Desperate Journey

Released Sep 25, 1942

1h 47m

War

List

67%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

70%

Audience Score

100+ Ratings

A Royal Air Force bomber with a mission to destroy a rail line crash-lands in Germany after the commanding pilot is shot. The surviving crew, led by Flight Lt. Terry Forbes (Errol Flynn) and including Johnny Hammond (Ronald Reagan) and Jed Forest (Arthur Kennedy), flee the plane as it explodes, but German soldiers capture them and place them in a prison camp. Terry's ability to speak German provides the men a way to overcome the guards and attempt a cross-country escape fraught with peril.

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Tom Milne

Time Out

Aside from some expendable propaganda heroics, rousingly handled by Walsh.

Jan 26, 2006

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Instinctive existentialism of a very high order, and a very entertaining adventure (1942).

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Aurelio Pego

Cine-Mundial

If I summarize the plot, the movie may seem mediocre, but it has enthusiastic performances and it is very pleasant. [Full Review in Spanish]

Sep 19, 2019

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A rousing Hollywood propaganda World War II adventure film.

Rated: C+

Jun 26, 2015

Full Review

Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Lively adventure.

Jan 31, 2010

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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.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 13, 2008

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deke p

1942 WW2, RONALD REAGAN as POW in Nazi Germany! How can it be I have never seen this before June 29, 2019, on late nite tv? Great cast: ERROL FLYNN, RAYMAND MASSEY as Nazi, ALAN HALE Jr.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Desperate Journey is a film about the crew of a WWII bomber that crash in Germany and embark on a mission of subterfuge and sabotage behind enemy lines. They establish early that these guys like to joke around with each other, and I was impressed that they maintained that humor even when things turned bad. There were moments in the film that felt reminiscent of Hogan’s Heroes as they are presented as wisecracking soldiers who make fools out of many Nazi officers. It’s a delicate balance, because there are also some tragic things that happen in the film, and it can be tough to make both of those tones work in the same story. I thought they pulled it off, and even though the Nazis were bumbling at times, they still felt like a threat. Also, even though the heroes of the film joked around, you could sense they were masking the truth of the imminent danger that surrounded them. I thought the cast in Desperate Journey was delightful. Errol Flynn is particularly great as the leader of this band of misfits. I thought he had a passion to his performance that made the whole story work, because you could believe that this guy wanted to do what was right, even if it was risky. Alan Hale was the most consistent source of comedy in the film, and he delivered it quite well. At the same time, when things required him to take on a more serious job, he was able to do that as well. The ending was a perfect way of tying things up in a plausible and satisfying way. I will say some of the visual effects of the planes flying into battle felt quite dated (even if they were nominated for an Oscar.) That’s to be expected in a film from this era, so it didn’t bother me all that much. On the whole, I found Desperate Journey to be quite enjoyable, and it managed to stand out as unique among the glut of WWII films I’ve seen.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/02/19

Full Review

Audience Member

A masterpiece of action with some of the best car chases I've ever seen. Par for the course from Raoul Walsh. Loved it, in spite of despising the real life conduct of the two leads.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I did not think it was a great film but it was not bad either. I could tell the film was made early into World War II in the fact that Ronald Reagan was really the only American there and they said that the British and New Zeland group was using American planes. What I did like was that they were speaking German in this film even it the acsents were not always the best. I felt like their were too many times that the Americans were able to get out of a situation too conviently that it did not seem possible. Like getting captured by the Germans then tricking them on their way out. Or doing a lot of Sabotage moves on their way out of Germany. for a 1942 film it was pretty good. not the best but good. I was not aware that Ronald Reagan and Errol Flynn were ever in a film together. I thought that the main Nazi leader was well played in this film. I was surprised how far North east that the Americans decided to go in to invade and sabotage the Germans.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/11/18

Full Review

kevin w

With the soundtrack blaring "God Save The King" throughout the endeavor, there can be no doubt as to the propagandist intentions of this World War 2 adventure. The ever-so-glib crew, stranded in Nazi Germany and trying to get back to England, goes through some tough scrapes, but there is really never any doubt as to the outcome as our boys laugh and joke whatever the circumstance. Charisma carries the day with Flynn and Reagan doing the heavy lifting, yet ably assisted by Hale and Kennedy. Raymond Massey, cruelly underappreciated character actor, is the central heavy, and does a passable German.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

German shot down a RAF bomber on a mission, only 5 survivors left. They were caught by the Germans. During interrogation, Ronald Reagan beat up the officer and the rest manage to overturn the situation and ransack for information. The 5 escape and make their way relentlessly, hot on their heels is top officer Raymond Massey. Ronald Sinclair is hurt and Errol Flynn bring him to a doctor who happens to hate Nazi. Aided by Nancy Coleman, they kill 2 German soldiers interrupting the operation. Unfortunately Sinclair is dead. She ask the rest to go to her parents home and hide. They make it but when Nancy return, the couple isn't her parents but German spy. The troops are gathered and they escape in Raymond car. Alan Hale is shot dead while stall for time. Crossing the border they soon run out of gas. But they are near a secret airbase where German have prepare bombers. More troops arrived and the last 3 fight their way to the bomber and escape successfully.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

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Raoul Walsh

Director

Errol Flynn

Flight Lt. Terrence "Terry" Forbes

Ronald Reagan

Flying Officer Johnny Hammond

Raymond Massey

Major Otto Baumeister

Nancy Coleman

Kaethe Brahms

Alan Hale

Flight Sergeant Kirk Edwards

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Synopsis

A Royal Air Force bomber with a mission to destroy a rail line crash-lands in Germany after the commanding pilot is shot. The surviving crew, led by Flight Lt. Terry Forbes (Errol Flynn) and including Johnny Hammond (Ronald Reagan) and Jed Forest (Arthur Kennedy), flee the plane as it explodes, but German soldiers capture them and place them in a prison camp. Terry's ability to speak German provides the men a way to overcome the guards and attempt a cross-country escape fraught with peril.

Director: Raoul Walsh
Screenwriter: Arthur T. Horman
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre: War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 25, 1942, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 31, 2016
Runtime: 1h 47m