Errol Flynn (as Terry Forbes), Alan Hale (as Kirk Edwards), Ronald Reagan (as Johnny Hammond), Arthur Kennedy (as Jed Forrest), and Ronald Sinclair (as Lloyd Hollis) are fighting the Germans during World War II. Their plane crashes in Germany. They are taken as POWs, but attempt a "Desperate Journey" to escape.
The film starts with a very exciting battle and plane crash. The five surviving soldiers are captured by the Germans, and (highly implausibly) spend the film on the run. It starts out threatening to become an adventure/war/drama - with some comic touches. BUT, it really becomes an action/war comedy. The action and direction (Raoul Walsh) are great; though, the pace of the excitement may be a bit lopsided. The comedy works - both intentionally and intentionally.
Mr. Reagan (unexpectedly; and, Reagan "steals" the film) and Mr. Hale (expectedly) are great. If you take the film as comedy, they have the best lines and the most fun. The others are okay. Do note that the film loses some elements during the runtime - a little of its heart and a little of its comedy - and the film doesn't really take the loss well, thematically.
****** Desperate Journey (1942) Raoul Walsh ~ Errol Flynn, Alan Hale, Ronald Reagan
The film starts with a very exciting battle and plane crash. The five surviving soldiers are captured by the Germans, and (highly implausibly) spend the film on the run. It starts out threatening to become an adventure/war/drama - with some comic touches. BUT, it really becomes an action/war comedy. The action and direction (Raoul Walsh) are great; though, the pace of the excitement may be a bit lopsided. The comedy works - both intentionally and intentionally.
Mr. Reagan (unexpectedly; and, Reagan "steals" the film) and Mr. Hale (expectedly) are great. If you take the film as comedy, they have the best lines and the most fun. The others are okay. Do note that the film loses some elements during the runtime - a little of its heart and a little of its comedy - and the film doesn't really take the loss well, thematically.
****** Desperate Journey (1942) Raoul Walsh ~ Errol Flynn, Alan Hale, Ronald Reagan