Customer Reviews

The Hound of the Baskervilles [VHS]

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

With the release of this feature and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," all 14 classic films by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce will have finally been released in a quality DVD format. The UCLA Theatre Archives has done an outstanding job in restoring and thus preserving these great films from 35mm master copies into the digital format, sometimes literally being forced to piece together the celluloid remnants they found. It took the archivists years to complete the entire project, but is well worth the wait. The result is that the black and white images seem as fresh today as when the films were released to theatres more than 40 years ago. The archivists deserve a hearty thanks from all movie fans concerned with preserving America's classic cinema heritage for future generations to enjoy.

Atmospherically, "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is arguably the best of the 14 Holmes films, and the only one based specifically on a Conan Doyle story. It, and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," are the only two "period" films in the series and run longer, the remainder taking place in then modern-day England and America of the late 30s and early 40s and run about 90 minutes each. In both "Hound" and "Adventures," Holmes dons his deerstalker cap, popularized by original Strand Magazine illustrator Sidney Paget who made the image synonymous with the great detective. It is interesting to note that in the first of the non-period films in the series, Holmes reaches for his handy deerstalker, but is stopped by Watson. "Holmes," Watson said, "you promised." Leaving the deerstalker on the peg, Holmes grabs a "modern" hat instead.

Rathbone is especially sharp in "Hound of the Baskervilles," and is partnered by Bruce, who plays a bumbling Watson throughout the 14 films that was not Conan Doyle's vision of the great
sleuth's biographical "Boswell." Nonetheless, the pairing is hugely entertaining and satisfying.

The creation of the moor, the sinister grimpen mire and truly terrifying hound remains fantastic and does much to engender this story as one of Conan Doyle's most popular with modern-day
readers and viewers alike.

The final scene represents the only reference any of the 14 films made to Holmes' "seven-percent" cocaine habit as Rathbone asks Bruce to retrieve "the needle." The scene, criticized as too risque by 1939 audiences, caused the film's producers to make a conscious decision to omit any additional mention of Holmes' recreational drug use in future outings.

I only wish that Rathbone and Bruce had lived to see their great work released to new audiences in this pristine DVD condition.

Of all the many versions of this often filmed story, Twentieth Century Fox's 1939 filming of "The Hound Of The Baskervilles" is rightfully considered to be not only a classic but also the finest version to be put onto film. Boasting the superb talents of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in the roles that became their trademarks, the film is a superb blend of mystery, suspense and classic adventure in its telling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous story of the curse that plagues a titled family through many generations in the form of a savage hound that causes the demise of each male member of the clan.

Twentieth Century Fox put all of their considerable resources into this lavish production and the film was a great success, so much so that they quickly followed it with another film
"The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes" with the same main cast which enjoyed equal success. Unfortunately for some unknown reason Fox then handed the series over to Universal, possibly as a result of rising costs as World War Two approached. Universal made the serious mistake of up dating the series to a 1940's setting and had Holmes and Watson doing battle with Nazi etc. In all there was finally 14 films made in the series. It is however for the first two films that Sherlock Holmes's fame rests and certainly "The Hound Of The Baskervilles" is the most famous and best loved of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories based around the famous detective .

If ever there was a piece of perfect casting for a film it would have to be the superb combination of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Never has there been such a perfect marriage of actor and character as here and for Rathbone in particular the part became his absolute trademark and was the interpretation that was used as a benchmark for all the later Holmes's. Sherlock Holmes became for Rathbone what Rhett Butler was for Clark Gable, a part that would overshadow any other part he took on in the future. Nigel Bruces's interpretation of Dr. Watson certainly was a variation on the character created by Arthur Conan Doyle however he does such a memorable turn as the character that it really becomes unimportant.

"The Hound Of The Baskervilles" benefits greatly from the superb cast that has been assembled around the two principals. Foremost among them is British actor Richard Greene who plays young Sir Henry Baskerville, the last of the line who, on the savage death of his uncle, finds himself the target of the family curse. Greene was a handsome actor and his Hollywood career was basically cut short by World War Two, however he is excellent here as the romantic young lead. Fox regular John Carradine excels in the role of Barryman the mysterious manservant of the Baskerville estate who carries his own secrets. Horror veteran Lionel Atwill also scores in the role of James Mortimer the local doctor. Morton Lowry has a very showy part as the unexpected villian of the piece and is involved in the very interesting twist in the story at the conclusion that I wont reveal to those who have not seen the film. Veteran character actress Mary Gordon takes on the role of Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock Holmes's housekeeper and she would go over to Universal with Rathbone and Bruce for the remainder of the film series playing the housekeeper. Finally Wendy Barrie provides the love interest for Sir. Henry and she makes a nice couple with Richard Greene.

Directed by veteran director Sidney Lanfield the film is rich in Victorian atmosphere with its period sets, Gaslights, old carriages, foogy moors, and eerie old mansion holding secrets. This adds tremendously to the excitement of the story of the legendary hound from hell that terrorises successive generations of the Baskerville family. The film benefits from a lavish budget and despite being filmed in Hollywood has a vivid English feel about it. The scenes on the moors in particular are very well done and one is kept guessing all the time about whether the vicious hound is pure legend or actually real. This film was Basil Rathbone's personal favourite of all his body of work as Sherlock Holmes and he said that the atmosphere of this piece was never really duplicated properly again in the later films.

I strongly recommend this 1939 version of "The Hound Of The Baskervilles" to all those who enjoy a good mystery. I know this film was responsible for me wanting to read more of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. There have been many fine versions made over the years, in particular the Hammer version with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, but this would have to be the most famous and has the added benefit of the first legendary teaming of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in the roles for which they are still best known. If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan you will love this film despite some of the changes made and if you like good old fashioned thriller mysteries it is unsurpassed as great entertainment. Enjoy!

It's perhaps surprising that "Hound of the Baskervilles" has become the single most well-known Sherlock Holmes story. True, like many of the short stories, it takes Holmes and Watson away from their digs in London and out to an ancient familial estate. But it has two elements that make it distinct from nearly every other of the original stories: it has a distinct supernatural element, and Holmes himself is absent for a sizeable portion of the narrative.No doubt Fox chose to adapt this story for its popularity as much as anything else, but the supernatural element was certainly a factor in its favor. One of the great selling points of the film is its recreation of the ghostly moors, even with studio sets. And it's only natural that Fox wanted to cover up Holmes' absence as much as possible, by creating what really hadn't been seen before on film: a convincing and engaging Holmes/Watson dichotomy.

Rathbone and Bruce make this film. Whether you like or dislike their individual interpretations, you've got to admit they work well together. And it's a testament to Nigel Bruce's ability as an actor, bumbler or no, that he can carry the film for those twenty or thirty minutes when Sherlock Holmes is completely absent. Richard Greene gets top billing, sure, but this is the first time a Holmes and Watson team completely outshine everything else in the production.

Some reviews take great pains to point out what Fox changed about this story. But in reality, this is probably the most straightforward "Hound" ever made. Most of the changes are made for simple brevity, stripping away the subplots and leaving the core. This is probably to keep the film both within budget, and from shifting too far from the Holmes/Watson focus; in other adaptations, Holmes might be off the screen for up to an hour. A couple changes are obviously made to please the studio (changing Barrymore to Barryman, so as not to insult the famous acting family) or the morals of the day (the complications concerning Stapleton's sister have been removed), but the only one that's really strange is the decision not to make the hound itself glow! It reduces the effectiveness of the climax, particularly after all the supernatural lead-up, and it's the one flaw I can really find with the film.

MPI presents this film in a very nice package that compliments its earlier "Sherlock Holmes Collection" releases of the later Universal films. Although the film, unlike the later ones, hasn't been restored by the UCLA, you'll hardly notice it; there's a few spots on certain scenes late in the action, but they are very fleeting indeed. This is a lovely, clean picture, very sharp, with great greys and blacks. Similarly, the mono audio is crisp and clear. You won't be unhappy.

The extras are a little more of a mixed bag. Richard Valley's booklet of production notes (should you purchase the disc) are, as usual, very insightful and well worth your time. Unfortunately, David Stuart Davies' commentary is rather dry and simplistic. If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, you probably already know most of the information he relates, and may want skip it. Casual viewers, however, might find interest in skimming it with the chapter search buttons. A photo gallery is included, although it's constantly animated with zooms and pans (something which personally bothers me), and three trailers are included in a 'trailer gallery.' None of them, however, are for "The Hound of the Baskervilles." They are all re-release trailers, in pretty poor condition, for later films in the Universal series: "Dressed to Kill" (film #14), "House of Fear" (film #10), and "Terror by Night" (film #13). Why these particular trailers were chosen, I'm not sure.

If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes, you'll not only want to see this film, you'll want to own it; at the $15-$20 price point, it's well worth it. This is the essential version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles," and even more so, the quintessential Sherlock Holmes film. Highly recommended.

Many actors have tried, but none has surpassed Basil Rathbone's embodiment of Sherlock Holmes. The razor-sharp profile, hawk nose and cocaine eyes seem torn straight from the pages of Arthur Conan Doyle. This is, undeniably, one of the great pairings of actor and character in film history.

Odd to think, then, that the first Holmes film with Rathbone and his faithful Dr. Watson, Nigel Bruce, gave neither man starring credit. That honor on "The Hound of the Baskervilles" went to the romantic leading man, Richard Greene.

The lapse in logic was quickly corrected, with Rathbone and Bruce going on to top-bill 13 famed Holmes movies from 1939-46.

The UCLA Film and TV Archive has rescued the films from public domain hell, in a restoration that aims to return them to 35mm theatrical condition using original elements and acetate copies. The results as seen on MPI's DVDs are indeed impressive, with shadows and light elegant and edgy. Wear is within reason, and the audio suffices.

Film historians' commentaries have been added to some of the feature films, explaining, for instance, just how the 19th century detectives ended up battling Nazis in WWII.

The MPI collection -- whose titles are available separately and in sets -- started rolling out in the fall. The series concludes at the beginning, with "Baskervilles" and "Adventures," both made by Fox before Universal took over and "modernized" the Doyle stories. The Uni films have their moments -- "Woman in Green," for example, is grand and grisly entertainment -- but there's no topping these initial releases, set in Victorian times.

"Baskervilles" remains one of the most famous and fondly remembered Holmes films, but it is largely Dr. Watson's tale. Nigel Bruce's Watson quickly became a buffoon in the series, but here he is not to be trifled with. (Rathbone later defended his friend and co-star against critics, saying a "less lovable" actor would have ruined the series.)

The restoration puts Fox's amazing sets on full display, including the fog-engulfed moor where the hound fillets his victims. The commentator, chipper British author David Stuart Davies, churns out minutiae and unmasks plot inconsistencies.

I first saw this movie on TV when I was 9 or 10 in 1963-64. We lived in Los Angeles, and local channel 9 would run the SAME movie, Monday through Friday, for one week at 7:00 or 8:00 on its "Million Dollar Movie" program (a ridiculous title nowadays). Anyway, I watched it all five times in one week and adored it. I didn't see it again until its special, limited re-release to theaters in 1975; by then, I was a dyed-in-the-wool Sherlockian. Remarkably, my 10-year-old mind hadn't exaggerated the greatness of Rathbone or this film. It remained marvelous!

Now it's available on DVD...and what a wonderful transfer. And the commentary is superb. I haven't yet watched it five nights in a row, but it certainly deserves that kind of attention. Highly recommended!

The 1939 film version of Doyle's "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is one of the best of the series of Holmes classics starring the very proper Basil Rathbone as Holmes and the bumbling Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, who are both excellent as usual. The settings capture the effect of the foggy desolate moors in which the plot takes place.

Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead steps from his estate in Dartmoor, Baskerville Hall. His best friend Dr. Mortimer played by a Freud-looking Lionel Atwill suspects the cause was heart failure however fears foul play. Sir Charles' death is attributed to the curse of the Baskervilles, where the heirs to the estate meet with violent death.

Sir Charles' nephew Henry played by a dimpled Richard Greene is arriving from Canada to inherit the estate. Dr. Mortimer travels to London to visit Holmes and Watson to help protect Sir Henry from a similar fate.

The bulk of the story takes place in the moors of Devonshire where the eerie surroundings and baying of the accursed hound make for a suspenseful tale. John Carradine playing the suspicious butler Barryman is at his pop eyed best. Wendy Barrie playing neighbor Beryl Stapleton is a fetching love interest for Sir Henry. The most interesting character is the litigious, Scottish curmudgeon Frankland played convincingly by screen veteran Barlowe Borland.

+++++

(Note: this review is for the DVD "The Hound of the Baskervilles" released by "Mpi Media Group" in 2004.)

I watched this movie without reading the 1902 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel of the same name that it was based on. I'm glad I did this! Why? Because it forced me to really watch the movie in order to try and deduce who the murderer was.

This was the first movie that had Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. They would go on together to make thirteen more popular Sherlock Holmes movie mysteries. It's difficult to believe, but in this movie they were not given top
billing!

The movie begins with printed text:

"1889: In all England there is no district more dismal than the vast expanse of primitive wasteland, the moors of Dartmoore in Devonshire."

Then we are shown a death of a man. The deceased turns out to be Sir Charles Baskerville of the estate called "Baskerville Hall." Was his death of natural causes or was it a murder?

Because of his death, the estate now falls to Sir Henry Baskerville (Richard Greene). He soon receives an anonymous note that reads:

"As you value your life or your reason, keep away from the moor."

At this point, Sherlock Holmes is called in to investigate. He learns of the Baskervilles and the "curse of the hound" that has been bestowed on this family for the last two hundred years. Holmes dismisses the idea of a killer hound as a myth but decides to further investigate so as to get to the real truth. Dr. Watson aids him in his investigation.

Be sure to listen for the last line spoken by Holmes in this movie. It alludes to the cocaine habit that Sherlock Holmes had acquired. (Holmes' cocaine habit is a feature of Conan Doyle's novel.)

Rathbone catches the essence of the famous gumshoe in his performance. Bruce also gives an excellent performance. You will notice that Dr. Watson has an expanded role in this movie. All supporting actors do a good job in their roles.

The eerie atmosphere of this movie is superb. The background music adds to each scene.

Finally DVD extras include an interesting audio commentary, selected theatrical trailers, production notes, and photo gallery.

In conclusion, this is an exciting, suspenseful movie that is worthwhile watching even if you have read the novel it is based on!!

(1939; 80 min; black and white; full screen)

+++++

A phantom hound roams the moors of Dartmoor near Baskerville Hall.........Putting its straightest face upon the matter and being so weird as all get-out, the film succeeds rather well in reproducing Sir Arthur's macabre detective story. Based upon the 1902 novel by Sir Conan Doyle, this was the first film in the Fox series featuring Sherlock Holmes. THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES was Rathbone's favourite of the series, and although it wasn't quite the best one (that honour would have to go to THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES - which was released later that year - 1939); it runs a close second. Rathbone had always felt himself a good, logical choice for the role of Holmes; indeed he became the character he played - an actor perfectly suited for his part - he played the role in 14 films as well as over 200 radio performances. Credit must also be given to Nigel Bruce, who was cast in the role of Watson primarily due to Rathbone's personal selection. Bruce's interpretation of Watson was actually far from the original character Doyle created, but many actors henceforth seemed to emulate Bruce's version of him. Be sure to catch the classic final line: "Oh, Watson, the needle!".

To select just one representative Sherlock Holmes film from the hundred or so made since Sherlock Holmes Baffled is a virtual impossibility, especially as no one actor (including such famous talents as John Barrymore, Clive Brook and Raymond Massey) has yet managed to successfully transfer the true Holmesian character to the screen... But if one has to be singled out probably the best choice would be the 1939 version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles," the most famous of all Conan Doyle's long novels and the film that introduced Basil Rathbone in the part of Sherlock Holmes...

Although no less a critic than Graham Greene found Rathbone unacceptable, complaining of his good humor and general air of refreshing health, the tall, thin British born actor is still the man most people associate with the role... He played in 14 Holmes movies between 1939 and 1946, two "A" productions and twelve double features...

Set in the correct period, "The Hound of the Baskervilles" follows Conan Doyle closely including only one scene, a séance, not in the original story... Its opening sequence on a deserted moor with a man running in terror from the unseen beast and its climax with Holmes going out alone into the foggy night to track down the "Hell Hound" really catches the suspense and mystery of Conan Doyle's story...

The film is most impressive when it convincingly sketches in the streets and fashions of Edwardian London, a remarkable achievement when one considers that recreation of London and English settings has not been one of Hollywood's strongest points over the years...

The final curtain line makes it difficult to believe that the film was made in 1939 with all the restrictions and censorship of that period... References to Holmes' drug taking have rarely if ever been made in Holmes movies but in "The Hound of the Baskervilles" the great detective stalks out of the room calling to his ever faithful companion, "The needle, Watson, the needle."

This is the definitive Sherlock Holmes film. As a book, the story sent shivers down my spine. As a movie, this version of the chilling tale has no peer in the rather palid versions which followed it. Filmed in atmospheric black and white with great period sets and eerie, desolate locations, the classic mystery evolves from gothic legend to nail-biting suspense. Scorning the tired old cliches of chainsaws and gratuitous dismemberment, the film relies on a ripping good tale and great cast of characters. I have seen this movie no less than twenty times since it debuted on television in the early fifties. It gave me nightmares for eight years. I am delighted to see it so beautifully restored.