Editing Bulldog Drummond (1929 film)

{{short description|1929 film}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Bulldog Drummond
| image          = Bulldog-Drummond-1929.jpg
| caption        = movie poster
| director       = [[F. Richard Jones]]
| producer       = [[Samuel Goldwyn]]
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Bulldog Drummond (play)|Bulldog Drummond]]''<br>1921 play|[[Herman C. McNeile]]}}
| writer         = [[Sidney Howard]] (adaptation)<br>[[Wallace Smith (screenwriter)|Wallace Smith]]
| starring       = [[Ronald Colman]]<br>[[Claud Allister]]<br>[[Lawrence Grant]]<br>[[Montagu Love]]<br>[[Joan Bennett]]<br>[[Lilyan Tashman]]<br>[[Wilson Benge]]
| music          = [[Hugo Riesenfeld]]
| cinematography = [[George Barnes (cinematographer)|George S. Barnes]]<br>[[Gregg Toland]]
| editing        = Frank Lawrence<br>[[Viola Lawrence]]
| studio         = [[Samuel Goldwyn Productions]]
| distributor    = [[United Artists]]
| released       = {{Film date|1929|05|02|U.S.}}
| runtime        = 90 min.
| country        = United States
| language       = English
}}

'''''Bulldog Drummond''''' is a 1929 American [[Pre-Code Hollywood|pre-Code]] [[crime film]] in which [[Bulldog Drummond|Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond]] helps a young woman in distress.  The film stars [[Ronald Colman]] as the title character, [[Claud Allister]], [[Lawrence Grant]], [[Montagu Love]], [[Wilson Benge]], [[Joan Bennett]], and [[Lilyan Tashman]]. Produced by [[Samuel Goldwyn]] and directed by [[F. Richard Jones]], the movie was adapted by [[Sidney Howard]] from the play by [[H. C. McNeile]] (credited onscreen as "Sapper").

Colman was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]], and [[William Cameron Menzies]] for [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/7510/Bulldog-Drummond/details|title=Bulldog Drummond (1929)|access-date=April 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718172155/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/7510/Bulldog-Drummond/details|archive-date=July 18, 2012|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|publisher=[[Baseline (database)|Baseline]] & [[All Movie Guide]]|date=2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Oscars1930">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1931 |title=The 3rd Academy Awards (1930) Nominees and Winners |access-date=May 21, 2019 |publisher=Oscars.org ([[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]) |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113041225/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1931 |archive-date=November 13, 2014 }}</ref>

Two previous Bulldog Drummond films had been produced: ''[[Bulldog Drummond (1923 film)|Bulldog Drummond]]'' (1923) and ''[[The Third Round (film)|Bulldog Drummond's Third Round]]'' (1925). The 1929 film was the first Bulldog Drummond movie with sound, and was also Ronald Colman's first [[talkie]]. A series of Drummond movies followed, beginning with ''[[Temple Tower]]'' made in the UK in 1930; see the main article on [[Bulldog Drummond]] for a complete list.
[[File:Bulldog Drummond (1929).webm|thumb|The complete 1929 film]]

==Plot==
Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, a demobilised British captain bored with civilian life, places a [[personal advertisement]] in ''The Times'' offering his services for "any excitement". One of the many replies intrigues him: Phyllis Benton claims she is in great danger. He immediately sets out for the Green Bay Inn, where she has reserved some rooms for him. Unable to persuade him to give up this mad adventure, his friend Algy Longworth follows after, dragging Drummond's valet, Danny, along.
[[File:Bulldog Drummond (1929) 1.jpg|left|275px|thumb|[[Lilyan Tashman]] and [[Ronald Colman]] in ''Bulldog Drummond'']]
Phyllis turns out to be all Drummond had hoped for: beautiful and desperately in need of help. Her wealthy uncle, John Travers, is being treated in a hospital by a Dr. Lakington for a nervous breakdown, but she is sure there is something wrong about the hospital and Dr. Lakington, and that she is being watched constantly. She runs away when she spots the outline of two eavesdropping men (Algy and Danny), much to Drummond's annoyance. She is caught and taken to Dr. Lakington's Nursing Home by Carl Peterson, Irma and the doctor.

When Drummond follows, he witnesses Travers' unsuccessful attempt to escape. Drummond drives away, but returns stealthily and rescues Phyllis. Sending her off with Algy and Danny, he sneaks back once more and overhears Irma convince the others to stay and try to get Travers' signature on a document transferring securities and jewels to them. Drummond manages to save Travers.

However, he makes a serious error when he takes Travers back to the inn. The villains soon arrive there. Drummond manages to disguise himself as Travers; the crooks take him back, along with Phyllis. When they realise they have the wrong man they threaten to torture Phyllis. Drummond tells them Travers is hidden at the inn (whereas he is really being driven to London). While Peterson and Irma go to check, Drummond is freed by Phyllis before Lakington can kill him. He strangles the doctor. Drummond disarms Peterson when he returns, but his gang pose as policemen and take him away. Phyllis persuades Drummond to let them go, telling him she loves him.

==Cast==
{{div col}}
* [[Ronald Colman]] as [[Hugh Drummond]]
* [[Claud Allister]] as Algy Longworth 
* [[Lawrence Grant]] as Dr. Lakington
* [[Montagu Love]] as Carl Peterson
* [[Wilson Benge]] as Danny, Drummond's valet
* [[Joan Bennett]] as Phyllis Benton
* [[Lilyan Tashman]] as Irma
* [[Charles Sellon]] as John Travers
* [[Adolph Milar]] as 	Marcovitch
* [[Tetsu Komai]] as Chong
* [[Gertrude Short]] as Barmaid
* [[Donald Novis]] as Country Boy
* [[Tom Ricketts]] as Colonel in club (uncredited)
{{div col end}}

==Critical reaction==
[[File:"Bulldog Drummond" ad in The Film Daily, Jan-Jun 1929 (page 1281 crop).jpg|thumb|361x361px|''Bulldog Drummond'' ad in [[The Film Daily]], 1929]]
[[Mordaunt Hall]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called the film "the happiest and most enjoyable entertainment of its kind that has so far reached the screen", and recommended it to those who had harsh words for the burgeoning phenomenon of [[Sound film|motion pictures with sound]]. Hall lauded the film for going beyond a mere filmed version of the stage show, and the "artistry" with which director F. Richard Jones fashioned his scenes with an eye toward humor and thrills. Hall also praised the technical achievement of the sound quality, and the performances of Ronald Colman, Montagu Love and Lilyan Tashman.<ref>{{cite news | last = Hall | first = Mordaunt | author-link = Mordaunt Hall | date = May 3, 1929 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1929/05/03/archives/the-screen-a-smiling-melodrama.html | title = Movie Review – Bulldog Drummond (1929) | newspaper = [[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of early sound feature films (1926–1929)]]
* [[List of films in the public domain in the United States]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Internet Archive film|bulldog-drummond_1929|Bulldog Drummond}} 
* {{IMDb title|id=0019735|title=Bulldog Drummond}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=69866}}
* {{AFI film|3116}}
* [http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/B/BulldogDrummond1929.html ''Bulldog Drummond'' (1929) at SilentEra]

{{Bulldog Drummond}}
{{Samuel Goldwyn}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulldog Drummond (1929 Film)}}
[[Category:Films based on Bulldog Drummond]]
[[Category:1929 films]]
[[Category:American crime films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:Films directed by F. Richard Jones]]
[[Category:Samuel Goldwyn Productions films]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:1929 crime films]]
[[Category:1920s English-language films]]
[[Category:1920s American films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Hugo Riesenfeld]]
[[Category:English-language crime films]]

[[de:Bulldog Drummond]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]