Bulldog Drummond Comes Back

Some very hammy European bad guys interrupt Captain Drummond's wedding plans by kidnapping his fiancée in an attempt to lure Drummond into a ridiculous wild goose chase that sees our hero following cryptic clues for some reason or other. The plot is unimportant and wafer-thin; it's the ride that's fun.

A very creaky, dated, no budget gem, Bulldog Drummond Comes Back is a fairly entertaining romp with engaging characters saying very quaint English things to each other, and generally cavorting about in various contrived circumstances.

John Howard is good as Drummond. He's suitably dashing and charming, and he does a fine job. The supporting cast of good guys are all good value, and are blessed with frequently mildly amusing dialogue. The baddies are straight out of a Tin-Tin comic but that's not a bad thing in this case.

The show is stolen by Barrymore, who, even though he never quite seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself in the role of Scotland Yard Detective Nielson, is always the best thing in the frame when he's on screen. His array of disguises (don't ask) are hilarious, and often ingenious.

Overall a lot of fun if you're in the mood for some extremely lightweight, silly adventure comedy.

Bulldog Drummond's in love and ready for marriage. But that'll have to wait because his fiancée has been kidnapped by the brother and widow of an executed criminal Drummond put behind bars. The kidnappers intend to torture Drummond by making him follow a series of clues that lead him into dangerous situations. He must rely on his friends to help him figure out the clues and stay alive in the process.

John Howard's first Bulldog Drummond movie. Many actors played the character over the years (three in 1937 alone) but no one played him more than Howard. He would play Drummond for a total of seven films, all in the span of two years. Interestingly, despite playing the title character, Howard isn't top-billed. That honor goes to John Barrymore, who plays Bulldog Drummond's friend Colonel Nielsen. Barrymore's career was in a poor state at this time and he needed work. You would never know it from his performance as he's a lot of fun to watch. A little hammy at times but that's to be expected with him. John Howard isn't quite as lively as Ray Milland was in the role but he's good in a serviceable B hero kind of way. Reginald Denny continues on as Drummond's sidekick Algy and E.E. Clive as Drummond's butler Tenny. Both are entertaining. Helen Freeman and J. Carrol Naish make good villains. Louise Campbell plays Drummond's love interest Phyllis for the first of three films. She reminds me a little of Maureen O'Sullivan, which is not a bad thing. It's an enjoyable B detective picture. Nothing more special than that but it doesn't have to be. I happen to like these types of pictures. It's an entertaining way to pass an hour.

This is the tenth Bulldog Drummond film, and the first starring John Howard, who was to make the character his own in memorable fashion. John Barrymore gets top billing, despite the fact that he is in only a supporting role, but then that's stars for you! Barrymore plays Inspector Neilson, which he was to do for two more films, but he looks tired and world-weary, in fact as if he had been on a binge the night before (which is not unlikely). Barrymore dons some excellent disguises during the film, with false noses and moustaches and odd accents, which must have delighted him. We have almost as much fun with them as he does. The boring Louise Campbell plays Phyllis Clavering, who is always about to marry Drummond but constantly being prevented from doing so by some new crime erupting, or being kidnapped, or whatever. (The next year the more exciting Heather Angel was to resume this role, which would be a great improvement.) E. E. Clive and Reginald Denny as Tenny the Butler and Algy respectively, are here again (having missed the intervening film with John Lodge as Drummond), and are as marvellous as ever. This film has an extra dimension of interest. The wonderfully sinister villains played here by J. Carroll Naish and Helen Freeman not only kidnap Phyllis but put Drummond, upon whom they seek revenge, through an ingenious 'treasure hunt' ordeal, where they leave him coy notes which he has to decipher quickly, and also gramophone records where he is given instructions on where to go and what to do next. This is certainly an excellent added layer of intrigue to a mystery story, and is a story device which should be used more often in films. It all becomes really interesting as we follow the frustrated Drummond from rendezvous to rendezvous, as he is 'given the runaround' with the clock ticking. There are of course comic moments, and a great deal of quaintness is on hand at the seaside tavern where you walk in, order your beer, choose a gramophone record and put it on the Victrola which is sitting on the bar. Never saw that before! The earliest form of jukebox! This is a particularly good Drummond movie, and is well worth watching.

Overall, this entry in the Bulldog Drummond series is just an average B-feature, but it does have some good moments. This was the first feature in the series to star John Howard as Drummond, and it also has the usual supporting characters, with E.E. Clive and Reginald Denny as Drummond's sidekicks, Louise Campbell as Phyllis, and John Barrymore as Colonel Neilson. Howard, Clive, and Denny have some good lighter moments together during the course of events, and Barrymore, as you would expect, makes very good use of his opportunities, leaving you wishing there had been more scenes involving his character.

The story idea is interesting if lightweight, with villains played by J. Carrol Naish and Helen Freeman using a series of riddles and puzzles, along with a kidnapping, in their attempts to lure Drummond into a trap. The series of puzzles gets a bit far-fetched, but it does hold your interest, and perhaps with a little more careful writing and editing it could have made a pretty good movie.

Barrymore's series of disguises and other tactics is probably the most entertaining part of it all, and these also help to keep the tone light. Otherwise, there's nothing particularly impressive, but it has just enough to be worth seeing for those who enjoy the genre.

In foggy old London town/ Did Drummond chase the poesy 'round/ Assisted by a secret corps/ Led by "Colonel" Barrymore.

In this Bulldog Drummond adventure, starring John Howard, he must follow a playful string of clues to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend. The villains, intent on revenge, hiss and taunt at every turn. Thankfully, they drag out the game long enough for the hero to thwart their efforts. John Barrymore plays the resourceful Colonel Neilson who finds a way to aid Drummond.

As adventures go, this is rather weak. The trail of clues is obtuse and repetitive. It all ends with a ticking cliche.