Bulldog Drummond Escapes (1937)
Director - James P. Hogan
The Plot
Bulldog Drummond (Ray Milland) discovers a plot to steal the inheritance of a beautiful, but possibly mentally disturbed heiress (Heather Angel). He falls in love with the woman and rescues her a number of times before he finally gets it right.
Film Notes
A Dark and Foggy Night
Bulldog Drummond Escapes begins in the night fog and pretty much stays there. Hollywood pros James Hogan and Victor Milner take advantage of the setting of a dank and dreary English countryside to set a mysterious mood in what would otherwise be a hackneyed drawing room mystery. Much of the film is images of small pools of light in darkness which helps to balance out Ray Milland's rather wide-eyed, energetic performance.
Bulldog Drummond
The popularity of American hard-boiled detective fiction inspired Herman McNeile to create a British counterpart. Thus was born Captain Hugh Drummond, better known as "Bulldog." First introduced in novels, the character was spun off into short stories, films, plays, radio and TV. Drummond in many ways is the precursor to the current entertainment business model of endless sequels and spin-offs. The Drummond character was a World War I officer who became a private detective with a career that lasted beyond the Second World War. In print he was often brutal; in films he was somewhat softened.
Cary Grant Jr.
A native of Wales, Ray Milland had a long Hollywood career. He started off as a kind of Cary Grant Jr., performing ably in mostly light comedies and adventures while still performing in the occasional drama. His most notable role came as the monster alcoholic in The Lost Weekend, for which he won the Oscar® for Best Actor of 1945.
The later part of his career was a descension into TV and sci-fi/horror exploitation films such as The Thing With Two Heads and Frogs. However, if you find guilty pleasures in this genre, it is worth seeking out the wild The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, one of Roger Corman's best directorial efforts.
Animated Angel
Heather Angel appeared as Phyllis Clavering in 5 Bulldog Drummond films. She also appeared in a number of classic "A" movies such as Last of the Mohicans, Suspicion and Lifeboat. In her 40s, she voiced characters in Disney's animated Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.
Escapist Trivia
- Porter Hall (the evil doctor) was the evil quasi/psychologist in the classic Miracle on 34th Street.
- Cinematographer Victor Milner won the Academy Award for Cecil B. Demille's 1934 Cleopatra.
-- Ed Schneider
Cast & Production Credits
| Ray Milland | Capt. Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond |
| Guy Standing | Inspector Nielson |
| Heather Angel | Phyllis Clavering |
| Porter Hall | Merridew |
| Reginald Denny | Algy Longworth |
| E.E. Clive | 'Tenny' Tennison |
| Fay Holden | Natalie |
| Walter Kingsford | Stanton |
| Pat Kelly | Stiles |
| Charles McNaughton | Constable Higgins |
| Clyde Cook | Alf |
| Frank Elliott | Bailey |
| Zeffie Tilbury | Drunk |
| David Clyde | Gower |
| Colin Tapley | Dixon |
| Produced by Paramount | |
| James Hogan | Director |
| Edward T. Lowe | Producer / Screenwriter |
| Gerald Fairlie | Screenwriter |
| Herman C. McNeile | Screenwriter |
| Victor Milner | Cinematographer |
| Doris Lloyd | Nurse |
