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IMDbPro

The Little Kidnappers

Original title: The Kidnappers
  • 19531953
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
507
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
55,136
17,326
Duncan Macrae, Jon Whiteley, and Vincent Winter in The Little Kidnappers (1953)
DramaFamilyRomance
A Scotsman, Jim MacKenzie, living on a primitive homestead in Nova Scotia, is raising his two grandsons, Harry and Davy, following the death of their father in the Boer War. His son's death ... Read allA Scotsman, Jim MacKenzie, living on a primitive homestead in Nova Scotia, is raising his two grandsons, Harry and Davy, following the death of their father in the Boer War. His son's death has developed antagonism by MacKenzie toward all Dutchmen, which leads to Harry brawling a... Read allA Scotsman, Jim MacKenzie, living on a primitive homestead in Nova Scotia, is raising his two grandsons, Harry and Davy, following the death of their father in the Boer War. His son's death has developed antagonism by MacKenzie toward all Dutchmen, which leads to Harry brawling at school with the son of a Dutchman. Harry falls down a cliff and is helped home by the co... Read all
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
507
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
55,136
17,326
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Philip Leacock
    • Writer
      • Neil Paterson(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Jon Whiteley
      • Vincent Winter
      • Adrienne Corri
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Philip Leacock
    • Writer
      • Neil Paterson(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Jon Whiteley
      • Vincent Winter
      • Adrienne Corri
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 23User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 4 nominations

    Photos7

    Jon Whiteley and Vincent Winter in The Little Kidnappers (1953)
    Jon Whiteley, Vincent Winter, and Anthony Michael Heathcoat in The Little Kidnappers (1953)
    Vincent Winter in The Little Kidnappers (1953)
    The Little Kidnappers (1953)
    Jean Anderson, Adrienne Corri, Duncan Macrae, Jon Whiteley, and Vincent Winter in The Little Kidnappers (1953)
    Adrienne Corri, Duncan Macrae, Jon Whiteley, and Vincent Winter in The Little Kidnappers (1953)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Jon Whiteley
    Jon Whiteley
    • Harry, Jim's Grandson
    Vincent Winter
    Vincent Winter
    • Davy - Jim's Grandson
    Adrienne Corri
    Adrienne Corri
    • Kirsty
    Duncan Macrae
    Duncan Macrae
    • Jim MacKenzie, Granddaddy
    Jean Anderson
    Jean Anderson
    • Grandma MacKenzie
    Theodore Bikel
    Theodore Bikel
    • Dr. Willem Bloem
    Francis De Wolff
    • Jan Hooft Sr.
    James Sutherland
    • Arron McNab
    John Rae
    • Andrew McCleod
    Jack Stewart
    • Dominie
    Jameson Clark
    Jameson Clark
    • Tom Cameron
    Eric Woodburn
    • Sam Howie
    Christopher Beeny
    Christopher Beeny
    • Jan Hooft Jr.
    Howard Connell
    • Archibald Jenkins
    Danny
    • Rover
    • (uncredited)
    Anthony Michael Heathcoat
    • Baby Girl
    • (uncredited)
    Alex McCrindle
    Alex McCrindle
    • The Minister
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Philip Leacock
    • Writer
      • Neil Paterson(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to an article in Picture Show magazine dated 20 February 1954, the baby girl was played by Anthony Michael Heathcoat.
    • Goofs
      All entries contain spoilers
    • Quotes

      Davy - Jim's Grandson: Are we going to keep it forever?

      Harry, Jim's Grandson: I don't know... We'll keep it for a year or two anyways, until it's got a mind of its own - and then, if it wants to hit the trail, there won't be no stopping it.

    • Alternate versions
      Two DVD versions of The Little Kidnappers, were compared side-by-side, one from Echo Bridge (10 Movie Adventure Pack, Vol.3; ©2013 on disc; 1:29:30 disc player runtime) and one from Feature Films for Families (The Little Kidnappers; ©2009 Rekab Sudskany on disc; 1:27:24 disc player runtime). There was actually a 2:04 difference in length: Echo Bridge has two seconds of black screen before the movie starts while FFFF does not. Disc times (h:mm:ss) in the following are from the Echo Bridge version. Nine differences were observed -- two were soundtrack only without frame cuts. (1) [0:00 cut] At 0:12:30 the framed picture of a crest is shown on a wall while Harry says "The crest of the clan Mackenzie, a hill of blazin' fire", after which the shot cuts to Harry. In the FFFF version the words "a hill" have been removed from the soundtrack but no frames were cut. With the accent Harry uses, the word "hill" sounds like "hell". (2) [0:04 cut] From 0:22:12 to 0:22:16, Jim tells Hans Hooft "The hill belongs to me, James Mackenzie." Starting at 0:22:16, FFFF cut 0:04 where Jim says "If you so much as cast your shadow on it, Boer, there'll be blood." (3) [0:13 cut] The schoolmaster breaks up a fight between Harry and Jan Hooft in the schoolyard and insists the boys "shake hands and that'll be the end of it", but Harry repeatedly refuses. Starting at 0:27:26, FFFF cut 0:13 where the schoolmaster says "You willing to oppose my will, boy? [pause] If you persist in this pigheadedness I've no choice but to strap you." (4) [1:15 cut] After shooting his rifle at movement on the hill and then being told it was Harry, Jim sends Harry to the woodshed and follows him with the shaving strap. Starting at 0:42:13 FFFF cut 1:15 where Kirsten and her mother agonize over Jim's treatment of Harry while hearing him being strapped -- the cut ends at the start of the wedding scene at 0:43:28. (5) [0:00 cut] When Harry sneaks out of bed to care for the baby overnight and Davey warns him Grandpa is coming out, at 0:53:52 Davey says "That was a close one" and Harry replies "Sure was, now shut up and go back to bed." In the FFFF version, the words "now shut up and" have been removed from the soundtrack, but no frames have been cut. (6) [0:18 cut] When Kirsten and Dr. Hooft stop at the MacNeill's, FFFF cut 0:18, the shot of Mrs. MacNeill using an incantation to cure her husband from 0:54:18 to 0:54:36 which included Dr. Hooft knocking on the door. (7) [0:02 cut] In the shot beginning at 1:00:26 showing Kirsten approaching her father in front of the house as Kirsten says "Yes, father" and Jim says "Where in God's name have you been girl?", FFFF cut 0:02 of frames at the beginning of the shot, cut "in God's name" from the soundtrack, and put the cut shot and cut soundtrack back together so Jim is now saying "Where have you been girl?" (8) [0:01 cut] In the court scene shot from 1:22:17 to 1:22:21, Jim rises up and says "You send him away, Tom, I'll kill ya." FFFF cut about 0:01 off the end of this shot (and soundtrack) so Jim says "You send him away, Tom." (9) [0:06 cut] FFFF also cut 0:06 by cutting the shots from 1:22:26 to 1:22:30 where Jim says "Shut up, you scribbling Pharisee" as well as the schoolmaster's facial reaction 1:22:30 to 1:22:32.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 70th Annual Academy Awards (1998)

    User reviews23

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Fond memories
    I also remember this film with great fondness after watching with my grandmother many years ago ,the conversation between the older boy Harry and the young lad still brings a smile to my face.."Is this oor babee Harry..?" answer - "No its mine but you can share it". I would love to see this heartwarming film again,the memory of the Grandfather giving the children the two red setter dogs at the end still brings a lump to my throat...I would make this film compulsory viewing and would my love children to see this wonderful tale,I suppose really it could be classed as a feel good film and the atmosphere the film provides showing the rural struggles of Scotland at that time makes it almost Dickensian..tremendos film hope its not lost forever.
    helpful•10
    1
    • gordiepearson
    • Jul 10, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 9, 1954 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Otmicari
    • Filming locations
      • Glen Affric, Highland, Scotland, UK
    • Production company
      • Group Film Productions Limited
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White

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