Snow Carnival (1949)

How, exactly, do you climb under a bench? Well Gary Cooper tries to explain that and an whole lot more in this playful visit to the slopes of Aspen in Colorado, USA. Did you know it used to be a prosperous silver mining town before that market slumped? Now, it has turned it’s hand to tourism populating it’s “Gay Nineties” bar with skiers instead of prospectors. Cooper is clearly at home in this town and on skis, as are many young and old who navigate the multiple slopes - some starting over 11,000 feet up - after they’ve braved the really quite rudimentary looking chair lift. There are a few exhibitions here from members of the 1948 US Olympic team including Dick Durrance and André de la Varre’s high altitude photography shows us the mischief and the more serious elements of the rich at play. Were it not for Cooper’s involvement, it wouldn’t really be much more than a snowy travelogue for the well heeled, but this gum-chewing and smiley actor brings a little cheeky charm to the thing and it’s watchable enough.