Bulldog Drummond’s Peril ** (1938, John Barrymore, John Howard, Louise Campbell, Reginald Denny, E E Clive, Porter Hall, Elizabeth Patterson) – Classic Movie Review 12,943

Bulldog Drummond escapes yet another planned trip to the altar with his fiancée Phyllis Clavering when, at a pre-wedding gathering in Geneva, a Swiss detective guarding the wedding gifts is murdered and an artificial diamond gift is stolen.

John Howard comes back as Bulldog Drummond in director James Hogan’s 1938 American adventure crime mystery film Bulldog Drummond’s Peril, with useful top billed star support from John Barrymore as Scotland Yard police commissioner Colonel Nielson, reteamed from Bulldog Drummond Comes Back (1937) and Bulldog Drummond’s Revenge (1937).

Hugh ‘Bulldog’ Drummond escapes yet another intended trip to the altar with his long-suffering fiancée Phyllis Clavering (Louise Campbell) when, at a pre-wedding gathering at the Clavering estate in Geneva, Switzerland, a Swiss detective guarding the wedding gifts is murdered and an artificial diamond gift is stolen.

The killer makes off with the diamond, made by a secret process by Professor Bernard Goodman (Halliwell Hobbes), the father of Gwen Longworth (Nydia Westman). A wedding guest, Sir Raymond Blantyre (Matthew Boulton), head of the Metropolitan Diamond Syndicate, also disappears.

Bulldog Drummond’s Peril is quite ordinary really, but it’s possible to view it very affectionately. The mystery’s fine, the synthetic diamond plot a useful, interesting one, and there are good stretches of serious bits in between the ridiculous ‘comedy’. There’s a good scene where the whip-wielding villain takes on a sword-wielding Bulldog that works well.

Tenny (class act E E Clive) has a lot of action to do, as well as making amusingly waspish remarks. John Barrymore as Colonel Neilson doesn’t really have much to do and doesn’t really fit into the plot, with not much witty banter between Neilson and Drummond, so Barrymore’s heart doesn’t seem to be in it. Poor Reginald Denny as Algy Longworth, it is not his fault, he’s doing as asked. Louise Campbell is a bit half-hearted as Drummond’s fiancée Phyllis Clavering.

The screenplay by Stuart Palmer is based on the novel The Third Round by Herman C McNeile, aka Sapper. As usual, too much silliness spoils the mystery entertainment.

Stars: John Barrymore, John Howard, Louise Campbell, Reginald Denny, E E Clive, Porter Hall, and Elizabeth Patterson.

The cast are John Barrymore as Colonel Neilson, John Howard as Captain Hugh C ‘Bulldog’ Drummond, Louise Campbell as Phyllis Clavering, Reginald Denny as Algy Longworth, E.E. Clive as Tenny, Porter Hall as Dr Max Botulian, Elizabeth Patterson as Aunt Blanche Clavering, Nydia Westman as Gwen Longworth, Michael Brooke as Anthony Greer, Halliwell Hobbes as Professor Bernard Goodman, Matthew Boulton as Sir Raymond Blantyre, Zeffie Tilbury as Mrs Weevens, David Clyde as Constable McThane, Clyde Cook as Constable Sacker, and Austin Fairman as Roberts.

It is shot in black and white by Harry Fischbeck.

Director: James P Hogan

Runtime: 65 minutes 57 seconds.

Louise Campbell took over from Heather Angel as Drummond’s fiancée Phyllis Clavering in Bulldog Drummond Comes Back, Bulldog Drummond’s Revenge and Bulldog Drummond’s Peril.

The Paramount Pictures Bulldog Drummond Movies:

Bulldog Drummond Escapes

Bulldog Drummond Comes Back

Bulldog Drummond’s Revenge

Bulldog Drummond in Africa

Bulldog Drummond’s Peril

Arrest Bulldog Drummond

Bulldog Drummond’s Secret Police

Bulldog Drummond’s Bride

It is one of eight Bulldog Drummond capers made by Paramount Pictures in the late 1930s, and sold in mid-1954 for re-release by Congress Films, who amateurishly redesigned the opening and closing credits to eliminate any signs of Paramount’s previous ownership.

Paramount did not renew the copyright, and the films fell into public domain.

The Paramount Bulldog Drummond series

Ray Milland starred in the 1937 Paramount Pictures film Bulldog Drummond Escapes, but was replaced in Bulldog Drummond Comes Back (1937) as Bulldog Drummond by John Howard, who played Bulldog Drummond in seven films produced by Paramount. John Barrymore stars in Bulldog Drummond Comes Back (1937). Howard continued opposite Barrymore in Bulldog Drummond’s Revenge (1937) and Bulldog Drummond’s Peril (1938). H B Warner replaced Barrymore in Bulldog Drummond in Africa (1938), Arrest Bulldog Drummond (1939), Bulldog Drummond’s Secret Police (1939), and Bulldog Drummond’s Bride (1939), the last in the series.

Bulldog Drummond at Bay

Bulldog Drummond at Bay is a 1937 British mystery drama film. It features John Lodge, Dorothy Mackaill, Victor Jory, and Claud Allister.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,943

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