Arrest Bulldog Drummond (1938)

Director: JAMES HOGAN. Screenplay: Stuart Palmer. Based on the 1926 novel The Final Count by H.C. ("Sapper") McNeile. Photography: Ted Tetzlaff. Film editor: Stuart Gilmore. Art directors: Hans Dreier, Franz Bachelin. Set decorations: A.E. Freudeman. Music director: Boris Morros. Assistant director: Evan Thomas. Sound recording: Hugo Grenzbach, Richard Olson. Western Electric Sound System. Producer: Stuart Walker.Copyright 25 November 1938 by Paramount Pictures Inc. Presented by Adolph Zukor. New York opening at the Criterion: 11 January 1939. U.S. release: 25 November 1938. Australian release: 12 January 1939. 6 reels. 60 minutes. SYNOPSIS: Drummond and his friends travel to a British-held tropical island to corner a villain who has transported a powerful death ray there from London, after killing its inventor.NOTES: Number 14 of the 24-picture "Bulldog Drummond" series.COMMENTS: There's plenty of explosive action in this one (after a slow start) and the support cast is interesting too. Unfortunately, the script re-introduces Nielson's tiresome "Don't call me Inspector!" joke, though Reginald Denny is less boobish than usual and Nydia Westman is mercifully not present. Hogan keeps the film moving at a crackling pace and production values, headed by Ted Tetzlaff's cinematography, are good.

I can't say I was especially thrilled by any of the Bulldog Drummond films starring John Howard that I've seen so far (in fact, it is quite hard to tell them apart), but "Arrest Bulldog Drummond" may well be the best of them; it seems to be the most action-packed, the most incident-filled, the most eager-to-please. There are lots of pyrotechnics, a fine bad girl (Jean Fernwick, who on the basis of this should have had a more distinguished career than a long string of uncredited parts!), and Heather Angel in shorts! Yes, her legs are amazing. The film also has a strong sense of family - particularly in a scene where Tenny, Algy and Nielson are overjoyed to discover that Hugh is alive and well after having disappeared for four days. If one Drummond-Howard film is enough for your viewing experience, try to make it this one. **1/2 out of 4.

This is the fourteenth Bulldog Drummond film, and it is highly watchable. The performances are very good, and one wishes the plot were less implausible and the 'secret weapon' were not a mere tin contraption which any schoolboy could have put together in an hour from scraps in a school workshop. But then, we are not meant to take the plot at all seriously, we are merely meant to sit back and enjoy seeing John Howard and Heather Angel almost get married again, H. B. Warner as Colonel Nielson grumble and demand not to be called 'Inspector', E. E. Clive as Tenny the Butler say 'I rather thought so, sir' in his own inimitable way, and Reginald Denny as Algy Longworth be an endearing bumbling fool as usual: 'You mean you're not dead, Hugh?' 'Not even a bit dead, Algy.' George Zucco is a wonderfully convincing and menacing villain, as he was to be so many more times. One surprising development is that Claud Allister, the original Algy Longworth as far back as Ronald Colman days, who in his time had seen many a Drummond come and go, appears in a serious straight role as a distinguished friend of the Commissioner, which he does very well. Perhaps they were giving a part to an old pal, or Allister wanted to show that he could be a jolly good straight actor, have a deep voice rather than a high-pitched effete whinny, and look as if he were not a dolt, - at all of which he succeeds admirably. Heather Angel is delightful, the diametrical opposite to the cringeing, whimpering and helpless Joan Bennett who in earlier times draped herself in Colman's arms like a water hose which has just squirted its last. The clouds of war are gathering in this 1939 film. There are secret agents of foreign powers willing to pay a million pounds for a ray which detonates guns at a range of half a mile. One senses the danger in the air, despite all the silliness. One wonderful touch in this film is the presence of a trained talking raven. He has a role in the plot, and even shares the last frame. We could have done with more of that raven.

"Arrest Bulldog Drummond" promises more than it delivers - the science fiction plot has bad hats Zucco & Co. in charge of and selling an explosive electric ray device to the Enemy, with Drummond & Co. out to stop him. The weapon has a range of between a quarter and half a mile - which seems to make it well worth £1,000,000 to a Bad Power. A plan to terrorise London? Nah, it'll never happen.In 56 minutes it lurches from one improbable scene to another - H.B. Warner is definitely NOT my idea of a Scotland Yard Inspector, sorry, Colonel. Colonel? Zucco and his ... sidekick, Lady Beryl take an almost childish glee in repeatedly demonstrating the weapon to themselves - meaning to the original cinema audience of 11 years olds! Everyone as usual plays their parts well, especially Howard/Angel/Denny & Clive as the unflappable goodie quartet.Some nice touches here and there, with plenty of witticisms from all concerned, especially Hugh's impending marriage to Phyllis - or not, make it an enjoyable entry in the series. My copy was very poor and choppy but didn't detract too much for me.