Bulldog Drummond's Peril

Murder and robbery drag the adventurous Drummond away from his wedding and he pursues the villains behind diamond counterfeiting, and finds himself in trouble.

Slightly weaker entry to the ones I had seen, mainly because Phylis, Algy and Tenny aren't in the focus much, and also the plot can be confusing. It also meanders a little. Still it's entertaining; there's a good stunt Tenny does as he transfers himself from his bycycle to a van and a rousing scene of Drummond fencing with a man with a whip.

Sharp dialog and decent plotting make this another of the better entries in the Bulldog Drummond series. This time, John Howard as Hugh Drummond is entangled in a murder and diamond theft in Switzerland and tracking the heavies back to England. Nice locations, some train and airplane travel, explosions, and a bullwhip vs sword fight make for a nice adventure. Barrymore as Nielson doesn't have much to do, nor do Phyllis or even Algy, but faithful Tenny is on hand, of course (even riding a motorcycle!). For those keeping score, in this one, Drummond starts out in Switzerland about to marry Phyllis, and for once Algy isn't worried about anything.

Also interesting is how this little potboiler was well ahead of its time with the invention of artificial diamonds and corporate conspiracies to suppress rival technology.

Hugh Bulldog Drummond (John Howard) is about to marry his great love, Phyllis, when the wedding has to be delayed.

One lovely wedding gift they received was a beautiful diamond, which turns out was created by the father of Phyllis' friend Gwen. He is very excited about presenting a paper at a conference and to be the first one who has created the gem. He's interested in credit, not money; in fact, he plans on giving the formula away.

At the party to celebrate the upcoming nuptials is Sir Raymond Blantree, a jewel magnate. He wants the formula and Gwen's father, Professor Goodman to sink the invention before it wrecks the value of jewels everywhere. The oil companies have done this for years with alternate fuel patents.

Professor Goodman isn't inclined to sell.

Everybody wants this formula, and in fact, a detective at the party is found murdered as a result of the diamond itself being stolen.

When Blantree finds out that Goodman is going to borrow equipment from a gemologist, Dr. Botulian, he devises a plan to steal the invention.Little does he know that Dr. Botulian has a plan of his own.

Well, this is where the movie goes off the rails. Blantree is having someone impersonate Dr. Botulian and show up at 9 p.m. Botulian himself plans on showing up earlier. Unfortunately I just couldn't tell who was who and before you knew it, I was totally confused.

John Howard is a dapper and charming Drummond, and Algy (Reginald Denny) and Tenney (E.E. Clive) are on hand to help him do what he can to catch the criminals.

Not on board and mad as hell and not going to take it anymore is the Colonel (John Barrymore) who is sick of Drummond's machinations. He's great. Phyllis (Louise Campbell), who thought her future husband was retiring, at one point tells him she never wants to see him again. We know she doesn't mean it.

Of course today we have all kinds of lab-created diamonds: Brilliant Earth, Moissanite, Affinity, etc. Brilliant Earth and Moissanite cost a fortune. I would have told Blantree, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

This is one off the more fast-paced features in the Bulldog Drummond series, with the usual likable regulars and a story that includes some interesting details. For the first half or so, it's as good as any of the movies in the series. In the last part, it gets a bit too tangled up at times, but it still comes out all right.

The setup makes use of the series's running gag about the often-postponed plans for the wedding between Drummond and Phyllis, with the adventure this time getting underway with the theft of one of their own wedding gifts. The main story centers around a scientist who has developed a way of producing synthetic diamonds, and some of it is rather imaginative. It also incorporates some nice offbeat details, such as an endearing live penguin.

The story is nicely paced, and except when it tries to squeeze just a little too much out of the material in some of the later sequences, it works pretty well. John Howard is low-key but suitably unflappable as Drummond. Most of the series regulars get some moments of their own. John Barrymore doesn't get as much to work with in this one as he usually does, but he is always entertaining when he gets the chance. Much of it would be watchable just for the good-natured interplay amongst the characters.

British adventurer John Howard (as Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond) is all set to marry girlfriend Louise Campbell (as Phyllis Clavering), in Geneva, Switzerland. Back in Scotland Yard, ace investigator John Barrymore (as Colonel Nielson) sends the couple books as a wedding present. He couldn't make the wedding. While looking over their gifts, Drummond and Phyllis are amazed at the delivery of a stunning diamond. Supposedly artificial ("glass"), the jewel is actually a valuable new synthetic diamond. Almost immediately, the diamond is replaced by a dead body. Of course, Drummond must cancel his wedding to solve the crimes...

This was the last appearance by Mr. Barrymore in the "Bulldog Drummond" series. Frequently shouting, "Don't call me inspector!" it's Barrymore's least successful characterization of Colonel Nielson. Reportedly, alcohol was taking a heavy toll on the acclaimed actor, although he would manage a few more effective roles before expiring. Mysterious guest star Porter Hall (as Max Botulian) picks up some of the slack. Generally, the story is an improvement over the previous episode, with capable direction by James Hogan and editing by Edward Dmytryk. Howard and the regulars are joined by Elizabeth Patterson (as Aunt Blanche), a fine addition.

***** Bulldog Drummond's Peril (1938-03-17) James Hogan ~ John Howard, John Barrymore, Porter Hall, E.E. Clive