A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

On the eve of his wedding Captain Hugh Drummond is off to Morocco when Scotland Yard's Colonel J.A. Nielson is kidnapped by international criminal Richard Lane. With his fiancée Phyllis Clavering, friend 'Algy' Longworth and his trusty valet 'Tenny' Tennyson, Bulldog flies his own plane 1200 miles only to find the local British Consul ordering him home without delay. Drummond isn't an easy man to get rid of however and they soon mount their rescue plan.There sure were a lot of these Drummond movies made. They are all more or less watchable and this one is no different. The title says they go to Africa.Technically, yes, but Morocco is hardly what comes to mind when you think of Africa.

The movie opens with a trouser-less Drummond (John Howard) and his butler Tenny (E.E. Clive), confined to Rockingham Lodge on the eve of the Captain's wedding to Miss Phyllis Clavering (Heather Angel). Drummond's sidekick Algy (Reginald Denny) is holding their pants hostage to prevent his boss from getting caught up in a distraction that would disrupt the ceremony. Is it possible that they only had one pair of pants each?Scotland Yard's Colonel Nielson (H.B. Warner) meanwhile, is about to be taken hostage himself by an old nemesis, Richard Lane (J. Carrol Naish). Lane hopes to secure information about a newly developed radio-wave disintegrator, but when Nielson becomes uncooperative, Lane hustles him aboard a plane bound for Morocco where he'll have time to work him over for the secret. The early going is marked by a frantic effort to catch Lane and Nielson, as Algy valiantly tries to deliver the pants along the way.The ever patient and ever single Miss Clavering stows away aboard Drummond's plane as the good guys take flight to Africa. The final confrontation there involves a lion, strategically tethered to an uncertain stake with Colonel Nielson the prize should it give way."Bulldog Drummond in Africa" offers it's share of characteristic good humor and camaraderie between Drummond and his cohorts, though this time around some troubling elements are included as well. Nielson's butler Phillips is dispatched by Lane, and Algy takes a bullet in the arm during the finale at Lane's estate.For J.Carrol Naish, this was his second unsuccessful attempt to outwit hero Drummond. He previously vied with John Howard in "Bulldog Drummond Comes Back", though portraying a different character. Heather Angel reprises her role as Phyllis Clavering from "Bulldog Drummond Escapes", the only film in the series with Ray Milland in the role of the title character. Howard and Angel would team up a total of four times, culminating in the 1939 entry "Bulldog Drummond's Bride". Not having seen it yet, I've got my fingers crossed for an invitation to a wedding.

The opening ruse to keep Drummond & Co. from finding Adventure and to find Marriage wears thin after 10 minutes or so, but this potboiler soon picks up speed - the plane taking them all to Morocco was slower.J. Carroll Naish as the baddie kidnaps the goodie from Scotland Yard, H. B. Warner for his state secrets, flies him out of the country with Drummond in pursuit. I won't give the game away as to whether he, Algy, Tenney and Phyllis succeed in releasing Warner, properly chastise the baddies (including the cub Anthony Quinn) and fly back home into a happy ending - you'll have to bite your nails and watch it!At times utterly predictable, even with a rather savage lion in some shots - what did they have to do to make it so mad - but as usual a very watchable entry in this series.

Public Media Inc. has released a neat two film set of Bulldog Drummond films on one tape. The other film paired with "Bulldog Drummond in Africa" is "Arrest Bulldog Drummond." If you like The Thin Man series, you may like this as well. If you absolutely love The Thin Man series, you'll probably be disappointed with Bulldog Drummond. John Howard plays "Bulldog," which is something of a misnomer as played here because he's rather quiet, handsome & shy, not what one would expect from a "bulldog." Heather Angel matches well with Howard as his Fiancee in Perpetuity. The movies have charm, wit, a bit of mystery, & solid acting. If you're not expecting William Powell & Myrna Loy, you should be pleased. Anthony Quinn fans note: a very young Quinn has a neat little part in "...Africa." George Zucco fans note: he has a good part in "Arrest...." I rate "Bulldog Drummond in Africa" 7/10, & I rate "Arrest Bulldog Drummond" 6/10.