See it - This is an oldie but a goodie. This movie is hard to find, so if you run across it be sure to snatch it up. The main characters, played by Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan (that's right, the prez), are shot down over Germany during a bombing run. Disguising themselves as German soldiers, they then begin the long road back to England on foot. The boys decide to engage in a little constructive destruction along the way. At one point, Flynn says "Gents, I have a suggestion to make; how about a spot of sabotage." Haha, I love it. It doesn't get any better than this. It's more than just a light-hearted romp about good guys getting chased across the rooftops by a Nazi with a monocle and a Doberman. It's a desperate journey. 5 out of 5 action rating

Errol Flynn had the sad misfortune to have this romp of a war film come out at the same time as the rape scandal was breaking in the press. His image of a bold adventurer was belied by the news stories and the general silliness of this film did the rest.There were a lot of self serving propagandistic war films showing clever allies versus incredibly stupid members of the Axis, but very few that would have been called an A picture. I have trouble believing Desperate Journey was even taken seriously in those dark days of 1942.The only Allied armed forces in Europe at the time Desperate Journey came out were the unfortunate crews of Allied planes who got shot down at the time. Our heroes in this film are a mixed bag of a five man crew of an RAF plane including an Australian: Errol Flynn, an American: Ronald Reagan, a Canadian: Arthur Kennedy, a Scotsman: Alan Hale, and a young English kid: Ronald Sinclair.The boys are shot down, but manage to pull off an incredible escape and go merrily on their way wreaking havoc on the Third Reich with an S.S. major Raymond Massey chasing them and just missing them at every turn. Massey's portrayal must have been the model for Wile E. Coyote in the roadrunner cartoons. Desperate Journey got an Oscar nomination for Special Effects, but lost that year to Cecil B. DeMille's Reap The Wild Wind. That was for the best for the Academy's future reputation.But the worst of it was the fact that Errol Flynn was arrested for rape and the story broke as Desperate Journey hit the theaters in previews. According to the Citadel film series book, The Films Of Errol Flynn, a line was deleted from the film when the house howled in laughter as Errol speaking of his men said, "they know but one command, attack."Now if a director's cut ever was issued for Desperate Journey how I'd love to hear that in the film.

Errol Flynn, Alan Hale, Ronald Reagan, Arthur Kennedy, and Ronald Sinclair are on a "Desperate Journey" in this 1942 wartime film directed by Raoul Walsh. The film also stars Raymond Massey as a German commandant and Nancy Coleman as a member of the underground.Flynn and his pals crash land in Germany and attempt to fulfill their mission plus destroy other enemy sites and enemies as they make their way to safety.For guys trapped in an enemy country, arrested at one point, and in constant danger, they're a pretty lighthearted bunch. They're also amazing at getting out of tight spots.While it's not particularly realistic, "Desperate Journey" is very entertaining with non-stop action all the way, a charming performance by that prince of charm, Errol Flynn, and good support. People are terrible about Ronald Reagan's acting - he didn't have much range, but he was pleasant enough and very good for a role in this kind of film.One interesting thing is that I didn't understand any of the German, which I usually do, so I wondered if it was a dialect. As usual, the actors used the formal instead of the familiar tense, which I doubt officers did when speaking to soldiers. In one part of the movie, a German is asked if he speaks English, and he answers, "I speak as if I was in London born," which is exactly the way the German language is spoken, with the verb at the end. So someone knew what they were doing.Recommended.

With Errol Flynn, Nancy Coleman, Ronald Reagan, Alan Hale and Arthur Kennedy in a picture, how bad can it be? Not at all. "Desperate Journey" is an exciting fast paced film about American and British soldiers inside Nazi Germany after their bombing plane crashes.There is plenty of excitement as they try to evade their captors, the head being a very German-like Raymond Massey in another of his stellar performances. Alan Hale and Sig Ruman, the latter in one scene, bring comic relief.Of course, there is the cliché speech of Nancy Coleman, a German helping the allies, who stays despite the fact that the Nazis know her whereabouts. Her speech about patriotism is familiar but keenly on target.We have exciting chase scenes, and wonderful sabotage by our heroes inflicted upon Massey and his group of vultures.A wonderful war-time journey that should be viewed by all.