"[5] Mike Callahan (Duryea) is an Irish émigré and war veteran working in Singapore as a private detective.

Callahan learns that a man named Alexis Pederas (Lockhart) has involved Julian in a plot to kidnap a prominent nuclear scientist Sean O'Connor and hold him for ransom to the highest bidder.

Aldrich said "There are optimists in the society, not many left, who thought that someday those guys [on the Hollywood Blacklist] would get post-mortem credits for their work.

It was shot over 6 days, then Aldrich halted production to shoot TV commercials in order to raise money for the film's post-production.

I've always looked back on World for Ransom with a kind of wistful happy feeling.."[6] The film is similar to another film noir with a nuclear theme by Aldrich, Kiss Me Deadly, the difference being that Callahan is trying to get an old girlfriend back, while Mike Hammer in Kiss Me Deadly was in it for the money.

The film had a considerable impact on Aldrich's career – in July 1953 Harold Hecht hired him to direct Burt Lancaster in Apache.

Nevertheless, this was a compelling film doing a fantastic job exploring the uncertainty of partnerships and the indeterminate nature of trust.