Kidnapped Films
Here is a list of the major films based on Kidnapped:
| Name | Date | |
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The very first film of Kidnapped. A silent movie with a piano score. This was thought to be lost but is now available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2CDa2Uj from £76.
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1917 |  |
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Kidnapped (1938) is an adventure film directed by Otto Preminger (who was uncredited) and Alfred L. Werker, starring Warner Baxter and Freddie Bartholomew. It is based on the 1886 novel Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. [“a dismal excuse for entertainment… A failure on almost every level… vies with MGM’s Trouble for Two as the worst Stevenson adaptation of Hollywood’s golden age.”, N; Warner Baxter’s performance and the romantic subplot are criticized by an IMDB user, who however praises Bartholemew and the supporting character actors; 90 mins.] - Strengths: Early faithful attempt; period costumes and settings capture late-18th-century Scotland atmosphere. |
1938 |  |
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Kidnapped is a 1948 American historical adventure film directed by William Beaudine and starring Roddy McDowall, Sue England and Dan O'Herlihy. It is based on the 1886 novel of the same name by Robert Louis Stevenson. The former child star McDowall plays David Balfour in the story about a young man cheated out of his birthright by his wicked, covetous uncle Ebenezer (Houseley Stevenson). [McDowell rises above “stilted dialogue and little dramatic inspiration” to give “a sensitive portrayal” that evokes David’s ” complex personality”, the film is “occasionally striking and generally well-acted”, N; an IMDB user criticizes the added romantic sublot and the over-genteel performance of O’Herlihy as Alan but agrees that McDowell “was the perfect David Balfour”] - Strengths: Strong studio production, clear narrative focus. |
1948 |  |
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Kidnapped is a 1960 American adventure drama film. It is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic 1886 novel Kidnapped. It stars Peter Finch and James MacArthur, and was Disney's second production based on a novel by Stevenson, the first being Treasure Island. It also marked Peter O'Toole's feature-film debut. [“follows the novel very closely”, “characters… resemble their literary counterparts”, “Peter Finch is outstanding”, N; Peter O’Toole’s first screen appearance] - Strengths: Improved cinematography; attention to landscape; reasonably faithful. |
1960 |  |
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Kidnapped is a 1971 British adventure film, directed by Delbert Mann and starring Michael Caine, Trevor Howard, Jack Hawkins and Donald Pleasence, as well as a number of well-known British character actors. The film is based on the 1886 novel Kidnapped and the first half of the 1893 sequel Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson. [combines material from Kidnapped and Catriona; emphasizes the political context; “Caine’s Alan Breck is the highlight of the film” (though others have judged his interpretation negatively); dressed in a tartan trouser suit he is “a Jacobite dandy”; “technically impressive”, “one of the better films adapted from a Stevenson work”, N; 100 mins.] - Strengths: Strong performances (notably by Michael Caine in a related era film—see below); competent filmmaking. |
1971 |  |
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Kidnapped, also known as The Adventures of David Balfour, was a 1978 TV miniseries, based on Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Kidnapped, with some elements taken from his novel Catriona. It was a French - West German co-production. Peter Graham Scott was the producer and scriptwriter. David McCallum plays Allan Breck Stewart. [TV mini-series of four 90-min episodes (thirteen 30-min. episodes, BFI); covers both Kidnapped and Catriona; shown in several coutries 1978-79; ;”best performance of any dramatized version of Kidnapped”, IMDb user’s comment, also included by F as one of the best adaptations of S’s works especially because it faces the historical question of the eradication of the clan system as S does; site page devoted to this production] 1978 BBC/ITV TV movie & series adaptations |
1978 |  |
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Kidnapped is a 1995 American adventure drama television film directed by Ivan Passer and starring Armand Assante as Highlander Alan Breck and Brian McCardie as Lowlander David Balfour. Among the supporting actors are Michael Kitchen and Brian Blessed. The film was based on the 1886 novel Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. Christopher Reeve had originally been cast as Breck prior to his horse riding accident which left him paralyzed. [TV production; IMDb and B have Passer as director, S has E. Coppola; an IMDb user says “Armand Assante turned in a superb performance”, Lachie Munro agrees but says the script “a travesty”] - Strengths: High production values for television; strong performances; captures spirit and politics of the novel well; accessible to modern viewers. |
1995 |  |
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Kidnapped is a two-part BBC television adaptation of the 1886 novel of the same name by Robert Louis Stevenson. The show is directed by Brendan Maher and stars James Anthony Pearson as Davie Balfour and Iain Glen as Alan Breck. [TV miniseries combining Kidnapped and Catriona. Filmed in New Zealand (for cost reasons). Was generally judged a bit disappointing] 2005 (US/UK) — titled The Adventures of David Balfour / Kidnapped (TV miniseries) |
2005 |  |