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SOS!  ICEBERG!
Tape H-111

A 1933 film with LENI RIEFENSTAHL as Mrs. Ellen Lawrence,
                   and Ernst Udet as himself

The Lawrence Expedition begins on a happy note at a formal dinner with high hopes of success.  Dr. Lawrence smiles with assurance as his beautiful wife (LENI) beams up at him over dinner.

                
                                   LENI in an early film.

The expedition departs on a tall sailing ship and the men disembark on an icy shore, and set out into the frozen wilderness.  There is discord as the days drag on into weeks and the party is separated.  They face dangers including heavy snowstorms, collapsing walls of snow and ice.  They continue onward, looking for Dr. Lawrence.  An ice bridge collapses and most of the dogs and sleds are lost.  Only one dog and the sled with the scientific equipment are saved, but the sleds with the food is gone as is almost all hope – yet they plod onwards, hoping to find an Eskimo village.

Suddenly they come upon a tiny hut covered with ice and snow, and inside is a note from Dr. Lawrence.  They decide to follow the dangerous route over the fjord that the note outlines.  They mount a huge ice formation to float across the frigid waters of the fjord, but all too soon they realize that the current is taking them out to sea.  They call for help on their short wave radio, and they open their last can of food.  They find a weak and tired Dr. Lawrence.

Their distress signals are picked up by stations around the world, and soon Mrs. Lawrence (LENI) is on her way in a seaplane, flying to rescue her husband.  She flies over and around icy barriers and suddenly finds the men, but wrecks her seaplane on the landing and is reunited with her husband – and almost certain death.

One of the men, crazed with hunger, spots two polar bears and decides to kill them for food – but the bears are hungry too……

Famed pilot Ernst Udet then heads for the frozen wastelands in his seaplane and naturally, he finds them and flies to the nearby Eskimo village for help.  Soon, there is a whole fleet of Eskimos in kayaks heading to rescue the few survivors.  Despite the hardships, LENI is still beautiful in her white fur suit – and perfect make up.

This is a true melodrama of the 1930’s, featuring a beautiful LENI & some thrilling flying by Udet, one of the true legends of aviation.

Order Tape H-111        “SOS ICEBERG”

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