Bullshot (film)

Bullshot is a 1983 British comedy film, based on the stage play Bullshot Crummond. The play's title is a parody of the 1929 film Bulldog Drummond, the lead character having elements of Drummond and Biggles.

Bullshot
Directed by	Dick Clement
Written by	Ronald E. House Alan Shearman Diz White
Based on	Bullshot Crummond
Produced by	Ian La Frenais
Starring	Alan Shearman Diz White Ronald E. House
Cinematography	Alex Thomson
Edited by	Allan Jones
Music by	John Du Prez
Production company	Handmade Films
Distributed by	Island Pictures
Release date	28 October 1983 (1983-10-28) (UK)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	Under $3 million[1]

Plot

Set in the 1930s, Bullshot follows the absurd adventures of Captain Hugh "Bullshot" Crummond, a dim-witted but overconfident British hero, as he attempts to rescue Professor Fenton and stop the evil Count Otto von Bruno and Lenya von Bruno from stealing a secret energy formula. A parody of vintage adventure serials, the film features exaggerated heroics, slapstick comedy, and spoofed melodrama. Crummond ultimately defeats the villains and saves the day with the help of Rosemary Fenton.

Cast

Main cast

• Alan Shearman as Captain Hugh "Bullshot" Crummond
• Diz White as Rosemary Fenton
• Ronald E. House as Count Otto van Bruno
• Frances Tomelty as Lenya von Bruno
• Michael Aldridge as Professor Rupert Fenton

Supporting cast

• Christopher Good as Lord Binky Brancaster
• Ron Pember as Dobbs
• Mel Smith as Crouch
• Billy Connolly as "Hawkeye" McGillicuddy
• Geoffrey Bayldon as Colonel Hinchcliff
• Bryan Pringle as Waiter
• Angela Thorne as Hotel Manageress

Additional appearances cameos

• Peter Bayliss as Chairman of the Institute
• Christopher Godwin as Maître D'
• John Wells as American Scientist
• Derek Deadman as Reg Erskine
• Legs Larry Smith as Dusty Miller
• John Du Prez as Ginger Johnson
• G. B. "Zoot" Money as Chalky White
• Paul Herzberg as German Officer
• Rupert Frazer as British Officer
• Christina Greatrex, Francesca Brill, and Lucy Hornak as Ladies at Henley
• Ted Moult as Station Porter
• Hilary Mason as Hotel Guest
• Ann Way as Hotel Guest
• Ballard Berkeley as Hotel Guest
• Diana Van Proosdy as Female Scientist
• Albert Evansky as Albert Einstein
• Anthony Milner as Policeman
• Nicholas Lyndhurst as Nobby Clark (soldier in the trenches)

Production

The film was produced by George Harrison's company, HandMade Films. It was adapted from the stage play Bullshot Crummond, originally performed by the Low Moan Spectacular theatre company. Alan Shearman, Diz White, and Ronald E. House reprised their roles from the original stage production.

Principal photography took place primarily at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England, with some location shooting in and around London. The film was shot mostly on studio sets designed to mimic the exaggerated and stylised look of 1930s adventure serials. The production sought to retain the theatrical and spoof-driven tone of the play.

The film was directed by Dick Clement and produced by Ian La Frenais. Cinematography was handled by Alex Thomson, and the score was composed by John Du Prez.

Reception

Colin Greenland reviewed Bullshot for Imagine magazine, praising its energetic and comedic style. He described the film as "pell-mell, hammer and tongs, hell for leather all the way through a plot that gets more deliciously ludicrous by the second". Greenland highlighted the "superb (over-)acting in spiffing costumes on scrummy sets", noting the abundance of laughter-inducing moments and memorable comic cameos by Billy Connolly, Mel Smith, John Wells, and 'Legs' Larry Smith.^[2]

The film received mixed reviews from mainstream critics. Some praised its affectionate parody of 1930s adventure serials and the performances of the lead actors, while others found its humour uneven and overly reliant on theatrical farce.^[3][4]

Retrospective audience reviews often emphasise the film's cult appeal and status as a comedic pastiche. Viewers have described it as "a wonderful little film with all kinds of tongue-in-cheek references to British culture", comparing its tone to P. G. Wodehouse, "although a little more over the top".^[5]