1929-30 – Bulldog Drummond
1929-30 – Condemned
1929-30 – Ronald Colman
Bulldog Drummond / Condemned
Ronald Colman was really a fantastic actor. But I don’t think his performance in Bulldog Drummond was an Oscar-worthy effort. It was a nice enough film to watch, and even though I’ve never heard of Bulldog Drummond before, apparently, it was a huge franchise back in the day. Based on a series of books, the character appeared in 24 films, beginning in 1922 in the silent era, and finishing in 1969. The only one to star Ronald Colman was this little gem.
The problem with the role was not the actor, but the part. Colman did his best with the material, but he didn’t have much to work with. There was no character arc, no deep drama, no emotional turmoil. He started the film as a happy-go-lucky adventurer who tends to laugh in the face of danger, and he ended the same way. He even struck a “Superman” pose with his hands on his hips when confronting the mad doctor Lakington. Ha-hahahaha! Was he charming? Yes. Was he fun to watch? Yes. Was he in any way dynamic? No, not really. Colman played the part well enough, but the part just didn’t demand much of the actor.
But I’m quite happy to say that Condemned was a much deeper role that gave Colman a chance to show more range, more emotional gravitas. He got to really show off his skill in the art, his dedication to the craft. He played a convict in an island penal colony that falls in love with the warden’s wife. The part was more introspective and weighty. There was a wonderful scene in which he has been put in solitary confinement. The rest of the prisoners in the cell block were screaming and jabbering as if they were in a madhouse. It was there that Colman’s character, Michelle, began to lose his grip on his own sanity, and Colman began to display some real gravitas.
And then, in the climactic scene, where the escaped Michelle is reunited with his girl, there was a desperation in his affections that Colman really played into. The story was good and I enjoyed watching the actor on the screen. Incidentally, this was the last year in which it was common for a single actor to be nominated for multiple performances, and I for one am glad that little change was made.