Having just watched "Bulldog Drummond" (1929) with Ronald Coleman, this film suffers greatly by comparison. In the first place, Coleman was the perfect screen Drummond, whereas Walter Pidgeon the lead in this picture lacks much of the bon vivant, devil may care persona of Coleman.The story takes place in London where a gang of criminals led by Arthur Gunns (Robert Beatty) and directed by an unseen boss, has been robbing big businesses all over London. Scotland Yard Inspector McIver (Charles Victor) goes to the retired Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond Walter Pidgeon), now raising prize pigs, for help. Drummond reluctantly agrees to come out of retirement to help.Drummond fakes his flight to Africa under the guise of having cheated at cards in an exclusive men's club, to "disappear" from sight. He is teamed up with Scotland Yard Sgt. Helen Smith (Margaret Leighton) to pose as rival crooks in order to infiltrate the gang.Gunns, suspicious at first, takes a liking to Smith much to the dismay of girl friend Molly (Peggy Evans). Molly by chance, discovers the plot by Drummond and Smith and......................................Walter Pidgeon, although a competent actor in his own right, was totally miscast as the sleuth Drummond. He has none of the humor and romantic nature or the British accent of either Coleman or of John Howard, who starred in the late 30s Drummonds. Margaret Leighton, on the other hand, is excellent as the undercover detective. David Tomlinson as Algy Longworth provides what humor there is but has little to do otherwise. In fact he doesn't appear with Pidgeon until three quarters of the way though the film. Robert Beatty, a Canadian sans British Accent, is a competent adversary. Bernard Lee ("M" in the early James Bond films) plays Colonel Wetson a member of Drummond's men's club.As a stand alone mystery, the film is not to bad but, as a revival of the Bulldog Drummond series, it fails miserably.

***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!

There really is very little positive that can be said about this film. Walter Pidgeon is a truly unconvincing hero and even moreso when he tries to go "undercover" as a villain who, we're meant to believe, drinks too much and knocks his wife about a bit. Margaret Leighton, as the wife/undercover sergeant is a little more convincing but it's still difficult to believe that any hood worth their salt would not have seen through their charade in less than a minute. The plot, about a bullion heist, is silly, and the action drags rather than grips. David Tomlinson, who plays Algy in the same way that David Tomlinson seems to play all his roles, is the only glimmer of light in a wholly dull affair.

This is a very good movie with Walter Pidgeon doing an excellent job as Bulldog Drummond. Algy too is back and played to perfection by David Tomlinson. The story is filled with suspense and action. But where are Colonel Neilson, Tenny, and Phyllis Clavering, The woman Major Drummond is always about to marry but, alas, usually does not? Margaret Leighton as Sergeant Helen Smith fills in nicely for Phyllis Clavering and this somewhat compensates for Ms Clavering's absence, plus giving a new twist to the comparable role. This is a faithful rendition of the Bulldog Drummond series and highly recommended for fans and non-fans.