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Ransom!
''Ransom!'' is a 1956 American crime drama film examining the reactions of parents, police, and the public to a kidnapping. Written by Richard Maibaum and Cyril Hume, the film is based on a popular episode of ''The United States Steel Hour'' titled "Fearful Decision", which aired in 1954 and starred Ralph Bellamy. Directed by stage and television veteran Alex Segal, the film stars Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, and Leslie Nielsen (in his first film role). A loosely based remake starring Mel Gibson was made in 1996 by director Ron Howard. Its title was ''Ransom'', minus the exclamation point. Plot Young Andy Stannard ( Bobby Clark) is the son of Dave Stannard (Glenn Ford), a wealthy executive, and his wife Edith (Donna Reed). One day, Edith and Dave feel that each has miscommunicated with the other about the whereabouts of their son. The principal Mrs. Partridge (Mabel Albertson) of Andy's school telephones and informs Edith that Andy was picked up by a nurse and taken to Dr. Gorman's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Maibaum
Richard Maibaum (May 26, 1909 – January 4, 1991) was an American film producer, playwright and screenwriter best known for his screenplay adaptations of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. Among his works are the first anti-lynching play on Broadway, ''The Tree'' (1932); the first anti-Nazi play on Broadway, ''Birthright'' (1933); the first film that dealt with the problem of medication abuse, ''Bigger Than Life'', written in 1955, released in 1956; the first film that dealt with the ethical and moral decisions in kidnapping cases, ''Ransom!''; the first film that introduced the American public to the importance of training airmen for the defense of the United States in a war many recognized as coming, ''I Wanted Wings'' (Spring, 1941); and '' Diamonds Are Forever'', begun 1970, the first film that discussed the use of laser-like satellite mounted weapons for global warfare. His papers now reside at his alma mater, the University of Iowa. Biography Early career Maibaum was born ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Glenn Ford
Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, who had a career that lasted more than 50 years. Although he played in many genres of movies, some of his most significant roles were in the film noirs ''Gilda'' (1946) and ''The Big Heat'' (1953), and the high school angst film ''Blackboard Jungle'' (1955). However, it was for comedies or westerns which he received acting laurels, including three Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Golden Globe Nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy movie, winning for ''Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961). He also played a supporting role as Clark Kent's adoptive father, Jonathan and Martha Kent, Jonathan Kent, in ''Superman (1978 film), Superman'' (1978). F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Donna Reed
Donna Reed (born Donna Belle Mullenger; January 27, 1921 – January 14, 1986) was an American actress. Her career spanned more than 40 years, with performances in more than 40 films. She is well known for her portrayal of Mary Hatch Bailey in Frank Capra's fantasy holiday film ''It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946). Reed won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Fred Zinnemann's war drama film ''From Here to Eternity'' (1953). Reed is known for her work in television, notably as Donna Stone, a middle-class American mother and housewife in the sitcom ''The Donna Reed Show'' (1958–1966) whose character was more assertive and complex than most other television mothers of the era. She received numerous Emmy Award nominations for this role and the Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star in 1963. Later in her career, Reed replaced Barbara Bel Geddes as Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow in the 1984–1985 season of the television melodrama ''Dallas;'' she successfully sued the production c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ainslie Pryor
James Ainslie Pryor (February 21, 1921 – May 27, 1958) was an American actor. Early years Pryor was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of William E. Prior. He graduated from Christian Brothers University, Christian Brothers College and attended Southwestern and Virginia Tech, VPI. During World War II, he served with the Merchant Marine. Career Radio Pryor's early entertainment activities came in radio when he worked as an announcer at stations in New Haven, Connecticut, and New York City. He also was program director at WJPR radio in Greenville, Mississippi. Stage Before Pryor acted in films, he performed on stage. He organized a school and community theater while he worked in Greenville. He also managed and directed a Little Theatre Movement, little theater group in Raleigh, North Carolina. For three years he acted in ''The Lost Colony (play), The Lost Colony'' in Manteo, North Carolina. His performances there, observed by actor Charles Laughton and producer Paul G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bobby Clark (juvenile Actor)
Robert Dwain Clark (November 13, 1944 – November 14, 2021) was an American child actor who worked under the name Bobby Clark. Career His longest lasting role was that of Casey Junior in the syndicated 1957-1958 television series, ''Casey Jones'', starring Alan Hale Jr., in the title role, with supporting cast members Mary Lawrence as Mrs. Jones, Dub Taylor as Fireman Wallie Sims, and Eddy Waller as "Red Rock", the train conductor. Clark appeared in the movies ''Invasion of the Body Snatchers'', ''Ransom!'', '' Gun Duel in Durango'', ''Rebel in Town'', ''The Happy Road'', ''Bring Your Smile Along'', and ''The Ten Commandments''. Clark made a guest appearance on ''Perry Mason'' as the title character in the 1958 episode, "The Case of the Pint-Sized Client". He also appeared in episodes of ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'', ''The Loretta Young Show'', ''The Americans'' (a drama of the American Civil War), ''Lassie'', ''General Electric Theater'', ''Ford Theatre'', ''Gunsmoke'', '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexander Scourby
Alexander Scourby (; November 13, 1913 – February 22, 1985) was an American film, television, and voice actor known for his deep and resonant voice and Mid-Atlantic accent. He is best known for his film role as the ruthless mob boss Mike Lagana in Fritz Lang's ''The Big Heat'' (1953), and is also particularly well-remembered in the English-speaking world for his landmark recordings of the entire King James Version audio Bible, which have been released in numerous editions. He later recorded the entire Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Scourby recorded 422 audiobooks for the blind which he considered his most important work. Early life Alexander Scourby was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 13, 1913, to Constantine Nicholas Scourby, a successful restaurateur, wholesale baker and sometime investor in independent motion-pictures, and Betsy Patsakos, a homemaker, both of whom were immigrants from Greece. Reared in Brooklyn, Scourby was a member of a Boy Scout tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ransom (1996 Film)
''Ransom'' is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Richard Price and Alexander Ignon. The film stars Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise, Delroy Lindo, Lili Taylor, Brawley Nolte, Liev Schreiber, Donnie Wahlberg and Evan Handler. Gibson was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. The film was the 5th highest-grossing film of 1996 in the United States. The original story came from a 1954 episode of ''The United States Steel Hour'' titled "Fearful Decision". In 1956, it was adapted by Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum into the feature film, ''Ransom!'', starring Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, and Leslie Nielsen. Plot While multi-billionaire Tom Mullen and his wife Kate attend a science fair, their son Sean is kidnapped. Sean is taken to an apartment by Maris Conner, a caterer working for the Mullens, along with brothers Clark and Cubby Barnes, as well as tech expert Miles Roberts. NYPD Detective Jimmy Shaker is Maris' boyfriend and the m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nicholas Nayfack
Nicholas Nayfack (January 27, 1909 – March 31, 1958) was an American movie producer whose notable works include ''Forbidden Planet'' and ''The Invisible Boy''. He was the nephew of MGM studio chief Nicholas Schenck and United Artists studio boss Joseph M. Schenck. He married actress Lynne Carver in 1937. Nayfack died of a heart attack, aged 49, on March 31, 1958. Career Nayfack worked for 20th Century Fox as an associate producer under Darryl F. Zanuck from 1937 to 1939. After leaving Fox, he became the head of the business affairs office for MGM from 1939 through 1949. In 1949, Nayfack became a producer for MGM until his death in 1958. Filmography *''Border Incident'' (1949) *''Devil's Doorway'' (1950) *''Vengeance Valley'' (1951) *''No Questions Asked'' (1951) *''The Sellout'' (1952) *''Glory Alley'' (1952) *''Escape from Fort Bravo'' (1953) *''Rogue Cop'' (1954) *''The Scarlet Coat'' (1955) *''Ransom!'' (1956) *''Forbidden Planet'' (1956) *''The Power and the Prize'' ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alex Segal
Alex Segal (July 1, 1915 – August 22, 1977) was an American television director, television producer, and film director. Segal directed more than 25 different television programs, including ''The United States Steel Hour'' and ''Celanese Theater'' (1951–52), between his debut as a director on ''Starring Boris Karloff'' (1949) and his death in 1977. Segal directed some films, including ''Joy in the Morning (film), Joy in the Morning'' in 1965. He received several Emmy nominations for his directing in the 1950s and won a Primetime Emmy for his TV directorship of ''Death of a Salesman'' in 1966. Segal also served as chairman of the Division of Drama at the University of Southern California from 1971 to 1976. Filmography As director As producer *''Celanese Theatre'' (1951-1952; 15 episodes) *''Producers' Showcase'' (1956; 3 episodes) *''No Time for Sergeants (1958 film), No Time for Sergeants'' (1958) References External links * 1915 births 1977 deaths Ameri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ethan Laidlaw
Ethan Allen Laidlaw (November 25, 1899 – May 25, 1963) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 350 films and made more than 500 appearances on television, mainly uncredited in Westerns, between 1923 and 1962. Laidlaw was born in Butte, Montana, and died in Los Angeles, California. He was the son of Charles Porter Laidlaw and Nellie Laidlaw (née Otis). Laidlaw was a graduate of the University of Michigan and worked as an engineer before venturing into acting when he lived in Chicago. He was a U.S. Navy veteran. Laidlaw was married to Mildred Carter, an actress. He died in May 1963 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 63. Filmography * ''The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1923) * ''Makers of Men'' (1925) * ''The Temptress'' (1926) * '' The Virginian'' (1929) * ''Bride of the Desert'' (1929) * '' The Big House'' (1930) * '' Cimarron'' (1931) * ''Dishonored'' (1931) * '' City Streets'' (1931) * '' Monkey Business'' (1931) * ''The Beast of the City'' (1932) * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Herbert
Charles Herbert Saperstein (December 23, 1948 – October 31, 2015), known as Charles Herbert, was an American child actor of the 1950s and 1960s. Before reaching his teens, Herbert was renowned by a generation of moviegoers for an on-screen broody, mature style and wit that enabled him to go one-on-one with some of the biggest names in the industry, and his appearances in a handful of films in the sci-fi/horror genre garnered him an immortality there. In six years, he appeared in 20 Hollywood features. Herbert supported his family from the age of five, and went from being one of the most-desired and highest-paid child actors of his time to one of the multitude of performers Hollywood "discarded" upon reaching maturity. His situation and the lifetime of damage it created for him only recently came to light. Early life Herbert was born Charles Herbert Saperstein in Culver City, California, the son of Pearl (Diamond) and Louis Saperstein. According to Herbert, his career bega ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Juanita Moore
Juanita Moore (October 19, 1914 – January 1, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actress. She was the fifth black actor to be nominated for an Academy Award in any category, and the third in the Supporting Actress category at a time when only one black actor, Hattie McDaniel in ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939), had won an Oscar. Her most famous role was as Annie Johnson in the film '' Imitation of Life'' (1959). Early life and career Juanita Moore was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, the daughter of Ella (née Dunn) and Harrison Moore. She had seven siblings (six sisters and one brother). Her family moved in the Great Migration to Los Angeles, where she was raised. Moore first performed as a dancer, part of a chorus line at the Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a New York City nightclub from 1923 to 1940. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue (1923–1936), then briefly in the midtown Theater District (1936–1940).Elizabeth Winter"Cotton Club of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
