CALLING BULLDOG DRUMMOND (1951)

If you're a classic movie buff, the first thing you need to know about this movie is that it feels nothing like a typical Bulldog Drummond film. The title character, a retired British officer who, for adventure, tangles with spies and crooks, often on behalf of Scotland Yard, was frequently on screen in the 1930s and 40s, most often in a series of B-movies. Many of those films begin with Drummond in the process of getting married to his sweetheart when some dangerous situation crops up that takes him (and his Dr. Watson-ish buddy Algy Longworth) away from the domestic scene. This one (a high-toned B-movie from MGM) has Bulldog and Algy and Scotland Yard, but is otherwise a fairly average crime film with none of the feel of the series films. It's not a bad movie, but if you’re expecting the usual Bulldog fare, you'll be disappointed.

Scotland Yard calls on Drummond because of his military background to help crash a burglary gang that pulls off their heists with military precision; hence, the thinking is that a former soldier may be the mastermind. A cover story is put out that Drummond, a popular man about town, has left London due to being caught cheating at cards, and poor Algy, who has not been made privy to Scotland Yard's plans, is left defending him to the members of their social club. Drummond (Walter Pidgeon) is paired with a female agent (Margaret Leighton) and they pose as notorious crooks who get chummy with the chief suspect (Robert Beatty) and soon join his gang, though it becomes clear that Beatty is taking orders from someone else. The first 45 minutes are fairly slow going, especially since Pidgeon is his usual drab self, though Leighton and Beatty are good. In the last stretch, David Tomlinson, as Algy, takes a major role in the proceedings, and an elaborate scene in a nightclub in which Beatty's moll (Peggy Evans) pulls off a nice identity scam is well played. Bernard Lee, better known later as M in the early James Bond movies, as a supporting role, as does busy character actor James Hayter. There is some witty repartee here and there, and as an average, lightly played crime drama, this is fine, but it's not really a Bulldog Drummond movie. Pictured is David Tomlinson as Algy. [TCM] (I see this is my third 1951 movie review in a row. Truly, this is not on purpose. I tend to post reviews at random from my backlog, so it's just coincidence)