C

The
Screenplay by Dominic Green & Mike Riddell
Produced by Mark Vennis, Laurent Tolleron & Pip Piper.
Directed by Dominic Green
A Moviehouse Entertainment, Seven 52 & BluehippoMedia Film

limber
C
haracter
profile scrapbook

The major characters in the story are all drawn from real people who were part
of Hemmings life. Some of these are a compound of two or more people. The purpose of this
document is to provide some background and insight to help form a full picture of each of the principal
characters. Where available, images of the original people are included.

Gary Hemming

American - Southern California

!
Based on Gary Hemming
!

Directors
note:

(1934 1969)

....was a noted American mountaineer. Together with Royal Robbins he made the first ascent of the American Direct
route on the Aiguille du Dru in Chamonix in 1962, and was widely known in France for his role as a rescuer of a party on
the same mountain in 1966, earning him the moniker "le Beatnik".
Hemming was also part of the group which put up the first ascent of the south face of the Aiguille Du Fou (with John
Harlin, Tom Frost and Stewart Fulton) a spire of sheer rock long deemed to be unclimbable. Hemming died from a selfinflicted gunshot wound outside the Jenny Lake campground in Grand Teton National Park in 1969. Thought to be one
of the models for the character named Rand in the James Salter book Solo Faces. extract From Hemmings Wikipedia entry.

Hemming also inspired the character Sholto in Pierre Joffroys Novel Les Petit Chemins des
Abimes. Manifestly contrary, he seems to have both captured the imagination of France and
somewhat mystified his American contemporaries to equal degrees. Notable incidents tended to
centre around his mercurial moods and fiery temper.
Hemming spent several years in France, studying in Grenoble. He was tall (64) and blond-haired.
The archetypical romantic image of the modern mountaineer was vey much shaped around his image.

!
!

See bibliography.

John
Harlin

Tom Frost

Gary
Hemming

Stewart
Fulton

the
actor
playing He
mming
will
be
in
virtually
every
frame. H
ell
need to len
d his
very soul t
o the
part.

Chesnais
French - originally Perigord area, long time resident Chamonix
Based on Rene Desmaison (1930-2007)
Desmaison was a famous mountaineer already by the time the story takes place. He was one of
the two stand-out climbers during this era, (along with Walter Bonatti). Desmaison gained and
cultivated fame as a tough winter alpine climber in an era when this activity was considered
decidedly fringe. He always felt himself to be an outsider (from western France). Such sentiments
are so often self fulfilling and the fallout from the rescue, as well as a subsequent incident on a
winter ascent on the Grandes Jorasses served only to confirm his sense of being spurned by the
Chamoniard community.

ote:
n of
ors n
eratio lfDirect
n
e
g
se
his
haped
gh and
u
s
o
t
r
use
a
,
w
acious
ow to elf
n
h
The
g
u
P
w
e
n
k
ims
sts.
alpini d, he also
make h uild
o
t
e
b
s
n
e....
ristic
c
contai
e
n
t
e
c
i
a
d
r
ter
u
cha
ider a vate it. Af
w
those
a
o
lti
ing t
and cu
appeal
n
o
i
t
ta
t.
a repu an has to ea
m
all, a

Aude

French - Savoie

!
Loosely Based on Hemmings early partner Claude Guerre Gentons(Bichet)
!

Hemming met Claude at the university in Grenoble. They never married. She was the
mother to his son Lauren (who committed suicide some years ago). She was an
academic at the university in Grenoble.

In the story, Aude has a reductive and unsentimental perspective on the world, which
clashes with Hemmings idealistic romanticism far too much for Hemming to be able to
cope.

Directors note:

A very damned sensible woman. She loves

Hemming, as the audience will, but shes on the
other side of the illusion and she knows that it
is a dangerous place to be. She has to keep her
distance. Somewhere in her past, she has learned
the art of self-preservation, but she wont
reveal why.

Bruising as it is to him, Hemming is attracted to

her - shes beautiful of course, but these things
arent of any real consequence to her.

Anne Bancroft being directed by Jack Clayton in The Pumpkin Eater 1964.

Aimee

French - Parisian

!
Hemmings young girlfriend around the time of the rescue - real name Marie-Claude.
!

Aimee is from a wealthy parisian family, they meet while she is on holiday in Chamonix. She is very young at the
time of their first meeting (It being the 60s). Hemming and the mountaineering community seem exotic ,
unapproachable and exciting (as well as slightly grubby - a bit like a visit to the zoo). Maybe similar sentiments to
many of the the non-climbing audience.

Ultimately Hemming is something of a phase that she will go through before settling for something far more
sensible, much like post-war Paris before and since 1968 - of which shes emblematic.

s note:
outh,
Director
lness, y
u
f
y
a
l
p
is
sense of
one who
e
m
a
o
s
,
e
h
c
t
n
ale
lity
s wi
Ambiv
hat come
, the abi be
t
s
s
e
l
n
l
e
a
r
a
d
w
n
elf-a
ould
beauty a
ut you c
adored: s
b
g
y
n
t
i
h
e
g
b
i
l
o
used t
s not f
t. She
c
e is.
a
s
n
a
r
t
to
g that sh
n
i
k
n
i
h
t
to
fooled in

Zabriskie Point poster 1969.

Edwards

American - California

Edwards is a complex amalgamation. He is the combination of a number of climbing partners, Barry Corbet, parts of John Harlin,
Tom Frost, Royal Robbins and scottish climber Stewart Fulton.

Corbet was injured in a helicopter crash in 68 and did in fact engage in some kind of Russian roulette incident with Hemming when
Hemming attempted to coax Corbet out of his wheelchair. Corbet was gay, which may have formed part of his regard for Hemming
.
Royal Robbins and Tom Frost were legendary climbers of their generation, stronger technical climbers than Hemming in fact. They
were both conservative and reserved figures who found Hemmings temperamental tendencies irksome. John Harlin was a brash
former fighter pilot who started a mountaineering school in Leysin, Switzerland. Hemming and Harlin climbed together regularly
but argued constantly. Harlin fell to his death on an ascent of the Eiger North Face in the winter of 1966 when a rope he was
ascending broke. Hemming had been critical of Harlins approach on this climb, where Harlin had cultivated considerable media
attention and made regular return visits to the ground to replenish reserves.

s note:
ws
Director
t he kno
u
B
.
g
mmin
Being a
Tom Frost
loves He
le.
b
s
u
d
o
r
r
a
t
w
d
E
o

d to
u in
e
o
t
y
c
a
t
r
e
g
t
s at
that can
also
er, he
b
m
i
l
ut he
c
b
t
e
a
c
e
n
r
a
in
g
brilli
on that
s
i
t

a
g
z
n
i
i
l
a
m
e
r
Hem
That
with the
clipsed.
e
f
l
e
s
g,
struggles
m
htenin
he is hi
g
i
,
o
r
s
f
g
n
bei
ng,
But its
annoyi
.
g
n
i
t
i
c
ld
x
can be
g and e g a n d t h e y w o u
n
i
t
a
r
e
p
s
exa
stin
those
ly exhau
But for
.
m
a
e
ultimate
lf:
as a t
se himse
o
t
l
s
a
l
d
l
u
r
o
e
w
nev
he
moments,
g..
sublime
o anythin
d
r
o
e
r
e
go anywh

Barry Corbet

John Harlin II

Royal Robbins

Yvon Chouinard

Mandel
French - Paris

!
Based on Pierre Joffroy
!

(1929-2008) (Joffroys real name was Maurice Weil).

Joffroy wrote the article on Hemming for Paris Match that made Hemming a star in France. The Character
of Mandel is also inspired by Hemmings friend Pierre Mazeaud (1929-) to a minor degree. Joffroy wrote
the novel Les Petits Chemins des Abimes (previously mentioned) in which appears a character called
Sholto (based on Gary Hemming).
Directo
rs not
e:
Mande
l. He
wo
shit th
at hes uld love to
bel
he will
as
write s ked to write. ieve the
in, a p
omethin
One d
ie
g that
he beli ay
be more ce of fiction
e
. He f
truthfu
eels it ves
article
l than
w
s he h
a
as ever ny of the fa ill
will, a
ctual
t least
churned
Hemming
in a sm
.
all par out.
U
n
t
i
t, be a It
l then
sad. N
bout
ot bitt
he will
er thou
a bit
b
e
j
a
g
de
of hope
h - he
.
holds o d,
every s
Hope en
n
tory en
to
ough to
thused
to wri
b
b
e
y what
te abo
g
u
he is a in
butterf
sked
ly coll t .
Like a
ec
the dan
ce. Bu tor who loves V i c t o r i a n
t then,
he has
the cha
to sque
t
se,
o
f
i
n
i
wer it
sh the
to the
j
ob,
page.
Dead.

Pic: Janis Kalmite 1968- for tone & mood, no narrative significance

Colonel Petit

Directo
rs not
e:
A pan
to
a world mime villain?
o
No. H
by orde f his own fab
ricatio e occupies
r, posi
n, prot
ti
happene
ec
d to ge on and protoc
ol. He ted
t reall
agains
y unluc
just
t some
ky and
thing
Theres
r
u
n
t
ru
no road
up
that b
map for l y b r i l l i a n
rillian
t
.
t
hat.
ce is
scorn,
At firs
the su
then wh
t
bject
e
his ass
of his
essment n he realize
s how
has bee
it out.
wr
n, he h
T
h
e
best wa
as to b ong
mistake
y
r
az
s
to cove
r for t en
pity hi is aggressive
h
m. Lik
ly.
ese
Ultimat
e a man
way to
e
l
y
on the
work wh
we
train o
o sudde
forgott
n his
nly rea
en to p
lises h
ut
and dec
e h
ides to his trousers
on that as
wrong.
pretend
day
that no
thing i
s

French - Chamonix
A compound character based on the leader of the EHM (Colonel Gonnet) with whom
Hemming crossed swords on a number of occasions. The epitome of a conservative valley
mindset struggling to accommodate the spirit of the 60s climbing scene of which
Hemming was the acme. As a direct result of the outcome of this rescue, the French
Authorities formalised mountain rescue into the specialist professional organisation that
it remains to this day.

OR
MINROLES

MINOR ROLES

Some of the significant minor characters are listed below. All characters mentioned have some form of
true historical basis.

Blanchard
France - Chamonix

Blanchard encompasses the activities of guide Yves Pollet Villard during the rescue as well as the actions of a number of
other members of the official rescue team. He is representative of the corps of Chamoniard guides, at a time when the
profession was dominated by members of Chamoniard families. He is not one to take sides, he just does what hes asked to
do and tells it how it is.

MINROORLES
MINROORLES
Jon

American - Wyoming

Based on Bill Briggs - a good friend of Hemmings who was the last person to see him alive. Bill Briggs, is a banjo-playing
pioneering skier who still lives in Jackson Hole Wyoming. He was a good friend of Hemmings and tolerated his natural
tendency to excess - more than other members of the conservative western US climbing community of that era.

Bancroft

American - California

Bancroft is an amalgam of any number of American climbers who passed through Chamonix during Hemmings time there
(e.g Layton Kor). In the story, he dies in similar circumstances to the real-life John Harlin II.

Layton Kor

Eckhard Hertz
German

Warren
Harding
abseiling

Wolfgang Egle, a 23yr old medical student and friend of the Germans trapped on the Dru, did indeed volunteer and took part
in the official rescue and was killed whilst abseiling down the North Face.

RM
OIN
LEO
SRROLES
Pitcher

Mick Burke

English - Manchester

Based on Little Mick Burke who went missing on Everest in 1975. A likeable character who was a very popular presence in
the climbing scene of the 60s.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rene Desmaison

Total Alpinism

Pierre Mazeaud

Naked Before the Mountain

Mirella Tenderini

Gary Hemming
Beatnik of the Alps

Paris Match 1966

Le Sauvetage du Dru

Peter Sinclair

We Aspired

Pierre Joffroy

Les Petits Chemins

de Labime
See also:In Extremis (Blaise Agresti)
Alpha Males (Al Parker)
Echoes of a Dream (Alan McHardy)

James Salter

Solo Faces

Hamish MacInnes

The Price of Adventure