BULLDOG DRUMMOND’S REVENGE (director: Louis King; screenwriters: Edward T. Lowe/based on H. C. McNeile’s 1932 novel The Return of Bulldog Drummond; cinematographer: Harry Fischbeck; editor: Arthur Schmidt; cast: E. E. Clive (Tenny), Miki Morita (Sumio Kanda), Matthew Boulton (Sir John Haxton ), John Howard (Capt. Hugh “Bulldog” Drummond), John Barrymore (Colonel Nielson), Frank Puglia (Draven Nogais), Louise Campbell (Phyllis Clavering), Nydia Westman (Gwen Longworth), Reginald Denny (Algy Longworth), Robert Gleckler (Hardcastle); Runtime: 55; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Stuart Walker/Edward T. Lowe; Janus (Paramount); 1938)
“Pleasant but slight crime drama in the long running Drummond series.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Louis King(“Smoky”/”Sand”/”Powder River”) helms this pleasant but slight crime drama in the long running Drummond series. It has the American sleuth Captain Drummond (John Howard), while in London, traveling to Switzerland in order to marry his anxious girlfriend Phyllis (Louise Campbell). But the disappearance of a dangerous cargo of a new unstable super-bomb, in a suitcase, after the plane carrying its Brit scientist inventor ( Matthew Boulton) crashes and he’s killed, makes him delay his plans. The case is officially handled by Drummond’s friend, Scotland Yard’s Colonel Nielson (John Barrymore).
In Bulldog’s attempt to retrieve the deadly bomb, he’s aided by his clumsy sidelick Reginald Denny and his impeccably mannered Brit servant E.E. Clive. The villain is the scientist’s trusted secretary, Draven Nogais (Frank Puglia). He kills his boss and plans on selling the bomb to Brit enemies for half a million dollars.
The mystery for me is what revenge are they talking about in the title, since it’s clear Drummond gets revenge on no one.
It’s based on H. C. McNeile’s 1932 novel The Return of Bulldog Drummond. Edward T. Lowe writes the tepid screenplay for the programmer.
REVIEWED ON 9/29/2015 GRADE: B-
Dennis Schwartz: “Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”
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