Arrest Bulldog Drummond *** (1939, John Howard, Heather Angel, H B Warner, Reginald Denny, E E Clive, Jean Fenwick, George Zucco) – Classic Movie Review 6135

Director James P Hogan’s 1939 Paramount Pictures B-movie series crime thriller Arrest Bulldog Drummond is a modest but engaging enough Bulldog Drummond series entry, the sixth in the franchise.

John Howard stars as Captain Hugh C  ‘Bulldog’ Drummond, who is disconcerted to find himself arrested for killing a scientist, so obviously the real killer must be uncovered. Heather Angel co-stars as Drummond’s ever-loving fiancée, Phyllis Clavering (Heather Angel), and the two are about to get married.

George Zucco plays foreign madman Rolf Alferson, who has control of the stolen atomic disintegrater weapon that can explode everything within half a mile. But Drummond is suspected of the theft.

George Zucco plays Rolf Alferson.

It is okay as a time-passer but definitely only ever a filler. However, though it be ever so humble, it is still far from negligible. There is a very good cast to flesh it out though: H B Warner, Reginald Denny, E E Clive, Jean Fenwick, Leonard Mudie, Zeffie Tilbury, Evan Thomas, George Regas, Neil Fitzgerald, Claud Allister and David Clyde.

Stuart Palmer’s screenplay is based on the story The Final Count by Herman C McNeile, aka ‘Sapper’. A well-crafted studio production, it is made by Congress Films, distributed by Paramount Pictures, shot in black and white by ace cameraman Ted Tetzlaff, produced by William LeBaron (executive producer) and Stuart Walker (producer), and scored by Gerard Carbonara.

Paramount, having disowned their eight Bulldog Drummond films, never bothered to renew the copyrights, and they fell into public domain.

Paramount’s series of B movies about Bulldog Drummond first starred Ray Milland in Bulldog Drummond Escapes (1937). Howard then took over, but with second billing to John Barrymore who played Drummond’s colleague in his first performance as Drummond, Bulldog Drummond Comes Back (1937). Howard and Barrymore were then in Bulldog Drummond’s Revenge (1937) and Bulldog Drummond’s Peril (1938). Bulldog Drummond in Africa (1938) was the first Drummond without Barrymore. Then Howard did Arrest Bulldog Drummond (1939), Bulldog Drummond’s Secret Police (1939) and Bulldog Drummond’s Bride (1939), the last in the series.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6135

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com