Own the rights?
7 out of 7 people found the following review useful: A thousand thrills...and Hayley Mills!, 28 June 2001 Author: moonspinner55 from redlands, ca
Wonderful Jules Verne fantasy via Walt Disney has jolly, ne'er-do-well Frenchman Maurice Chevalier helping two children convince a ship's captain that the kids' father, a captain lost at sea, is shipwrecked on an island near South America. The journey begins, and soon the whole gang faces every form of a raging Mother Nature trying to reach the castaway. Hayley Mills is near the peak of her ladylike charms here, never lovelier than when singing "Castaway" by guitar or cooking breakfast with Chevalier in a treetop. Maurice himself is a wily coot, and Wilfred Hyde-White is also amusing. Well-produced yarn does tail off in the second-half, but there are many requisite Disney-adventure pleasures here. Enjoy it! *** from ****
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful: 20,000 Leagues OVER the sea., 20 October 2000 Author: SanDiego from The Beach
Part of Jules Verne's trilogy that includes "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" with Captain Nemo as the antagonist, "Mysterious Island" with Captain Grant as the castaway protagonist going up against Nemo, and "The Children of Captain Grant...aka 'In Search of the Castaways'" with (as the titles suggests) the children of Captain Grant as the protagonists in search of their castaway father. Even if Walt Disney had made "Mysterious Island" (in 1961 another studio made a pretty nifty though obviously 60's style sci-fi movie from it) there still wouldn't be much to tie this film to Walt Disney's classic starring Kirk Douglas and James Mason. Without knowledge of the characters from "Mysterious Island" there is no clue that the Grant children live in the same world as the first film, let alone that of Captain Nemo. With that said, the film does work as a wild and fun Disney adventure (Disney films are a genre all their own). Starring familiar Disney faces such as Hayley Mills and Maurice Chevalier (hey it could have been Annette Funicello and Burl Ives) this is Walt Disney's film not Jules Verne's and a good time can be had by the whole family. Some of the special effects are inferior to Disney's standard but Mills and company are very watchable as are the endless stream of natural disasters that befall them. Recently remakes have been made of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Too bad a mini-series involving the entire trilogy wasn't tackled. Just a thought.
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Family Film, 20 November 2001 Author: mdkoi from Louisville, Kentucky, USA
How wonderful to see a movie the entire family can watch. Fine acting and plenty of music and laughter along with suspense, drama and human kindness. Not to be scared if a child will curse or anything to upset the audience. Maurice Chaviar and entire cast is superb. What a wonderful movie to just sit and relax and know you will be entertained. I never get bored watching this movie. When I was stationed in the US Army at Russelsheim, Germany,I got to see this movie in the German language. Again, it is a pleasure to have another entertaining motion picture to view over and over with family and friends. Thank You Walt Disney and his staff.
5 out of 6 people found the following review useful: A good old British adventure, 15 May 2002 Author: Chris Gaskin from Derby, England
I recently watched this movie for the first time and found very enjoyable and it is a good old adventure movie. The only thing I didn't like about it were the songs, which seemed pointless and did not fit in with the storyline.An excellent cast, which includes Hayley Mills (Tiger Bay), Wilfred Hyde White (North West Frontier), George Sanders (Village of the Damned) and Wilfred Brambell (Steptoe and Son). All play excellent parts and they seem to be enjoying themselves. The special effects are excellent too.While searching for Hayley Mills's dad, the expedition encounters dangers such as an earthquake, volcano, tidal wave and flood, cannibals, a leopard and a rather unfriendly giant eagle. They do find him at the end, alive and well.I found this movie excellent but the songs do let it down slightly.Rating: 4 stars out of 5.
6 out of 8 people found the following review useful: Wonderful Movie with a good solid cast that was Interesting, 14 July 2002 Author: richard.fuller1
A young boy and girl look for their father with the aid of a disbelieving old English captain and his young son, brought together by a Frenchman who found a note in a bottle. Seeing this movie as a youngster, I found them all delightful (altho I haven't seen alot of his work, I must agree about Chevalier being tedious listening to him explain things. Only Hyde-White's attention and irritation at Maurice diluted any that disdain this viewer may have felt). But the earthquake, the snowslide, the giant condor, the flood, the burning tree, and expecially the suddenly unexpected leopard all made for a good, entertaining film to hold my attention. The slip? Oh, we went the wrong way. Have to backtrack. Definite loss of attention as to what is going on. Pity that George Sander's speech merged with Hyde-White and Chevalier dialects couldn't have helped. Perhaps had he played the father of Mills and her brother instead of the uninteresting actor who did play the part (another downer in the film), things would have been better. Mills and her two male counterparts were delightful to see when I was young so I still enjoy them now. Old Bill Gaye was a definite pick-me-up the film needed. A shame the regular cast couldn't have held on to the film to the end. In watching this movie now, I can't help but check out the characterization of the natives performing their 'ceremony' while the prisoners are escaping. Especially check out the expressions of the 'chieftain'. Hilarious.
8 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Captain Grant and his kids., 21 November 2004 Author: theowinthrop from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Captain Grant disappeared in the south seas. A bottle with some message suggests he is not dead, as most people in authority choose to believe, but alive and imprisoned. His three children determine to rescue him. THE CHILDREN OF CAPTAIN GRANT was written in 1866-1868 (the year it was published). It followed Verne's first novel successes (FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON, A JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, and - his first North Pole novel - THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN HATTARAS). Of these first six titles, five have been made into films. CAPTAIN HATTARAS can't be made into a film, because Verne was wrong about the state of the North Pole (he put a live volcano there that we know is not there). Pity because it is a good story, deserving a film treatment, with a chilling conclusion. It has been suggested that the genesis of CAPTAIN GRANT is the determination of Lady Jane Franklin in sacrificing her fortune to find out the fate of her husband Sir John Franklin and his Northwest Passage Expedition of 1845-48. Possibly, however, it is something more current than the Franklin Mystery (already solved in 1859, and somewhat old-hat in 1868). The question of whether Thomas Castro was the actual Sir Roger Ticheborne, wealthy, missing baronet, was a growing issue in England in 1868 (it would not be legally settled - against Castro/Arthur Orton - in 1874). That may have been tied to what Verne had in mind. Also the long lost fate of the French explorer La Perouse in the South Seas (in 1788 - his fate is mentioned in TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA). In any event, THE CHILDREN OF CAPTAIN GRANT was the first three volumes of seven (or eight - depending on one's counting of sections of TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES) volumes that were interlinked. Verne loved cross-connecting stories (in ROBUR THE CONQUEROR he suggests the appearance of an orbiting mystery at the start of the novel is actually an artificial satellite created by Professor Schultz in THE BEGUM'S FORTUNE). He never got this involved again (subsequently, however, he plays a private joke in AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, when Princess Aouda is rescued from being burned alive at her husband's funeral: the husband is the usurper of the title of Prince Dakar who is Captain Nemo). CAPTAIN GRANT traces the world wide search for the Captain by his three determined children and their French tutor, which go through South America and the South Seas. The villain is one Ayrton, a sailor who imprisoned Grant for his own purposes on a small island near New Zealand. At the end of the novel, Aryton is punished for his treachery to Grant (and Grant's children) by Lord Glenelg, who promises to leave him there for only 10 years alone, roughly the time Grant was marooned. Then comes the story of Nemo and the Nautilus in TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES (published in 1870). Then comes THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (1873). A party of five men, led by Captain Cyrus Harding, from Libby Prison in Richmond escape in a balloon in a hurricane as the American Civil War is ending. They land on an uncharted island in the Pacific (called "Lincoln Island"), which they build up into a livable environment. They keep finding machinery and books to help them. Also they find a trail that leads them to the rescue of Aryton, nearly insane from loneliness, off a nearby island. Eventually they learn that the dying Nemo (on his submarine) is responsible for their safety and survival. Nemo dies, the island is destroyed in an eruption (the novel has been compared to a study of the growth and destruction of civilization), and Lord Glenelg's yacht comes to rescue the castaways and Aryton.It is a long, complex series of stories. Movies have been made of CAPTAIN GRANT, TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES, and THE MYSTERIOUS ISLANDS. However, no miniseries (nine parts possibly) has been suggested for the whole three novels. Possibly because the adventures are so fantastic they stretch our imagination too far.This Walt Disney production is satisfactory for CAPTAIN GRANT and good fun. Hailey Mills was given another of her early star turns in this film, and Maurice Chevalier was coasting on his starring turn in GIGI four years earlier (as well as his appearance as Panisse in FANNY). One can watch this film as an entertaining adventure flick, with Disney's typical good production values. It is actually quite easy to take.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Full-blown and exciting adventures based on Julio Verne novel, 7 February 2007 Author: ma-cortes
A journey looking for to captain Grant(Jack Gwillim) is realized by a teenage girl Hayley Mills(Pollyanna),her little boy brother along with two veterans(Wilfrid Hyde White and singer Maurice Chevalier) and a young man(Michael Anderson Jr.).During the long travel they find natural disasters as earthquake in the Andes,fire and flood in the ocean and volcano in New Zealand and they attempt to overcome.Besides they encounter different tribes as Araucans(an Indian chief played by Antonio Cifariello),Patagons(Argentina) and Maoris(New Zealand).The picture contains adventures,humor,emotion,songs,stirring action and sensational outdoors.The film displays some scenes have you on the edge of your seat as the amusing images when the protagonists sledge over floe. Excellent,powerful cast with a sympathetic Hayley Mills and Maurice Chevalier and with the cynic George Sanders.Colorful cinematography reflecting marvellous landscapes by Paul Beeson.Lively and evocative music by Willyam Alwyn.Abound matte painting and special effects by the Disney specialist Peter Ellenshaw. It's a winning Disney effort made by its usual director Robert Stevenson(Herbie,gnome mobile,Mary Poppins).It's a must for the Disney fans but is beautifully released,being recommendable for all family and especially for little boys public.Rating : Good and entertaining.
4 out of 6 people found the following review useful: In search of the castaways, 8 March 2006 Author: dancer56 from United States
I'll give Disney's "In Search Of The Castaways" a seven out of ten because of the possibilities, not for what it is! If you were to take all the noted bloopers from the original Star Wars series, you'd run out of fingers, instantly! Compared to other Disney live action films and some real turkeys, this film fared much better. Not everyone is into Maurice Chevalier and I am not one of them. But he did manage to play the bumbling fool of a professor very well. Sometimes you have to overlook the Disney staple of sticking to sugary family fare. We cant all have homeboys on top of a mountain, spraying graffiti. Quite frankly, the movie really suffers from simply becoming outdated. I wish the movie moguls would think to look at this movie one day-for a remake. If anything, I like the sudden idea of being caught and trapped on a slope, riding on a loosened mountain chunk down a ravine. The next in line biggest adventure, would be the tied to a rope, upside down, swinging wildly in the air! COOL. I give it a seven, for the possibilities. Robert.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: A 10,000 mile mistake, 22 August 2009 Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York
First of all let me say that any film with Maurice Chevalier will automatically get a look from me. Even though Hayley Mills was Walt Disney's number one star at the time, Chevalier's international status as a performer guaranteed him top billing. The younger cast members had a lot to do in keeping up with him.Robert Gwillim who is a sea captain and father to Hayley Mills and Keith Hamshere has been lost at sea for many years now and who knows where in this wide world with 5/6 of it covered by ocean. But a swallowed bottle with a note that was found in the belly of a shark by scientist Maurice Chevalier sends the three of them in search of Gwillim's employer Wilfrid Hyde-White to finance an expedition to search. Said note leads them first to South America and then to Australia because Maurice misreads the clues. He did that a lot in this film, an occupational hazard with eccentric scientists. This was the Magic Kingdom's second dealing with a Jules Verne story, the first being the classic 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Sad to say while In Search Of The Castaways has some interesting moments and in spots looks more like an Indiana Jones film, it does not make it above the juvenile level. Watching it today, I expected to see Harrison Ford ride in with bullwhip cracking to save the whole kit and kaboodle of them from villain George Sanders.Maurice's first mistake took them 10,000 miles out of their way. It's not often one gets a second chance there.
3 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Beautiful Disney Adventure Winds Up Too Silly to Watch, 5 January 2006 Author: wonderboss from Atlanta, GA
After so many attempts by others to recapture the magic of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Disney's own belated return to the Jules Verne genre must have been greeted with tremendous anticipation. When it did finally come however, with 1961's In Search of the Castaways, audiences can only have responded with a bewilderment bordering on stupefaction. Castaways has a scenario so bizarre and features a set of adventures so patently absurd, that it makes Journey to the Center of the Earth seem like cinema verité. The fact that the makers appear to have been perfectly aware of these illogicalities and may have been indulging in some kind of a rarified joke only makes things worse in my opinion. You tell me: The children of a marooned sea captain receive from him a message in a bottle—a bottle found in the stomach of a shark. Unlikely, you say? So do about five characters in the film itself--repeatedly. Later, the party decides to rest overnight in "The Land of Many Earthquakes." The hut they sleep in seems, nonetheless, to have been standing for hundreds of years so they feel confident it will make it through one more night--and they tell us so. An enormous tremor strikes within moments and shakes the entire building down before our eyes. During this quake, the stone ledge the party has been standing on breaks loose and becomes a bobsled hurtling down the mountainside. Do the explorers cling to it for their lives in mortal terror? No, they laugh and yodel and enjoy the ride as if nothing at all were at stake--which the audience has now begun to realize is in fact the case. Soon, they come to the broad, treeless landscape of the Argentine pampas; here, the earth is parched and cracked, the sky cloudless. In spite of this, Indians warn them to beware of floods. The Europeans take pains to point out the extreme unlikelihood of such an eventuality--and are, of course, shortly interrupted by an 8-foot wall of water that reaches from horizon to horizon. As Disney expert Leonard Maltin remarks, "There seems no earthly purpose for throwing in a giant condor or a massive flood, and the slightly off-center feeling is only amplified when Maurice Chevalier starts to sing about their troubles!" On and on it goes until about the midway point of the film, at which time the searchers learn that their whole expedition has been a wild goose chase to begin with and that they've been looking on the WRONG CONTINENT. And the audience throws up its hands. If we could write In Search of the Castaways off as a low-budget quickie like Valley of the Dragons, padded out with stock footage, the whole thing would be easier to figure. But no—-extreme care was taken with Castaways. It has lush Technicolor photography, stunning miniatures, and a non-stop parade of the most gorgeous matte paintings you ever saw (Peter Ellenshaw). The special effects are, in fact, some of the best in any Verne film and were accomplished by the very same people who did similarly magnificent work for 20,000 Leagues. Yet the situations these effects are called upon to depict are so far-out that they would have been more appropriate in something like This Island Earth or First Spaceship on Venus. The aforementioned "sleigh ride" for instance, really does play out like an attraction at Disneyland, and would probably be interpreted by today's critics as a crass send-off for the inevitable theme park tie-in. (Actually, it seems to have been the other way around, with a Disneyland ride providing inspiration for the movie; the park's Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction opened four years earlier and was based on a different film, 1958's Third Man on the Mountain). Most curious of all, however, is the way this script actually rubs your nose in each of its many improbabilities and underlines every deus ex machina. In retrospect the filmmakers do seem to have tried to warn us in advance; the title work introduces the movie as "Jules Verne's Fantasy Adventure." This might have been our cue that it was all intended as some kind of a spoof of the genre, or "live action cartoon," and ought to be taken as such. Still, the joke sails right over my head. Make no mistake: In Search of the Castaways has plenty going for it. But the screenplay (based on Verne's 1865 book Les Enfants du Capitaine Grant) ought to have been sent back down Dopey Drive to the Story Department for some heavy revision. (Incidentally, the George Sanders villain in this movie, Thomas Ayerton, reappears in Verne's L'Île mystérieuse—which happens to be a sequel to both this book and 20,000 Leagues). Director Robert Stevenson, at any rate, did get another crack at Verne-flavored adventure for Disney—-1974's Island at the Top of the World—-and he fared much better there.
Add another review
