Charles Hessey and David Brower Mountain Films

The Mountaineers History Committee has preserved seven movies produced by Charles and Marion Hessey in the 1950s. Another film by David Brower, "Wilderness Alps of Stehekin," has also been preserved.<br><br>The Hesseys, of Naches, Washington, are probably the most widely traveled Cascade filmmakers of all time. Their films provide an irreplaceable motion picture record of hiking, scrambling and skiing in the North Cascades before the Glacier Peak Wilderness and North Cascades National Park were established. Together with "Wilderness Alps," the Hessey films show what would have been lost if wilderness protection for the North Cascades had not been achieved. The Hessey films include:<br><br> Skiing Cascade Wilderness (1956) - Three weeks of skiing above Lyman Lake near Holden in the Lake Chelan mountains.<br><br> Glacier Peak Holiday (1957) - A summer of rambling in the disputed Glacier Peak region with scenes of the Napeequa Valley, White Pass, Lake Chelan, Cascade Pass, and the northern end of the Ptarmigan Traverse.<br><br> Cascade Crest Trail (1958 ) - Highlights of the Crest Trail from the Columbia River to the Canadian border, with skiing on Mt Adams, Hogback Mountain and Morse Creek and extensive mountain goat scenes.<br><br> From East to West in the North Cascades Wilderness (1958 ) - A summer travelogue from the eastern Pasayten near Windy Peak to the west side of the disputed North Cascades wilderness between Mt Baker and Whatcom Pass.<br><br> Pasayten Wilderness Skiing (1958 ) - Late winter skiing near Spanish Camp with scenes of Cathedral Pass and Amphitheatre and Bald Mountains.<br><br> A North Cascades National Park? (circa 1958-59) - A high country trek between Downey Creek, the South Cascade Glacier and White Rock Lakes that urges protection of the area in a national park.<br><br> Have You Seen the North Cascades National Park (circa 1968 ) - A survey of North Cascade attractions, compiled after the park was established.<br><br>And by David Brower:<br><br> Wilderness Alps of Stehekin (1958 ) - An award winning film narrated by Brower and including footage by Charles and Marion Hessey. This film argues eloquently for the protection of wilderness in the North Cascades.<br><br>All these films are in color with sound. They have been transferred from 16 mm film to digital videotape and VHS copies have been placed in the Mountaineers Library for club members, historians and others to view and enjoy. More complete notes about these films can be found on the Alpenglow Ski Mountaineering History Project website:<br><br>www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/movie/hessey-movies.html

www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/movi...b-1958-wildalps.html

If you enjoy wilderness, skiing or the North Cascades, I think you'll enjoy these films. The Mountaineers History Committee plans to schedule a movie night at the clubhouse in Seattle to screen these and other historic films in the coming months. Stay tuned...

Preservation of these films was made possible by a grant from The Mountaineers Foundation. The Hessey films were preserved with the gracious cooperation of Marion Hessey and Phil Dahl. "Wilderness Alps" was preserved with the assistance of Patrick Goldsworthy of the North Cascades Conservation Council. <br>

Great stuff, Lowell. Do you think ther could be an announcement when the films will be viewed somewhere here on TAY? I am not so sure on how to find out otherwise.

 Do you think ther could be an announcement when the films will be viewed somewhere here on TAY?

<br><br>You bet! Nothing is firm yet, but I spoke today with the executive director of the Mountaineers and he thought November would be a good time for a film night. I'll post details when they become available.<br>

It sounds like these films have already been transfered to video tape? If so and if there is interest I would volunteer to transfer their content to computer format and DVD's.

Lowell,<br><br>I must say the Charles Hessey films were spectacular. Seeing them ski Northstar, Chiwawa, and the Pasayten took my breath away. Great work.

Is there a way for a non-member, non-historian to view the films? I'm very interested. (thanks for refreshing the thread, Sky - I missed it the first time around).

Is there a way for a non-member, non-historian to view the films? I'm very interested.

<br><br>I assume that Sky checked out the videotapes from the Mountaineers Library. Is that right Sky? Did you have to become a member to do that?<br><br>Chuck and Marion Hessey are important characters in the history book I'm working on. By today's standards, their ski trips were pretty tame. But they shared their experiences on film and devoted themselves to protecting the North Cascades in wilderness areas and parks. Hardly anybody knows about them, but we owe them and their contemporaries a huge debt.

Lowell,<br><br>I did not get the videos from the library. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to watch them with the Hesseys' nephew, Phil. Maybe they are tame in some respects, but it seemed rather clear to me that they were doing something spectacular and quite extraordinary for their time. The video camera they used probably weighed 35 pounds or something like that, right?<br><br>I would certainly agree that we owe them a huge debt, especially considering a few of those videos were produced to show to congressmen and others during the efforts to establish North Cascades National Park and Glacier Peak Wilderness. Thanks Charles and Marion, and all the other folks who helped in such a great effort!

... it seemed rather clear to me that they were doing something spectacular and quite extraordinary for their time.  The video camera they used probably weighed 35 pounds or something like that, right?

<br><br>Chuck used a 16mm film camera. I doubt that any private individuals had video cameras in the 1950s. The videos you saw were transferred from the original 16mm film using funds from the Mountaineers Foundation through a grant to the Mountaineers History Committee. It took me a while to gain Marion's confidence in order to borrow the films and take them to a lab in Seattle. With Phil's help, we finally got it accomplished. Eventually, I hope we can make them more available for viewing, but this is a long and ongoing project.

If you have video tapes of these films, I can transfer them to computer and DVD formats and make a small number of DVD copies for club use. No charge.

I'd buy a set.<br><br>They probably had at least a 15 lb camera, heavy film stock, maybe filters and spare lenses. If the films have sync sound (i.e. not laid-over narration, but what was being heard during filming) then in that era they would have had a beefy "portable" tape deck (synced to the visual with a clapper of some sort - presumably smaller than in the movies, maybe just banging two pieces of gear together), and possibly more impedimentia. Documentary gear didn't get terribly portable and convenient until the early '60s, and even then was nothing like the teeny DV cameras people carry today. Definitely dedicated filmakers - we owe a debt for their sweat.<br><br>In 1956, Ampex was just coming out with it's first giant desktop videotape machine, I'm assuming for reel-to-reel 1" tape but am not positive about that. Lowell is right that you wouldn't have seen one outside of a studio.