Vertical Limit is set on the awe-inspiring K2. The story is set around a team of climbers led by Peter (O'Donnell) who set out on a death-defying race against the clock to rescue his sister Annie (Tunney) after the summit team she is climbing with is stranded by an avalanche. Trapped with Annie is Elliot Vaughn (Paxton), the millionaire funding the climb and a man willing to do anything to survive. To add a bit of extra spice to the story, not only are the climbers fighting against the mountain, they are also carrying dangerous explosives. The first scene of the film is a bit shocking and sets the theme by demonstrating that climbing is a sport that pits man against nature. Overall it is an exhilarating film shot in an amazing setting.

Fred C. Dobbs (Bogart), a down-and-out American stranded in 1925 Tampico, spends his last few centavos on a lottery ticket. When he wins, he and a friend decide to go prospecting for gold. They meet an experienced prospector at El Oso Negro flophouse who readily agrees to accompany them. They undergo great hardship and danger in their quest. Success brings out greed, distrust, and conflict, as the old man predicted, providing the actors opportunities to extend themselves. Based on the weird novel by the mysterious Marxist novelist, B. Traven, this classic won the 1948 New York Film Critics' Best Picture Award and Oscars for John Huston's writing and direction. His father, Walter, got Best Supporting Actor. Curiously, that year's Best Supporting Actress, Claire Trevor, also co-starred with Bogart, in Key Largo.