shakspryn
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.
Tweekums
Newly engaged Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond is looking forward to the arrival of his fiancée Phyllis but plans for a peaceful visit don't last long. She hasn't been there long when she is kidnapped by Irena Soldanis and Mikhail Valdin. We soon learn why she was kidnapped; Irena wants revenge on Drummond because she blames him for her late brother's execution. She leaves a series of cryptic clues that are intended to make him suffer before they exact their ultimate revenge. Drummond follows the clues along with friend Algy and faithful butler Tenny. The kidnappers specifically told Drummond not to let Colonel Neilson of Scotland Yard get involved but the colonel decides to follow despite Drummond's instructions not to
this involves a series of impressive disguises.The adventure sees John Howard taking over the lead role and Louise Campbell taking over as Phyllis; Howard does a fine job as Drummond and Campbell is okay but not as good as Heather Angel was when the character was first introduced. The story may be a little cliché but it is still fun. The various clues aren't too convoluted; there is a good chance that the viewer will solve one or two before they are explained. There is a fair amount of action packed into the film's short runtime leading up to a gripping denouement. Mixed in with the drama there are some funny moments; Col Neilson's ingenious disguises were both amusing and surprisingly believable. The baddies are fairly cliché dastardly Central Europeans but that doesn't mean they aren't entertaining. Overall I'd say this is a fun action adventure that contains absolutely no offensive material.
MartinHafer
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).
Snow Leopard
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.
AD
