The Atomic City

1952 "HELD FOR RANSOM! Kidnappers demand atomic secrets!"
The Atomic City
6.1| 1h25m| en| More Info
Released: 01 May 1952 Released
Producted By: Paramount
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Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

Spies hold the son of a nuclear physicist (Gene Barry) hostage in exchange for the Los Alamos bomb formula.

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mlink-36-9815 I had it on tape from a tv showing. The DVD by Olive Films is missing a portion of a scene. The wife Mrs. Addison talks to Tommy on the phone to prove he is alive. However it was a tape recording she heard. They told her it might be a tape. Then later on around min. 57 police break into an apartment where the kidnappers held the boy. they find a tape recorder with the boys voice on it. this scene is cut. police go into the next room and find a blackboard with nuclear info on it.
TanakaK I found "The Atomic CIty" somewhat disappointing after two viewings. It starts from an interesting platform; young son of big-shot post-war nuke scientist bottled-up in New Mexican middle-of-nowhere research base is kidnapped and held for intelligence ransom. But after 30 minutes it descends straight down to a very mediocre, run-of-the-mill kidnapped kid story complete with all cliché trimmings (hysterical mother, overwrought macho dad). The film drifts between styles. The lead-in sets up a documentary-style narrative. But then the early family scenes present a more dramatic style. Scenes where the cops are tracking down the kidnappers slide back into documentary. It's a goofy stew with uneven pacing.To make matters worse none of the characters are well developed and by the end you'll probably find that you just don't care what happens very much any more.
Space_Mafune The young son of nuclear physicist Dr. Frank Addison (Gene Barry) is kidnapped by enemy agents. They offer up his life and well-being in trade for the H-bomb secret knowledge Dr. Addison possesses of America's atomic program.This cold war paranoia thriller is in some ways ahead of its time as many such themed films would get made in the years to come. While it has its moments, maintaining an high level of suspense with regards to the continued safety of Dr. Addison's son Tommy (well played by Lee Aaker) and creating an exciting climax at the end, this disappoints in that it never delves into the negative possibilities associated with the H-bomb secrets falling into enemy hands, an exploration of which I feel would have given this the bite it lacks. Also the villains remain much too colorless and forgettable aside from a chilling sequence where they try and lure the child Tommy out of a cave hideaway. All in all though, it's better than I expected thanks in no small part to a good cast and tight-paced direction.
Chris Gaskin I have just watched The Atomic City for the first time and was very impressed by it.A nuclear scientist's son is kidnapped when he goes out of the confines of Los Almos on a school trip. The kidnappers want to know the secrets of the H bomb, but it isn't long before the FBI are on the case and the kidnappers eventually track down the boy and the kidnappers in some old cliff dwellings. The boy is rescued at the end, but not before he nearly falls from a cliff trying to escape the kidnappers.This movie was filmed on location in Los Almos and San Francisco and good use is made of these locations. It gives you an idea on what life was like in this period.The movie's cast includes Gene Barry (War Of The Worlds), Nancy Gates (World Without End) and the boy is played well by Lee Aaker (The Challenge of Rin Tin Tin).I enjoyed this movie and is worth watching if you get the chance.Rating: 4 stars out of 5.