In Search of the Castaways

Synopsis of Movie

After the success of 1954’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Disney decided to bring another of Jules Verne’s novels to the big screen. And so in 1962, Verne’s Les Enfants du Capitaine Grant became In Search of the Castaways.

When Professor Jacques Paganel finds a message in a bottle, he discovers a clue to the whereabouts of ship captain Grant, missing for over two years. The professor shows the note, which contains a partial map, to Grant’s two children, Mary and Robert, who join him on a trip to find and rescue their father.

Enlisting the aid of a ship owner and his son, Paganel and the kids set sail for South America, Australia and New Zealand, encountering crocodiles, jaguars, giant condors, storms, an earthquake, an avalanche, cannibals and mutinous crewmen along the way.

Irrepressible Frenchman Maurice Chevalier played the professor’s role, leading to the inevitable singing interludes, with tunes penned by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. In true Disney fashion, the film blended danger with humor, adding a little romance for good measure. In Search of the Castaways was significantly less successful than Disney's earlier Verne adaptation, but the combination of elaborate special effects and catchy songs made it a must-see for young adventure fans.

Movie Release History

1962 - In Search of the Castaways

Movie Sub Categories

live-action
action/adventure
disney

Movie Studio

Disney

Cast

Monsieur Paganel Maurice Chevalier
Mary Grant Hayley Mills
Thomas Ayerton George Sanders
Lord Glenarvan Wilfrid Hyde-White
John Glenarvan Michael Anderson Jr.
Robert Grant Keith Hamshire
Bill Gaye Wilfrid Brambell
Captain Grant Jack Gwyllim
Guard Ronald Fraser
Unknown Norman Bird
Unknown George Murcell
Maori Chief Inia Te Wiata
Unknown Mark Digham
Unknown Michael Wynne
Unknown David Spenser

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