best movie i've ever seen.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This story was based on a real life crime. First seen on Live T.V during 'The U.S. Steel Hour,' in 1954, as 'Fatefull Decision.' It was eventually re-staged in 1955 for the small screen, then further replicated in 1956 and lastly in 1996 by Ron Howard for the Big screen with Mel Gibson. Watching it for the first time, then comparing it with the newest version, I found, I enjoyed the older version better. Don't get me wrong, I am a great fan of Mel Gibson, but I believe Glenn Ford was better fitted for the role. The Movie was in Black and White and called simply " Ransom. " The early imagery, stark shadowy profiles and Fords immense skills as a bone-fide actor made for an intense situation and the heavy dramatic part of Donna Reed assured it would become a Classic. Indeed, with the added exceptional talents of Leslie Nielsen, Robert Keith, Bobby Clark and Alexander Scourby, this movie was crafted with real movie magic. Easily Recommended. ****

Close-knit family is torn apart after young boy is kidnapped. Glenn Ford does his usual first-class work as the boy's distraught father, though the supporting performances fail to match up or make any impact of their own. Director Alex Segal shows no imagination behind the camera, and his film is workman-like in the manner of TV dramas. Donna Reed's hysterical mom becomes tiresome before too long, and there isn't much detail on the kidnappers themselves (whom we never see). By giving us some inkling of their plans or intrinsic motives, the movie might have felt more fully played out. Still, Ford is almost always worth watching, and his thoughtful work should certainly please his fans. Remade in 1996 with Mel Gibson. ** from ****

When I saw trailers for the Mel Gibson film "Ransom" in 1996, I had no idea that it was a remake of a 1956 movie of the same name. Thank God for TCM or else I never would have caught this elusive gem. I have no desire to see the remake, because the original is just tops with me. Yes, it was produced in the 1950s, so there are some very dated elements, but that does not deter from the suspense or involving premise.Glenn Ford, as Dave Stannard, gives one of his finest performances, compellingly realistic, while Donna Reed matches him with her warmth as his wife, Edith. They are a wealthy couple whose only child, Andy (Bobby Clark) is abducted from school one day and they later receive a ransom demand. The desperate parents want to do anything for the safe return of their son, but there is little they can do until the kidnappers make contact. While he can very well give into the demand, Stannard instead appears on television (the new and big medium of the 50s) to show that he does have money, but it will not be given to the abductors, rather it is the price on their heads if any harm befalls Andy.Donna Reed always likable, is outstanding, even if she does fall into the typical sexist "hysterical mother" so predominate of this era, crumbling to the floor, but she still gets you. So does Ford, for behind his steely determination is a distraught father who fears the worst for his son, wondering if there was any other way - the "what ifs" always plague parents when the suffering is not knowing. The ending, which is not something we would expect in this jaded world of today (nor in the case it was based on, Bobby Greenlease). This film is also a curiosity piece as an early appearance of Leslie Neilson, and there is the Hispanic butler, again playing in the confines of "understanding servant".But "Ransom!" is every bit a nail-biting thriller, one that will have the viewer on the edge of their seat, and no doubt resonate with any parent because of the issue that it addresses.And now I will ask the burning question - where is the DVD?

This film, "Ransom!" with an exclamation point (1956), is the original from which Ron Howard's "Ransom" wth no exclamation point (1996), was derived forty years later. It's not very common for a remake to equal the original -- hell, it's rare! But in some ways the more recent version beats this one.The recent version is really quite different. (The exclamation points should be transposed.) "Ransom!" focuses exclusively on Glenn Ford, who underacts as the father of the kidnapped boy, and Donna Reed plays the overwrought mother. We never even see the kidnappers, who decide to play ball with Ford after he decides that his son will be killed whether he pays the ransom or not, and so threatens to offer the full amount as a reward to whoever drops the dime on the criminals if they don't return his son. It gets a little dull. Ford has no idea that his son may be dead already until the police and a friendly reporter clue him in to the very real possibility. Ford suffers a lot and sweats through his decision while Donna Reed goes to pieces on him.The remake gives us equal time with the gang of kidnappers, a varied group, some mean, some with consciences and loyalties. The remake is an edgier film with far more action and blood and the kind of shoot out at the climax that producers, writers, and directors seem to believe a modern audience demands. The chief heavy in the remake, Gary Sinese, not only has his face pounded into a substance with the texture and specific gravity of guacamole but is finally plugged multiple times, first by the vengeful father. The director of the remake, Ron Howard, is given to producing smooth, uplifting family films with neat happy endings. This one is a little rougher than his usual fare, but Richard Price contributed to the screenplay and he has a flair for dialog that is unexpected and catchy. Maybe that helped.The plots in both versions are very similar of course. Dad decides not to pay ransom and threatens to give it away as a reward to any squealer, regardless of what happens (or has already happened) to his son. The kidnappers have a choice of turning the kid over alive or else constantly wondering which of their friends is going to turn them in for a million bucks.This is a variant of a game called "the prisoner's dilemma," which I won't describe for two reasons. One is that it would take too long. The other is that I've forgotten which variant of the game is embodied in this plot. Interested parties can look up "the prisoner's dilemma" on the internet. I think Wikipedia.com has an entry on it. Maybe not.This original isn't a bad film. The difference between the two is that this one concentrates on Ford's moral quandary, while the remake shifts more towards the action side of the spectrum, giving it somewhat richer visuals. This isn't seen on TV very often, but if it's on it would be worth watching. The question hanging over the father's head is a heavy one. Should he pay the million bucks for his son or not? If I had it, I would certainly have gone ahead and paid it for my son, even though the little tyke hasn't yet shown me the proper respect or indicated any interest in a career in medicine. Come to think of it, I'd have to wrestle with the decision -- but in the end I'd have paid. Probably.