Bumbling, Exploding, and a Dash of British Charm

Bulldog Drummond’s Revenge. 1937. Just that title is like a whiff of my grandfather’s old leather armchair, you know? He had these odd stacks of Bulldog Drummond novels, weirdly enough, squeezed between Expressen and a half-eaten kexchoklad. I was about nine, pretending to care about the Stockholm derby, but really I was just entranced by those covers—some guy in a hat frowning at a shadow. So you can imagine my face when I finally got to see John Howard step into Drummond’s shoes. I remember, can’t have been later than ‘95, a damp autumn Wednesday, radiotjänst blaring from the kitchen and me, sneaking this flick on the old VHS.

This one’s directed by Louis King (kinda forgot he did more than just wildlife stuff later…). The feeling is classic spy-thrills with a proper British twist. Heavy on the fog and tart, snappy dialogue. Howard is joined by the always affable E.E. Clive (that accent!) and the film moves quick, maybe too quick sometimes? Feels like one minute there’s a mysterious canister, the next minute everything’s exploding and people are chasing each other down corridors that, honestly, look like the backstage at my school’s Christmas play.

The plot, it sort of drifts if you let your mind wander. I’ll admit, sometimes I got sidetracked wondering if Bulldog would’ve survived a proper fika with my mother’s sockerkaka – dude never stops for a break! Heather Angel is fun to watch. Bit underused, but what can you do. Films like this, they remind me of Sweden in the ‘30s too – new fads from England, everyone running about like life’s a big detective game.

So is it perfect? Hah, hardly. But you get some proper adventure, old-school stunts – and that weird cozy thrill you get only from these pre-war British mysteries. Worth checking out if you ever wanted to swap real life for a rainy London backstreet, or just need a break from slaskväder.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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