The Return of Bulldog Drummond (1934) review

Following a very brief retirement, World War I veteran Hugh Drummond (Ralph Richardson) - who runs a secret gang called "The Black Clan" - gets back into the action when a nefarious figure named Carl Peterson (Francis L. Sullivan) is causing a ruckus in Jolly Ol' England ... and crosses a line by kidnapping Drummond's wife Phyllis (Ann Todd).  While it is very hasty with the storytelling and is clumsy as a detective story, it does maintain value as not only an opportunity to see one of England's greatest actors (Sir Ralph!) in one of his earliest screen roles, but also as an intriguing precursor to none other than Ian Fleming's James Bond.  There's even a little bit of "spy craft" in there, as Peterson (using multiple aliases) uses a cloth soaked in a chemical mixture to "paralyze" Drummond and there's a guy who can imitate voices perfectly.