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THE WAGES OF FEAR (1953) Dir: Henri-Georges Clouzot. Writer: Henri-Georges Clouzot. Mario: Yves Montand, Jo: Charles Vanel, Luigi: Folco Lulli, Bimba: Peter van Eyck, Linda: Vera Clouzot, Bill O'Brien: William Tubbs, Smerloff: Jo Dest. When an oil well blows up and catches fire at a remote drilling sight, the company hires four desperate men to deliver loads of nitro glycerin, driving over rutted and dangerous roads to the drill sight, to snuff out the fire with explosions.
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THE WHITE DISEASE, see BILA NEMOC
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THE WHITE HELL OF PITZ PALU (1929) Dir: Arnold Fanck, G.W. Pabst. Writers: Fanck, Ladislaus Vajda. Dr. Johannes Krafft: Gustav Diessl, Maria Maioni: Leni Riefenstahl, Hans Brandt: Ernst Peterson, Maria Krafft: Mizzi Gotzel, Christian Klucker: Otto Spring, and Ernst Udet as himself. Dr. Krafft, climbs Pitz Palu, a mountain in the Alps on his honeymoon. His wife falls in a crevasse and is killed. Roaming the mountain, searching for her body, he meets another couple, Maria and Hans. They accompany him up the mountain, but they become stranded in a storm. The local guides, aided by the pilot, Ernst Udet mount a rescue. Dr. Krafft sacrifices his life to save the couple. For a more detailed review, go to my political blog, http://www.thenewcommonsense-wjy.blogspot.com/ and go to my post of 7/1/09.
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THE WILD CHILD (1970) Dir: Francois Truffaut. Writer: Francois Truffaut, Jean Grault. Victor, the Wild Child: Jean-Pierre Cargol, Dr. Jean Itard: Francois Truffaut, Madame Guerin: Francoise Seigner. In 1798, a feral child, who can't read, write, speak or walk upright, is found in a French forest. Dr. Jean Itard, a doctor at the French institute for the deaf, attempts to teach the boy, whom he names Victor, to read, write and speak.
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WINGS OF DESIRE (1987) Dir: Wim Wenders. Writers: Peter Handke, Richard Reitinger. Damiel: Bruno Ganz, Marion: Solveig Dommatin, Cassiel: Otto Sander, Homer: Curt Bois, The Film Star: Peter Falk. Two angels over Berlin, observing but never interfering. One falls in love and longs for an earthly life and becomes human. Peter Falk, playing himself, is a former angel who advises Damiel on mortal life. Homer, an aging poet and storyteller reminisces about his long life.
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WOMAN IN THE MOON (1929) Dir: Fritz Lang. Writer: Thea von Harbou, Fritz Lang. Wolf Helius: Willy Fritsch, The Man Who Calls Himself Walter Turner: Fritz Rasp, Astronomy Student Freide Velten: Gerda Maurus, Engineer Hans Windegger; Gustav von Wangenheim, Professor Georg Manfeldt: Klaus Pohl, Gustav: Gustl Gsettenhaus. Though a laughing stock in the scientific community because of his theory that the mountains of the Moon are made of gold, Professor Manfeldt has inspired Wolf Helius to build a multi-stage rocket to fly to the Moon. When the five richest people on Earth are convinced that the professor's theories are true, they send their operative, the man who calls himself Walter Turner to threaten Helius' project if he isn't included in the mission. Helius, Professor Manfeldt, engineer Hans Windegger, Windegger's fiance, the astronomy student, Freide Velten, Turner, and a small boy and stow-away, Gustav launch themselves to the Moon. After landing, Manfeldt is killed when he is chased by Turner. Turner tries to take over the rocket, and when he gets into a gun battle with Windegger, he is killed, and the oxygen supply for the return trip is damaged. Wolf Helius stays on the Moon so that the others can return to Earth for help. Freide, who has fallen in love with Helius also stays.