Kidnapped (1938) User Reviews (12)

Robert Louis Stevenson Adventure Film

[Ron Oliver · 7/10 · 10 February 2000]

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.

Enjoyable, even though it often strays from the original story

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 13 May 2008]

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.

Scotland 1747

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 18 August 2012]

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.

A pro-peace film, typical of the Munich spirit in 1938

[helenevigne · 16 August 2010]

A pro-peace film, typical of the Munich spirit in 1938. The movie, turn in 1938, is as far from Stevenson that Stevenson himself is -intentionally-from Walter Scott "Rob Roy" for instance.The end, with its pro-peace sentence with"love of country"etc.sounds particularly anachronistic. The plot also neglects the tower scene, which is shorted. We think of what Hitchcock could have done. The novel is such a good plot that something of it does remains in the film. But think of adding a romance in "Treasure Island"for instance..! The casting is good, particularly Freddie Bartholomew and of course Warner Baxter, although not Scottish at all. I appreciate also to find in a second-part John Carradine with his long thin face which could be so impressive in western films and also as the abominable Nazi Heydrich in "Hitler's Madman", some five years later, when the Second World War was at its climax.

Not bad, but not the best

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 18 February 2022]

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.

Poor accents and adaptation, quality cast gone to waste!

[loloandpete · 6/10 · 16 April 2021]

There are a number of screen adaptations of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale and a couple of very good ones. Sadly, this is not one of them which is a shame as with this quality cast I had been excited to see it and had been trying to track it down for some time. The trouble starts at the top of the cast list with the three stars Warner Baxter, Freddie Batholomew and Arleen Whelan, none of whom even attempt a Scots accent, which takes you out of the action more than somewhat. Baxter and Whelan are both miscast anyway with the former lacking charisma here and the latter guilty of demonstrating and posing rather than trying to inhabit her character. The adaptation also gives them a romantic subplot which does not exist in the original story and due to their shortcomings, is pointless anyway. The supporting cast, luckily, has a host of well known names and/or faces of the time; C Aubrey Smith brings gravitas as the Duke of Argyle, Reginald Owen is broad but enjoyable as a villainous ship's captain and Miles Mander is fun as the wretched and weaselly Ebenezer Balfour whose miserly ways and thunder stricken, tumble down castle are a highlight of the film. It is great to see Nigel Bruce and Mary Gordon, later to play in a number of films together as Dr Watson and Mrs Hudson in the Fox and Universal Sherlock Holmes series, as man and wife in this, though like John Carradine, they are criminally underused. Bruce, my main reason for tuning in, was in a number of classic novel to screen adaptations and fared a lot better in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) and Rebecca (1940).

A Tale of Two Kidnappings

[byzyman · 7/10 · 30 September 2022]

Note: This reviewer has not read the book or seen any of the adaptations. So, this review will not be a comparison to other versions.

This was a very entertaining film. The story was fast paced and an easy 90 minute watch. Definitely had a "Tale of Two Cities" sentiment with Alan Breck agreeing to make a similar sacrifice as Sydney Carton.

The "love story" was not that believable with Warner Baxter in the Alan Breck role. Did not see the chemistry. Maybe Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power or even Douglas Fairbanks. But not that hard to overlook. Who am I to judge what a woman may desire?

Contains most elements of a watchable film: good actors, good story, surprise elements, action scenes, evil villains, and a pretty girl. Recommend this to all, especially Freddie Bartholomew fans.

Waylaid!

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 18 August 2012]

Fast, efficient, inaccurate adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel of a young boy (Bartholemew) swept up in the Scottish rebellion against the King's tax collectors.

When you get one of these 1930s black-and-white, no-nonsense stories of famous novels or famous men from a studio like 20th-Century Fox, you get a respectable and not-very-challenging studio product. These are all professional and commercial products. The guys behind and in front of the camera knew their business. The sets are evocatively dressed. Rainy Scotland, full of bens and lochs, is turned into the rolling tawny hills of sunny California, full of live oak and orange blossoms. Plenty of atmosphere and entertainment.

Freddy Bartholemew isn't bad, considering he's only about eleven years old. Ordinarily, a little kid in a movie like this has to break down and weep somewhere along the line -- his champion dies or his father is killed by the enemy -- and during these scenes one wants to stomp them like insects. Here, though, Bartholemew is as tart as a pippin apple. He "speaks truth to authority." He's sufferable.

The supporting cast is good, too, with a few exceptions. Warner Baxter isn't the notorious Scottish rebel. He's a guy who's at his wits end trying to produce a Broadway play. And Arlene Whelan isn't a young Scottish lass with crude demeanor. She's a graduate of an Orange-County hair-dressing salon who became one of Darryl F. Zanuck's mistresses and got the part.

Best scene: Bartholomew meets his uncle, the phony and stingy Laird of the Manor, Miles Mander, who is straight out of Dickens. (His name is Ebeneezer Balfour.) He lives alone in a cold, dark castle, too cheap to feed the fire or lend his nephew a candle to find his way to his bedroom. On first meeting Bartholomew, he spoons about half a cup of oatmeal into the kid's bowl and says, "There you go, eat hearty." That Calvinism is like a disease.

Robert Louis Stevenson Romance

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 21 August 2012]

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

Kidnapped - A Stevenson Tale Told with Flair!

[JLRMovieReviews · 10/10 · 29 May 2014]

Freddie Bartholemew is young David Balfour in this Robert Louis Stevenson story. He's at school, when he's told his father has died. He never really knew him too well and was never that close, so he wasn't too broken up, but his world does change dramatically because a letter (left by his father) requests him to go to his Uncle Ebenezer. David finds him living in a huge albeit neglected and run down castle. David learns real quick not to trust him and gets out of there, only to be tricked on to a ship bound for who knows where. David does run into an outlaw accused of murder, played by Warner Baxter, but his questionable allegiances to his king and country are what incite the people and the law against him. Add to this a young lass played by Arleen Whelan who is supposedly going to be with her fiancé, but will she fall in love with Warner instead, who is trying to get her out of the country to him? Will David be rescued and find a place to call home? With a bevy of recognizable faces and good actors, the story-telling of Stevenson, the director's flair and pace, and the presence of the Scottish moors and landscapes, this was one of the best adventures of the 1930s that I've seen in a long time. It may be one of the best adventure films you've never heard of, and can you believe there's no Errol Flynn in sight! Kudos to a job well done to all involved and in keeping the spirit of Stevenson alive!

On the whole, not a film to be proud of!

[JohnHowardReid · 3/10 · 28 October 2015]

Considerable liberties have been taken with Stevenson's novel in this instance, presumably in order to accommodate a female lead (Arleen Whelan). The plot has also been re-arranged to allow for an early meeting between David and Breck. Ebenezer's entrance is delayed for well over half-an-hour and the actual kidnapping doesn't take place until the movie is half over. Alas, Warner Baxter is uncomfortably miscast as Breck, and even Freddie Bartholomew does not make much of an impression. It seems obvious that the director could do little with him. The rest of the cast is likewise disappointing, with the exceptions of Reginald Owen's Captain Hoseason and Arthur Hohl's Riach. Even Sir C. Aubrey Smith can make little headway against the jingoistic lines the script hands him. Alfred Werker's direction, alas, is solidly unimaginative – even the sequence on the stairs is poorly handled. In all, Werker fails to utilize the sets to their best pictorial advantage and Toland's camera-work is thus wasted on studiously dull compositions. Only the episodes in the fog before the castle and on board the ship stand out. In all, despite some stirring crowd scenes, the film has the look of a limited budget production. I feel this is not a film that Robert Louis Stevenson would be proud to acknowledge. (I am a direct descendant of Robert Stevenson, RLS's grandfather).

. The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, & Observation of David Balfour the Younger

[dbdumonteil · 2 August 2010]

Based on a novel by Stevenson,at the time when the Scottish rebels were fighting against the English king and his tax collectors .

The hero is a young boy,who recalls Jim Hawkins ,David Copperfield as well as John Mohune ("Moonfleet" );as could be expected ,this young "laird" does not take a rebel stand ,he trusts his king and he already speaks like a little man ,a true noble.His "initiation rites " like those of the other characters I mention take him to adulthood.

Best moment is the arrival in the wicked uncle's (a Dickensian character,a cross between Murdstone and Uriah Heep)castle ,a place where you eat porridge (ungenerous portions)and where a horror movie could take place.

The first of at least five versions (including the MTV one which is twice as long as the others).Well acted.