Bulldog Drummond at Bay (1937)   Starring: John Lodge, Victory Jory, Hugh Millner, Dorothy Mackaill and Claud Allister Optimum Classic RRP: £15.99 OPTD1461 Certificate: PG Available 22 June 2009

Ivan Kalinsky, an arms dealer who uses a pacifist organisation as a front, discovers that an inventor has drawn up plans for a robot airplane. They attempt to kidnap him, but he breaks away and throws a cryptic note through the window of Bulldog Drummond’s house. Intrigued by the cry for help Drummond’s interest is further piqued when femme fatal Doris arrives at his door and tries to drug him. With the game afoot he calls in the help of his old friend Algy...

Bulldog Drummond At Bay (1937 - 1 hr, 13 min, 54 sec) is the tenth Drummond film based on the books by ‘Sapper’, this time out the spy melodrama was directed by Norman Lee.

The Drummond films tended to be variable in their quality, not least due to the numerous actors who played him. In many respects he was the James Bond of the inter war years. Looked at in this light we can see many similarities in the characters. Drummond, as portrayed this time by John Lodge, is well educated and certainly has a way with the ladies. It’s difficult to know who is more attracted to whom between the sultry Doris (Dorothy Mackaill) and Drummond. Claud Allister appears once again as Drummond’s sidekick Algy, thankfully this time out Allister, has turned down the more absurdist character traits as well as reigning back his over-the-top performance.

The film has a very strange narrative structure, unless you knew what you were watching, the first fifteen minutes of the film seem like a collection of random events. Presumably the original audience would have been steeped in Drummond lore, so would not require an introduction or a proper narrative structure. Oddly, it reminded me of watching Quantum of Solace, which also required information not actually contained in the film to make sense.

Hugh Miller (Kalinsky) plays the part of a two dimensional baddie with finesse, but in truth everyone in the film is there only to give Drummond something to do - little time is given over to fleshing out the characters.

Once again all you get is the film, with a clear mono audio track and the disc is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1.

The film is short but relatively entertaining and held to be the closest thing to the original novels. Thankfully the jingoism is kept to a minimum in a story which is more than a serial, but less than a full film.

5

Charles Packer