Oh, MY.
This tense, Cold War thriller is uncommonly excellent - I'd say it is a "dark horse" classic.
The story and screenplay, by one Sidney Boehm, was (deservedly) nominated for an Academy Award; the script is literate, intelligent, and absolutely believable. There's not a line that has any falseness about it whatsoever.
Shot on location in Los Alamos, New Mexico, it tells of a nuclear physicist and his wife whose son is kidnapped by Russian agents. Ransom: the H-bomb formula documents.
Complications - big time - ensue.
It starts out in documentary style, with a strong police and Feds procedural element. We're told how the atomic factors were at the time, and of its dangers and risks.
The entire cast takes this assignment with the utmost seriousness and they're all remarkably skilled and again, entirely believable. There's not a trace of dated, campy aspects to be found anywhere. The only name I have familiarity with is Gene Barry, of which this is his first movie. Every single character is played out with unusual competence; no one seems out of place or anachronistic.
But it just goes to show, especially as demonstrated here, that there was a busy roster of fine actors doing stellar work in the low-budget film industry. The advantage to these sterling players is that they have no image-personas as the big stars did to interfere with the credibility of these dramas; Gable for example was always pretty much Gable, and vehicles were largely built around his star appeal. A big name in the kind of movie this is would have just glaringly bogged it down.
Besides the terrific suspense here, almost unbearable at times, is how effectively the script, direction, and acting makes you feel the plight of the parents. As compellingly I would say as in the 1956 movies The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Ransom. You feel their angst and desperation.
Special mention must be made of child actor Lee Aaker, who plays the young boy with astonishing naturalness, and is notably convincing in his dialogues and responses.
Nice surprise, this, and it deserves much wider recognition and attention.
This tense, Cold War thriller is uncommonly excellent - I'd say it is a "dark horse" classic.
The story and screenplay, by one Sidney Boehm, was (deservedly) nominated for an Academy Award; the script is literate, intelligent, and absolutely believable. There's not a line that has any falseness about it whatsoever.
Shot on location in Los Alamos, New Mexico, it tells of a nuclear physicist and his wife whose son is kidnapped by Russian agents. Ransom: the H-bomb formula documents.
Complications - big time - ensue.
It starts out in documentary style, with a strong police and Feds procedural element. We're told how the atomic factors were at the time, and of its dangers and risks.
The entire cast takes this assignment with the utmost seriousness and they're all remarkably skilled and again, entirely believable. There's not a trace of dated, campy aspects to be found anywhere. The only name I have familiarity with is Gene Barry, of which this is his first movie. Every single character is played out with unusual competence; no one seems out of place or anachronistic.
But it just goes to show, especially as demonstrated here, that there was a busy roster of fine actors doing stellar work in the low-budget film industry. The advantage to these sterling players is that they have no image-personas as the big stars did to interfere with the credibility of these dramas; Gable for example was always pretty much Gable, and vehicles were largely built around his star appeal. A big name in the kind of movie this is would have just glaringly bogged it down.
Besides the terrific suspense here, almost unbearable at times, is how effectively the script, direction, and acting makes you feel the plight of the parents. As compellingly I would say as in the 1956 movies The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Ransom. You feel their angst and desperation.
Special mention must be made of child actor Lee Aaker, who plays the young boy with astonishing naturalness, and is notably convincing in his dialogues and responses.
Nice surprise, this, and it deserves much wider recognition and attention.