Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Captivating movie !

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

*Spoiler/plot- Calling Bulldog Drummond, 1951. Post WW2 London has six large robberies occur with military precision and Scotland Yard is confused. They call on Bulldog Drummond (retired detective) to help in the investigation. Drummond changes into another 'personae' and closes the case with the help of a female feisty constable Sargent.*Special Stars- Walter Pigoen, Margaret Leighton, Robert Beatty, David Tomlinson, Bernard Lee.*Theme- Deduction and observation helps in good police work.*Trivia/location/goofs- B & W. British. Walter Pigeon is the 12 man to play the role in 20 films going back to the early 20's. Watch for Bernard Lee in an early role and was later to be established in the James Bond series as director "m". From a close friend of Pigeon, "This time Drummond was played by Walter Pidgeon, his single time in the role. Pidgeon was also suave and charming, but was not a young man by this time and lacked the energy and vivacity for the part. In any case, the director Victor Savile was clearly infatuated (if only in the directorial sense) with Pidgeon's female co-star in this film, the remarkable Margaret Leighton.We get plenty of closeups of her, but none of Pidgeon. Pidgeon was evidently happy to let Margaret Leighton steal all her scenes, as it must have amused him that in her role as a woman police officer masquerading with him as a crook to infiltrate a criminal gang of thieves, she was taking over the film. Pidgeon was not an egotist. I knew him slightly when I was young and he was old. Despite his impeccable manners of a gentleman, which were perfectly genuine, he could be a bit difficult at times and did not suffer fools gladly. He had an excellent sense of humor and laughed heartily and deeply. He was a passionate drinker of strong coffee, and the twinkle in his eye was natural and innate. Despite the many decades of difference in our ages, we 'clicked', and if circumstances had permitted, we could have had long and meaningful conversations, whereas our conversations were never long, and our acquaintance was passing. However, I gained enough of a personal impression of him to judge his worth, and that was high indeed. He was an extremely interesting, thoughtful, and amusing man, and he was far from superficial." Walter Pigeon , a Canadian willed his body to be donated for medical science students at UCLA.*Emotion- A well acted, fast moving, engrossing police mystery involving The Yard, Drummond, and the lower classes of London, England. Much more of a feature film representation of Drummond than the older stage plays films. The film is the best (and the last) of the all the series. A high point of this detective character on film.*Based on- Maj Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond detective series.

When I saw the famous MGM logo at the start of this picture, I was fairly certain that it was going to have considerably higher production standards than most, if not all, of the previous entries in the series, as MGM is famous for putting gloss even in its "B"-movie section. And I was right - this is the slickest of all the Drummond films (even the music score is pretty sweeping!). Is it the best? It might have been, but it gives away some of its secrets too soon; for example, the identity of the villainous No.1 would have made for a good surprise at the very end, but the audience learns his identity much earlier. Walter Pidgeon is a bit stodgy as Drummond, but he is surrounded by a fine cast: Margaret Leighton is natural and appealing as his female assistant (an example of early feminism, she gradually overcomes Drummond's "This is not a job for a woman!" doubts with her competence), Robert Beatty as the suave-sleazy villain, Peggy Evans as his jealous but smarter-than-she-looks moll, David Tomlinson as an almost ideal Algy (nowhere near as stupid as he is usually portrayed), and Bernard Lee as a fellow member of Drummond and Algy's "gentleman's club.". A fairly strong note for the series to finish on. **1/2 out of 4.

***SPOILERS*** Famed British crime fighter Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, Walter Pidgeon, who had retired to his hog farm in the country is brought out of retirement by his good friend Scotland Yard inspector Mclver, Charles Victor, in order to solve a number of robberies that took place in London over the last six months. What's so unusual about these robberies is that their executed with clock-like military precision with the latest British military hardware like ground radar where you can see in both total darkness as well as thick as pea soup fog.Given Scotland Yard lady cop Sgt. Helen Smith, Margaret Leighton, as his partner the "Bulldog" gets to work in uncovering who's behind this robbery ring by going undercover together with Sgt. Smith as the British Bonnie & Clyd like crime couple Joe Crandell & Lily Ross. It doesn't take long for the "Bulldog" with Sgt.Smith's help to discover the second banana of this robbery ring night club owner Arthur Gunns, Robert Beatty. It's Gunns' boss, who's running the whole operation, whom we always see in the shadows and who's the guy that the "Bulldog" was actually closely involved with over the last ten years in both war and peacetime!Very odd role for actor Walter Pidgeon, who's not really known as a hard boiled private eye type, as the "Bulldog" who ends up getting worked over as well him working over those who work him over in the movie. It's the "Bulldog's" good friend Algy Longworth, David Tomlison, who realizes that he's working undercover for Scotland Yard when the "Bulldog" used the BS story that he went on an unexpected trip to Africa. That was in the "Bulldog" being caught cheating in poker and being kicked out of the exclusive gambling club he's a member of by his good friend Col.Webson, Bernard Lee, for doing it. Of course the honest as the day is long "Bulldog" used that excuse, in being greatly embarrassed by the whole incident, to make believe he checked out of town to throw off suspicion, by the robbery ring, of him being secretly put on the case!***SPOILERS*** As you would expect he "Bullog" sniffs out who's behind the robbery ring by becoming a member, as Joe Crandell, of it. It's in fact Sgt. Smith who undercover as on the lamb bank robber Lily Ross who almost blows the who undercover operation by having Arthur Gunns fall for her to the outrage of his girlfriend Molly, Peggy Evens. It's Molly who unknowingly gets Gunns to find out that the "Bulldog" is not really on the run from the law Joe Crandell but crime fighter Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond!In the end the back stabbing Arthur Gunns in him not having to split up the money, $500,000.00, he and his gang just histed from a British military aircraft tries to have it all by secretly murdering his own gang members with carbon dioxide poisoning. The "Bulldog" not only ends up saving Gunns' gang members lives but uncovers Gunns' boss Mister Big himself! Mister Big thinking that the coast is clear made his grand appearance, gun in hand, to ice the very annoying "Bulldog" only to find out that it was the "Bulldog" not him who had the upper and winning hand in the movie!

"Calling Bulldog Drummond" is my first exposure to this character, so I can't judge the film or the acting the way others on this site do. I will be seeing more Bulldog films in the future, and perhaps I can look at this one again.Walter Pidgeon is Bulldog Drummond, and his costar is Margaret Leighton. Both are working undercover to unmask a gang of thieves.I always enjoy Walter Pidgeon, and he acquits himself well. Is he Bulldog? I don't know because I haven't seen the other films. He is certainly charming and has a light touch on the material. Victor Saville does a good job of directing. The film moves along, and the story is interesting.The standout here is Margaret Leighton, a wonderful stage actress whom I believe played the original Hannah in "Night of the Iguana" on stage - I could be wrong there. She is excellent, slipping into her low-rent character and back into her policewoman persona beautifully. A real find.Very enjoyable, but I take it NOT if you're familiar with the entire Bulldog Drummond series, which I'm looking forward to seeing.