Bulldog Drummond Comes Back

Bulldog Drummond was a popular character in 1920's and 1930's adventure novels by H.C. McNeile. Drummond was a wealthy WWI veteran and war hero (in real life, McNeile was also a veteran and war hero, having won the Military Cross, Britain's second highest medal for valor).

This film is notable for having excellent sets and atmosphere. Catch Drummond's big drawing room in the first scene! It's very evocative of an English gentleman's abode. There are really nice matte shots later of an old mansion, and several scenes in realistic looking pubs.

The plot is pretty thin, but honestly, the books were the same way. E.E. Clive, who appeared in all seven films with John Howard, is a standout! He brings a wealth of acting experience to the role.

Don't look for especially clever plots in these films. Watch them for the fun and the good 1930's atmosphere.

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.

Weaker entry in the Bulldog Drummond series, with John Howard in the role. Usual funny banter and antics, but not much plot. Barrymore gets something to do as the inspector, swapping disguises to follow Drummond, Algy, and Tenny on a wild goose chase (mostly in circles; perhaps the budget was tighter than usual) to rescue poor Phyllis, who is being held captive by people who want to lure Drummond to his doom. For those keeping score, in this one, Drummond is planning to ask Phyllis to marry him and Algy is worried about missing the baby's christening. It's fun to see Algy and Tenny dressed up as fisherman to blend in at The Angler's Rest, but little of it rises above silly.

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.

During the 1920s-1950s, there were TONS of different actors who played the lead in the Bulldog Drummond films--too many. In fact, because of this massive turnover, the series never really caught on with the public. However, at least for a while, John Howard was able to provide some stability--appearing as Drummond in seven films. While none of these films were terrific, they were generally better than the other films of the series.

This one finds Drummond about to get married--for the thousandth time! In fact, that was a huge running joke with many of the Drummond films--he was always just about to get married when disaster strikes in the form of some mystery. Here, Drummond cannot get married because his fiancée is kidnapped! It seems there is a strange couple who say they are doing this to destroy Drummond because he was responsible for the capture of their loved one! What makes this different from many of the Drummond films is that his fiancée is not a passive victim--she often goes out to try to solve the mystery herself and seems to love the excitement of the Drummond lifestyle!

Overall, a decent addition to the series and interesting and worth seeing. Not the best of the Howard films (the villains and their cause seem weak), but also certainly not the worst. Average, but good for B-movie mystery/suspense fans (like me).