Desperate Journey (1942)

It is a performances centric movie

A Disappointing Continuation

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Well, OK my review title overemphasizes the frequent characterization of the Nazis as robotic bumbling fools, surely the most inept marksmen on the planet. The film also has its serious moments and themes.The costars: Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan, and Raymond Massey, of the previous "The Santa Fe Trail", return to star in this Nazi-bashing Warner film, released in the midst of WWII. As usual, during this era, Massey plays the sinister villain, here in the guise of an important Nazi desk officer, who chases a downed British bomber crew across Germany, into Holland, before the 3 survivors manage a miraculous takeover of a captured British warplane from maybe 50 swarming Nazis, as their ticket back to the UK.In "Santa Fe Trail", Massey's John Brown is presented as a murdering madman, who thinks of himself as a messiah: not unlike Warner's perception of Hitler and the other Nazis. Now that the US was officially at war with the Axis, Warners no longer felt constrained to making Flynn-starring films, such as "Santa Fe Trail", "The Sea Hawk", and more obtusely "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and "Virginia City", in which the Nazis are allegorically represented by long past historical villains. Now, Warners could feel fully justified in releasing films scripted as taking place in the present, that gave hope that the Nazis and Japs could be defeated before they took over the entire world. Thus, a series of 5 Flynn-starring films promoting such hope was released between 1942-45. The present one was the first, and the only one scripted as taking place mainly within Germany. It also has the best balance of seriousness, humor and sentimentality, and includes excellent background music by Max Steiner. It's also the only one not focused on a single objective to accomplish. The bomber crew find themselves not only hitting several bomb targets, but unexpectedly undertaking a sabotage operation and engaging in espionage, when they steal Massey's important classified documents relating to an aircraft factory. Thus, I would guess this film to be the clear winner of the 5 films, as entertainment for audiences, including kids, of the time. However, when Flynn was slated to star in the last of the series : "Objective Burma", in which he again leads a small group on a long sojourn through enemy-held territory, he initially refused, until assured that a more realistic characterization of the Japanese would be followed.By including several acts of sabotage and help from a 'resistance' organization within the occupied country, this film established a theme central to most of the following films. Thus, in "Edge of Darkness" and "Uncertain Glory", the focus is on sabotage by 'resistance' organizations in occupied Norway or France, respectively. In "Objective Burma", as in the present film, external allied military personnel carry out the sabotage, before fleeing back to 'safe' havens.In contrast to the 3 films in this series, which include a leading lady romantic interest for Flynn for much of the film, there is no woman at all in "Objective Burma", and Nancy Coleman, who plays an anti-Nazi German helper in the present film, has very limited screen time, providing a very fleeting romantic interest for Flynn.Of the bomber crew, only 3 survive their various ordeals to get to Holland and beyond. Interestingly , none of the 3 is scripted as a Brit. Flynn, for once, is realistically scripted as an Australian, Reagan as an American, and Arthur Kennedy as a Canadian. Presumably, this is to emphasize the importance of a worldwide collaboration of all the British Commonwealth plus the USA in defeating the Axis. Apparently, the screenplay for this film was written before the USA was officially in the war. I was surprised that frequent film Flynn pal Alan Hale wasn't among the 3 survivors. Hale mainly served as the most consistent 'cut up' of the bunch, spitting BBs(presumably), as if spit balls, at his comrades and Nazis. But, Reagan gets his chance to shine as a comedian is his double-talk description of the workings of a new American bomber engine to a most perplexed Massey. During much of their overland journey, the fliers are wearing German uniforms they stole from dispatched Nazis. Flynn, as the only one who speaks German, provides the other essential ingredient in getting them accepted as genuine Nazi soldiers, in several key situations. Unfortunately, I don't understand German, but my impression was that much of the 'German' was Germanized gibberish. Correct?The long chase of the fliers in a stolen Nazi car, across the Dutch countryside, by Massey and his crew, in a car plus motorcycles, smacks of a Keystone cops chase. Why didn't the Germans shoot at their tires, instead of their smaller heads? Ditto in the later escape of our heroes in a stolen bomber surrounded by Nazis!The American-built Lockheed Hudson that the lucky 3 captured from the Germans was a 2-engine light bomber, most of which were sold to the RAF and Canadians for antisubmarine warfare and other smallish targets, reconnaissance, convoy protection, troop movement, spy transport, and training. Thus, their claim to have trained in this type of bomber is quite feasible.Flynn's parting ambition: to fight the Japs, would later come true in "Operation Burma": a more serious war film, except that in the main confrontation, the Japs fell like so many dominoes, like the Nazis in the stolen bomber scene. Flynn, of course, tried to become a real fighting man in the war, but was deemed physically unfit.

Errol Flynn had the sad misfortune to have this romp of a war film come out at the same time as the rape scandal was breaking in the press. His image of a bold adventurer was belied by the news stories and the general silliness of this film did the rest.There were a lot of self serving propagandistic war films showing clever allies versus incredibly stupid members of the Axis, but very few that would have been called an A picture. I have trouble believing Desperate Journey was even taken seriously in those dark days of 1942.The only Allied armed forces in Europe at the time Desperate Journey came out were the unfortunate crews of Allied planes who got shot down at the time. Our heroes in this film are a mixed bag of a five man crew of an RAF plane including an Australian: Errol Flynn, an American: Ronald Reagan, a Canadian: Arthur Kennedy, a Scotsman: Alan Hale, and a young English kid: Ronald Sinclair.The boys are shot down, but manage to pull off an incredible escape and go merrily on their way wreaking havoc on the Third Reich with an S.S. major Raymond Massey chasing them and just missing them at every turn. Massey's portrayal must have been the model for Wile E. Coyote in the roadrunner cartoons. Desperate Journey got an Oscar nomination for Special Effects, but lost that year to Cecil B. DeMille's Reap The Wild Wind. That was for the best for the Academy's future reputation.But the worst of it was the fact that Errol Flynn was arrested for rape and the story broke as Desperate Journey hit the theaters in previews. According to the Citadel film series book, The Films Of Errol Flynn, a line was deleted from the film when the house howled in laughter as Errol speaking of his men said, "they know but one command, attack."Now if a director's cut ever was issued for Desperate Journey how I'd love to hear that in the film.

Okay, so it's a fantasy. Maybe this was one of the first movies of the Indiana Jones or Die Hard variety where the hero surmounts insurmountable odds. More of a comic book than a commentary on real life. But it was made in 1942, when folks needed some encouragement. From some of the historical allusions (the invasion of Normandy not having happened yet but being planned) it was aimed at the hearts of Americans, encouraging them that we could fight and win against the Nazis, and the "Japs", at the same time.There is some great humor and very likable acting. Ironically, Ronald Reagan of all people has some of the best lines. Perhaps he really believed that right makes might no matter the odds, as he said to his 2 buddies as they were about to attack another pack of Nazis who had them outnumbered, "We might as well do it now, there's only 12 of them!" Too bad Americans don't have that kind of confidence in their country against those who would destroy it today and are destroying it themselves with their disloyalty and capitulation. The people of this era knew what evil was, and sought to fight it, rather than sell out to it.At any rate, it's a fun fighting film. A must see for all fans of Erroll Flynn and Ronald Reagan or any WWII adventure fans. Fantasy? Yes. But there are plenty of true life heroes who have been recognized for their valiant fight against tremendous odds, and some are still fighting today. So maybe it's not such a far-flung fantasy at that, for patriots willing to believe and fight.

With Errol Flynn, Nancy Coleman, Ronald Reagan, Alan Hale and Arthur Kennedy in a picture, how bad can it be? Not at all. "Desperate Journey" is an exciting fast paced film about American and British soldiers inside Nazi Germany after their bombing plane crashes.There is plenty of excitement as they try to evade their captors, the head being a very German-like Raymond Massey in another of his stellar performances. Alan Hale and Sig Ruman, the latter in one scene, bring comic relief.Of course, there is the cliché speech of Nancy Coleman, a German helping the allies, who stays despite the fact that the Nazis know her whereabouts. Her speech about patriotism is familiar but keenly on target.We have exciting chase scenes, and wonderful sabotage by our heroes inflicted upon Massey and his group of vultures.A wonderful war-time journey that should be viewed by all.