Antarctic Crossing

UK (1958): Documentary

This 47-minute British documentary is a record of the 1957-58 Antarctic expedition of Sir Vivian "Bunny" Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillary during the International Geophysical Year (IGY). In contrast to the crisp color photography of these latter-day polar excursions, editor Dennis Gurney includes vintage black-and-white clips of the earlier (and less successful) Scott and Shackleton expeditions. Emphasis is made on the adaptability of the Fuchs and Hillary teams as they create for themselves a "home away from home" in the icy wastes. The miles and miles of footage shot during this 18-month expedition was brilliantly distilled to 4½ reels by the resourceful Gurney. For once, the voiceover narration is not intrusive, backing off from time to time to allow the images to speak for themselves. (Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide)

· Documentary (Features) 1958: James Carr, producer.

1 nomination