Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police | |
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Directed by | James P. Hogan |
Screenplay by | Garnett Weston |
Based on | Temple Tower 1929 novel by H. C. McNeile |
Produced by | Stuart Walker |
Starring | John Howard Leo G. Carroll Heather Angel E. E. Clive Reginald Denny Forrester Harvey |
Cinematography | Merritt B. Gerstad |
Edited by | Arthur P. Schmidt |
Music by | Boris Morros |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 56 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police is a 1939 English Castle murder mystery film directed by James P. Hogan, based on the H. C. McNeile novel Temple Tower. It is one of many films featuring the British sleuth and adventurer Bulldog Drummond. In 1930, Fox produced Temple Tower , directed by Donald Gallaher and starring Kenneth MacKenna and Marceline Day, which was also based on the McNeile book. [1]
The story is set 28 miles outside London in Rockingham, as a sign on the railroad station states.
An absent-minded Professor Downie (Forrester Harvey) makes a call upon Capt. Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond (John Howard) as he is making plans for his much-delayed wedding to fiancée Phyllis Claverling (Heather Angel) in his ancestral home Temple Tower.
The professor informs Drummond that a fortune was buried in one of the walled off storerooms underneath his estate, and that Downie was in possession of a book written in code that would lead them to discover the treasure. Unfortunately for the professor, someone else also wanted the riches and Drummond once again is dragged into the plot as the code book is stolen, Professor Downie is murdered, and Phyllis is kidnapped.
The film uses flashbacks from previous Drummond films and dream sequences extensively, which has led some to criticize it as tiresome. Oddly, despite the phrase "secret police" in the title, there is nothing relating to any secret police in the plot except Col. Neilsen's quip when several of the characters are together. The production values are high as the sets are of high quality, but the script has not received much acclaim.
Bulldog Drummond is a 1929 American pre-Code crime film in which Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond helps a beautiful 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.
Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond is a fictional character, created by H. C. McNeile and published under his pen name "Sapper". Following McNeile's death in 1937, the novels were continued by Gerard Fairlie. Drummond is a First World War veteran who, fed up with his sedate lifestyle, advertises looking for excitement, and becomes a gentleman adventurer. The character has appeared in novels, short stories, on the stage, in films, on radio and television, and in graphic novels.
The Third Round (1925) was the second silent film adaptation of the Bulldog Drummond character, starring Jack Buchanan and Betty Faire, adapted by Sidney Morgan from the novel of the same name by H. C. McNeile, and directed by Morgan.
Herman Cyril McNeile, MC, commonly known as Cyril McNeile and publishing under the name H. C. McNeile or the pseudonym Sapper, was a British soldier and author. Drawing on his experiences in the trenches during the First World War, he started writing short stories and getting them published in the Daily Mail. As serving officers in the British Army were not permitted to publish under their own names, he was given the pen name "Sapper" by Lord Northcliffe, the owner of the Daily Mail; the nickname was based on that of his corps, the Royal Engineers.
John Howard was an American actor. He is best remembered for his roles in the films Lost Horizon (1937) and The Philadelphia Story (1940).
James Patrick Hogan was an American filmmaker. The films Hogan directed include Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police (1939) and The Mad Ghoul (1943), his last film. He died from a heart attack aged 53.
Bulldog Drummond's Revenge is a 1937 American adventure mystery film directed by Louis King, produced by Stuart Walker, written by Edward T. Lowe Jr. and Herman C. McNeile (novel), and featuring John Barrymore. The picture stars John Howard in his second appearance as Bulldog Drummond; Howard previously appeared as Ronald Colman's brother in Lost Horizon. Top-billed John Barrymore portrays his friend Colonel Nielsen.
Clyde Wilfred Cook was an Australian-born vaudevillian who went on to perform in Hollywood and whose career spanned the silent film era, talkies and television.
Forrester Harvey was an Irish film actor.
Calling Bulldog Drummond is a 1951 British crime film directed by Victor Saville and featuring Walter Pidgeon, Margaret Leighton, Robert Beatty, David Tomlinson and Bernard Lee. It featured the character Bulldog Drummond created by the novelist Herman Cyril McNeile, which had seen a number of screen adaptations. A novel tie-in was also released in 1951. It was made by the British subsidiary of MGM at Elstree Studios. The film's sets were designed by the art director Alfred Junge.
Bulldog Drummond Escapes is a 1937 American mystery thriller film directed by James P. Hogan and starring Ray Milland as Captain Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond alongside Heather Angel and Reginald Denny. Paramount continued with the Bulldog Drummond series, producing seven more films over the next two years. They replaced Milland with John Howard.
Bulldog Drummond's Peril is a 1938 American adventure crime mystery film directed by James P. Hogan and starring John Barrymore and John Howard. The film is based on Herman C. McNeile's novel The Third Round.
Bulldog Drummond in Africa is a 1938 American adventure crime film. This was the 13th of 25 in the Bulldog Drummond film series from 1922 to 1969.
Bulldog Drummond Comes Back is a 1937 American mystery film thriller film directed by Louis King and starring John Howard as the English adventurer Bulldog Drummond. John Barrymore plays Drummond's friend Colonel Nielsen and is actually Top-billed in the picture. The supporting cast includes Drummond series regular Louise Campbell, Reginald Denny, E.E. Clive, and J. Carrol Naish. It was produced and distributed by Paramount Pictures, and is the second in the studio's series following Bulldog Drummond Escapes which had starred Ray Milland.
Arrest Bulldog Drummond is a 1938 American crime thriller film directed by James P. Hogan. It was the last of eight B-pictures featuring the character produced by Paramount Pictures in the late 1930s. All but the first starred John Howard as Drummond.
Bulldog Drummond's Bride is an American crime comedy thriller film produced in 1939. It was the last film of Paramount Pictures' Bulldog Drummond film series.
Bulldog Drummond at Bay is a 1947 American adventure crime mystery film directed by Sidney Salkow and starring Ron Randell for the first time as the British sleuth and adventurer Bulldog Drummond. The cast also includes Anita Louise, Patrick O'Moore and Terry Kilburn.
Temple Tower is a 1930 American pre-Code crime film directed by Donald Gallaher and starring Kenneth MacKenna, Marceline Day. and Peter Gawthorne.
Shadows on the Stairs is a 1941 American mystery film directed by D. Ross Lederman.
For a broader look at the character on which this program was based, see Bulldog Drummond.