Kidnapped (1938)

Director:

Alfred L. Werker
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Writers:

Robert Louis Stevenson (novel)
Sonya Levien (screenplay) ...
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Release Date:

27 May 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Plot:

In 1747 Jacobite Scotland young David Balfour's life is threatened by his greedy uncle who wishes to become heir to the considerable Balfour estate.

Plot Keywords:

Uncle | Scotland | Inn | Soldier | Impersonation

Cast

Warner Baxter	...	Alan Breck
Freddie Bartholomew	...	David Balfour
Arleen Whelan	...	Jean MacDonald
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Duke of Argyle
Reginald Owen	...	Capt. Hoseason
John Carradine	...	Gordon
Nigel Bruce	...	Neil MacDonald
Miles Mander	...	Ebenezer Balfour
Ralph Forbes	...	James
H.B. Warner	...	Angus Rankeiller
Arthur Hohl	...	Riach
E.E. Clive	...	Minister MacDougall
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Dominie Campbell
Montagu Love	...	Col. Whitehead
Donald Haines	...	Ransome
Moroni Olsen	...	Douglas (as Maroni Olsen)
Leonard Mudie	...	Red Fox
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. MacDonald
Forrester Harvey	...	Innkeeper
Clyde Cook	...	Blubber - the Ship's Cook
Russell Hicks	...	Bailiff
Billy Watson	...	Bobby MacDonald
Eily Malyon	...	Mrs. Campbell
Kenneth Hunter	...	Capt. Frazer
Charles Irwin	...	Sgt. Ellis
John Burton	...	Lt. Stone
David Clyde	...	Blacksmith
Holmes Herbert	...	Judge
Brandon Hurst	...	Doomster
Vernon Steele	...	Captain
C. Montague Shaw	...	Scottish Statesman
Robert Noble	...	Warden (as R.T. Noble)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrew Atkinson	...	Child Bagpipe Player (uncredited)
Frank Baker	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
James Carlisle	...	English Officer (uncredited)
David Cavendish	...	English Diplomat (uncredited)
Fred Cavens	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Larry Dods	...	Dragoon (uncredited)
Scotty Dunsmuir	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Bob Falkenberg	...	Urchin (uncredited)
Martin Faust	...	Turnkey (uncredited)
Neil Fitzgerald	...	English Officer (uncredited)
Douglas Gerrard	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Douglas Gordon	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Gordon Hart	...	Turnkey (uncredited)
Ivo Henderson	...	Dragoon (uncredited)
Keith Hitchcock	...	Guard (uncredited)
Peter Hobbes	...	English Officer (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Officer (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	English Officer (uncredited)
Boyd Irwin	...	Leader of Clansmen (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Thomas Louden	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Ian Maclaren	...	Minister (uncredited)
J.P. McGowan	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Charles McNaughton	...	Innkeeper (uncredited)
Clive Morgan	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Henry Mowbray	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Antonia Oland	...	Child (uncredited)
Clifford Severn	...	Urchin (uncredited)
Yorke Sherwood	...	Cook (uncredited)
Bruce Sidney	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Ivan F. Simpson	...	Old Man (uncredited)
John Graham Spacey	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Wyndham Standing	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Robert R. Stephenson	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
John Sutton	...	English Officer (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Crewman (uncredited)
Evan Thomas	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Clansman (uncredited)
Zeffie Tilbury	...	Old Woman (uncredited)
Harry Watson	...	Sandy - an Urchin (uncredited)
Cecil Weston	...	Proprietor's Wife (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Torrence (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred L. Werker
Otto Preminger		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Robert Louis Stevenson		(novel "Kidnapped")
Sonya Levien		(screenplay) &
Eleanor Harris		(screenplay) &
Ernest Pascal		(screenplay) and
Edwin Blum		(screenplay)
Curtis Kenyon		(contributor to treatment) uncredited
Walter Ferris		uncredited
Richard Sherman		uncredited

Produced by
Kenneth Macgowan	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Arthur Lange		(uncredited)
Charles Maxwell		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Gregg Toland
Bert Glennon		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Allen McNeil

Art Direction by
Bernard Herzbrun
Mark-Lee Kirk

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Gwen Wakeling

Production Management
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Booth McCracken	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Eugene Grossman	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department
Arthur Lange	....	musical director

Other crew
Chris Christensen	....	ship builder (uncredited)
Hertzel Effensachs	....	assistant marine coordinator (uncredited)
Booth McCracken	....	fill-in director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1938) (USA) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

"Kidnapped: The Adventures of David Balfour" - USA (long title)

Runtime:

90 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #4052) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Laurel Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Director Otto Preminger was fired and replaced by Alfred L. Werker after 20th Century-Fox studio head Darryl F. Zanuck complained that he hadn't followed the script while directing a scene with Freddie Bartholomew and a dog. Although Preminger at first tried to remain calm, insisting that he had followed the script, Zanuck continued to argue with him until Preminger launched into a screaming tirade at him and stormed out of the screening room. The next day Preminger returned to Fox to find the lock on his office changed and his name taken off the door, and his parking space moved to a faraway location on the lot. Although he still had 11 months in his two-year contract, Preminger soon left Fox.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The story takes place in 1747, but Arleen Whelan's hair style is strictly 1938.

Quotes:

Duke of Argyle:Better to deal with one martyr than a nation of martyrs.

Movie Connections:

Version of Schüsse unterm Galgen (1970)

Soundtrack:

The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond

Robert Louis Stevenson Adventure Film

A young Scotsman, on his way to becoming laird of his family property, instead finds himself in the very thick of his country's rebellion against the English, hunted & harried & in constant peril, after his evil uncle has him KIDNAPPED.

This is a fairly good adventure film which, now and again, actually includes some of the original plot as penned in the famous novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. Action scenes are well done, but the wholly unnecessary romantic subplot gets very much in the way.

Warner Baxter is completely miscast as the great literary hero, Alan Breck; he doesn't even attempt to act Scots and his accent is pure Yankee. One wonders what Fox Studio had in mind. In the supporting cast was a star from silent screen days, British actor Ralph Forbes, who could have given the role more authority & punch. Instead, Forbes is given a tiny part & disappears quickly.

Freddie Bartholomew does a fine job as young David Balfour and there is an excellent supporting cast of sterling character players of the period: John Carradine, Nigel Bruce, Mary Gordon, Halliwell Hobbes, E. E. Clive, Montague Love, H. B. Warner & Eily Maylon. Reginald Owen is especially good as an old rapscallion of a sea captain, while Sir C. Aubrey Smith scores as a wise old duke.