James Ramsey Ullman (1907–1971) was an American writer and mountaineer. He was born in New York. He was not a high end climber, but his writing made him an honorary member of that circle. Some of his writing is noted for being "nationalistic," e.g., The White Tower.

Beyond his mountaineering books, he wrote "Where the Bong Tree Grows," an account of a year he spent traveling through some of the most remote islands of the South Pacific. Pharapreising and interpretation due to major educational standards released by a particular educational institution as well as tailored to your educational institution – if different; I thought that this Newbery honor book was going to be just another boy's historical adventure, and that I'd get fed up with it and choose to DNF. I was wrong. Franz Lerner, who is Rudis uncle, accompanied Josef Matt before his fatal attempt at climbing the Citadel. Now, Franz is taking care of Rudi. Frau Matt, Rudis mother, is concerned about Rudi following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a guide because she worries he will meet the same fate. John Winter, a renowned guide in Switzerland, owes his life to Rudi and now wants Rudi to join him in climbing the Citadel. Winter enlists the help of Emil Saxo, a famous Swiss guide from the village of Broli, to guide them on their expedition up the Citadel. James Donald fell eighteen feet off a crag shooting a scene but escaped with minor injuries. Assistant cameraman Pierre Tairraz fell in a crevasse and broke three ribs. [1]The extraordinary difficulty of making this film on the Matterhorn was chronicled in the "Perilous Assignments" episode of Walt Disney Presents. The film was based on the 1954 novel Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey Ullman, who had written The White Tower. The novel was based on the real life first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. [3] Captain John Winter was based on Edward Whymper but the young character of Rudi was entirely fictional. The New York Times called it "a superb mountain climbing story for younger readers". [4] Development [ edit ] What's the Name o...: SOLVED Boy climbs (crystal?) tower in dream, dream merges with real-life and he starts climbing when awak [s]

Janet Munro made the film as the second in a five-picture deal with Disney, the first being Darby O'Gill and the Little People. [11] Shooting [ edit ] He joined the 1963 American Mount Everest Expedition as an official historian. On May 1, 1963 Jim Whittaker was the first American to reach the summit with Nawang Gombu, a nephew of Tenzing Norgay. Because of health problems Ullman had to stay in Kathmandu. His book Americans on Everest: The Official Account of the Ascent was published in 1964. I was surprised that it was aimed at elementary school kids. The subject matter and language seemed more advanced than that. There was certainly an intensity to the writing, and I felt I was there climbing along with them. I liked the very ending especially (where he had disappeared to go and take care of the dishes), for two reasons. One, that despite the times he had been disobedient and had lied to his mother and uncle and shirked his other duties, he had changed. This simple action proved again that he was a true guide of Kurtal, that he had changed and was more mature. He proved that he had integrity. He had made a promise, and he was going to follow through.Filming began June 23, 1958. The film was made on location in Switzerland with Gaston Rébuffat as the head of the mountain second unit photography. [12] it was mostly shot in Zermatt, a location that Walt Disney was familiar with from his ski trips. The studio portions of the film were done in London. [13] Zermatt was the model for the fictional town of Kurtal. Mountaineering scenes were shot in Rotenboden. Not many good character qualities are exhibited by the main character. In fact, whenever there is lying, or inappropriate behavior, it is dismissed or even explained in a positive light. "It was simply what he had to do" was used to justify his actions. Only at the very end, does the boy do the right thing. It's a great story of mountaineering, so perhaps for older kids or for younger but with a parent discussion. The 1950s was a golden era for children’s adventure tales and Ullman exemplifies the best of the tradition, writing suspenseful scenes along with solid character development. The book is full of climbing action and it is wonderfully vivid and tense, carrying the reader along with Rudi through his painful and dangerous exploits. As someone who hates heights, climbing is my idea of torture and I mean it as a compliment to Ullman’s skill that certain scenes made me queasy. What an idiotic pastime – but what good material for an adventure tale. a b p.267 Barrier, Michael. The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney 2008 University of California Press