These days, one frequently sees popular historical novels based on the life of some real historical figure, or featuring real people from history as characters. One might say that Robert Louis Stevenson was ahead of the curve in this area. The plot of his 1886 novel Kidnapped is largely built around the real-life unsolved “Appin murder” of 1752, and a number of historical personages appear in its pages—particularly the enigmatic Alan Breck Stewart, who in Stevenson’s hands became one of literature’s most memorable characters. In the book’s dedication, Stevenson charmingly acknowledges his use of poetic license, such as in moving the year of the murder to 1751 and “the Torran rocks [having] crept so near to Earraid,” and goes on to add his opinion that his fictional imagining of the solution to the murder case is likely enough to be a correct one.Walt Disney’s 1960 adaptation of Kidnapped was one of a string of live-action Disney movies set and filmed in Great Britain throughout the 1950s and ’60s—Disney, like other film studios, began filming in Britain in order to make use of profits from earlier films which post-WWII English treasury regulations prohibited them from taking out of the country. Kidnapped was written and directed, appropriately enough, by English director Robert Stevenson—apparently no relation to the novelist.
To be honest, when I first saw the movie years ago I didn’t think too highly of it. It seemed to rush too quickly through the plot; James MacArthur seemed too American for the role of David Balfour; it just didn’t seem very interesting. But when I saw it again within the last year, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed it this time. Both the production values and the script seemed better than I remembered. Perhaps reconizing the slew of fine British character actors that populated the cast, whom I’d since seen in other movies—Bernard Lee, John Laurie, Finlay Currie, Duncan Macrae, Miles Malleson—increased my appreciation a bit; perhaps having a little distance from the original novel, which I haven’t read in some years, allowed me to enjoy the movie more for itself and not merely as an adaptation. Whatever the reason, I think I would now count Kidnapped among my favorite live-action Disney movies.At the outset of the story, young David Balfour (James MacArthur) leaves home following his father’s death to look for the uncle whose existence he has just been made aware of, supposed to be a man of property. To his dismay, Ebenezer Balfour (John Laurie) turns out to be a greedy eccentric living a miserly existence to rival even another literary Ebenezer in the ruins of his manor house. When David begins asking too many questions about his father and the family estate, Ebenezer manages to have him decoyed on board the ship of an unscrupulous business partner, Captain Hoseason (Bernard Lee) and shipped out to sea, bound for indentured servitude in the Carolinas.
But a collision at sea brings aboard another unusual passenger, exiled Jacobite Alan Breck Stewart (Peter Finch), and when David warns Alan that Hoseason and his crew are plotting to rob and murder him, the two become unlikely allies. Separated after a shipwreck, their paths cross again on the scene of the Appin murder, and with Alan the chief suspect, the pair are forced to flee for their lives across the Highlands. Their journey is marked by pursuit from soldiers, occasional wrangles with each other, and contentious encounters with highland chieftains Cluny MacPherson (Finlay Currie) and Robin MacGregor (Peter O’Toole, in his film debut), and at its end, if they reach the Lowlands in safety, will be the challenge of confronting Uncle Ebenezer and finding out the truth about David’s inheritance.
Like most feature-film-length adaptations of novels, Kidnapped basically hits the high points of the story, but hits them briskly, and chooses some of the best parts to spend the most time on—David’s introduction to Uncle Ebenezer and the crumbling House of Shaws, the battle on board Hoseason’s ship, David and Alan’s flight from the scene of the murder. All the acting is good, but Peter Finch’s vigorous performance as Alan Breck Stewart brings the biggest jolt of energy to all the scenes he appears in, much as the character of Alan does in the book—and John Laurie is hilariously scene-stealing as the miserly Ebenezer Balfour. (The scene where Alan and Ebenezer meet is one of the best in the movie; I think it even outdoes the same scene in the novel.)
It’s a colorful and visually attractive film too, with a nice historical flavor and some stunning Scottish location shooting. I suspect part of the reason that the scenes and characters largely match the way I always imagined them is because the film obviously takes some cues from N.C. Wyeth’s classic illustrations for the 1913 Scribner edition, the one I grew up with. It’s the only adaptation of Kidnapped I’ve seen (according to IMDB, there have been at least thirteen of them), but though there may be others that incorporate more of the book’s plot, I have a hard time picturing another one capturing the characters and the spirit of the story as well as this one does.This is my entry to the Beyond the Cover Blogathon hosted by Now Voyaging and Speakeasy. Visit the host blogs throughout the next few days to check out all the other participants’ posts on movies adapted from books!
My feelings of the Disney version pretty much echo yours. I have grown fonder of it through the years, appreciating the job of adapting the many-storied novel. I love that David is such a feisty character, not a put upon orphan.
20th Century Fox made a version with Freddie Bartholomew and Warner Baxter back in the 40s and it is a mixed bag. It falls rather flat as if it is trying to be something else; perhaps more like an American adventure tale.
A TV mini-series from the 70s (I believe) with David McCallum as Breck covered more of the territory of the book and had a lot of wonderful outdoor filming.
I read Kidnapped for the first time a couple of years ago, and I couldn't believe it took me that long to read it! I've not seen any of the film versions, but I might start with the Disney version you reviewed because the location shots alone sound worth it. Thanks for the recommendation!
It's been a long time since I saw this but remember loving the adventure, and really enjoyed reading your comparison to the book. Good choice. Thanks so much for taking part in the blogathon!
My childhood! It has been too long since I saw this! Thank you for joining us!
Oh, I love this movie! And both books. I wish I had this on DVD… I hope they release it again, and soon.