Product Details

• Actors: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Aubrey Mather, Dennis Hoey, Paul Cavanagh
• Directors: Roy William Neill
• Format: Black & White, Original recording remastered, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Mpi Home Video
• VHS Release Date: November 25, 2003
• Run Time: 69 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000APVD5
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,601 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm to original condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This newly restored version of the classic film includes the period war bond tag, studio logo and credits from its original theatrical release. Filled with ominous shadows and interesting camera angles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning. The Good Comrades are a collection of varied gentleman who crave one thing - solitude. They reside at Drearcliff House, ancestral home of their eldest member. All seems serene and convivial until one by one the members begin to perish in the most grisly of manners. Foul play is suspected by the Good Comrades' insurance agent, who turns to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson for guidance. When Holmes is told that the deaths are preceded by a message in the form of orange pips sealed in an envelope, delivered to the next victim at dinner, and that the Good Comrades' insurance policies are all to be paid to the surviving member, the famed detective is convinced that there is murder afoot. Holmes and Watson are off to Scotland to try and solve the mystery. Packaging and design ©2003 MPI Home Video. WARNING: For domestic use only. Any unauthorized copying, hiring or lending for public performance of the digital videodisc is illegal. The supplemental information included on this DVD was compiled by MPI Home Video and is not part of the original program. Printed in USA. ©1942, 1969 King World Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect viewing on a dark, stormy night, January 6, 2004

By 

B. W. Fairbanks "Brian W. Fairbanks" (Lakewood, OH United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sherlock Holmes - The House of Fear (DVD)

"The House of Fear" is a hugely enjoyable Sherlock Holmes film, perhaps the last truly satisying entry in the 12 film Universal series (of which this is number 8, not counting the two unrelated films made by 20th Century Fox).

This is a good old fashioned haunted house mystery, the perfect companion for a dark, stormy night. There's nothing supernatural going on, only the all too mundane matter of murder, motivated by greed. There's nothing mundane about the way Holmes and Watson go about solving it though, and director Roy William Neill guides them with his usual brilliance, magically creating an ambiance of suspicion, fear, and mystery in gorgeous black-and-white. The plot resembles Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," the first film version of which was in production when "The House of Fear" was in release, (and the Holmes entry was probably an attempt to steal that film's thunder) but this film is actually superior. After all, it has Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. How can you beat that?

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frighteningly Good Mystery, March 23, 2005

By 

J. Michael Click (Fort Worth, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sherlock Holmes - The House of Fear (DVD)

Movie: ***** _____ DVD Quality: ****1/2 _____ DVD Extras: N/A

A moody, atmospheric entry in the classic Rathbone-Bruce Sherlock Holmes series, featuring a corking good mystery with an intriguing "whodunit?" angle. In an old and lavish Scottish mansion, the seven bachelor members of a private club are being brutally maimed and murdered one by one; interestingly, each victim receives an envelope containing orange seeds just before his turn to die. What can it mean? It's up to Holmes and Dr. Watson, with the fumbling assistance of Scotland Yard's Inspector Lestrade, to unravel the complicated plot. Rathbone and Bruce are in typically fine form as the master sleuth and his faithful foil, and the supporting cast includes wonderfully deft work by Aubrey Mather and Paul Cavanagh as two of the endangered gents. On the distaff side, Sally Shepherd turns in an intriguing performance as a dour housekeeper; and veteran leading actress turned character player Doris Lloyd, always a welcome presence in any film, has a meaty unbilled supporting role as the proprietess of a local tavern. In addition to a fine plot and stellar performances, "The House of Fear" also benefits from outstanding art direction and set decorations, all of which are beautifully captured by Virgil Miller's noirish cinematography.

The MPI video release features a generally excellent video and audio transfer from a 35mm print digitally restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. A couple of early scenes appear overly grainy, but the rest of the transfer is sharp and clear with pleasing contrast (and especially nice graytones in a couple of key outdoor sequences). The soundtrack is remarkably crisp and clean throughout. Overall, highly recommended, and an absolute must-see for Holmes completists.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A favorite., December 4, 2005

By 

Boz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes - The House of Fear (DVD)

This is one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes films. It features a gloomy old Scottish castle, a puzzling series of murders, a long list of suspects, and lots of thunder and lightning. It also has Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. What more could you ask for-a perfect movie to watch on a dark and stormy night!