Castaway Month is about half over at this point. And we’ve seen quite a lot of material associated with castaways including but not limited to a weeklong saga where some of our own found themselves stranded on an uncharted desert isle, a disection of the castaway sequence from the animated film TARZAN, a review of PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS, a shot from the Donald Duck short SEA SALTS and even a report from the SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON BREWHOUSE.

Our next exhibit is a discussion of the 1962 Disney film IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS. Yes, those that live here in Passamaquoddy saw this film during Verne Week just a few weeks ago, but it wasn’t covered at all on the Passamaquoddy blog. Besides, I didn’t get to see it all back then so I took it in tonight.

IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS is a great example of an adventure film. The type of entertainment that would go on to inspire archeologists to don their fedora and whips to hunt down artifacts. It follows two young children off to rescue their castaway father who is thought to be alive only from the existence of a cryptic message in a bottle. Following these clues, they pass through heck and high water, literally. They skirt active volcanoes and survive a massive flooding. They are stalked by leopards, crocs and a giant condor, savage indians and friendly ones. They escape on a broken rock during an earthquake only to find themselves on a vicious toboggan ride through hairpin turns under a glacier. All of that in the span of an hour and a half.

Haley Mills (Pollyanna) is the main Disney presence on screen during the film, but it is Maurice Chevalier that walks away with the story as well as the scenery portraying the ultimate optimist. He sings during storms, smiles at wild animals and tells others to enjoy the view of evil savages running from molten lava. In the end, this is a story about the adventure rather than any sort of emotional journey. That is a strange sacrifice for a Disney film usually heavy in the heart department. Castaways is fast paced and places our heroes in and out of the frying pan and fire.

Unlike SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, this film is studio bound so is filled with set design and artistic effects by Peter Ellenshaw.. (I’ll see if I can find some pictures next time I’m allowed back into the Ellenshaw museum). Music by William Alwyn is very nice and adventurous. And even a few songs written by consistent Disney scribes the Sherman Brothers add to the fun.

In the end, CASTAWAYS is a sturdy film and makes for a nice adventure double feature. If you don’t think you’ll have time, don’t cry about it… enjoy it.