KIDNAPPED [1971 / 2020] [Blu-ray] [UK Release] Robert Louis Stevenson’s Great Adventure Story . . . Now A Monumental Motion Picture!
Based on the novels by Robert Louis Stevenson and directed by Oscar-winning Delbert Mann, this epic, star-studded adventure sees Sir Michael Caine in the role of a Jacobite rebel who befriends an orphan fleeing a life of slavery. A strong drama with a moving film score from Roy Budd and the end theme sung by folk legend Mary Hopkin. ‘KIDNAPPED’ co-stars Jack Hawkins, Donald Pleasence, Trevor Howard and Gordon Jackson. It is featured here as a brand-new High Definition restoration from original film materials in its original Panavision 2.39:1 aspect ratio.
1746: as defeated Jacobite rebels flee government forces in the aftermath of the battle at Culloden, eighteen-year-old orphan David Balfour's attempt to claim his inheritance results in his incarceration on a slave ship heading for the West Indies. Luckily for David Balfour, the ship's captain runs afoul of Alan Breck, and both Alan Breck and David Balfour make their bloody escape.
FILM FACT No1: The film ‘KIDNAPPED’ is based on the 1886 novel “Kidnapped” and the first half of the 1893 sequel “Catriona” by Robert Louis Stevenson. Although the film is loosely based on the book written by Robert Louis Stevenson for which David Balfour is the main character, the film is fact mostly focused on character of Alan Breck played by Sir Michael Caine. Caine had already risen to acting stardom in approximately over 37 previous films. The film was originally made for television but was screened in cinemas in some countries, as with other adaptations of classics directed by Delbert Mann, including ‘Heidi’ and ‘David Copperfield.’ Filming started in May 1971. ‘KIDNAPPED’ was shot almost entirely on location in Scotland. Places include Argyll, Mull, Culross and Stirling Castle. The opening moorland scene of the end of the Battle of Culloden was filmed in Argyll, with Highlander extras provided by Lochaber High School and Redcoat extras by Oban High School. Pinewood Studios was used for some interior scenes. The film was originally known as ‘David and Catriona.’
FILM FACT No2: In the limited leaflet supplied, we are given some information entitled FROM NOVEL INTO FILM and here we are informed that any film based on a novel, and in this particular case on two novels – will almost certainly omit characters and incidents, and in addition, re-structure retained material, giving it a different emphasis. A film script reveals character and emotion through action rather than verbal description. This frequently involves changes of details from the original: further, to give greater impact, time and events are compressed for the film audience. Screenwriter Jack Pulman did not try to transfer the whole of Robert Louis Stevenson’s narrative – for instance, his script entirely omits David Balfour and Catriona’s visit to Holland, a feature of the second half of the novel “Catriona.” And he shifts the opening of the story form Robert Louis Stevenson’s date 1751, that is five years after Culloden, to immediately after the battle. Another of Jack Pulman’s changes: when David Balfour and Alan Breck arrive at James Stewart’s farm, they meet the heroine Catriona whom Robert Louis Stevenson introduces much later in the story. In “Catriona,” the sequel to the novel “Kidnapped” where she first appears, because Catriona is the daughter of the villainous James More Drummond. But as James More Drummond is omitted from the screenplay, Catriona becomes the daughter of James Stewart. Note that this change brings her quickly into David Balfour’s adventures and allows her to be present when Simon Campbell is shot, and to barely make her escape with David Balfour and Alan Breck, her girlhood hero. David Balfour’s dilemma – whether to testify for James Stewart or to keep silent – is made more acute by his growing love for Catriona. Also Alan Breck’s decision at the end of the film – whether he will try to save James Stewart – becomes more dramatic because of his affection for the young lovers. Robert Louis Stevenson gave his readers an almost literal description of the “Appin Murder,” setting it in the open Argyll countryside where it actually took place. Jack Pulman, as we have seen, concentrates the action, by transferring it to James Stewart’s farm, and changing the name of the murdered man to Mungo Campbell, instead of Campbell of Glenure as an indication that he is not trying to be historically correct. Finally, the ‘KIDNAPPED’ script offers the audience a surprise climax to the film, in being more dramatic than Robert Louis Stevenson’s “happy-ever-after” ending, but true to the heroic nature of Alan Breck.
Cast: Sir Michael Caine, Lawrence Douglas, Vivien Heilbron, Trevor Howard, Jack Hawkins, Donald Pleasence, Gordon Jackson, Freddie Jones, Jack Watson, Peter Jeffrey, Roger Booth, Geoffrey Whitehead, Andrew McCulloch, Claire Nielson, John Hughes, Terry Richards, Eric Woodburn, David Blagden, Russell Waters, Jack Lambert, Del Baker (uncredited), Joe Cassidy (uncredited), Bill Cummings (uncredited), Sandy Johnson (uncredited), Barbara Siddall (uncredited) and Daniel Siddall (uncredited)
Director: Delbert Mann
Producers: Frederick H. Brogger, Hugh Attwooll and James Franciscus (uncredited)
Screenplay: Robert Louis Stevenson based on “Kidnapped” and “David Balfour”) and Jack Pulman (screenplay)
Composer: Roy Budd
Costume Designer: Olga Lehmann
Cinematography: Paul Beeson, B.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)
Audio: English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 107 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: A Rank Film Distributors Release / Omnibus Productions Limited / Network
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘KIDNAPPED’ [1971] is an adventure starring Sir Michael Caine and Trevor Howard. Robert Louis Stevenson's oft-filmed tale was first made as a silent movie in 1917 and has been regularly remade since. This version by director Delbert Mann is the one that is most faithful to the book and it benefits from the witty performance from Sir Michael Caine as the charismatic outlaw Alan Breck, who stirs some otherwise rather stiff porridge into life. There are also strong turns from Trevor Howard as the Lord Advocate and Lawrence Douglas as the young David Balfour [Lawrence Douglas] that keep the narrative moving along.
It is 1746 and Jocobite rebels are fleeing after the battle at Culloden. 18 year old David Balfour attempts to claim his inheritance from his Uncle Ebenezer (played superbly by Donald Pleasence) but his Uncle Ebenezer doesn’t want to give it to him and claims to make a profit off David Balfour by coshing him and having him put on a ship to be sold as a slave in the colonies.
En route to the colonies the ship collides with a small boat which has Alan Breck aboard who is escaping from Culloden. The ship’s Captain Hoseason [Jack Hawkins], upon seeing how much money Alan Breck has on his person, decides to enlist the crew to kill him and take everything that he has. David Balfour befriends Alan Breck and helps in a stand-off where they are hopelessly outnumbered yet emerge victorious from the fight. The melee is not without its consequences though and the ship is badly damaged after hitting rocks, leaving both David Balfour and Alan Breck washed ashore on the coast of Scotland. With over 100 miles between them and their destination of Edinburgh, it leaves a deadly journey where each footstep could take them into the waiting arms of the ruthless Redcoats.
There is so much to love about this film from the aforementioned performances by Sir Michael Caine, Lawrence Douglas and Donald Pleasence, to the twists and turns of the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson, and all framed by the gorgeous scenery of Scotland which is perfectly captured by director Delbert Mann.
While not gory by any means and it was rated PG in the UK and the film coveys a sense of tension and shows the consequences should either Jacobite rebel or Redcoat’s cross their paths. The fight scene in the ship where both David Balfour and Alan Breck have to defend themselves against a swarm of the ship’s crew surrounding them is quite dramatic. We also get to see David Balfour and Alan Breck travel across many landscapes of the beautiful Scottish Highland terrain, and at all the time they are trying to avoid contact with the Redcoats.
‘KIDNAPPED’ is a film that should be in everyone’s collection and there is no better version than the one released by Network on Air. The widescreen picture is crisp and colourful, showing the Scottish Highlands and lowlands in all their glorious colourful majesty. The only confusing aspect of the film is near the end when Alan Breck arrives at Edinburgh Castle and is escorted in and at that point the film ends and we are given no clue to what happens next, I thought they could have put up some wording to inform us what happened to Alan Breck. The other strange aspect with the film is right at the very end of the end credits where you get the music still carries on, but then the screen goes blank, why the hell couldn’t they have carried on filming more of the spectacular scenery of the Scottish Highlands, very strange.
BONUS: Before the film starts, you get the BRITISH BOARD OF FILM CENSORS informing us that the film ‘KIDNAPPED’ has been passed for GENERAL RELEASE because it has been given a U rating.
KIDNAPPED MUSIC TRACK LIST
FOR ALL MY DAYS (Lyrics by Jack Fishman) (Music by Roy Budd) [Sung by Mary Hopkin]
* * * * *
Blu-ray Image Quality – A Rank Film Distributors Release, Omnibus Productions Limited and Network presents the film ‘KIDNAPPED’ with a stunning 1080p image. ‘KIDNAPPED’ has been newly scanned form a 2K resolution from a 35mm interpositive and restored in its spectacular original theatrical 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The restoration involved both automated and manual removal of dirt and damage, and correction of major instability, warping and density fluctuation with great success. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – A Rank Film Distributors Release, Omnibus Productions Limited and Network is brought to you with and excellent 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio experience. The audio is nicely rounded and also gives us a good dynamic range and is also very clear, well-modulated sound with no distortion or age-related surface noise, pops, or crackles. The dialogue of the cast is really good and you hear every word and where gun fire and other noises are clear and precise. The composed film score by Roy Budd really enhances the audio experience of the music related to this classic Robert Louis Stevenson story.
* * * * *
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Two Original Theatrical Trailers: In the period between the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s of going to a British cinema, you would get what is called a “double feature” and was a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatres would exhibit two films for the price of one, or sometimes they would show just one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown. So just before the film ‘KIDNAPPED’ starts, we get to view two Original Theatrical Trailers that would have been shown before the main film presentation, and they inform us:
SUNDAY FOR 7 DAYS will be showing:
‘The Man in the Iron Mask’ [1977] [1080p] [1.78:1]
AND
‘The Count of Monte-Cristo’ [1975] [1080i] [1.78:1]
Combined running time for both trailers was 5:00
Theatrical Trailer [1971] [2.39:1] [3:15] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘KIDNAPPED.’
Special Feature: Production Featurette [1971] [480i] [1.37:1] [6:27] Here we get to meet Lawrence Douglas who played the character David Balfour who we find on location on the filming of ‘KIDNAPPED’ somewhere in the Scottish Highlands and we hear in-depth from Lawrence Douglas the impact the film ‘KIDNAPPED’ has had on his career and what he hopes for the future in his acting career. At the same time we get to see some behind-the-scene filming of ‘KIDNAPPED’ and especially scenes with the Redcoats. We also hear comments from the director Delbert Mann on how he wanted to portray the story by Robert Louis Stevenson to the screen in trying to make it as an accurate portrayal of what the author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote in his famous novel.
Special Feature: A Tale and a Half [2020] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 2.39:1] [29:18] Here we get to meet Co-star Vivien Heilbron who played the character Catriona Stewart and reminisces about the making of the film ‘KIDNAPPED.’ Because Vivien Heilbron was born in Scotland in 1944 and later on trained to become an actor, and appeared in the 1971 BBC Scotland television adaption of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's first colour production of ‘Sunset Song,’ that set her on her acting career journey to eventually get the part in the film ‘KIDNAPPED’ and of course now and again we get clips of that film. Vivien Heilbron thought the film ‘KIDNAPPED’ had an amazing amount of really good British actors and was rather star struck, but really thought the actor Freddie Jones as Cluny was totally amazing and had the perfect Scottish accent. Vivien Heilbron talks about an embarrassing incident she encountered at Pinewood Studios, especially as she is very short sighted and at the time was not wearing her glasses and as she walked down the corridor saw someone walking towards her and made out she knew who that person was and as they came face to face and said “Hello Darling” and hugged that person and kissed that person on their cheeks and suddenly realised she had hugged Tony Curtis, who really enjoyed the experience and cannot wait to have the incident happen again, and anytime. Another actor Vivien Heilbron really admired in the film was Donald Pleasance who really relished playing his character Ebenezer Balfour. Vivien Heilbron thought the filming in the Scottish Highlands was stunning and really beautiful, and also found filming ‘KIDNAPPED’ a joyous experience and also really admired Sir Michael Caine who she was also awe struck by the actor and at that point the wonderful and interesting interview finished. The interview was recorded, produced, edited and directed by James McCable.
Special Feature: Archive Michael Caine Interviews: Here we get to view three British television interviews with Sir Michael Caine and they are as follows:
Michael Caine Interview on “Russell Harty Plus” for London Weekend Television [1973] [1080p] [1.37:1] Here we get to view a personal interview with Sir Michael Caine with the wonderful Russell Harty, because at the same time Sir Michael Caine there was the release of the film ‘SLEUTH’ [1972] which also starred Sir Laurence Olivier an was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and the screenplay was by Anthony Shaffer and Sir Michael Caine really enjoyed working with Sir Laurence Olivier. Sir Michael Caine talks about an incident he experienced while staying at the Hollywood Beverly Hills Hotel, where John Wayne lands in a helicopter in front of the hotel and had a quick chat with this Hollywood actor. Sir Michael Caine talks fondly about working with the actress Elizabeth Taylor in the film ‘Zee and Co.’ [1972] and at that point the interview ends. The next television interview was the Michael Caine Interview on “Russell Harty” for London Weekend Television [1977] [1080p] [1.37:1] Once again we get to see Russell Harty interview Sir Michael Caine and basically talks about being a typical working class person, and loved eating winkles, but is now a very respectful citizen of the community and feels now slightly upper class of where he lives. Sir Michael Caine talks fondly about when he lived in France and especially Paris and loved going to all the different restaurants. Sir Michael Caine then talks about the film ‘The Eagle Has Landed’ [1976] and based on the 1975 novel “The Eagle Has Landed” by Jack Higgins, the film is about a fictional German plot to kidnap Winston Churchill near the end of the Second World War which at the time was filming scenes for this film and talked about the character he was playing. Sir Michael Caine talks about the terrible class that happens in the United Kingdom and how they think a cockney guy should not be in the acting professional, which he thinks is a right load of rubbish and hates this terrible stereotypical attitude in the United Kingdom and did not find this when he lived and appeared in films in the United States of America. But when he moved to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England, and wanted to build an extension to his house and even though he had lived in the house for well over four years, the local upper class snobs objected to it ever being built even though they had not even seen the plans, because they thought how dare a cockney be allowed to build some ghastly extension and at that point the interview ends. The third and final interview was Michael Caine Interview on “Sunday Sunday” for London Weekend Television [1984] [408i] [1.37:1] and this time we have Gloria Hunniford gets a chance to interview Sir Michael Caine and here gets to talk about winning the Golden Globe for the film ‘Educating Rita’ [1983] which was a British comedy-drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert with a screenplay by Willy Russell based on his 1980 stage play and also starred with the wonderful Julie Walters. Sir Michael Caine talks about his fond memories of Peter Sellers who were very good friends, he also talks about the fond memories of knowing actors Bob Hoskins and Twiggy and those two went into acting because of seeing Sir Michael Caine in a film talking with a cockney accent and inspired them to go into an acting career. Sir Michael Caine talks about how he got the part in the film ‘ZULU’ [1964] which a 1964 British epic war film depicting the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulus in January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War and was a very long process until he was offered the part of Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead, and also talks about getting the part in the film ‘The Ipcress Files’ [1965] and was a 1965 British espionage film directed by Sidney J. Furie, the screenplay was by Bill Canaway and James Doran, and talks about how he got the name Harry Palmer but in the novel that character did not have a name and said women loved the film because they saw a man who cooked. Sir Michael Caine talks about the time he shared a flat in London with Terrance Stamp and especially because they were both broke and Sir Michael Caine talks about save money he used to make and live on loads of egg custard and Terrance Stamp had a rich girlfriend as a neighbour and use to put steaks through their letterbox. Sir Michael Caine talks about appearing in the film ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ [1975] and was 1975 Technicolor adventure film adapted from the 1888 Rudyard Kipling novella of the same name and was adapted and directed by John Huston and starred Sean Connery, Saeed Jaffrey and Christopher Plummer as Kipling and director John Huston had decided to cast someone whose appearance was more in keeping with natives of Kafiristan. "We've got to find an Arab princess somewhere," he is recounted as saying over dinner with Sir Michael Caine. At that same dinner, Sir Michael Caine's Indian descended wife Shakira was present, so John Huston and Sir Michael Caine persuaded her to take on the role and although the part was very hard work Shakira really enjoyed the experience and at that point the interview ended. The running time of all three interviews was 70:45.
Special Feature: Image Gallery [1971] [1080p] [1.78:1] [4:56] Here we get to view 99 colour images relating to the film ‘KIDNAPPED’ that consist of cinema posters, lobby cards and some of the lobby cards were for the film ‘David Y Catriona,’ we also see some wonderful colour and black-and-white promotional photos from scenes in the film ‘KIDNAPPED.’
PLUS: FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Here we get a Limited edition 4 page leaflet that includes SYNOPSIS, FROM NOVEL INTO FILM, THE CAST and THE CREDITS.
BONUS: Reversible printed Blu-ray cover featuring original cinema posters for the film ‘KIDNAPPED’ and Special Feature Notes and Restoration Notes.
Finally, with the film ‘KIDNAPPED’ there have been various filmed versions of Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘KIDNAPPED,’ but for me it is the dual leading roles of Sir Michael Caine as Alan Breck, and Lawrence Douglas as David Balfour which makes this my preferred adaptation, plus we get to hear the beautiful end title song “For All My Days” by Mary Hopkin is the audio icing on a totally visual treat of the film. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
