Kidnapping in 30s' films

[drednm]

For some reason I thought plot lines about contemporary kidnapping were banned by the Hays Office as part of their "code," especially after the Lindbergh case.

But I've recently run into a couple of "kidnap" movies: Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen (1934), a box-office flop that starred Dorothea Wieck and Alice Brady, and the surprisingly wonderful Three Kids and a Queen (1935) starring May Robson as the world's richest woman.

The first film seems to (eerily) copy many details from the Lindbergh case; the second starts out with a presumed kidnapping that ends in a real kidnapping by gangsters.

Any other contemporary kidnapping films in the years following the Lindbergh tragedy?

[Rick Lanham]

From England, subject to whatever code(s) there: Hitchcock's 1934 The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Rick

[entredeuxguerres]

The Millionaire Kid, 1936, which I recall mainly as a disappointment: bought it because it "starred" Betty Compson, but her part was so small that it's obvious the producer had used her name to sell his B picture.

[Penfold]

The final act of Three On A Match, from later that same year, 1932.

[entredeuxguerres]

The final act of Three On A Match, from later that same year, 1932.

THIS has got to be the rawest of them all. Also Ann's best.

[Ray Faiola]

BEHIND THE HEADLINES. Nifty 1937 RKO programmer with Lee Tracy looking for kidnapped Diana Gibson. Villain is the deceptively clever Donald Meek.

[Hal Erickson]

Sometimes in pre-code films kidnapping is treated lightly. In HEADLINE SHOOTER, reporter Frances Dee is held captive so that the hero will do something or other to ransom her from gangsters. Frances has obviously been through this before, since a scene in the gangsters' den shows her calmy playing gin rummy with one of her captors--and winning.

[odinthor]

Not completely concerned with kidnapping, but with kidnapping as an important part of the plot:

All Over Town (1937), with Olsen & Johnson and James Finlayson.

Sucker Money (1933), with Mischa Auer, Earl McCarthy, Mae Busch, and Phyllis Barrington.