BULLDOG DRUMMOND’S PERIL

US, 1938, 66 minutes, Black and white.
John Barrymore, John Howard, Louise Campbell, Reginald Denny, E.E.Clive, Porter Hall, Elizabeth Pattison, Halliwell Hobbes.
Directed by James P. Hogan.

During the 1930s there were many features with Hugh “Bulldog� Drummond, the creation of the author Sapper/Herman C. McNeile?. Most of them were supporting features, many of them running just under an hour. John Howard appeared as Drummond in many of these films, sometimes Ray Milland.

This film opens in Switzerland on Drummond’s wedding day, his fiancee wanting him to give up his detecting work. However, there is a problem with the wedding reception, a gift of an artificially created diamond, the death of a detective, a businessman and associate escaping by plane back to London to track down the scientist behind the diamonds. Drummond, with his friend Algy, Reginald Denny, hires a plan, despite storms, to get back to London.

Meanwhile at headquarters is the chief inspector, played by John Barrymore who had appeared in this role in several of the episodes. If anyone wanted to look at the decline of the famous actor, this is certainly one to watch. He overacts making his character impossible.

There are various complications in London, another scientist who has been trying to make artificial diamonds, the entrepreneur and his associate disguising himself as the scientist and infiltrating the laboratory. The police run watches, the actual scientist goes to his appointment early, there is a death, the laboratory going up in an explosion, and a van taking away machinery and documents. In pursuit is Drummond’s butler, are very energetic and comic performance with some ultra-heroics by E.E.Clive.

The criminals eventually capture most of the people concerned, including Drummond’s fiance who has joined the search for him. When the police arrive, it is shown that the rival scientist is a killer – and the entrepreneur and his associate are also arrested.

James P.Hogan directed a number of these episodes and, it is noted that successful director, Edward Dmytryk, was the editor of this film.