Directed by Donald Gallaher
Probably the most familiar motion pictures depicting the adventures of the literary character “Bulldog Drummond” belong to the eight-film series released by Paramount beginning in 1937. Ray Milland starred in the first, with John Howard taking over for the remaining seven. More Drummonds followed from other studios, showcasing such actors as Walter Pidgeon and Richard Johnson. Preceding all of these were a handful of silent film adaptations and five sound features, the first of the latter being Bulldog Drummond (1929), cited regularly as one of the best early Talkies. A follow-up, Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (1934), is a particular cinephile favorite. From England came The Return of Bulldog Drummond (1934) and Bulldog Jack (1935), one serious, the other a spoof, yet each equally entertaining.
And then there’s Temple Tower, adapted from Herman Cyril McNeile’s 1929 novel of the same name, and the second sound Bulldog Drummond feature. Running for barely an hour, and more economically produced than particularly its 1929 predecessor, it feels like a “B” picture by comparison. But Temple Tower has its own rewards. Played like a horror film, it sports a terrific old dark house atmosphere, a plethora of over-the-top costumed villains, a few gruesomely good chills, and some eye-popping camerawork. There are even a few laughs, although a couple of them undoubtedly are unintentional. The basic story, furthermore, was good enough to bear repeating only a few years later in the Paramount series as Bulldog Drummond’s Secret Police (1939). Both films remain highly watchable today, and great fun for any fan of 1930s cinema.
Jere Guldin, Shannon Kelley
Fox Film Corp. Screenwiter: Llewellyn Hughes. Based on the novel by: H. C. "Sapper" McNeile. Cinematographer: Charles G. Clarke. Editor: Clyde Carruth. With: Kenneth MacKenna, Marceline Day, Henry B. Walthall, Cyril Chadwick, Peter Gawthorne.
35mm, b/w, 58 min.
Preserved in cooperation with 20th Century Fox from a 35mm nitrate composite print. Laboratory services by Film Technology Company, Inc., The Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory, Audio Mechanics, DJ Audio.
