Kidnapped **** (1938, Warner Baxter, Freddie Bartholomew, Arleen Whelan, John Carradine, C Aubrey Smith, Reginald Owen, Nigel Bruce, Miles Mander, E E Clive) – Classic Movie Review 10,698

Director Alfred L Werker’s 1938 20th Century Fox adventure Kidnapped is the classic vintage version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale about a boy, David Balfour (Freddie Bartholomew), who is kidnapped and sold as a slave by his hissably bad uncle Ebenezer Balfour (Miles Mander) during the 18th-century war between England and Scotland.

At sea the boy meets rebel adventurer Alan Breck (Baxter) and they fight their way back to bonnie Scotland so the lad can regain his estate and fortune.

The story is much changed in this typical 30s Hollywood version, but the film is an enjoyable swashbuckler, thanks to a workable script, Gregg Toland’s black and white (Sepiatone) cinematography, Darryl F Zanuck and Kenneth MacGowan’s production, Arthur Lange’s score and, most especially, a tip-top cast.

Also in the cast are Arleen Whelan as Jean MacDonald, John Carradine as Gordon, C Aubrey Smith as Duke of Argyle, Reginald Owen as Captain Hoseason, Nigel Bruce as Neil MacDonald, Miles Mander, E E Clive, Halliwell Hobbes, H B Warner, Ralph Forbes, Arthur Hohl, Montague Love, Donald Hainer, Moroni Olsen, Leonard Mudie, Mary Gordon, Forrester Harvey, Russell Hicks, Billy Watson and Holmes Herbert.

Sonya Levien, Eleanor Harris, Ernest Pascal and Edwin Blum adapt the novel.

It is remade as Kidnapped (1948), Kidnapped (1960) and Kidnapped (1971).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,698

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