Ransom! is a 1956 crime drama examining the reactions of parents, police, and the public to a kidnapping. Written by Richard Maibaum and Cyril Hume, the film was based on a popular episode of "The United States Steel Hour" titled "Fearful Decision," which aired in 1954. Directed by stage and television veteran Alex Segal, the film starred Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, and Leslie Nielsen. A loosely based remake starring Mel Gibson was made in 1996 by director Ron Howard. Its title was Ransom, minus the exclamation point. Young Andy Stannard is kidnapped from school by a woman disguised as a nurse.... His shaken parents, Dave and Edith, notify the police. Dave Stannard is a wealthy executive. Helped by his brother and business partner Al, he prepares to pay a $500,000 ransom demanded by the kidnappers. But the chief of police, Jim Backett, and a newspaper reporter, Charlie Telfer, tell him that the odds are his son won't be returned whether or not he pays the ransom. Dave decides to turn the tables on the kidnappers. He appears on television, refusing to pay and instead placing the money before him as a bounty on their heads if his son is not safely returned.
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| Release date: | January 24, 1956 |
| Directed by: | Alex Segal |
| Runtime: | 109 Minutes |
| Producer: | Nicholas Nayfack |
| Editor: | Ferris Webster |
| Music by: | Jeff Alexander, Jeff Alexander |
| Cinematography: | Arthur E. Arling |
| Screenplay by: | Richard Maibaum, Cyril Hume |