World for Ransom

Unknown early work from Robert Aldrich, who took borrowed from so many Noir genre the private detective for a change, the plot is quite insane, a weird kidnapping of a famous nuclear scientist specialized on H-bomb, then Duryea starts searching for some clues, his former partner who have some ghost to hide, a connection with a powerful business man self-titled as investor should be a hint, the army were in charge to find out the hideout of the gang, but Dan Duryea comes first, the valuable casting as Gene Lockhart, Patrick Knowles, Nigel Bruce, Marian Carr and Douglas Drumbrille weren't able to bring the picture on high path, due so weak storyline, nevertheless has their moments, Duryea endorses that he hadn't any propensity to be a hero, more suitable for a crook's role, that was underlined many years before on those classy Noir!!!

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First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

This is an odd little film that is probably most notable for being the last screen appearance of the avuncular, endearing British character actor, Nigel Bruce. In truth, he doesn't have a great deal to do despite his fifth billing. He plays the British governor of Singapore and has a short scene abut 30 minutes in followed by a lengthier one about 15 minutes later. His role is a sedentary one, sitting behind a desk and instructing millitary types before confronting the chief villain of the piece Gene Lockhart (Miracle on 34th Street/Carousel). He is more than competent but it isn't a role he can shine in. Sadly, too, it was released after his death. The genre is Crime/Film Noir and the plot concerns a shady gang kidnapping a scientist (Arthur Shields; The Quiet Man/The Corn Is Green/National Velvet), who has the knowledge to put a hydrogen bomb together, and ransoming him to the British and her allies or failing that, the communists! It does, sometimes betray its low budget and often looks more like a televsion episode than a feature film. The script is also clunky, at times. The lead is Dan Duryea, unkown to me, but he had a prolific stage career and a long screen resume. He is likeable but is caught acting on a number of occasions and tends to over project his dialogue. He is a Rick Blainesque anti-hero and is caught between a sultry, morally dubious young woman (Marian Carr) and her criminal husband (Patric Knowles; The Adventures of Robin Hood/The Wolfman/ Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman). The action is a bit ho hum until Duryea, in the company of a British Major (Reginald Denny; Rebecca/Sherlock Holmes &The Voice of Terror/Cat Ballou) goes to rescue the scientist at the gang's hideout. A slightly above average effort, then and aside from all the character actors mentioned above there are also roles for Keye Luke (Charlie Chan series of films/Kung Fu/Gremlins) and ex heavyweight prizefighter Lou Nova. Spotting the well known faces is perhaps the chief pleasure in this film. Strother Martin and Patrick Allen also pop up in bit parts.

For some reason, the actors in this film, particularly Dan Duryea, found it necessary to speak as if they were in an amphitheater in "World for Ransom," a 1954 film directed by Robert Aldrich.

If I had to describe this film in one word, I'd say "loud."

Mike Callahan (Dan Duryea) is a good friend of Julian Marsh (Patric Knowles), and is also in love with Julian's wife Frennessy (Marian Carr), who met Julian while boyfriend Mike was away in the service.

Julian is up to something no good, and Mike promises Frennessy that he'll get him out of it and bring him home. Frennessy admits that she's unhappy with Julian, but that she won't be able to leave him and go off with Mike while he's in trouble.

Turns out Julian has involved himself with a man named Alex Pederas (Gene Lockhart), a bad guy, and is part of the kidnapping of a nuclear scientist, one of the three men in the world who know how to detonate the H bomb. They're planning on making some big money. Julian has made a mistake in driving a route where he is well known, and he's been photographed by a street photographer. So there's a panic to get the photo and the negative to cover his mistake.

Others on the board have said this is a template for "Kiss Me, Deadly" and that it also is reminiscent of "The Third Man." I see similar plot elements but that's about it. Comparing this to either film is a stretch.

A good start for Aldrich, who was still in his early career and uncredited for this film. I think he did the best he could given the material.

This film is a bit lower on the production level scale than the James Bond films which were about to follow. Actually two or three levels; but this is Dan Duryea's best film. He gives a really good performance in this one.

The movie has elements of several "commie" films of the late 40s and early 50s during the Joe McCarthy and lovable Roy Cohn period. However, the British have everything well in hand here since the setting is Singapore.

The triangle among Duryea, Knowles and Marian Carr is vaguely interesting as well. Knowles and Carr are shallow and a perfect match for each other. The plot revolves around the kidnapping of a nuclear scientist in Singapore. Duryea and Knowles are working the opposite sides of the street on this one. You can probably figure out how it ends, but it is worth viewing.

Dan Duryea is surprisingly good in this film as something of a stranded wreck of the war making his own way as a kind of combined adventurer and private eye. His best friend is Patrick Knowles, whom he is used to bring out of troubles. Patrick is married to a night club singer, who used to be Dan Duryea's girl before he got lost in Shanghai, and she had to make a living on her own and met the even more risky adventurer Patrick Knowles. Here now he has got mixed up with some international high level crooks who have kidnapped one of the world's leading atomic physicists with the secret of the hydrogen bomb, whom they want to sell to the highest bidder, either the west or the communists. Patrick Knowles finds himself caught up in a cut-de-sac with them with no way out, but Dan Duryea still tries to bring him out. He could have succeeded.

It's an early Robert Aldrich film and definitely a promising prelude to."Kiss Me Deadly", also dealing with smuggling atomic secrets bringing no good to anyone involved, while the lasting credit of this film is the very atmospheric settings in Singapore. It's a noir indeed, but the.perennial thing about all these dark noirs is that they were all made in style. There may be any atrocities and cruelties and terrible crimes going on and being carried through, but there was a dominating style about them all that raised them above any rude and tacky baseness. You must object against the murder of an innocent here, it will sure upset you, and there are other casualties as well, but the style is already Aldrich and subtle enough, pointed out by some very poignant shots.