Escape to Sonoita story
When their car breaks down in the desert, criminals Marsh and Lemon steal a tanker from Andy and Bill Davis, unaware that Andy and Bill know how to survive in the desert. The next day the police find the tanker, also broken down, along with Marsh and Lemon's bodies. The kidnappers turned on each other when their water ran out, not realizing that the Davises' tanker was carrying water. Directed by: Stuart Rosenberg. Story by: James A. Howard, James A. Howard & Bill S. Ballinger.
9 total · 5 major · 4 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| father and son | major | Andy and his adult son Bill outwitted two criminals. |
| human vs. desert environment | major | Two criminals abandoned Andy, Bill, and a young woman in the desert, unaware that Andy was well versed in how to get out of such predicaments. |
| ironic twist of fate | major | The criminal Marsh died of thirst while out in the desert, not realizing that the tanker he'd hijacked was carrying water. |
| ransom kidnapping | major | Marsh and Lemon left Stephanie for dead in the desert after having collected a $100,000 ransom. |
| what if I fell into the clutches of a person with malicious intent | major | Andy, Bill and the young woman found themselves at the mercy of two stone cold criminals. |
| facing financial ruin | minor | The Davises' lamented their financial straits in the beginning. |
| law enforcement | minor | Two highway patrolmen came to Andy, Bill, and Stephanie's rescue when the trio were stranded in the desert. |
| sadism | minor | Marsh tormented his captives, and Lemon, with marked glee. |
| young character vs. old character | minor | A point was made about "pop" Andy's wisdom by contrast with the youngsters. Andy knew precisely where they were and what they needed to survive, and used this knowledge to trick the criminals. |