Adventure

Family

In Search of the Castaways

Walt Disney Productions

United States of America

English

Maurice Chevalier

Hayley Mills

George Sanders

Wilfrid Hyde-White

Michael Anderson Jr.

Antonio Cifariello

Wilfrid Brambell

Jack Gwillim

Ronald Fraser

Norman Bird

George Murcell

Inia Te Wiata

Mark Dignam

David Spenser

Milo Sperber

Roger Delgado

Barry Keegan

Maxwell Shaw

Andreas Malandrinos

Keith Hamshere

Joss Ackland

Michael Wynne

Robert Stevenson

Lowell S. Hawley

Ray Sturgess

Gordon Stone

William Alwyn

Walt Disney

Margaret Furse

Peter Manley

Michael Reed

Peter Thornton

David Harcourt

Peter Ellenshaw

Vernon Dixon

Harry Frampton

Michael Stringer

Sydney Pearson

Paul Beeson

Hugh Attwooll

Peter Bolton

Laurie Ridley

Robert B. Sherman

Richard M. Sherman

Maurice Chevalier and Wilfrid Hyde-White are very good, but <em>'In Search of the Castaways'</em> didn't quite capture my imagination.

I mostly like the adventure elements, as they cross land and sea in search of castaways. Despite that, I never properly felt attached to the story as the aforementioned isn't stitched together well with the characters and their motives/feelings. It's also paced too slow, at least for me.

As noted, Chevalier (Paganel) and Hyde-White (Lord Glenarvan) are solid in their respective roles, if only due to their amusing moments both together and on their own with the younger cast members; who aren't all that memorable, Hayley Mills (Mary) is the standout if I had to pick one.

The film hasn't aged beautifully in regards to the effects, a load of the scenes look rather awful nowadays but I can always let that pass in these older films; it's still worth noting, that's all. Away from that you have a few musical numbers, the ones featuring Paganel are pretty good.

I feel giving it less than this rating would be harsh, I definitely didn't enjoy it but I can see how others might.

_**Ridiculous set-bound Disney adventure with Hayley Mills**_

In Scotland, a sister (Hayley Mills) and her little brother team-up with a French professor (Maurice Chevalier), a shipping magnate (Wilfrid Hyde-White) and his son (Michael Anderson, Jr.) to search for the siblings’ missing father, a sea captain. Their journey first takes them to Patagonia, South America, where they have misadventures in the Andes of Chile and the Pampas of Argentina. But, eventually, they realize they must travel to Australia and New Zealand to find the missing castaways. 

"In Search of the Castaways" (1962) combines Hayley Mills with a Jules Verne adventure, which made me expect a combination of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (1954) or “Mysterious Island” (1961) with “The Parent Trap” (1961). Wrong. This movie is nowhere near the same league as those great films, even though it’s a Disney production like “20,000 Leagues” and “The Parent Trap.” 

One problem is the too-cutesy take on the material wherein the professor & others are beaming with giggly smiles during life-or-death situations. While this disappears for the most part after the first act it’s still an eye-rolling issue. Another hitch is that the whole flick is set-bound with F/X of the matte painting and miniature variety. Another problem is the preposterous nature of the journey and misadventures thereof, which I’m sure bears little resemblance to Verne’s original tale.

Lousy writing is reflected in how several minutes are blown on tediously discussing the dubious message in the bottle. This idiotic element of the script could’ve been thrown out altogether with no harm done.  

On the positive side, bubbly Hayley Mills was 15 during filming and clearly blossoming into a winsome woman. She looks best in the first half with her semi-tight khaki pants. I liked the jaguar and Maoris too; and there are some fun moments but, otherwise, this is strictly for the 6-and-under crowd. 	

The film runs 1 hour, 38 minutes, and was shot at Pinewood Studios, just west of London, England.

GRADE: C-/C

In Search of the Castaways 1978 re-release TV trailer

Best Movies

In Search of the Castaways

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Maurice Chevalier

Hayley Mills

George Sanders

Wilfrid Hyde-White

Michael Anderson Jr.

Antonio Cifariello

Wilfrid Brambell

Jack Gwillim

Ronald Fraser

Norman Bird

Box office

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