IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS
US, 1962, 98 minutes, Colour.
Maurice Chevalier, Hayley Mills, George Sanders, Wilfrid Hyde- White, Michael Anderson Jr, Wilfrid Brambell, Jack Gwillim, Ronald Fraser, Norman Bird.
Directed by Robert Stevenson.
In Search of the Castaways is based on a novel by Jules Verne. Jules Verne had always been popular as a source for films from 1902 with George Melies. In 1954 Richard Fleischer directed 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Began a series of films of Jules Verne’s novels.
This is a Disney version directed by Robert Stevenson, the English director who made Sanders of the River and King Solomon’s Mines in the 1930s, made Jane Eyre in Hollywood in the 1940s and a number of other action thrillers. However, from the 1960s into the mid-1970s he made twenty films for Disney including a variety of genres like Mary Poppins and Blackbeard’s Ghost.
Hayley Mills after her appearance in Tiger Bay had come to the United States and appeared in such popular films as Pollyanna and The Parent Trap. Maurice Chevalier had enjoyed films in Hollywood during the late 50s including Gigi and Can Can. George Sanders leads a respectable cast of British character actors.
The 19th century-set story is about the hiring of a ship to go in search of Hayley Mills’ father. There are all kinds of adventures on the way from nature as well as from the human element. It is an engaging adventure with a good gallery of stars.
1. The quality of the Disney adventure; style, charm, cuteness, special effects? A wide audience?
2. A Hayley Mills' vehicle, Maurice Chevalier vehicle? The star quality and its impact?
3. Colour, costume drama, the Sheep, Scottish sequences, South America and fantasy land, Australian realism, New Zealand and Maori atmosphere? The blend of reality and unreality, how successful? The atmosphere of a nineteenth century adventure?
4. The quality and impact of the special effects? How artificial did they seem, how convincing? Studio sets, for instance, in the Andes, the rear projection for the toboggan etc? The earthquake? The condor? The sled? The tree, the flood, the fire, the Jaguar? The Maori land and the volcano and its effects? Why do audiences enjoy the visualising of fantasy?
5. The quality of Jules Verne's story; authenticity, the blend of reality and unreality, science fiction, fantasy? To what aspects of the imagination does this story appeal?
6. The human qualities of the story, the initial impact of the search, the children wanting their father, Paganel and his finding of the bottle? The captain and his scepticism, his ship? The romance between Mary and John? The number of villains and their behaviour? A blend of romance and adventure? Audience enjoyment and involvement?
7. The spirit of the adventure, the suspense of searching for Captain Grant, the red herrings caused by Paganel's misreading of the note, the comedy elements?
8. Audience entering with the children, searching, on the ship, off again? The party and their hunger and the comedy sequences? Paganel's stowing aboard?
9. The urgency of the mission, the children and the captain, John and Mary, Om persuading his father? The presence of Paganel? The captain and his decision? the South American adventures, each character's response to the situation? The Indian guides, staying the light, the earthquake, the sled, the long space given to these adventures in the tree? The return of the noble Indian and helping? The irony of their redeeming three men? The songs within this context?
10. The transition to Melbourne and an era of realism? Ayreton and George Sander's suave villainy? The plausibility of the plot threads? The mutiny, the putting of the captain and the group in the boat?
12. Their landing, capture by the Maoris, the discovery of Bill Gaye and his madness and his sanity? The Maori dances, the atmosphere of the swap, Robert's getting out through the rope and the suspense? Their all escaping? The experience with the volcano? The build-up with the Maoris and the arms? The truth and confrontation, the reconciliation?
13. Songs, music, light approach, enjoyment, identification?
