I’ve got that family adventure bug y’all!
The long-delayed (but totally worth it) Dolittle has arrived at the multiplex, promising to be the perfect antidote to all the awards-hungry fare populating the box office at the moment. Robert Downey Jr.’s first post-Avengers effort is charming, funny and a loving tribute to the kind of classic family adventures that seldom get made anymore.
It’s a shame that movies like Dolittle are becoming more and more of a rarity these days as Marvel and Frozen seem to be holding most children’s eyes (and their parents’ dollars) captive. But I sincerely believe that there remains space for the kind of nostalgic family entertainment which guarantees the kind of adventure and laughter Dolittle delivers.
One classic tale which likewise delivered in a manner very similar to Dolittle’s, but whose legacy is far less greater than it deserves to be, is the 1962 Disney adventure tale In Search of the Castaways.
Based on one of Jules Verne’s lesser-celebrated novels, In Search of the Castaways follows young Mary Grant (Hayley Mills) and her brother Robert (Keith Hamshere) as they journey to the edge of England with a French professor named Jacques Paganel (Maurice Chevalier) who has discovered a letter in a bottle from their Captain father (Jack Gwillim), who is believed to have perished while at sea off the Chilean coast. After some heavy convincing, the trio boards the vessel of shipping magnate Edward Glenarvan (Wilfrid Hyde-White) who agrees to fund the rescue of Captain Grant and his men. Accompanied by Glenarvan’s son John (Michael Anderson Jr.), the group sets out on an adventure none of them could have predicted.
Leonard Maltin (who loves Hayley Mills as much as I do) once referred to In Search of the Castaways as being “in search of a story,” remarking how the movie went in different directions and “didn’t make a lot of sense.” While he’s correct in that the movie’s plot does swerve back and forth a lot when it comes to the journey the characters must undertake, it’s also what makes it as diverting as it is. What starts off as a straightforward story about two children on their way to find their missing father, becomes an adventure full of one obstacle after another. Throughout the course of the movie, the castaways find themselves caught in an earthquake, stuck in a tree when a monsoon hits, plunging down a steep snow-covered mountain and eventually being captured by the natives of some remote island. The unpredictability of what lies ahead and the resourcefulness Mary, Paganel and everyone else must find within themselves is what makes In Search of the Castaways a movie full of the kind of wonder and escape Disney was always so good at crafting.
In Search of the Castaways is pure, unadulterated family adventure through and through, which proves to be the basis of its appeal. But the movie also manages to sneak in a variety of other genres along the way. As the resident fish out of water, Lord Glanarvan finds himself tested over and over again by the conditions him and his travelers find themselves in, which makes for some great comic relief. This is especially true in the scenes where Paganel’s carefree attitude becomes too much for Glanarvan to take. The movie also pauses on occasion to get into musical mode with Paganel and Mary dueting on a couple of numbers with “Enjoy It” especially being too whimsical for words. To be fair, casting a singer like Chevalier in a movie and not throwing him some songs to perform is pure insanity. When Mary has her solo number, the touching “Castaway,” the movie takes a sentimental turn into family drama that’s more genuine than saccharin thanks to the character’s longing to be back in her father’s arms, showing a more sincere side amongst all the fun and spectacle.
Mills may have already been a bona fide movie star when she made In Search of the Castaways, but her screen presence seems unaltered by the success. The actress’ playfulness, ease and charm are at their best here, while a wistful quality manages to give the movie a dose of soulfulness. She makes an excellent scene partner for her two older co-stars. Chevalier is such a buoyant presence to watch on the screen and makes a great foil for Hyde-White, who is forced to endure one bad, but funny, situation after another. As for the other youngsters, Anderson is smarmy before becoming lovable and Hamshere proves to be one of the most endearing young actors to ever appear in a Disney film from this era. The presence of George Sanders (who turns up in the third act for villain duties) only adds to the fun.
A combination of Mills’s popularity and good ole Disney family adventure conspired to make In Search of the Castaways not just a hit, but also the third highest-grossing film of the year. Much of the success for the movie can also be chalked up to its Christmastime release as the movie helped to establish the tradition of families gathering around the movie screen for the holidays. Critics on the other hand tried to be mixed by pointing out the film’s shortcomings until eventually admitting they found themselves in love with In Search of the Castaways for one reason or another.
In Search of the Castaways is peak Mills and Disney. While the films they made together are looked back on fondly, their union represents a very specific era. Theirs was the perfect blending of one of the screen’s most effervescent actresses and a storyteller brimming over with imagination. It was one of the last of the contract player/super producer partnerships in Hollywood, which had begun with the one-two punch of Pollyanna and The Parent Trap and continued with Summer Magic, The Moon-Spinners and That Darn Cat! Each film allowed Mills to be at her most playful and energetic on screen and for Disney to establish the kind of family entertainment his live-action films would be known for. In Search of the Castaways may not be the most perfect collaboration between the two, but it worked on more than enough levels to be a sparkling example of the kind of magic they were so clearly capable of.