Alternate Versions

Two 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. See more