IMDb RATING
7.1/10
594
YOUR RATING
Harry and Davy, two orphaned boys raised by authoritarian grandparents in Nova Scotia, yearn for a dog despite their grandfather's stern refusal, mirroring other children's pet ownership.Harry and Davy, two orphaned boys raised by authoritarian grandparents in Nova Scotia, yearn for a dog despite their grandfather's stern refusal, mirroring other children's pet ownership.Harry and Davy, two orphaned boys raised by authoritarian grandparents in Nova Scotia, yearn for a dog despite their grandfather's stern refusal, mirroring other children's pet ownership.
- Nominated for 3 BAFTA Awards
- 3 wins & 4 nominations total
Anthony Michael Heathcoat
- Baby Girl
- (uncredited)
Alex McCrindle
- The Minister
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I saw this movie on television when I was a child and thought it was wonderful. There must be a copy of this poignant film out there somewhere that can be reproduced for public consumption. I'd love to add it to our video collection. The children were outstanding little actors. I believe that one of the children also played in the British version of Lord of the Flies. The harsh environment of the children and the eventual softening of the heart of the grandfather when he allows them to have a dog was incredibly touching. It reminded me, in a way of my step-father who was a wonderful hardworking man who found it difficult to show affection but when it really counted was always there for you.
10cat_rose
This film means a lot to me and my family. Duncan MacRae (Grandaddie) is a relative on my mother's side. It is lovely to hear these nice comments about this film from people as I think it is a great film. The two wee boys are such fantastic actors and make the film what it is. I have a cousin who was the spitting image of Davy. We used to make him run around yelling 'Don't eat the babbie, Grandaddie!'
I am still trying to find it on DVD/Video for my grandmother as we only have an old copy that was recorded off the telly. So if anyone can tell me where I could get a hold of an official copy of it that would be great.
I am still trying to find it on DVD/Video for my grandmother as we only have an old copy that was recorded off the telly. So if anyone can tell me where I could get a hold of an official copy of it that would be great.
What a great movie. The story is wonderful and the children in this movie are absolutely amazing. They are so natural and adorable. Actually, everyone in this film is believable and natural. The remake with Charleton Heston doesn't even come close in quality to this 1953 heart warmer. The true disappointment is that this movie has never been on video or DVD. I've looked for years and have only found pirated copies of the film as it was taped from television! And it's been years since it was on television, even as a late night movie. I miss it and would be very happy if this film was made into DVD. It's my mother's favorite movie and I would love to get her a VHS or DVD version of it!
My siblings and I would always call babies "the bah-bee" because of how the boys pronounced that word with Scottish accents that could charm a stone.
Continuing the tradition, my wife and I have used "the bah-bee", or "the bahby" as our secret name for our daughter (now 15).
I have not seen the movie since I was a child, and it is tragic that I and others cannot see it now, due to the lack of DVD or video availability.
I guess it doesn't have enough explosions in it...and the actors mostly act, rather than fight or have sex.
Continuing the tradition, my wife and I have used "the bah-bee", or "the bahby" as our secret name for our daughter (now 15).
I have not seen the movie since I was a child, and it is tragic that I and others cannot see it now, due to the lack of DVD or video availability.
I guess it doesn't have enough explosions in it...and the actors mostly act, rather than fight or have sex.
I don't think "The Kidnappers" could be made now. Audiences today have attention spans like gnats on heroin and this picture requires too much thought. Additionally, the pacing is quite slow and deliberate and attuned to the times in which it is set. So, in the wilds of turn-of-the-20th-century Nova Scotia, it can be said that not much of great import ever happened, apart from feuds between neighbors living far apart.
But I'm an old-fashioned guy. I liked it and I thought the acting was exceptional, especially the youngest boy and that of Grandma McKenzie, played by Jean Anderson. Loved the setting as I am a Scotlandphile, a new word to describe my deep appreciation for land north of England, even though it is standing in for Nova Scotia.
The story, such as it was, took time to develop. Two boys arrive at their Grandparents farm, their parents having passed away. There are some trials, tribulations and tedium, all of which give the viewer a taste of life in the bleak, sparsely populated wilderness. Grandpa and the two boys are the whole show, which is a good watch if, like me, you have patience and a good attention span.
But I'm an old-fashioned guy. I liked it and I thought the acting was exceptional, especially the youngest boy and that of Grandma McKenzie, played by Jean Anderson. Loved the setting as I am a Scotlandphile, a new word to describe my deep appreciation for land north of England, even though it is standing in for Nova Scotia.
The story, such as it was, took time to develop. Two boys arrive at their Grandparents farm, their parents having passed away. There are some trials, tribulations and tedium, all of which give the viewer a taste of life in the bleak, sparsely populated wilderness. Grandpa and the two boys are the whole show, which is a good watch if, like me, you have patience and a good attention span.
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to an article in Picture Show magazine dated 20 February 1954, the baby girl was played by Anthony Michael Heathcoat.
- GoofsAll entries contain spoilers
- Quotes
Davy - Jim's Grandson: Are we going to keep it forever?
Harry, Jim's Grandson: I don't know... We'll keep it for a year or two anyways, until it's got a mind of its own - and then, if it wants to hit the trail, there won't be no stopping it.
- Alternate versionsTwo DVD versions of The Little Kidnappers, were compared side-by-side, one from Echo Bridge (10 Movie Adventure Pack, Vol.3; ©2013 on disc; 1:29:30 disc player runtime) and one from Feature Films for Families (The Little Kidnappers; ©2009 Rekab Sudskany on disc; 1:27:24 disc player runtime). There was actually a 2:04 difference in length: Echo Bridge has two seconds of black screen before the movie starts while FFFF does not. Disc times (h:mm:ss) in the following are from the Echo Bridge version. Nine differences were observed -- two were soundtrack only without frame cuts. (1) [0:00 cut] At 0:12:30 the framed picture of a crest is shown on a wall while Harry says "The crest of the clan Mackenzie, a hill of blazin' fire", after which the shot cuts to Harry. In the FFFF version the words "a hill" have been removed from the soundtrack but no frames were cut. With the accent Harry uses, the word "hill" sounds like "hell". (2) [0:04 cut] From 0:22:12 to 0:22:16, Jim tells Hans Hooft "The hill belongs to me, James Mackenzie." Starting at 0:22:16, FFFF cut 0:04 where Jim says "If you so much as cast your shadow on it, Boer, there'll be blood." (3) [0:13 cut] The schoolmaster breaks up a fight between Harry and Jan Hooft in the schoolyard and insists the boys "shake hands and that'll be the end of it", but Harry repeatedly refuses. Starting at 0:27:26, FFFF cut 0:13 where the schoolmaster says "You willing to oppose my will, boy? [pause] If you persist in this pigheadedness I've no choice but to strap you." (4) [1:15 cut] After shooting his rifle at movement on the hill and then being told it was Harry, Jim sends Harry to the woodshed and follows him with the shaving strap. Starting at 0:42:13 FFFF cut 1:15 where Kirsten and her mother agonize over Jim's treatment of Harry while hearing him being strapped -- the cut ends at the start of the wedding scene at 0:43:28. (5) [0:00 cut] When Harry sneaks out of bed to care for the baby overnight and Davey warns him Grandpa is coming out, at 0:53:52 Davey says "That was a close one" and Harry replies "Sure was, now shut up and go back to bed." In the FFFF version, the words "now shut up and" have been removed from the soundtrack, but no frames have been cut. (6) [0:18 cut] When Kirsten and Dr. Hooft stop at the MacNeill's, FFFF cut 0:18, the shot of Mrs. MacNeill using an incantation to cure her husband from 0:54:18 to 0:54:36 which included Dr. Hooft knocking on the door. (7) [0:02 cut] In the shot beginning at 1:00:26 showing Kirsten approaching her father in front of the house as Kirsten says "Yes, father" and Jim says "Where in God's name have you been girl?", FFFF cut 0:02 of frames at the beginning of the shot, cut "in God's name" from the soundtrack, and put the cut shot and cut soundtrack back together so Jim is now saying "Where have you been girl?" (8) [0:01 cut] In the court scene shot from 1:22:17 to 1:22:21, Jim rises up and says "You send him away, Tom, I'll kill ya." FFFF cut about 0:01 off the end of this shot (and soundtrack) so Jim says "You send him away, Tom." (9) [0:06 cut] FFFF also cut 0:06 by cutting the shots from 1:22:26 to 1:22:30 where Jim says "Shut up, you scribbling Pharisee" as well as the schoolmaster's facial reaction 1:22:30 to 1:22:32.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 70th Annual Academy Awards (1998)
- How long is The Little Kidnappers?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime
- 1h 33m(93 min)
- Color
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