Blind Husbands
1
CARL LAEMMLE
offers
BLIND
HUSBANDS
COPYRIGHTED BY UNIVERSAL PICTURES CORPORATION
2
From the book
THE PINNACLE
by
Erich Stroheim
________
Adaptation and scenario by
the author
Directed by
ERICH STROHEIM
3
Edited by
FRANK LAWRENCE
and
ELEANOR FRIED
Photographed by Ben F. Renolds
Titles by Lilian Ducey
4
Dedicated to
Sepp Innerkofler, world-famous
mountain guide - who risked his
life again and again to save
others, finally sacrificing it on
the Monte Cristallo. Let us re-
member him through years for his
pure and mighty heart.
5
CAST
The Husband ............. Sam DeGrasse
The Wife ................ Francellia Billington
The Other Man ........... Erich von Stroheim
The Mountain Guide ...... T. H. Gibson-Gowland
The "Vamp" Waitress ..... Fay Holderness
A Village Blossom ....... Ruby Kendrick
Honeymooners ............ Valerie Germonprez
Jack Perrin
The Village Physician ... Richard Cummings
The Village Priest ...... Louis Fitzroy
Three Men from "Home" ... William Duvalle
Jack Mathes
Percy Challenger
6
One of the most frequent reasons
for divorce is "alienation of
affection" ...And the reason within
the reason is the fact that "the
other man" steps in with his
sincere (or insincere) attentions
just when the husband in his self-
complacency forgets the wooing
wiles of his prenuptial days...
Guilty! says the world condemning
"the other man" ...But what of the
husband?
7
Beneath the blue sky ...
as old ... as the world
itself ... the Monte
Cristallo ....
8
... and set like a gem ...
almost choked by the near-
ness of the Alpine magni-
tude lies the little village
of Cortina ...
Note Cortina D'Ampezzo, on the Austro-
Italian Frontier - the Mecca of American
tourists.
9
... the Seventh Day ...
10
... and a people ... simple
and faithful ...
11
The wine room of the
Hotel Croce Bianca.
12
A son of the eternal
mountains ... strong
and mute ... as they ...
Silent Sepp ...
13
"To the end of my days -
I remain your friend -"
14
Into the solitude of the
immortal mountains - -
where man is little and God
is great - - comes Doctor
Robert Armstrong, America's
famous surgeon, seeking rest
and relaxation.
15
Margaret, his wife ....
16
Lieutenant Von Steuben,
an Austrian cavalry
officer, with a keen apprecia-
tion of three things: Wine,
WOMEN, Song.
17
"Robert - what time
is it?"
18
The next morning ...
19
"Oh Robert -- I forgot
my sweater!"
20
"Yes, - I saw it - lying
on the bed -"
21
"Did you find it?"
22
That night was the
Festival of the Trans-
figuration ...
23
Three men from home!
24
Honeymooners.
25
Lover's Lane.
26
"- this wonderful night
is ours - - yours and
mine!"
27
"Even the good old moon
seems to give us her
blessing."
28
"- I love you."
29
"You'll never neglect
me like that?"
30
"Why do you think of
him - he does not think
of you?"
31
"This wonderful night is
ours - yours and mine -"
32
"- and even the good
old moon seems to give
us her blessing -"
33
"- I love you."
34
"Well, Doc, tomorrow we
climb the Monte Cristallo.
And from the north side too
- what do you know about
that?"
35
"But why from the north
side? No one ever
made it before - -"
36
"That's just the reason!"
37
"Don't try to break records.
The mountains have no
patience with such worldly
motives - they'll call you to
account - -"
38
"What do you think,
Sepp?"
39
"It is bad for man to
believe he is more
almighty than mountains,
I know."
40
"To me mountains are life-
less rocks. My pleasure
has always been to master
them."
41
"We'll be back tomorrow
night - keep your eyes
peeled for us!"
42
Daybreak.
43
.... and as the morning
advanced ....
44
"Robert, look here - isn't
this wonderful?"
45
"Two hundred and fifty
kronen - but it's two
hundred years old."
46
"I'm sorry, Margaret, but Dr.
Brunner has a very urgent
case - a little mother needs
us - I have to go."
47
"Lieutenant, please look
after my wife until I
return -"
48
"- you were created for
nothing else but love -
love with its longings - its
ecstasies."
49
"You must not talk that
way. I am married -
and I love my husband."
50
"Husband? Love? How
can one love alone?"
51
.... In the rose glow of
an Alpine sunset ....
52
"What I foresaw has
happened - - I am
going up to bring
them help."
53
"Dr. Brunner is detained in
the country - I am the
only physician here - - I
must go."
54
"It's a long way. We won't
return before tomorrow
night."
55
Ready to bring aid to
those who had reck-
lessly challenged the spirit
of the mountains ...
56
... Morning ... and some-
where a lovebird was
calling ... calling to its
mate ....
57
"Suppose my husband were
to come now - !"
58
"Your husband does not
think of you - he climbs
the mountains - -"
59
"- I promise. But give
me time! Please - -
please - - !"
60
... I call the living ...
I mourn the dead ...
61
"If you feel strong enough
- we'll leave for Rome
tomorrow."
62
"- No! Not until you've
had your climb to the
Pinnacle."
63
"Then - if you don't mind -
I'll go tomorrow."
64
"Take me with you as far
as the Pinnacle hut - and
I'll wait for you until you
come back - -"
65
"Maybe Lieutenant Von
Steuben would like to
join our party?"
66
"Perhaps - I've heard him
say that he has climbed
most of the mountains of
the world."
67
... Cortina had been left far
behind ... and into the cloud-
mist where voices grew fog
muffled to an echo ... went
the party ....
68
Am 16 September
1879 wurde Franz Huber
von Alois Bauer w�hrend
einer geheimer Zusammenkunft
mit der Ehefrau des letzteren
�berrascht und im darauf
folgenden Zweikampfe von
diesem Felsen herunter
geworfen.
Wanderer bete ein Vater
Unser f�r die arme Seele!
[dissolves to:]
On Sept. 16th
1879 Franz Huber was
caught by Alexis Bauer
holding a secret meeting
with the latters wife.
In the ensuing fight
the former was thrown
by the betrayed husband
down this precipice
and killed.
Passerby pray for the
condemned soul of the poor sinner
69
... and just below the timber-
line, where all the earth
scents mingle ... the Pinnacle
hut ....
70
"Separate rooms - if we can
have them? I leave at sun-
rise for the Pinnacle and
do not want to disturb my
wife."
71
... night and drifting fog
... and a mountain owl
weirdly calling ...
calling ...
72
"- When all is quiet -
remember - -"
73
The Pinnacle, one of three
sister peaks in the Dolo-
mites - not the highest but
famed for its inaccessibility.
Buried at its foot lie the victims
of many an intrepid expedition.
74
Lifting itself to immortal
Heaven - aloof ... for-
bidding ... and still, still as
everlasting death ...
75
A platoon of Austrian
Alpine soldiers on a
mapping expedition.
76
"Do you think they
are in danger?"
77
"Not if they left their
worldly troubles behind."
78
The Pinnacle - at the very
feet of God - where man
forgets his baser self and the
soul beneath his mind grows
clean.
79
"Sepp! Sepp!"
80
"Something terrible is
happening - I know it -
I feel it. Sepp, I must
go to them."
81
"Did my wife write this
letter to you?"
82
"Was that letter written
by my wife?"
83
"Yes - what of it?"
84
"What can one man do
alone? There is only
one way up - but many
ways down - -"
85
"I am going to give you one
chance - if you speak the
truth - and I shall know it - I
will not harm you. But if you
lie - and I shall know that too
- down you go - -"
86
"Did she promise to go
away with you?"
87
"You will not hurt me if
I speak the - truth?"
88
"She did!"
89
"No law of God or man
can make me take you
down again!"
90
"I lied because I was
afraid you wouldn't
believe the truth."
91
"I didn't do it - I tell you!
I swear I didn't!"
92
"Doctor Armstrong -"
93
"I've found him -"
94
"He is still up there -
save - him - -"
95
... the spirit of the mountain
had spoken ... and again
everything was still...still as
everlasting death ...
96
- Until we meet again.
97
"Be good to her -"
98
"Little I know of the
world - but one thing
she needs: Love."
Home