Donate & keep LugaTv alive
When his son Andy is kidnapped and held for ransom, David Stannard liquidates his assets to meet the half-million dollar demand. A casual remark by newspaper reporter Charlie Telfer makes him change his mind. Despite the pleas from his wife Edith and brother Al, and the resultant condemnation of the press and public, Stannard goes on a nation-wide television program, displays the money and warns the kidnapper that not one cent will be paid for ransom; instead the money will be used to track down the kidnapper if Andy isnt returned unharmed. The police then find the boys blood-stained shirt.
As the CEO of the family vacuum cleaner manufacturing business, Dave Stannard has carved out a comfortable and loving upper middle class life with his wife Edith and their eight year old son Andy. Beyond the vacuum cleaners themselves, Dave and the Stannard name have some profile as the company sponsors a weekly live television show. When Andy is late arriving home after school one day, a series of telephone calls in and out of the Stannard house points to what would be Dave and Ediths worst nightmare if true: that Andy has been kidnapped. Calling in the police with the investigation led by Chief Jim Backett, Dave and Edith follow the advice of the Chief and his team who should know proper protocol in such matters, advice which includes only letting those that need to know whats going on, they such as Jesse Chapman and Shirley Lorraine - their two loyal household domestics - Daves older brother Al Stannard, and the family physician Dr. Paul Gorman. Some others in the "should not know" category do find out, such as Mrs. Partridge, the principal of Andys private school where he was last seen, but who is more problematic for the investigation is Charlie Telfer, a newspaper reporter out for an exclusive. That fear of it being a kidnapping is ultimately confirmed with the Stannards receiving the $500,000 ransom request, Andys life or death in the balance. While hysterical Edith wants them to do whatever it takes for Andys safe return, she leaves it up to Dave to decide how best to handle the situation. Absorbing all the advice from those around him, family, friends and professionals alike, Dave decides to take a calculated risk which will not only have a direct effect on what happens to Andy, but will indirectly affect the entirety of his life, both professionally and personally.
Glenn Ford
David G. Stannard
Donna Reed
Edith Stannard
Leslie Nielsen
Charlie Telfer
Juano Hernandez
Jesse Chapman
Robert Keith
Chief Jim Backett
Richard Gaines
Langly
Mabel Albertson
Mrs. Partridge
Alexander Scourby
Dr. Paul Y. Gorman
Bobby Clark
Andy Stannard
Ainslie Pryor
Al Stannard
Lori March
Elizabeth Stannard
Robert Burton
Sheriff Jake Kessing
Juanita Moore
Shirley Lorraine
Mary Alan Hokanson
Nurse
Robert Stevenson
Fred Benson
Dick Rich
Sgt. Wenzel
Peter Adams
George Portalis
Don Anderson
Townsman in Crowd
Related Movies
Donate & keep LugaTv alive