Arrest Bulldog Drummond (1938)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Load of rubbish!!

Fantastic!

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

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.

Bulldog Drummond's wedding plans must be put on hold once again while he tries to stop a madman (George Zucco) with a stolen death ray. A good entry in the Bulldog Drummond series. One of my favorites, actually. John Howard and the cast of regulars are enjoyable. Heather Angel continues to be the best Phyllis -- clever, brave, spunky. H.B. Warner yells a lot this time around. It's annoying. Leonard Mudie is terrific in his brief part as the inventor of the ray. George Zucco and Jean Fenwick are loads of fun as the villains. The science fiction elements are wonderful. Drummond has a cool fight scene on the pier. It moves along at a brisk pace and keeps your interest throughout. It's got George Zucco and a death ray -- how can you not like that?

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.

"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.