Bulldog Drummond's Revenge

I had never seen one of these before, so I wasn't aware of the dynamics of Drummond, his fiancée, the butler, and the scatterbrained friend, Algie. Obviously, the play for humor often trumps the seriousness of the events unfolding. In this one, a secret explosive is concealed in a suitcase that finds its way from person to person, with most not knowing that even a small amount of the junk could send everyone up in smoke. The suitcase is jarred, thrown, kicked, run with, but, of course, remains inert. The byplay with the regular characters is okay, once you get used to the fact that 1937's humor is a bit different than 2006. The one character that I couldn't tolerate was Algie's significant other who cackles and squawks and runs off at the mouth. Once we get into the intrigue and figure out who is who, it is a nice little spy story. Drummond, of course, is the playboy type never becomes flustered and treats things that are deadly serious as a joke. One thing that has bothered me in the three I have watched is how seldom the character listen to each other.

This is one of the better entries in the Drummond series. Three of the best entries are from 1937. The real reason they are better may be because of the writer, Edward T. Lowe Jr. He wrote this one as well as 1937's Bulldog Drummond Escapes and Bulldog Drummond Comes Back.

The pace is quick, the dialog good, and there is some very nice physical humor throughout that features reasonable exaggeration without being too farcical. John Barrymore's more restrained performance as Col. Nielsen helps to highlight his bits of physical humor. The supporting cast is in especially fine form.

The plot centers on the theft of a powerful explosive and our hero's efforts to retrieve it and solve the murders associated with the theft. There is nice touch involving a hand and arm.

Lastly, if don't like to see women faint, stay away!

It looks like Capt. Hugh Chesterton 'Bulldog' Drummond (John Howard) is getting married to Phyllis (Louise Campbell) and giving up the detecting racket. He almost loses the wedding rings, but with a little ingenuity and a stick of American gum, they are retrieved. A lot of good that does him as it turns out a scientist is missing along with an extraordinary explosive formula. The only Bulldog finds out the hard way with a severed arm containing a familiar ring. Col. J. A. Nielson (John Barrymore) of Scotland Yard wants to know how Bulldog fits in the situation.

Yes, this is a formula spy story with a Bulldog Drummond overlay. Based on the novel "The Return of Bulldog Drummond."

This is a pretty good, if unspectacular, Bulldog Drummond feature with the usual good cast and a story with plenty of action plus a little humor at the right times. The story is a little less imaginative than the ideas in some of the other features in the series, but it makes up for it with plenty of action that keeps things going.

Most of the story-line revolves around a secret new explosive that a scientist has invented, which the villains would obviously love to get their hands on. Some of the better moments come when the main action interferes with Drummond's plans to marry Phyllis (Louise Campbell), while flustering the befuddled but ever-helpful Algy (Reginald Denny).

John Barrymore is always good fun as Colonel Neilson, and he makes good use of his opportunities here, while E.E. Clive does likewise as the quick-witted Tenny. It's a good feature that should satisfy any fan of the series, though its fairly familiar plot ideas and rather nondescript villains keep it from being one of the very best entries in the series.

...he can ever stop working on a case long enough.

In this Bulldog Drummond film, Hugh (John Howard) and Phyllis (Louise Campbell) are close to their wedding, when he becomes involved in the protection of a new explosive, recently invented by a scientist. Supposedly this explosive is fragile and will go off if you even brush past the container.

The explosive is in a suitcase, which is stolen. For something that will go off if you breathe on it, this suitcase was thrown, dropped, you name it, and it never blew up.

Phyllis, in her sweet way blew up, however, and wondered if she could marry Hugh Drummond when he's so involved in detective work.

John Barrymore again gets top billing as the Colonel, and he's great. Howard is an excellent Drummond, Reginald Denny is on hand as the confused Algy, and E.E. Clive is the butler who is so much more. It's a nice cast.

These Drummond films are B movies and are enjoyable and entertaining. They shouldn't be judged in comparison to Citizen Kane. The Saint, Bulldog Drummond, Charlie Chan, Mr. Moto - all second features that are delightful.