Interesteg What makes it different from others?

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

JohnHowardReid 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).

dbdumonteil 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.

MartinHafer 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.

Ron Oliver 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.