Desperate Search (1952)

After an airliner crashes in the mountains of British Columbia, the father (Howard Keel in a non singing role) of two children (Lee Aaker, Linda Lowell) on the flight joins an air search of the area for survivors. There's further conflict when his ex-wife (Patricia Medina) and the mother of his children shows up which causes friction with his current wife (Jane Greer, OUT OF THE PAST). This "B" programmer directed by Joseph H. Lewis (GUN CRAZY) is pretty tight and economical and clocks in at a brief hour and 12 minutes. Unfortunately, this allows for almost no characterization at all and as written, the actors have no room to breath, much less act. Which is probably just as well given the cardboard characters and uninspired dialog. Poor Patricia Medina fares worst as the "dragon lady" ex-wife. As for the children, Aaker is decent enough but Lowell's shrieking brat gets on one's nerves though Lewis whips up some tension involving the kids being terrorized by a mountain lion. With Keenan Wynn, Elaine Stewart and Jeff Richards.