This week’s mystery movie was the 1948 MGM film The Search, with Montgomery Clift, Aline MacMahon, Jarmila Novotna, Wendell Corey, Ivan Jandl, Mary Patton, Ewart G. Morrison, William Rogers, Leopold Borkowski and Claude Gambier.
Original screenplay by Richard Schweizer. Collaborator on screenplay David Wechsler.
Additional dialogue by Paul Jarrico.
Photographed by Emil Berna. Edited by Herman Haller.
Music by Robert Blum.
Assistant director Mila Mellanova. Associate producer Oscar Duby. Technical Advisors Robert D. Mockler and Eva Landsberg. Technical Advisor and military liaison, Therese Bonney.
Produced by Lazar Wechsler.
Directed by Fred Zinnemann.
The Search is available on a Warner Archive DVD (RIP) from TCM’s soon to be closed store (RIP). (Critics’ Choice Video will “partner” with TCM starting Feb. 22.)
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I picked The Search by going through the trades and looking for an acclaimed film from 1948. Ivan Jandl won an Academy Award for juvenile performance, and Richard Schweizer and David Wechsler won Academy Awards for best writing, motion picture story. Clift and Zinnemann were also nominated.
It’s a powerful film and quite timely, coming a few days after Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan. 27) and the widely publicized ban of Art Spiegelman’s terrific Maus by the McMinn County, Tenn., school district.
Much more on the history of The Search is available from the AFI Catalog and it’s worth reading. Clift, according to the entry, strongly disagreed with many of his lines and improvised them instead.
I’m guessing that Bosley Crowther gave this a good writeup.
The New York Times (March 24, 1948):
Out of the stuff of one of the saddest and most arresting human dramas of our times — that is, the fate of the children of Europe whose homes were wrecked and whose lives were damaged by the war — Lazar Wechsler, a Swiss film producer, has made a picture which may prudently be said to be as fine, as moving and as challenging as any the contemporary screen provides. The Search is its American title, and it opened at the Victoria last night. our earnest wish is that it might be seen by every adult in the United States.
For Monday, we have a mystery gent. His companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear later this week.
Update: For Friday, adding our mystery woman previously cropped out for insufficient mysteriousness.
Update: This is Aline MacMahon and Fred Zinnemann.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery violinist.
This young actress plays Vlasta Malik, the daughter of Jan and Hanna Malik and sister of Karel Malik (Ivan Jandl).
And a mysterious cellist.
Update: Our mystery cellist is, as yet, unidentified. His character is named Dr. Jan Malik, with the title “practitioner.”
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and mystery guests, plus mystery guest cropped out due to lack of mysteriousness).
For “Hm Wednesday” we have a mystery fellow.
Update: This is Ewart G. Morrison.
We also have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Jarmila Novotna.
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mystery gent. His companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear Friday.
Update: For Friday, adding young mystery guest cropped out because of insufficient mysteriousness.
Update: This is Ivan Jandl, left, and Wendell Corey.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guests).
For Friday, we have our mystery leading man.
Update: This is Montgomery Clift.
Brain Trust roll call: Floyd Thursby (mystery movie, Thursday’s mystery gent), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Jenny M. (mystery movie, Thursday’s mystery guest and mystery child cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery guest and Thursday’s mystery gent with mysterious lad cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness), Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Thursday’s mystery gent and mystery child cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gent), Incredibleinman (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gent), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery director and mystery companion cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness, and Thursday mystery guest and mystery lad cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), Thom and Megan (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Benito (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guest and his role in another film, and Friday’s mysterious leading man) and Suzanne Stone (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guest, plus Friday’s mysterious leading man),
ladailymirror.com 
Fred Zinnemann in THE SEARCH (1948), with Aline MacMahon.
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He sure seems to disapprove of these goings-on…
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FOR MEN ONLY. Paul Henreid out of frame.
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An interesting guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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How about Janis Wlison in…Watch on the Rhine?
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An excellent guess, but alas…
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Ewart G. Morrison; Jarmila Novotna.
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For Thursday we have Wendell Corey. The movie is “The Search.”
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THE SEARCH. Aline McMahon out of frame Monday and is that supposed to be Fred Zinneman with her? the hair is wrong but he plays an interpreter. Ewart G. Morrison with Montgomery Clift bOTH Wednesday with Jarmila Novotna. Ivan Jandl out of frame with Wendell Corey today.
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Jarmila Novotna and Wendell Corey in The Search. Ivan Jandel is Corey’s mystery companion
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The Search
Mon – director Fred Zinnemann
Wed – Leopold Borkowski, Mary Patton
Thurs – Wendell Corey holding Ivan Jandl
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As is usual for me, on both Monday and Wednesday I kept thinking that the maps on the walls held clues and thought that they looked sort of Eastern European-ish – then talked myself out of it, until now.
Anyway, thanks to Mr Wendell Corey I’m on the right track again. Ivan Jandl is the “cropped for lack of mysteriousness” kid.
“The Search” 1948 – Montgomery Clift
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Ivan Jandl, Wendell Corey.
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Wendell Corey provides an easy end to The Search for this week.
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Wendell Corey today — could this be “The Search?”
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Aline MacMahon, Fred Zinneman, Wendell Corey and Ivan Jandl in THE SEARCH.
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The Search (1948) w/Montgomery Clift, Aline MacMahon, Wendell Corey, Jarmila Novotna, Mary Patton…
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Our movie is The Search with Wendell Corey (and Ivan Jandl) for today. For Wednesday, our guests are Ewart Morrison and Jarmila Novotna. Monday’s guest is Fred Zinnemann.
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Wendell Corey (also spaceship commander in WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET 1966!) in THE SEARCH 1948. Up next: Monty
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THE SEARCH with Wendell Corey, Mary Patton and I am sure, Monty Clift coming up.
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Thurs – Robert Duvall
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A good guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Friday – Montgomery Clift
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Montgomery Clift.
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Thurs – Wendell Corey – added in for Fri – Ivan Jandl
Mon – Claude Gambier – added in for Fri is Aline MacMahon
Wed #2 photo – Jarmila Novotna
Wed #1 – Ewart G. Morrison
Fri lead is Montgomery Clift
Our movie is The Search (1950)
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Oops – Monday should be Fred Zinnemann and Aline MacMahon
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Tues – violinist is the sister of Ivan Jandl and cellist is his dad – no credited actor names that I found for them. They perished in the Holocaust.
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Montgomery Clift.
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Thursday: Wendell Corey in The Search from 1948
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Montgomery Clift.
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Aline, Wendell and Monty in The Search. Curious choice.
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