Entführt

In 1747 Scotland, rebellious Warner Baxter (as Alan Breck) leads his men against British rule and becomes an outlawed traitor. Meanwhile, young teenager Freddie Bartholomew (a David Balfour) is at school when he learns his long-absent father has died and left him a letter to deliver to wealthy uncle Miles Mander (as Ebenezer Balfour). On the way to his castle, young Bartholomew witnesses an assassination. Because he knows the assassin's identity, Bartholomew is kidnapped by Mr. Baxter. For another reason, Bartholomew is pursued by Mr. Mander. Danger and adventure continue in earnest...

Based on the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson, but significantly altered to play up Baxter's character and his romance with pretty newcomer Arleen Whelan (as Jean MacDonald). Although it's not the first or last time an older star was paired with a much younger mate, it appears ill-fitting here. The script helps, a least, by acknowledging Ms. Whelan's youthful appearance, when she pretends to be Bartholomew's mother. Otherwise, this is an excellently produced adventure story. The scenes involving Bartholomew and Mander are especially well staged. "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond" will have you humming.

******* Kidnapped, The Adventures of David Balfour (5/27/38) Alfred L. Werker ~ Freddie Bartholomew, Warner Baxter, Arleen Whelan, Miles Mander

For such a classic story, I've never seen a Kidnapped film adaptation that's really riveting. Of all the ones I've seen, though, I like the 1938 version the best. Freddie Bartholomew is adorable, and it's one of the last movies you can catch him in before he's all grown up. It's also one of the last swashbuckling roles you can see Warner Baxter in. He got replaced by Errol Flynn; but who's really complaining?

In this old black-and-white version, you'll see the very creepy introduction of Freddie to his uncle, Miles Mander. Freddie has just come into an inheritance, and Miles is desperate to take it away from him. "Your room is just up the stairs," he says, waiting down below for Freddie to fall to his death. But since the sweet little boy took first billing, it's a safe bet that he doesn't open the door and fall to his death.

If you like the famous book, or you've seen enough bad versions and are looking for a better one, check out the 1938 adaptation. It's not all bad, and there are some exciting sequences.

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.

If you're a Robert Louis Stevenson purist you will probably not find this version of Kidnapped to your liking. I've not seen yet the version with Roddy McDowall from 1948, but the Disney version with James MacArthur and Peter Finch sticks far closer to what Stevenson wrote.

Not that Freddie Bartholomew is bad as young Balfour the heir who gets hijacked rather than kidnapped, a scheme to deprive him of a Scottish title by his miserly uncle played by Miles Mander. In the book and in the Disney film, Balfour's story is the plot of the film. In this version we get far more of Scottish politics as they were in 1747.

The character of Balfour's grownup savior Alan Breck is built up and a whole plot involving a romance with a Scottish lass played by Arleen Whelan is given equal time with the Balfour predicament. Warner Baxter is cast as Alan Breck and this must have only happened because Darryl Zanuck had Tyrone Power and Don Ameche working on other projects. Power would really have brought a verve to the role that Baxter just didn't have. Not unlike The Prince And The Pauper where Errol Flynn is the dashing Miles Hendon saving the young king Edward VI. And in that film Flynn while top billed did not have his character built up to take away from the main story.

Kidnapped is not a bad film, but the Disney version is much better.

Years ago, I read Stevenson's story, KIDNAPPED. When I watched this 1938 version of the story, I couldn't help but wonder if I was losing my mind, as so much of it seemed like it wasn't in the book--particularly the romantic subplot and quite a bit of the action. Well, when I later checked, I found that for once I wasn't losing my mind--the story was heavily re-worked and in many places it bore little similarity to the novel. Additionally, I was surprised that despite the story being set in Scotland, none of the characters sounded like Scots--having mostly American and a few English accents. In particular, I have always liked Warner Baxter as an actor, but here he sounds exactly the same as he did in practically all his films--like a nice but not particularly rugged American.

Yet despite all this, the story still was rather enjoyable and kept my attention throughout. Very nice looking sets and a basic story that is hard to screw up, it isn't surprising that the story still delivers. It's well worth a look, but considering that KIDNAPPED is such an easy read, I still recommend the book over this film.