Bulldog Jack

Humorous dialog is the big plus for this film, and it's not even so-called 'British humor'. Is this a spoof or not? That's the best kind!

The fast pace combined with the typically weak early 30s British audio quality means you have to listen closely to catch a lot of the humor, but there are also visual slapstick and spoof-like moments too.

Having enjoyed several of the Bulldog movies starring John Howard (and the one Ray Milland entry), this movie was especially enjoyable for its `spin' on the characters and series. Use of the London Underground helps the atmosphere and staging as well as providing some humorous references in the dialog.

This is very much a comedy, and the comic skills of the main leads are quite good.

It also works pretty well as a standard adventure film in the mold of the main series, albeit with none of the usual actors.

The main problem with this is that although the leads are funny, and Fay Wray is very pretty, they just don't have the charisma and charm of the actors in the main series.

I'm constantly amazed at the inventiveness of 1930s detective stories. The genre was still being formed and all sorts of crazy narrative techniques were being tried. Most failed of course or even if they hit, they weren't rich enough to be developed and therefore died as well.

The Bulldog Drummond franchise was one of the most successful of the era, and also one that had the most experimentation, compared for example with Chan or Holmes. In this edition, the crooks hide behind false identities and motives. The criminal plan is to create a deceptive object. So there are already two "false identities" involved. This film adds a third: the series detective has a surrogate who operates in his name.

It doesn't work for me. Probably didn't at the time, except to provide a way to introduce "British" humor. But its a clever idea, huh?

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

Have seen this film several times now and generally chuckle/grin/smile most all of the way through. Always enjoy seeing the Underground and the British Museum settings again. Excellent "escapist" antidote to today's generally depressive "gloom and doom" national atmosphere. These days, I feel we need more of this type of film and less of the kind that's too light on dialogue and too heavy on violence and special effects.

Following the lines of this film, a few years later 20th Century Fox did a version of The Three Musketeers where the Ritz Brothers take the place of the real musketeers and tell part of Dumas's story. It's not one of my favorites. But Alias Bulldog Drummond where the real bulldog is incapacitated so Jack Hulbert takes his place as Fay Wray goes to him for help.

Algy who was never much help to Bulldog Drummond in any event is also along for the ride. It doesn't go too good at first, Fay Wray who is seeking help for her father gets kidnapped, Paul Graetz her father who the crooks really want is also kidnapped and Scotland Yard is put out no end.

As it turns out Ralph Richardson in one of his earliest films is the leader of a gang of jewel thieves. They want Graetz to make a duplicate of a valuable necklace to replace the original when they steal it. Richardson and his gang are playing for some very high stakes.

Jack Hulbert and his brother Claude who plays Algy have some nice comic bits in the film. Richardson is quite the suave master crook. There are some nice scenes in the London Underground where Richardson's crew have made their hideaway and there's a great climax involving a train, shades of The Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3.

As for the real Captain Drummond, who cares if it's an ersatz bulldog as long as the job gets done.