In between his television series China Smith and The new Adventures of China Smith about a shady gumshoe in Singapore Dan Duryea took time out with China director Robert Aldrich to make this crime drama about a shady gumshoe in Singapore. Unlike the show and a word from its sponsor Ransom is darker with a lot more on the line but overall a convoluted mess with most of the cast in a state of deep torpor, sweating profusely.
The atomic age is upon us and a scientist with rare knowledge is kidnapped and used as a bargaining chip for a big payday by a well bred confident villain (Gene Lockhart). A former army pal (Patric Knowles) of Mike Callahan (Duryea) is a key player in the caper as well as the husband of the woman he loves. Confused and conflicted Callahan spends most of his time making his way through the tawdry labyrinth of backwater Singapore a step ahead of authorities and one behind the culprits.
Duryea is fine as the dissipated Callahan even if a little slow on the draw while the rest of the cast of competent supporting members ( Nigel Bruce, Patric Knowles, Reginald Denny, Douglas Dumbrille) go through the motions while Marian Carr fumbles playing a second rate Dietrich.
Joe Biroc's camera work does offer some striking compositions of Singapore back alleys but much of it is pedestrian as well as the picture meanders to its unsatisfying conclusion on a topic that Aldrich would revisit with acclaim a year later in Kiss Me, Deadly.
The atomic age is upon us and a scientist with rare knowledge is kidnapped and used as a bargaining chip for a big payday by a well bred confident villain (Gene Lockhart). A former army pal (Patric Knowles) of Mike Callahan (Duryea) is a key player in the caper as well as the husband of the woman he loves. Confused and conflicted Callahan spends most of his time making his way through the tawdry labyrinth of backwater Singapore a step ahead of authorities and one behind the culprits.
Duryea is fine as the dissipated Callahan even if a little slow on the draw while the rest of the cast of competent supporting members ( Nigel Bruce, Patric Knowles, Reginald Denny, Douglas Dumbrille) go through the motions while Marian Carr fumbles playing a second rate Dietrich.
Joe Biroc's camera work does offer some striking compositions of Singapore back alleys but much of it is pedestrian as well as the picture meanders to its unsatisfying conclusion on a topic that Aldrich would revisit with acclaim a year later in Kiss Me, Deadly.