BULLDOG DRUMMOND IN AFRICA – A SUNDAY AFTERNOON ADVENTURE

So, Bulldog Drummond in Africa, 1938. Yeah, dusty reels and black-and-white snazz. Directed by Louis King – who’s maybe not the biggest hotshot around, but you can feel that old Hollywood-pulp spirit, back when folks wore hats and pistols on the hip looked, I dunno, more stylish? John Howard as Drummond – he’s funny, a bit stiff sometimes, like a schoolteacher forced into an adventure. But what a jawline! And Heather Angel playing Phyllis is charming in that “I’m more clever than you think” way.

Let’s be honest – it doesn’t scream “deep thinking.” The plot’s twisty and wild: kidnapping, cryptic clues, evil masterminds. It’s like… when you’re playing brännboll and everyone just sprints in random directions hoping something works out. Still, that’s kinda the charm.

One thing that struck me—I saw this late at night at Filmhuset in Stockholm with a mate who snored halfway through, straight up drooling. But I felt like a kid, eyes wide, munching on surdegsmacka instead of popcorn. Something about movies back then. No CGI tornadoes. Just shadowy rooms, nervy villains, and those thuddy old gunshots, like bashing two snus cans together.

The baddie’s played by J. Carrol Naish – he’s having a ball with the moustache-twirling routines. And for a flick shot in dusty California “pretending” to be Africa, you get some proper retro flavours. I mean, you can spot the Californian trees, and it’s half hilarious.

Sure, some lines creak. The romance feels a bit like when you bring someone home to meet your folks in Göteborg and everyone’s polite but stiff. But that’s part of old-school movie magic.

Is it a masterpiece? Nah. It’s more like a comfy wool sock – a bit scratchy, a bit worn, but it feels like home when stuff outside gets a bit serious. Watch it with some friends, or alone when you need a break from seriousness. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll dream a bit about rhinos in Höganäs.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

please note that there may be geographical blocking implemented.