La saetta nera

In this German "Heimatfilm", Toni Sailer, who won three golds in downhill skiing for Austria in the 1956 winter olympics, plays a skier who is falsely accused - (or is he?) - of stealing his rival's wax and causing his rival's training injuries by moving one of the gates on the downhill race course.

I saw this on TV in Germany and it is my favorite movie of the Heimat genre - mostly because of the Alpine views and magnificent ski scenes in garishly beautiful late-50s color. It is the best movie ever made that features a skier bombing down the mountain while playing the accordion.

I frankly don't remember much more about the plot, except that the rival is a well-married local who has returned to win the big ski race, there is a girl, an orphan and a mountain rescue - in other words, all the requisite elements of a great heimatfilm. If you like skiing, gripping drama and good clean Tyrolian fun, this movie's for you.