Bulldog Drummond (1929)

"Phyllis, you're wonderful! You're one of us!"
Bulldog Drummond films date all the way back to the silent era. While the two films with Ronald Colman are considered to be the best by many critics, the most fun and entertaining films are surely the "B" films with John Howard in the role of Hugh Drummond. But others had their turn at the famous adventurer, including a young Ray Milland. This one is lighthearted in spirit, and quite fun in that vein.

Pal Algy is an expecting father as Bulldog arrives by plane with a bit of derring-do, landing in a dangerous fog. Guy Standing is the Clolonel this time, and he's not pleased to see Hugh, knowing his arrival is sure to bring adventure.

It isn't long before his fears are realized, when our hero Bulldog finds a damsel in distress in the road. There's a murdered man nearby and the damsel disappears! Hugh suspects she's being held against her will in Greystone Manor, but can't convince the Colonel. Pretty Heather Angel is enough to make any man take a risk or two, and Bulldog's nose for adventure and damsels leads him right into trouble.

Milland makes a fun and dashing Drummond in this lighthearted entry in the series. This one is important because it shows how Bulldog and Phyllis first met. The very fun tone of this one makes for fine entertainment for "B" fans. Bulldog plays a clever trick to tear Algy away from the delivery and an even neater trick involving a dummy to find the evidence he needs to save Phyllis from the ruffians!

While this particular DVD transfer isn't the greatest, if it's the only Drummond you're in need of collecting and don't want to spend a lot, it'll do. Just grab the kids and some popcorn and have a good time watching this one.

Captain Drummond to the rescue
Under heavy fog Drummond (Ray Milland) comes in for a landing against everyone's better judgment. It is important as his friend is Algy Longworth is in the hospital (I rather not say what for).

While confronting Algy (Reginald Denny) on this delicate matter he gets a call form Inspector Col. Sir Reginald Nielson (Sir Guy Standing) who warns him to go home or leave the country immediately. "But Inspector!", "Don't call me inspector!"

Sir Reginald explains that he is on vacation and every time Bulldog shows up there is a mystery with a beautiful woman in distress and a murder near by.

Naturally Bulldog shrugs him off, and sure enough runs into a beautiful woman (Phyllis Clavering) in distress and a near by body being bogged down. A friend of the inspector (Walter Kingsfordis) is staying and running her house. Try as he may Bulldog can not convince the inspector that his so called friend is up to no good. So now he must enlist Algy to help prove it.

Does he succeed or is it really all a mistake?
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Different prints of the film are available. Naturally the "Alpha Video" is the same old scratchy transfer. There are transfers others that are very clear. Look for "Janus Films"

A Dated, Amusing Adventure, With A Bad DVD Transfer
If you're a good-looking young woman in distress, you can count on Hugh Drummond -- "Bulldog" Drummond -- to come to your aid. This sophisticated man-about-town, part adventurer, part clothes horse, stepped into seven Paramount movies during the Thirties. This was the first. He was played by Ray Milland, who chose not to do any of the others. Although the movie isn't bad, in a rickety romantic mystery-comedy sort of way, Milland probably made a wise career choice. He was followed in the role by John Howard, and not too many people remember Howard nowadays.

On a wet, foggy English night, Drummond is driving his open roadster down a narrow road when he almost hits a young woman who is frantically trying to wave him down (Heather Angel). He veers to miss her, stops, but then hears a shot. He tells the woman to wait and goes to investigate. There, lying on the marsh, is a dead man...slowly sinking under the boggy surface. He returns to the car and finds it missing. What to do? Fortunately, his man, "Tenny" Tennison (E. E. Clive), spotted the car mysteriously abandoned by the woman, and drives up in it looking for Drummond. "Did you find the handkerchief?" Hugh asks Tenny. "Handkerchief?" "Yes, Tenny," Hugh says, "a delicate, perfumed handkerchief belonging to a young lady. Do you understand?" "I'm afraid I don't, sir," Tenny replies. "Young ladies who borrow cars on lonely roads," Hugh explains, "always leave perfumed handkerchiefs...usually with their initials." And, by George, there tucked away in the passenger seat where it wouldn't be easily spotted is a delicate handkerchief with the embroidered initials PC. Hugh quickly learns the initials stand for Phyllis Claverling. From there, we are off on an adventure that involves an isolated mansion called Greystone, an untrustworthy-looking Professor Norman Meridew (Porter Hall) with a weak chin and suspicious eyes who lives there with two others and an unsmiling butler...and Phyllis Claverling.

Hugh investigates. He returns the handkerchief to Professor Meridew, who explains the situation as they stand in front of the great, carved doorway to Greystone. She's a very troubled young woman, he tells Hugh. "She believes I killed her brother. She also believes I am plotting to steal her inheritance." "And are you," Hugh asks with a smile. The professor pauses, then laughs.

There's quite a bit of night-time prowling, searching of rooms, sliding of hidden doors and vases smashing onto heads packed into the movie's 67 minutes. Milland does a fine job as the humorous, action-oriented Bulldog Drummond, but the most amusing is E. E. Clive as Tenny. He's a thin, older man with an upper-class accent which would impress Lady Bracknell. Tenny is resourceful, unflappable and looks at the world down his nose.

This is a slight movie, one of hundreds of programmers which were churned out in the Thirties. It's dated. It's predictable. It's not bad at all. The Alpha Video DVD transfer, however, is barely watchable...fuzzy, spotted, faded. The audio is a bit better. If you like older movies and want something to watch while folding the laundry, if you can put up with a bad transfer and only if the price is right, you might enjoy Hugh Drummond as he rescues Miss Claverling.