World for Ransom

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.

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

Soldier of fortune Dan Duryea finds himself helping out Singapore governor Douglas Dumbrille in tracking down nuclear scientist Arthur Shields -- apparently he knows how to build a working H-bomb and always carries the pieces with him, perhaps as a party trick -- while trying to persuade chanteuse Mariann Carr to leave husband Patric Knowles.

Director Robert Aldrich apparently shot this noirish programmer in 11 days as either a film version of Duryea's "China Smith" TV show, or perhaps an attempt to change his movie image. Duryea had been around for more than a decade, a highly capable actor who seemed most notable playing weak-kneed psychopaths. Perhaps it was his resemblance to Richard Widmark, who made his movie debut playing that sort of character, and who surmounted the typecasting, that held Duryea back. Who needed another Widmark, except as a threat to keep Widmark's price down? There's little doubt that Duryea was a capable performer; sity movies and hundreds of TV apperances demonstrated that. He died in 1968, aged 61.

World For Ransom(1954) is an odd item from filmography of Robert Aldrich as it is not as well known as some of his other movies. This is an overlooked movie that would provide a sketch for Kiss Me Deadly(1955). Dan Duryea gives a very good performance as well as Patric Knowles and Marian Carr. The plot of the film recalls The Third Man(1949) because its also about a friend of the protagonist who may be villainous and the woman who torn between her husband and her friend. It is well paced and filled with action and intrigue. World For Ransom(1954) is an exciting movie by a man who would later do terrific films like Kiss Me Deadly(1955) and The Dirty Dozen(1967).

"World for Ransom" is set in Singapore. A gang of crooks have just kidnapped a top nuclear scientist and have done so to auction him off to the highest bidder. Because one of the crooks is a good friend with Mike (Dan Duryea), authorities think he, too, might be involved. But Mike is a standup guy and it takes most of the film to prove he's no communist.

This film is a nice example of Dan Duryea's work as a non-supporting actor or villain...both things he was mostly known for doing. Here he's tough and well cast and the film is never dull. Believable? Perhaps not so much...but it is well worth seeing and is a nice example of Cold War cinema.