I saw part of "The Search" on television in the early 1960's. It wasn't until I watched it again, recently on Turner Classic Movies,uncut and uninterrupted, that I remembered seeing it so long ago. Clift plays a post World War II GI responsible for locating parents of misplaced refugee orphans. I understand that this was Montgomery Clift's second movie, but the first one released and the first one seen by the American public. To be sure, Clift is a magnificent actor, but little Ivan Jandl as the displaced boy searching for his "lost" mother is truly superlative. Jandl's engaging performance very nearly overshadows Clift's debut. So worthy was Jandl's acting, that he received both the Oscar and Golden Globe awards for best performance by a juvenile actor in 1948. Several scenes are so memorable. In particular, when Clift's character gives the little boy a new pair of boots, Jandl's enthusiasm at receiving such a simple gift, is so genuine. Another touching scene is set around the dinner table of Clift's neighbor. Jandl is dressed in a pint-sized replica of Clift's army uniform complete with jacket and tie (such an endearing image), when he starts to recall memories of his "missing" mother. Superb acting! Surely this movie has a happy ending, reuniting a lost little boy with his searching mother. It is truly a major human tragedy that Ivan Jandl's life didn't have such a happy ending. It seems to make this film even more poignant in retrospect.
Review of The Search
