Ransom! is a 1956 crime drama directed by Alex Segal. The film stars Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, and Leslie Nielsen. Ransom! is based on “Fearful Decision” (1954), an episode of the television series The United States Steel Hour that was also directed by Segal.
Director: Alex Segal
Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Cast: Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, Leslie Nielsen, Juano Hernandez, Robert Keith, Richard Gaines, Mabel Anderson
US Box Office: $3,060,000 ($58,600,000 adjusted for inflation)
Film Format: Black & White
Genre: Crime, Drama
Release Date: January 24, 1956
Plot Summary: Wealthy couple Dave (Glenn Ford) and Edith Stannard (Donna Reed) live a seemingly perfect life until one day their young son Andy (Bobby Clark) is kidnapped while at school. Although the Stannard family and police chief Backett (Robert Keith) try to keep the situation private, the story is quickly picked up by journalist Charlie Telfer (Leslie Nielsen). The kidnapper demands that Dave pay a $500,000 ransom for his son’s return. Instead of paying the ransom (and not wanting to reward the criminals), Dave decides to threaten the kidnapper on live television.
Production: In May of 1955, MGM purchased the film rights to “Fearful Decision” (1954), an episode of the anthology television series The United States Steel Hour (1953-1963). “Fearful Decision” was a crime drama about a wealthy couple (played by Ralph Bellamy and Meg Mundy) whose young son was kidnapped and held for ransom. The episode was written by Richard Maibaum and Cyril Hume and it was directed by Alex Segal. Nicholas Nayfack, an MGM producer and the nephew of MGM studio executive Nicholas Schenck, was chosen to produce the film. MGM hired original writers Richard Maibaum and Cyril Hume to write the screenplay for Ransom! based on their episode. Alex Segal was also hired to the direct the film adaptation of his original “Fearful Decision.” Segal was a frequent television director, but Ransom! was the first theatrical film he directed.
The Motion Picture Association of America refused to approve the initial script for Ransom! Although the film didn’t directly show the kidnapping of Andy Stannard, kidnapping (especially the kidnapping of a child) was typically forbidden by the Production Code. It also didn’t help that the kidnappers received no real punishment. Producer Nicholas Nayfack wrote to MPAA administrator Joseph Breen to appeal the decision. Nayfack argued that Ransom! wasn’t so much about the kidnapping itself, and was more focused on how the kidnapping affected Dave and Edith and their efforts to get their son back. The MPAA later approved the script with a few suggested changes.
Actor Glenn Ford was cast to play the role of Dave Stannard, the father whose son is kidnapped and held for ransom. Ford was under contract with MGM at the time and he had recently starred in the controversial and acclaimed drama Blackboard Jungle (1955), which was also the first major Hollywood film to feature Rock and Roll music. Donna Reed was cast as Dave’s wife Edith Stannard. She had recently won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in From Here to Eternity (1953). Reed also recently appeared in the westerns They Rode West (1954), Three Hours to Kill (1954), and The Far Horizons (1955).
Filming on Ransom! began in September of 1955 and wrapped up in November. Director Alex Segal primarily shot the film on set at MGM Studios in Culver City, California. The scene showing the two police officers on motorcycles was shot on location in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and the Bullock’s department store building is visible in the background.
Fun Facts and Trivia: Glenn Ford and Juano Hernandez (Jesse Chapman) had previously appeared together in the courtroom drama film Trial (1955), which was also produced by MGM. Ford and Leslie Nielsen later costarred in the western The Sheepman (1958). Ford and Robert Keith later appeared together in the western Cimarron (1960). Co-writer Richard Maibaum would later be known for writing or co-writing the scripts for many of the 1960s-1980s James Bond films for Eon Productions. Maibaum worked on thirteen of the first sixteen Bond films, beginning with Dr. No (1962) and ending with Licence to Kill (1989).
Ransom! was Leslie Nielsen’s first acting role in a theatrical film. Nielsen had previously been a television actor and was the narrator for the documentary film The Battle of Gettysburg (1955). His other 1956 films were Forbidden Planet, The Vagabond King, and The Opposite Sex. Although known for dramatic performances earlier in his career, Nielsen became a comedy star after he appeared in the parody film Airplane! (1980).
Reception: Ransom! was released in the United States on January 24, 1956. Although not a massive hit, Ransom! was still a minor success for MGM and it earned a small profit for the studio. Co-writer Richard Maibaum was disappointed with how Ransom! turned out. He thought that Glenn Ford’s performance was not as effective as Ralph Bellamy’s performance had been in the television version. Maibaum also thought that Segal directed the film too intensely, which just left the audience “emotionally depleted.” A second film adaptation of “Fearful Decision,” titled Ransom, was released in 1996. That film was directed by Ron Howard and starred Mel Gibson and Rene Russo. Unlike the original Ransom!, Howard’s version was a massive box office hit.
Why You Should See It: Ransom! is a good crime drama film. Alex Segal does a skillful job of adapting his original television episode into a feature length film. Ransom! is a tense film, and it features plenty of strong dramatic moments. Glenn Ford and Donna Reed both give good, emotional performances. Juano Hernandez also gives a strong performance in his supporting role as butler Jesse Chapman.