The Unfortunate Tobacconist & Other Mysteries: The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Volumes 1-6 [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio CD]

Anthony Boucher (Author), Denis Green (Author), Basil Rathbone (Reader), Nigel Bruce (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

Welcome to the Golden Age of Radio and the best in classic mystery.

From 1939-1946 Americans gathered around their radio to listen to The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes -- featuring Basil Rathbone as the high strung crime solver and Nigel Bruce as his phlegmatic assistant, Dr. Watson.

Witty, fast-paced and always surprising, these great radio plays -- written by the prolific writing team of Anthony Boucher and Denis Green -- are as fresh today as they were then.

The latest audio technology was employed to bring the best audio quality and fidelity to the original performances, which feature nostalgic war-time announcements, original commercials and radio narrations.

This special CD edition includes 12 of the series' best episodes:

• The Unfortunate Tobacconist and The Paradol Chamber

• The Viennese Strangler and The Notorious Canary Trainer

• The April Fool's Day Adventure and The Strange Adventure of the Uneasy Easy Chair

• The Strange Case of the Demon Barber and The Mystery of the Headless Monk

• The Amateur Mendicant Society and The Case of the Vanishing White Elephant

• The Case of the Limping Ghost and The Girl with the Gazelle

Editorial Reviews

Review

Tampa Tribune Great fun. -- Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

When Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce were chosen to play Holmes and Watson in the 1939 film, "The Hound of the Baskervilles," no one realized that they would be forever linked with the characters of the great detective and his loyal friend. The immediate success of the film led to their being chosen to portray Holmes and Watson on the radio for 8 years in 213 episodes of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Abridged edition (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074353395X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743533959
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,059,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sherlock Holmes Audio CD Radio Plays, September 21, 2004

By 

Hound Dog (Boise, ID, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Unfortunate Tobacconist & Other Mysteries: The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Volumes 1-6 (Audio CD)

If you are a fan of the classic Sherlock Holmes film series starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, we heartily recommend this wonderful collection of vintage radio plays from the same World War II era as the films.

Lovingly restored, this series of relatively obscure adventures of Sherlock Holmes are brought to vibrant life by Rathbone and Bruce who give sterling performances that seem second nature to them. Listening to this CD is like stepping back in time -- you can practically imagine that you are living in the 1940's sitting by a cozy fireplace one cold evening with the radio on enjoying the great detective's latest adventure for the first time.

An added bonus is included: vintage radio commercials evidently included on the original tapes.

Also, if you like this product, keep an eye out for the excellent hardcover book called "The Lost Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," by Ken Greenwald, which adapts Anthony Boucher's same radio scripts from this CD into a short story format complete with illustrations based on Rathbone and Bruce.

A welcome treat for fans of Sherlock Holmes and for all those who enjoy classic radio programs or may wish to experience one for the first time (as we did).

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best in live radio, May 28, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (howell, michigan, usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The NEW ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES GIFT SET VOLUME 6 (Audio Cassette)

having been born 30 years after the recording of these great radio classics, i feel like I was there during the original broadcasts. Basil rathbone and nigel bruce are surpurb in there roles as holmes and watson. a must have for any sherlock holmes fan.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasant Pastiche, June 23, 2000

By 

George R Dekle "Bob Dekle" (Lake City, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The NEW ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES GIFT SET VOLUME 6 (Audio Cassette)

Nigel Bruce's Watson is a loveable bumbler--quite a contrast to Conan Doyle's capable but unimaginative Watson. The stories tend to be somewhat contrived and suffer in comparison to the BBC productions of original Doyle stories in which Clive Morrison starred as Holmes. The organ music gets monotonous, and if I weren't already a teetotaler, the wine commercials would make me take the temperance pledge. Despite all that, the productions are wonderfully entertaining. Basil Rathbone's Holmes exceeds Clive Morrison's overacted Holmes as the day exceeds the night. The chemistry between Bruce and Rathbone is perfect, and the simple stories move swiftly to their satisfying (if somewhat obvious) conclusions. Although Holmes purists tend to hate Nigel Bruce's Watson, I found him to be irresistably likeable. I'd want Doyle's Watson guarding my back in a tight spot, but I'd rather sit by the fireplace and swap stories with Bruce's Watson. I particularly liked the host's introductory visits with Watson in which Watson sets the stage for the mysteries.