Breker - Harte Zeit, starke Kunst
7.5
Short
- Director
- 1944
Atlantik-Wall
Short
- Director
- 1944
Josef Thorak, Werkstatt und Werk
7.7
Short
- Director
- 1943
Kampf um den Berg - Eine Hochtour vor 20 Jahren
Short
- Director
- 1941
Frühling in Japan
Short
- unconfirmed
- 1941
Japans heiliger Vulkan
Short
- unconfirmed
- 1941
Ein Robinson
4.0
- Director
- 1940
Der Führer baut seine Hauptstadt
- creative director
- 1939
Hänschen Klein
Short
- Director
- 1938
Kaiserbauten in Fernost
Short
- Director
- 1938
Winterreise durch Südmandschurien
Short
- Director
- 1938
Atarashiki tsuchi
5.7
- Director
- 1937
Reis und Holz im Lande des Mikado
Short
- Director
- 1936
Die Wildnis stirbt!
- Director
- 1936

Producer

Winterreise durch Südmandschurien
Short
- producer
- 1938
Atarashiki tsuchi
5.7
- producer
- 1937
Wintersport im Schwarzwald
Short
- producer
- 1927
Das Rudern
- producer
- 1925
Das Wolkenphänomen von Maloja
6.6
Short
- producer
- 1924
Der Totenwolf
- producer
- 1924
Die begehrte Lotte oder 'Welch entzückende Füßchen'
Short
- producer
- 1924
Die weiße Kunst
- producer
- 1924
Der Berg des Schicksals
6.6
- producer
- 1924
1000 Dollar Belohnung
Short
- producer
- 1923
Das Herz des Menschen
Short
- producer
- 1923
Franzens Lebensrettung - Ein Erlebnis unter den Wilden
Short
- producer
- 1923
Pömperly's Kampf mit dem Schneeschuh
- producer
- 1923
Südtirol - Ein Vorposten deutscher Kultur
- producer
- 1923
Ali-Baba und die 40 Räuber
Short
- producer
- 1922

Writer

Two in a Sleeping Bag
6.0
- story
- 1956
The White Hell of Pitz Palu
6.3
- novella
- 1950
Ein Robinson
4.0
- Writer
- 1940
Hänschen Klein
Short
- writer
- 1938
Atarashiki tsuchi
5.7
- Writer
- 1937
Rêve éternel
- Writer
- 1935
Der ewige Traum
6.2
- Writer (as Dr. Arnold Fanck)
- 1934
North Pole, Ahoy!
- idea
- 1934
S.O.S. Iceberg
6.3
- story (as Dr. Arnold Fanck)
- 1933
S.O.S. Iceberg
6.6
- writer
- 1933
Slalom
6.3
- story (as Dr. Arnold Fanck)
- 1932
Der weiße Rausch - Neue Wunder des Schneeschuhs
5.4
- Writer (as Dr. Arnold Fanck)
- 1931
Storm Over Mont Blanc
6.4
- Writer
- 1930
Die heiligen drei Brunnen
- Writer (uncredited)
- 1930
The White Hell of Pitz Palu
7.3
- writer
- 1929

Personal details

Alternative name
- Dr. Arnold Fanck
Born
- March 6, 1889
- Frankenthal, Palatinate, Bavaria [now Rhineland-Palatinate], Germany
Died
- September 28, 1974
- Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany(cancer)
Spouses
Relatives
- Matthias Fanck(Grandchild)
Other works
Author: g Fanck, Arnold, 1889-1974. Title: Er fuhrte Regie mit Gletschern, Sturmen und Lawinen; ein Filmpionier erzahlt. Publisher: [Munchen] Nymphenburger Verlagshandlung [c1973]. Pages: 394, [1] p. illus. 24 cm. Notes: "Filmographie, von C. Bernd Sucher": p. 387-[395] Subjects: g -- Fanck, Arnold, -- 1889-1974.
Publicity listings
- 1 Print Biography
- 1 Portrayal

Did you know

Trivia
During the National Socialist period, Fanck got in trouble with propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, since he refused to cooperate - apparently because of the necessity of joining the party. In 1934, he also began working on his film, Der ewige Traum/Der König vom Mont-Blanc, which not only starred a French hero in French mountains, but also had a Jewish producer, Gregor Rabinowitsch. This conflict brought Fanck into economic difficulties, from which he was only able to escape by accepting a contract from the Japanese ministry of culture in 1936.