Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Kidnapped

  • 1938
  • Approved
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
324
YOUR RATING
Freddie Bartholomew, Warner Baxter, and Arleen Whelan in Kidnapped (1938)
AdventureDrama

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

  • Directors
    • Alfred L. Werker
    • Otto Preminger
  • Writers
    • Robert Louis Stevenson
    • Sonya Levien
    • Eleanor Harris
  • Stars
    • Warner Baxter
    • Freddie Bartholomew
    • Arleen Whelan
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    324
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Alfred L. Werker
      • Otto Preminger
    • Writers
      • Robert Louis Stevenson
      • Sonya Levien
      • Eleanor Harris
    • Stars
      • Warner Baxter
      • Freddie Bartholomew
      • Arleen Whelan
    • 12User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos11

    Kidnapped (1938)
    Kidnapped (1938)
    Kidnapped (1938)
    Kidnapped (1938)
    Freddie Bartholomew, Warner Baxter, and Arleen Whelan in Kidnapped (1938)
    Kidnapped (1938)
    Freddie Bartholomew, Warner Baxter, and Arleen Whelan in Kidnapped (1938)
    Freddie Bartholomew, Warner Baxter, and Arleen Whelan in Kidnapped (1938)
    Freddie Bartholomew, Warner Baxter, and Arleen Whelan in Kidnapped (1938)
    Freddie Bartholomew, Warner Baxter, and Arleen Whelan in Kidnapped (1938)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Warner Baxter
    Warner Baxter
    • Alan Breck
    Freddie Bartholomew
    Freddie Bartholomew
    • David Balfour
    Arleen Whelan
    Arleen Whelan
    • Jean MacDonald
    C. Aubrey Smith
    C. Aubrey Smith
    • Duke of Argyle
    Reginald Owen
    Reginald Owen
    • Captain Hoseason
    John Carradine
    John Carradine
    • Gordon
    Nigel Bruce
    Nigel Bruce
    • Neil MacDonald
    Miles Mander
    Miles Mander
    • Ebenezer Balfour
    Ralph Forbes
    Ralph Forbes
    • James
    H.B. Warner
    H.B. Warner
    • Angus Rankeillor
    Arthur Hohl
    Arthur Hohl
    • Riach
    E.E. Clive
    E.E. Clive
    • Minister MacDougall
    Halliwell Hobbes
    Halliwell Hobbes
    • Dominie Campbell
    Montagu Love
    Montagu Love
    • Colonel Whitehead
    Donald Haines
    • Ransome
    Moroni Olsen
    Moroni Olsen
    • Douglas
    • (as Maroni Olsen)
    Leonard Mudie
    Leonard Mudie
    • Red Fox
    Mary Gordon
    Mary Gordon
    • Mrs. MacDonald
    • Directors
      • Alfred L. Werker
      • Otto Preminger(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Robert Louis Stevenson
      • Sonya Levien
      • Eleanor Harris
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Seven Cities of Gold
    5.8
    Seven Cities of Gold
    Fallen Angel
    7.0
    Fallen Angel
    Hurry Sundown
    5.8
    Hurry Sundown
    Edge of Darkness
    7.2
    Edge of Darkness
    The Buccaneer
    6.4
    The Buccaneer
    Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon
    6.1
    Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon
    A Royal Scandal
    6.7
    A Royal Scandal
    The 13th Letter
    6.3
    The 13th Letter
    Margin for Error
    5.8
    Margin for Error
    In the Meantime, Darling
    5.5
    In the Meantime, Darling
    The Man in the Iron Mask
    7.0
    The Man in the Iron Mask
    Danger - Love at Work
    6.3
    Danger - Love at Work

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • 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
      When Freddie Bartholemew is walking to Edinburgh, he passes a road sign showing "Edinboro" which would be an Americanized spelling of the city.
    • Quotes

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

    • Connections
      Version of Kidnapped (1917)
    • Soundtracks
      The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond
      (ca 1745) (uncredited)

      Traditional Scottish song

      Played often in the soundtrack

      Sung a cappella by Arleen Whelan, Warner Baxter and Freddie Bartholomew

    User reviews12

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Poor accents and adaptation, quality cast gone to waste!
    There are a number of screen adaptations of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale and a couple of very good ones. Sadly, this is not one of them which is a shame as with this quality cast I had been excited to see it and had been trying to track it down for some time. The trouble starts at the top of the cast list with the three stars Warner Baxter, Freddie Batholomew and Arleen Whelan, none of whom even attempt a Scots accent, which takes you out of the action more than somewhat. Baxter and Whelan are both miscast anyway with the former lacking charisma here and the latter guilty of demonstrating and posing rather than trying to inhabit her character. The adaptation also gives them a romantic subplot which does not exist in the original story and due to their shortcomings, is pointless anyway. The supporting cast, luckily, has a host of well known names and/or faces of the time; C Aubrey Smith brings gravitas as the Duke of Argyle, Reginald Owen is broad but enjoyable as a villainous ship's captain and Miles Mander is fun as the wretched and weaselly Ebenezer Balfour whose miserly ways and thunder stricken, tumble down castle are a highlight of the film. It is great to see Nigel Bruce and Mary Gordon, later to play in a number of films together as Dr Watson and Mrs Hudson in the Fox and Universal Sherlock Holmes series, as man and wife in this, though like John Carradine, they are criminally underused. Bruce, my main reason for tuning in, was in a number of classic novel to screen adaptations and fared a lot better in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) and Rebecca (1940).
    helpful•0
    0
    • loloandpete
    • Apr 16, 2021

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 27, 1938 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Kidnapped: The Adventures of David Balfour
    • Filming locations
      • Laurel Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA(Scottish village set)
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $750,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Freddie Bartholomew, Warner Baxter, and Arleen Whelan in Kidnapped (1938)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Kidnapped (1938) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.