Bulldog Drummond

A bored WWI veteran "Capt. Drummond" (Ronald Colman) is recruited by damsel in distress Joan Bennett ("Phyllis Benton") to try to help free her wealthy uncle from a care home, where she believes he is being held against his will whilst they try to extort money from him. The dapper, sophisticate is soon on the case as they try to extricate the old gent from the clutches of "Irma Peterson" (Lilyan Tashman) and her henchmen. This is the first talkie for Colman, and it does look like it - the dialogue is stilted, the performances precisely staged and the story of this, principled, determined, upper-class gentleman is nothing if not predictable. That said, though, it's got certain charm to it - and Tashman is quite good as the baddie, too. Probably my favourite of these "Bulldog" films that got the star an Oscar nomination.