An interesting film that focuses on the debating point of whether it is ever right to pay ransom money to kidnappers. Written by Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum the story sees the young son of industrialist David Stannard (Glenn Ford) and his wife Edith (Donna Reed) being seized and a demand for half a million dollars being made. Despite the pleas of Edith and everyone around him Stannard decides to go on television to inform the kidnappers that he will not pay and that the money will instead by used as reward money.
Despite the film being rather talky and shot virtually on one set it is still highly compelling thanks to some controlled and focussed direction from Alex Segal and well judged performances from the leads, particularly Glenn Ford. Ford is excellent as Dave Stannard, a man torn-up about an almost impossible decision and the most appropriate course of action to take. Donna Reed provides a solid emotional core as the distraught mother, while Leslie Nielsen provides a good turn as a cynical journalist who becomes an insider to the family's story. "Ransom!" isn't a typical crime film of the period - there is no action or retribution, instead it works as a thoughtful look at a family in crisis while providing an almost philosophical overview of the merits and dangers of paying ransom. ( )