Arrest Bulldog Drummond (1939)

Director:

James P. Hogan

Writers:

Stuart Palmer (screenplay)
Herman C. McNeile (book)

Release Date:

11 January 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The invention of a war machine, that brings to explosion everything one wants to, puts Scotland Yard and Captain Drummond into alarm. |

Plot Keywords:

Adventurer | Sequel | Bulldog Drummond | Based On Book | Character Name In Title

Cast

John Howard	...	Captain Hugh C. Drummond
Heather Angel	...	Phyllis Clavering
H.B. Warner	...	Colonel Nielsen
Reginald Denny	...	Algy Longworth
E.E. Clive	...	Tenny
Jean Fenwick	...	Lady Beryl Ledyard
Zeffie Tilbury	...	Aunt Meg
George Zucco	...	Rolf Alferson
Leonard Mudie	...	Richard Gannett
Evan Thomas	...	Smith
Clyde Cook	...	Constable Sacker
David Clyde	...	Constable McThane
George Regas	...	Soongh
Neil Fitzgerald	...	Sir Malcolm McLeonard
Claud Allister	...	Sir Basil Leghorne
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy Aubrey	...	Steward (uncredited)
Frank Baker	...	Cop (uncredited)
Kathryn Bates	...	Tourist (uncredited)
Billy Bevan	...	Aquarium Guard (uncredited)
Dolores Casey	...	(uncredited)
Steve Clemente	...	Native Buying Rifle (uncredited)
Neil Craig	...	Tourist (uncredited)
Sheila Darcy	...	(uncredited)
John Davidson	...	Gumba - Bird Seller (uncredited)
Harold Garrison	...	Native Boy with Message (uncredited)
Forrester Harvey	...	Constable at Gannett House (uncredited)
Grace Hayle	...	Tourist (uncredited)
Olaf Hytten	...	Island Police Arresting Sergeant (uncredited)
Eugene Jackson	...	Hotel Page Boy (uncredited)
Frank Lackteen	...	Native Selling Rifle (uncredited)
Joyce Mathews	...	(uncredited)
Hercules Mendez	...	Foreign Agent (uncredited)
Ferdinand Munier	...	Old Maj. Trumleigh (uncredited)
Gerald Rogers	...	Island Police Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
John Rogers	...	Guggins - Scrawny Henchman (uncredited)
Ruth Rogers	...	Maid (uncredited)
Sam Savitsky	...	Foreign Agent (uncredited)
John Sutton	...	Inspector Tredennis (uncredited)

Directed by
James P. Hogan		(as James Hogan)

Writing credits
Stuart Palmer		(screenplay)
Herman C. McNeile		(book "The Final Count") (as H.C. 'Sapper' McNeile)

Produced by
William LeBaron	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Stuart Walker	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Gerard Carbonara		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Ted Tetzlaff		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Stuart Gilmore

Art Direction by
Franz Bachelin
Hans Dreier

Set Decoration by
A.E. Freudeman		(interior decorations)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry Scott	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Hugo Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Richard Olson	....	sound recordist

Music Department
Boris Morros	....	musical director
John Leipold	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Sam Wineland	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Public Media (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Sultan Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Teakwood Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Cellar, The (2008) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

57 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording) | Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Movie Connections:

Follows Bulldog Drummond (1929)

Good watching and excellent performances, pity about the plot and the secret weapon

This is the fourteenth Bulldog Drummond film, and it is highly watchable. The performances are very good, and one wishes the plot were less implausible and the 'secret weapon' were not a mere tin contraption which any schoolboy could have put together in an hour from scraps in a school workshop. But then, we are not meant to take the plot at all seriously, we are merely meant to sit back and enjoy seeing John Howard and Heather Angel almost get married again, H. B. Warner as Colonel Nielson grumble and demand not to be called 'Inspector', E. E. Clive as Tenny the Butler say 'I rather thought so, sir' in his own inimitable way, and Reginald Denny as Algy Longworth be an endearing bumbling fool as usual: 'You mean you're not dead, Hugh?' 'Not even a bit dead, Algy.' George Zucco is a wonderfully convincing and menacing villain, as he was to be so many more times. One surprising development is that Claud Allister, the original Algy Longworth as far back as Ronald Colman days, who in his time had seen many a Drummond come and go, appears in a serious straight role as a distinguished friend of the Commissioner, which he does very well. Perhaps they were giving a part to an old pal, or Allister wanted to show that he could be a jolly good straight actor, have a deep voice rather than a high-pitched effete whinny, and look as if he were not a dolt, - at all of which he succeeds admirably. Heather Angel is delightful, the diametrical opposite to the cringeing, whimpering and helpless Joan Bennett who in earlier times draped herself in Colman's arms like a water hose which has just squirted its last. The clouds of war are gathering in this 1939 film. There are secret agents of foreign powers willing to pay a million pounds for a ray which detonates guns at a range of half a mile. One senses the danger in the air, despite all the silliness. One wonderful touch in this film is the presence of a trained talking raven. He has a role in the plot, and even shares the last frame. We could have done with more of that raven.