DESPERATE SEARCH

US, 1952, 73 minutes, Black and white.
Howard Keel, Jane Greer, Patricia Medina, Keenan Wynn, Robert Burton, Lee Aaker. Linda Lowell, Elaine Stewart.
Directed by Joseph Lewis.

Desperate Search is an MGM supporting feature of the early 1950s, giving a non-singing role to its main male star, Howard Keel. He appears as a pilot, a grumpy and sometimes alcoholic pilot, who has split with his first wife, also a competitive pilot, played by Patricia Medina. He has married Jane Greer and the couple look after Patricia Medina’s children. Keenan Wynn is along as another buddy character. The children are played by Lee Aaker, child star for 15 years. ‘s sister is played by Linda Lowell, one of the worst performances by a child actor.

The film was directed by Joseph Lewis, best known for My Name is Julia Ross and Gun Crazy. This is a straightforward film about the search for the children and the clashes of the adults.

1. An entertaining short film? Straightforward story? The children, lost, coping? The clash of the adults?

2. The British Columbia scenery, in black and white, the headquarters for the flight company, the mountains, forests and lakes? The episode with the cougar? Musical score?

3. Vin, the divorce from Nora, their competitiveness, his drinking, his marrying Julie, custody of the children, six weeks in British Columbia? His grumpy personality? Sure of his own ideas, hunches? Julie, pleasant, supportive, challenging? Her love for the children, not hers? Seeing the children off on the plane?

4. The children, Don and his responsibility, Juliet and her complaining? On the plane, with the prisoner handcuffed to the Deputy? The flight attendant? Scared? Preparation for the crash?

5. Vin and Julie, the flight controller, the information from the plane, on fire, crashing? The fact that only the children survived?

6. The children, getting out of the plane, the little girl hungry, Don doing his best? Tracking down to the lake for their father? Setting fires? Going back for the food? The threat of the cougar, Juliet going into the lake for safety? The threats, climbing the trees, with the sticks, the animal fighting back? Vin and his eventually killing the animal?

7. Julie phoning Nora? Nora coming? Her reputation? Brandy and his dislike of Nora? Nora and her personality, the competition with Vin, the collapse of the marriage? Her attitudes towards Julie? Julie forcing her to agree to ask for Vin being able to fly?

8. The superintendent, the map, estimates where the plane crashed? Not wanting to lose a plane to find a plane? His dealing with the group? His understanding Vin’s anger?

9. The flights, Brandy as a good friend, accompanying him? The long hours flight, the need to sleep, the superviser and Vin’s hunches as to where the children were?

10. Nora and her plane disabled? Vin taking hers? The flight, with Julie, finding the children, rescuing them?