desperate journey 1942 imdb

Desperate Journey

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Brief Synopsis

Cast & crew, raoul walsh, errol flynn, ronald reagan, nancy coleman, raymond massey, photos & videos, technical specs.

A unit of the British Royal Air Force is assigned to bomb a German railway. Although they are ordered to fly at a high altitude, their bomber is spotted by the Germans, who attack them from both air and land. After the squadron leader is shot, Flight Lt. Terrence Forbes takes charge and rashly flies the plane beneath the cloud cover, causing the plane to be shot down. The plane crashes in the woods and the survivors--Forbes, an Australian; Flying Officer Johnny Hammond, an American; Flight Sergeant Kirk Edwards, a Scot; Flying Officer Jed Forrest, a Canadian; and Flight Sergeant Lloyd Hollis, the wounded son of a famous World War I flyer--hide hurriedly. The plane explodes in flames, and the Germans assume that everyone perished in the crash until a German soldier spots blood from one of the wounded flyers. After they are captured, the flyers are sent to a prison camp, where camp commander Major Otto Baumeister interviews them. Johnny pretends to cooperate, but at the first opportunity, knocks the major unconscious. Terry, who speaks German, then tricks the other soldiers inside. Once they have subdued the Germans, the men search the office and find papers relating to a hidden Messerschmidt factory. They then begin their dangerous trip across enemy territory. Believing that his wounds imperil the group, Lloyd decides to give himself up to the Germans, but the other men stop him before he gets very far. They then overpower enough German soldiers to provide them all with Nazi uniforms and board a train. When Baumeister learns of the attack, he flies to meet the train in Berlin, but as the men had earlier been discovered and ejected from the train, Baumeister fails to capture them. While searching for provisions, Terry learns that they are near an important chemical plant and suggests that the men sabotage it. Jed tries to stop them, but the men override his objections and successfully destroy the plant. Lloyd is wounded again and Terry searches for a doctor. With the help of Kaethe Brahms, a member of the underground, he finds one who is anti-Nazi, but Lloyd's agonized moans are overheard by one of the doctor's patients, and she summons the Gestapo. The men overpower the police, but despite the doctor's best efforts, Lloyd dies. Kaethe sends them to her parents' house near the Dutch border. When they arrive, they are warmly welcomed by the Brahmses, but Kaethe later reveals that they are impostors and that her real parents are in a concentration camp. Kirk is killed during their escape over the roof, and the others steal Baumeister's car and drive to the border, where Kaethe leaves the men to carry on in Germany. Across the border, the men run out of gas and follow a passing gasoline carrier, which leads them to a camouflaged airplane. It turns out to be a captured English bomber destined for a surprise attack on the Battersea waterworks in England. As the three remaining flyers board the plane, Jed is shot, leaving Terry and Johnny to fly the plane to England. There they learn that Jed will recover from his wounds.

Arthur Kennedy

Ronald Sinclair

Albert Basserman

Patrick O'moore

Felix basch, ilka gruning, else basserman.

Charles Irwin

Richard fraser, davis roberts, henry victor, bruce lester, lester matthews, walter brooke, harry lewis, don phillips, hans schumm, robert stephenson, william yetter, gene garrick, dewolfe hopper.

Douglas Walton

Harold daniels, carl harbaugh, rudolf steinbeck, philip van zandt, hans twardowski, rolf lindau, henry rowland, walter bonn, ferdinand schumann-heink, otto reichow, rex williams, sigfried tor, frank alten, lester sharpe, charles flynn, william vaughn, ludwig hardt, elsa basserman, victor zimmerman, rudolf myzet, richard ryen, fred vogeding, hans von morhart, carl ekberg, fred giermann, erno verebes, john banner, james harker, roland varno, peter michael.

Helmut Dantine

Leslie denison, pat o'hara, barry bernard, milo anderson, squadron leader o. cathcart-jones, edwin a. dupar, leo f. forbstein, hugo friedhofer, bert glennon, byron haskin, arthur t. horman, nathan levinson, hugh macmullan, c. a. riggs, russ saunders, max steiner, perc westmore, carl jules weyl.

Award Nominations

Best special effects.

Errol Flynn Adventures - OBJECTIVE, BURMA! & 4 More in the New ERROL FLYNN ADVENTURES DVD box set

Errol flynn adventures - objective, burma & 4 more in the new errol flynn adventures dvd box set, ronald reagan, 1911-2004 - tcm remembers ronald reagan.

"Now for Australia and a crack at those Japs!" - Flight Lieutenant Terrence Forbes

News items in Hollywood Reporter add the following information about the production: Some scenes were shot on location at Sherwood Lake, CA, the Warner Ranch in Calabasas, CA and Metropolitan Airport in Los Angeles. Nancy Coleman replaced Kaaren Verne in the role of "Kaethe Brahms." Byron Haskin and Nathan Levinson received an Oscar nomination for Best Special Effects.

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States 1942

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Desperate Journey

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Raoul Walsh

Errol Flynn

Flight Lt. Terrence "Terry" Forbes

Ronald Reagan

Flying Officer Johnny Hammond

Raymond Massey

Major Otto Baumeister

Nancy Coleman

Kaethe Brahms

Flight Sergeant Kirk Edwards

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Desperate journey.

Directed by Raoul Walsh

Man alive, Just picture this excitement!

During WWII, when an allied bomber is shot down over Germany, the five surviving crew are captured but cleverly escape detention after learning German secret information and knocking out a Nazi major. With the angry major in hot pursuit, aided by military personnel, Gestapo agents and Hitler-loyal citizens, the five wend their way across perilous Germany, intent on reaching the UK with the secrets they have learned.

Errol Flynn Ronald Reagan Arthur Kennedy Alan Hale Ronald Sinclair Raymond Massey Rudolph Anders Nancy Coleman Albert Bassermann Sig Ruman Patrick O'Moore Ilka Grüning Elsa Bassermann Charles Irwin Richard Fraser Henry Victor Walter Brooke Kurt Katch Harry Lewis Otto Reichow

Director Director

Raoul Walsh

Producer Producer

Hal B. Wallis

Writer Writer

Arthur T. Horman

Editor Editor

Cinematography cinematography.

Bert Glennon

Composer Composer

Max Steiner

Costume Design Costume Design

Milo Anderson

Warner Bros. Pictures

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

German English

Releases by Date

21 sep 1942, 25 sep 1942, 26 sep 1942, 29 may 1945, releases by country.

• Theatrical M/12
• Premiere Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
• Premiere New York City, New York
• Theatrical NR

107 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by comrade_yui ★★★ 4

it's so bizarre to watch a young ronald reagan and realize that he was at one point considered a serious movie star. the arch-deco absurdism of the warners war film becomes national policy in the white house -- every american president after nixon has been either a performer or a tycoon, reality receding into the studio backlot. reagan went from fighting fictional nazis in the 1940s to placing floral wreathes on their real graves in the 1980s; i doubt he ever stopped acting.

Review by 📀 Cammmalot 📀 ★★★½

”The iron fist has a glass jaw”

When an allied bomber is shot down over Germany the surviving crew, including Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan, start rampaging their way through occupied Europe trying to get back home while still taking the time to give the Nazi’s all kinds of hell along the way.

Leave it to Raoul Walsh to create a World War II film right in the midst of World War II that somehow manages to have all the energy and attitude of an 80’s action movie.

Viewer results may vary, but this was so tonally different than every other movie I’ve seen from this era that it totally sucked me in. And I was completely fascinated by the…

Review by AJ ★★★½

A non-stop men behind enemy lines film from the exact classic director you want helming this kind of picture: Raoul Walsh. Extremely solid core cast of Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan, Alan Hale, Arthur Kennedy with Raymond Massey as the obsessed Nazi commander chasing them.

The tone is all over the place, feels more like a "the zany adventures of Errol Flynn behind enemy lines! watch as he kills and fools Nazis who may as well not have brains!" Maybe zany is a little too extreme, but it's very lighthearted in parts and plays for laughs in a lot of situations. As long as you can sync up with the strange tone and you like men on a mission films then it's a great time! Not a lost classic but definitely a hidden gem.

Review by Glenn Kenny ★★★★½

In a 1963 roundtable for "Cahiers," while reassessing AMerican cinema, Jacques Rivette observed "Generally speaking, it's the ambitious films you feel appallingly let down by, and the frankly commercial films you're very happily surprised by." Truffaut responds, "That's absolutely right. 'Desperate Jurney,' which was shown again on television, is tremendous." He's right.

Review by mrbalihai ★★★★ 2

More Errol Flynn Adventure Time with this gung-ho, two-fisted WWII action film about a downed Allied bomber crew who fight their way out of Germany with guns, physical prowess, and sheer wit, to carry critical intelligence back to Blighty.

Raoul Walsh directs a not-yet totally debauched Flynn paired up with his evergreen onscreen pal, Alan Hale Sr., and young Ronnie Raygun. The pace never lets up for a second as they're chased across Hitlerland by an increasingly frustrated Nazi Major (Raymond Massey sporting an excellent command auf Deutsch ). Walsh intersperses witty dialogue, especially with the scene of Reagan bamboozling the Major with rapid-fire technobabble, and some humorous spitball action courtesy of Hale with the gritty action scenes, but never lets…

Review by LeeJ54 ★★★★ 2

Really enjoyed this 1942 war film directed by Raoul Walsh with performances by Errol Flynn, Arthur Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Alan Hale. Hale provides comedic relief, as a bomber crew goes on a solitary mission over Germany to knock out a strategic target. Misfortune ensues, and the team must find a way back home by crossing back through enemy territory. This film has everything, escapes, boat rides, train rides, car chases, intrigue, suspense, and action. Especially notable is Ronald Reagan double-talking a Nazi. The opening scene shows spy intelligence being shared via carrier pigeon, showing that every means was used to gather intelligence against the enemy. Fairly good pacing as the movie moves along in a spirited manner.

Review by Jandy Hardesty ★★★★

Me when I started up this movie: "Okay, fine, lesser-known probably middling Errol Flynn war movie, should be an okay diversion."

Me the whole time I was watching this movie: "THIS IS AWESOME WHY DOES NO ONE TALK ABOUT THIS MOVIE."

This movie has everything. Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan, Alan Hale, Raymond Massey, Arthur Kennedy, and some others are on a one-bomber RAF mission to take out a railyard in eastern Germany, almost to the Polish border. They get shot down, and then have to make their across just about the whole of Germany (including the middle of Berlin) to get safely back to England, doing what damage they can along the way.

There's aerial battles, a plane crash, capture,…

Review by Patrick Delmore ★★

I preferred Reagan when he was punching Nazis in the movies to when he was President and putting wreaths on their graves.  My mom’s review ‘Ridiculous, and I don’t think they’re actually speaking German’.

Review by hellohildy ★★★★

A popcorn action-adventure war movie made early in the US entry into WWII.  Warners let Errol be Errol, playing a jovial, risk-taking Aussie, this time in uniform(s)!  He and his gang of flyers find themselves behind enemy lines, and make their way across Germany out-smarting those dumb Nazis. Much of it is far-fetched, but it’s good fun and ably directed by Raoul Walsh.

Review by RKO_Chester ★★★

Entertaining WW2 film made during WW2 to be entertaining .

In this rollicking adjective action adventure the crew of an Allied bomber shot down in National Socialist Germany gets into precarious situations one after another. Is it realistic? No, it isn't and it wasn't written to be. It does have its merits, though:

Nancy Coleman plays is serious and is captivating in several scenes. Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan have their moments, too, but tack back and forth between being serious soldiers and adventurers.

There's a fine, very unexpected, twist in the middle to the 2nd half of this. Allan Hale puts in a respectable performance, too.

Adding the period atmosphere of this movie, most of the Germans only speak German…

Review by Lowbacca ★★★

This does feel like a fairly standard WWII propaganda film, though making an anti-Nazi film does come with a bit of a deference to the filmmakers for being relatively heavy-handed as I'm not going to be bothered with the Nazis not getting treated 'fairly'. Though I do also think it's rather interesting that this movie has an in-film reason why there's Germans speaking English with one another, and using German extensively otherwise. It's decently convincing.

While the plot here doesn't strike me as particularly stand-out, and the same largely can be said for much of the films other elements, I do think the casting does help sell this a bit. I'm always a fan of Alan Hale, Errol Flynn puts…

Review by Adriana Scarpin ★★★★

Ôpa, esse é filmaço! Dá até para arriscar um palpite de que este trabalho é o pai de certos filmes cultuados dos anos 60, tais como Os Doze Condenados e Fugindo do Inferno, é mantido o mesmo clima, sobretudo o bom humor, mas o que o faz ainda melhor é um distanciamento temporal que poucos os filmes de guerra dos anos 40 possuíam e que o gênero só reconquistaria a partir dos anos 50. Também é a prova do porquê Walsh é o maior diretor de cinema de aventura desde os anos 20, a ação não deixa de nos empolgar um só minuto, a dinâmica dos atores é perfeita, as situações são engraçadíssimas e não há o ranço propagandista emotivo que se via usualmente nos filmes da época. Desperate Journey mostra também o quanto Spielberg foi influenciado pelo cinema de Walsh, mas este é um assunto para uma outra hora…

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DESPERATE JOURNEY

Big-screen swashbuckler Errol Flynn stars in this classic wartime tale concerning a squadron of Allied pilots who are shot down behind enemy lines and forced to battle back to England through unfriendly territory. A newly minted U.S.

Desperate Journey (1942)

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Movie Review

Desperate journey.

US Release Date: 09-26-1942

Directed by: Raoul Walsh

Starring ▸ ▾

• Errol Flynn ,  as
• Flight Lt. Terrence Forbes
• Ronald Reagan ,  as
• Flying Officer Johnny Hammond
• Nancy Coleman ,  as
• Kaethe Brahms
• Raymond Massey ,  as
• Major Otto Baumeister
• Alan Hale ,  as
• Flight Sergeant Kirk Edwards
• Arthur Kennedy ,  as
• Flying Officer Jed Forrest
• Ronald Sinclair ,  as
• Flight Sergeant Lloyd Hollis
• Albert Bassermann ,  as
• Sig Ruman as

Alan Hale, Ronald Reagan, Errol Flynn, and Arthur Kennedy on a desperate journey.

Sometimes I find myself enjoying films with the simplest of plots. Scott can attest, that sometimes I get confused if there are too many characters and scene changes. I know that is not something a film critic should mention, but some movies can be too damn complicated.

Desperate Journey follows a bomber on a mission over Nazi Germany. It gets shot down after bombing their target. They get captured by the Nazi's, but in the process discover a hidden German aircraft factory. They escape and try to make their way back to England. Not only do they want to make it back to friendly territory, but they need to let the powers that be know of the secret factory.

On their journey across Germany, Lt. Forbes decides that he and his men should try to cause as much damage to German interests as possible. This sounds heroic, but it comes with a cost as his men start dying along the way. Like Tom Hanks' character ordering his men to take the German position they could have just as easily walked around in Saving Private Ryan (1998), Forbes makes decisions here that I am sure he would question the rest of his life.

Desperate Journey works as an action adventure film. The men steal vehicles and get into car chases. They run over roof tops being pursued by Nazis. They get shot at and never know who to trust. This all makes for a fairly exciting film. Alan Hale provides some levity along the way. He is good for a couple of laughs, but his antics of spitting seeds at everyone, including Nazi guards, threaten to erase the tension.

The story line rarely leaves the men on their escape. This keeps the movie focused, and the plot driven. The men are a smorgasbord of nationalities. There is a Brit, an Aussie, a Yank and a Canadian in the flight crew. I do not believe there were actually too many international crews, but for the sake of the viewing audience of 1942, it demonstrated international solidarity against Nazi oppression.

Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan, Alan Hale and Ronald Sinclair hitch a ride in Goring's personal train car in Desperate Journey .

An overly complicated plot is certainly not a problem for this movie. A child could follow this old fashioned Boy's Own adventure story. It's a straightforward rousing action tale that remains almost as entertaining today as it must have been to audiences of the day.

The story plays out like a fantasy. This small group of international allies are dropped behind enemy lines where they wreak havoc with impunity, outwitting the dimwitted Nazis at every turn. Yes, some of the good guys die, but they're all clean and noble deaths with the men gladly sacrificing their lives for the cause. This small group of commandos are so effective that it's a wonder they don't single-handedly win the war all on their own.

Flynn, as usual, is terrific as the charming, rogue adventurer. The term dashing should have a picture of his face next to the definition in the dictionary. His light hearted bantering is even more impressive when you learn that during filming he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. Flynn, worried about taking unpaid time off to recover, chose to conceal his condition from the studio.

Although Flynn and Reagan share a nice chemistry on the screen, reportedly there was some friction behind the scenes when Reagan was given the scene where he lulled Massey's Nazi into a false sense of security with some rapid-fire double talk before slugging him unconscious. Flynn is said to have sulked and lobbied to be given the scene, but to no avail.

Reagan received his real life call-up papers during filming and while the studio lobbied for him to be given a 30-day extension, the Air Force was only willing to offer him an extra week, forcing director Walsh to shoot Reagan's scenes first. This film marked the highlight of Reagan's career as his post-war career, in Hollywood at least, would never again burn as bright.

Something that does stand out about this film is the way that not all Germans are portrayed as evil. Very often in war movies of the day, everything is kept very much in terms of black and white, good vs evil. Here though, there are several Germans shown to be fighting against the Nazis and willing to help Flynn and company along on their journey.

A Desperate Journey is a rip roaring adventure story. It might not be very realistic, but it is entertaining.

Errol Flynn, Alan Hale, and Ronald Reagan in Desperate Journey .

Desperate Journey is such a product of its time. Take the last scene, which is pure propaganda. As the surviving heroes fly into the setting sun over England, Flynn says, “Now for Australia and a crack at those Japs!” You have to admire the spirit behind this movie. It was 1942 and the outcome of the war was far from certain but America, and Hollywood, were confident enough to make this picture. There isn't a cowardly moment in it.

Sure the action is unrealistic, and old fashioned in style, but in the experienced hands of director Raoul Walsh this remains gripping entertainment. The comic book ease with which these downed Allied soldiers outwit, out maneuver, and out fight the Nazis borders on self parody. Just check logic at the door and go with it and you're certain to enjoy this exciting WWII adventure yarn.

It wastes no time on unnecessary exposition or periphery characters. As Eric said, the focus never strays from Flynn and Company as they do damage behind enemy lines. The formula becomes clear early in the picture. They are forever hiding just in the nick of time to elude capture only to overpower the enemy and steal their uniforms. This setup is repeated several times in various forms until the riveting climactic battle where they steal the plane intended to bomb London.

Not only are there different nationalities represented but it also includes two of the most common war movie character cliches; the grizzled old veteran (Hale) who fought in the last war, and the young rookie (Sinclair) who's the son of a war hero. Flynn is the impossibly heroic leader, Reagan the wisecracking Yank, and Arthur Kennedy the serious, levelheaded one, against taking unnecessary chances. Together this band of soldiers form a classic war picture trope.

Ronald Reagan really shines as the lone American in the outfit. His doubletalk scene with Raymond Massey (boy he made a great villain) is his best moment. There is also an inside joke that audiences of the day would have found amusing. After being awakened, he complains, “Why do you have to wake me up every time I got a date with Ann Sheridan?” Reagan had played opposite Sheridan three times, including in his two previous pictures.

It's been said before many times but it's worth repeating in regards to Desperate Journey ; they sure don't make movies like this anymore!

Photos © Copyright Warner Bros. Pictures (1942)

© 2000 - 2017 Three Movie Buffs. All Rights Reserved.

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THE SCREEN; 'Desperate Journey,' a Futile Chase Through Germany, With Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan, Opens at the Strand

By Bosley Crowther

• Sept. 26, 1942

Impatient, perhaps, with the caution of the United Nations in opening a second front, the Warner Brothers have assembled one of their rugged gang-busting male casts and pulled an invasion of Nazi Germany which would put the Commandos to shame. Boy, how those Warner actors, under the dashing direction of Errol Flynn, show up those dumb Nazi officers and take that poor country apart! If a handful of guys can do this much, you wonder what an army might do—provided, of course, it had the service of a Warner scriptwriter and cast. For all of the hooting and shooting, to which we refer above, takes place—more's the pity—in a picture called "Desperate Journey," which came yesterday to the Strand.Maybe that title sounds solemn, but the story which it labels is certainly not. For a more fun-loving bunch of fellows you'll probably never meet than the crew of D-for-Danny, R. A. F. bomber, which goes to blast a Nazi town. And, even when their ship is brought down and three of their mates are killed, the spirits of the five survivors are in absolutely no way suppressed. There is Mr. Flynn, the leader, a fearless and enterprising chap, and Alan Hale, a veteran, who is constantly thinking about food. Then there is Ronald Reagan, a slangy young rascal from the States, and Arthur Kennedy, a practical fellow, and Ronald Sinclair, the chin-up boy of the crew. And such hair-raising, side-splitting adventures as they have in a wild-goose trek across Germany—such slugging of guards and Raymond Massey, such chases and incidental sabotage you'll not see this side of the comics, or possiby an old-time Western film.That's all there is to it—"Desperate Journey" is an action melodrama of the wildest stripe, deprived of the intensity its subject should have by the bravado of its story and characters. Obviously, the author fetched freely from "Target for Tonight" and "Man Hunt," but the consequence is little more than a parody of those two striking films. Folks who will sacrifice reason for fast action and the joy of seeing "Nazis" foiled should find it entirely gratifying. Terry and the Pirates will do as well for the rest.

DESPERATE JOURNEY; original screen play by Arthur T. Horman; directed by Raoul Walsh; produced by Hal B. Wallis for Warner Brothers. At the Strand.Flight Lt. Terence Forbes . . . . . Errol FlynnFlying Officer Johnny Hammond . . . . . Ronald ReaganKaethe Brahms . . . . . Nancy ColemanMajor Otto Baumeister . . . . . Raymond MasseyFlight Sergeant Kirk Edwards . . . . . Alan HaleFlying Officer Jed Forrest . . . . . Arthur KennedyFlying Sergeant Lloyd Hollis . . . . . Ronald SinclairDr. Mather . . . . . Albert BassermanPreuss . . . . . Sig RumannSquadron Leader Lane-Ferris . . . . . Patrick O'MooreHermann Brahms . . . . . Felix BaschFrau Brahms . . . . . Ilka GruningFrau Raeder . . . . . Else BassermanCaptain Coswick . . . . . Charles IrwinSquadron Leader Clark . . . . . Richard FraserKruse . . . . . Robert O. DavisHeinrich Schwarzmueller . . . . . Henry VictorEnglish Officer . . . . . Bruce LesterWing Commander . . . . . Lester Matthews

Desperate Journey 1942

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They're downed but not out. Five Allied airmen shot down after a bombing run over Germany set out to fight and finagle their way back to England in this rousing World War II spirit lifter. From the opening frames to Errol Flynn's famed parting verbal salvo, Desperate Journey teems with excitement. A factory is blasted to smithereens, one narrow escape is topped by the next, and an enemy bomber is swiped and used against the pursuing Nazis. The airmen plunge into their adventures with swashbuckling elan -- exactly as Raoul Walsh (White Heat) intended. With Walsh's fast-paced handling, Flynn's bravado and Reagan's boy-next-door gumption, this Journey is a mission accomplished!

Product details

• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 2.47 ounces
• Director ‏ : ‎ Raoul Walsh
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, NTSC
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 48 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ April 28, 2020
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Coleman, Raymond Massey, Alan Hale
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Spanish, French
• Producers ‏ : ‎ Hal B. Wallis
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Warner Bros.
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B085RVPVQL
• Writers ‏ : ‎ Arthur T. Horman
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #9,440 in DVD

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Watch Desperate Journey

• 1 hr 47 min
• 6.8   (2,531)

Desperate Journey is a 1942 war film that tells the story of a group of allied airmen who have to make their way back to England after their plane is shot down over Germany during World War II. It was directed by Raoul Walsh and produced by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film stars Errol Flynn as Captain Rip Murdock, the leader of the airmen, and Ronald Reagan as Lieutenant Johnny Hammond, his loyal second-in-command. Nancy Coleman plays the role of Frieda, a brave resistance fighter who helps the airmen escape from Germany.

The movie starts with the members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) going on a mission to bomb a German munitions factory. However, their plane is shot down by a German fighter plane, and they crash-land behind enemy lines. With the help of Frieda, they manage to evade the German soldiers and make their way to a safe house where they meet up with other stranded RAF pilots.

In the meantime, the Germans are hot on their trail, and a fierce game of cat and mouse ensues. The group of airmen have to sneak past German patrols and avoid being captured at all costs. As the days pass, the situation becomes increasingly desperate, and the airmen must come up with a plan to make their way back to England.

Captain Rip Murdock takes charge, and the group comes up with a daring plan to hijack a German bomber and fly it back to England. The plan is risky and dangerous, and the slightest mistake could mean death. But the airmen are determined to make it back home, and they put everything at risk to achieve their goal.

As they embark on their desperate journey, the airmen are faced with numerous obstacles and challenges. They have to navigate through enemy airspace, avoid German gunfire, and overcome technical difficulties with the plane. But with their courage, wits, and teamwork, they manage to succeed in their mission, and they arrive back in England to a hero's welcome.

Desperate Journey is a classic war film that embodies the spirit of sacrifice and patriotism that defined the Second World War. It features outstanding performances by Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan, and Nancy Coleman, who bring the characters to life with their emotional depth and charisma.

The film received critical acclaim for its exciting action scenes, stunning cinematography, and rousing musical score. It also became a box office success, earning more than $4 million in the US alone.

Overall, Desperate Journey is a thrilling and inspiring movie that showcases the bravery and determination of the allied forces during World War II. It is a must-see for anyone interested in war films or the history of the Second World War.

• Genres War Adventure Action
• Cast Errol Flynn Ronald Reagan Nancy Coleman
• Director Raoul Walsh
• Release Date 1942
• MPAA Rating Passed
• Runtime 1 hr 47 min
• IMDB Rating 6.8   (2,531)

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Desperate Journey

Watch on these services.

• Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Dennis Schwartz A rousing Hollywood propaganda World War II adventure film.
• Chicago Reader Dave Kehr Instinctive existentialism of a very high order, and a very entertaining adventure (1942).
• Cine-Mundial Aurelio Pego If I summarize the plot, the movie may seem mediocre, but it has enthusiastic performances and it is very pleasant. [Full Review in Spanish]
• Classic Film and Television Michael E. Grost Lively adventure.
• TV Guide Desperate Journey was viewed at the time of its release as a ludicrous, comic-strip war adventure. That view has only been strengthened over the years.

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