Product Details

• Actors: Peter Cushing, André Morell, Christopher Lee, Marla Landi, David Oxley
• Directors: Terence Fisher
• Writers: Arthur Conan Doyle, Peter Bryan
• Producers: Anthony Hinds, Anthony Nelson Keys, Kenneth Hyman, Michael Carreras
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• DVD Release Date: May 7, 2002
• Run Time: 87 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000062XEY
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,998 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #38 in	Movies & TV > Art House & International > British Cinema > Mystery & Suspense
  #42 in	Movies & TV > Classics > Mystery & Suspense
  #55 in	Movies & TV > Mystery & Suspense > Detectives

• For more information about "The Hound of the Baskervilles" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sherlock Holmes gets the Gothic treatment in this mix of mystery and supernatural horror from Britain’s Hammer Films. Peter Cushing is perfectly cast as the great detective, the very embodiment of science and reason (which also made him a great Van Helsing in the Dracula series) in a case wound around a legacy of aristocratic cruelty and a devilish dog wandering the swampy moors. Christopher Lee is a less satisfying fit as the last of the Baskervilles, as he waffles between fear and apathetic disregard, but Andre Morell is a fine Dr. Watson and a far cry from Nigel Bruce’s sweet bumbler from the Hollywood incarnation of the 1940s. Director Terence Fisher was Hammer’s top stylist and the film drips with the mood of the moors, mist hanging in the air, the dying vegetation itself threatening to come to life and trap the next unwary traveler. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

"Peter Cushing is a splendid Holmes" (Daily Mirror) and "Andre Morell is the perfect Dr. Watson" (Daily Herald) in this terror-filled mystery classic co-starring horror legend Christopher Lee. With its "compelling acting and spooky cinematography" (Video Movie Guide), this "rattling good movie" (Newsweek) will keep you guessingand gaspinguntil the final frame! A fiendish evil lurks beneath the mist-shrouded cliffs of England's fabled moors. In the formof a hellish hound, it feeds upon the trembling flesh of the heirs of Baskerville Hall. But before this savage beast can sink its teeth into the newest lord of the manor, it must pit its vicious fangs against the searing intellect of the most powerful foe it has ever encounteredthe incomparable Sherlock Holmes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Memorable HOUND, March 25, 2003

By	Walter B. Conger (Arroyo Grande, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My wife wonders why, oh why, my video/DVD collection contains so many different versions of this classic Sherlock Holmes tale. Well, I understand there have been almost 20 different films based on the story, and I have nowhere near that many. But when push comes to shove, this 1959 Hammer "Hound" starring the wonderful Peter Cushing is probably my most-watched. Rathbone was great, but his version barely had a musical score (imagine having the Hound chase Sir Henry across the moor without a chilling score!) The Brett version is faithful but oddly lackluster. Ian Richardson's version was fine, but felt like a TV movie (which it was).

THIS Hammer film, despite massive wanderings from the original story, just FEELS right. It's spooky. Holmes is eccentric and impatient and perfect. Watson is wonderfully portrayed. The Baker Street rooms are fantastic. And the music--this is the stuff that made me duck my head under the covers when I watched old horror films as a kid.

There are plenty of different versions of "Hound" out there to see. Many have their "moments" of brilliance. But for pure enjoyment, you can do no better than Cushing's version. (I'm still dying to see his 1968 BBC version, almost impossible to get ahold of.) A pleasant, fun, and memorable "Hound of the Baskervilles."

And the few DVD extra features, thanks to Christopher Lee, provide added fun, too.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beware the moor while darkness reigns and evil is exalted!, April 6, 2000

By	Robert S. Clay Jr. (St. Louis, MO., USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hound of Baskervilles (1959) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The most famous Sherlock Holmes story is given a fine Hammer Films treatment. Peter Cushing, more famous for his movie roles as Dr. Frankenstein and Van Helsing of Dracula fame, does very well as Sherlock Holmes. Cushing's late-Victorian portrayal is faithful to the character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Andre Morell is quietly dignified as Dr. Watson. Christopher Lee is atypically cast as the romantic lead, Sir Henry Baskerville. The screenplay is generally faithful to the original novel, although Conan Doyle purists will notice some differences and even omissions in the story's characters. The lush color photography and the rich, old English decor of the sets enhances the spooky atmosphere. Baskerville Hall reminds the viewer of Castle Dracula transported to a remote area in England. The classic mystery tale with supernatural overtones of the hound of hell that haunts the foggy moors and stalks the Baskerville family remains chilling. Although this film is not really targeted at children, it can be recommended as an ideal introduction to the world of Sherlock Holmes for the next generation coming up. It's also great entertainment for older viewers who may recall seeing this film and other Hammer horrors at the Halloween horror-fests at "a theater near you" back in the '60s. Make a big bowl of popcorn, dim the lights, and enjoy the experience.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Film -Cushing IS Holmes, September 15, 2002

By	Jim Jr (Buffalo, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Anyone who has read the Sherlock Holmes stories has his own personal view of who and what Sherlock is. For me, Peter Cushing is the best and truest interpretation of my view of the character. He outshines J. Brett, Basil Rathbone and all others. The only other actor who comes close is Christopher Plummer in "Murder By Decree" (Holmes meets Jack the Ripper) with James Mason as probably the best Dr. Watson. Cushing was 99% the Holmes I have always pictured.

It is wonderful to see a side of Christopher Lee that is never shown in other films. He proved he can be a fine human character as opposed to the supernatural creatures he is usually associated with.

The only acting choice I have trouble with is the principal female character as played by Marla Landi. She has a heavy accent that is very difficult to understand. For most of her scenes, I had to turn on the subtitles to know what she was saying.

I've never seen a film or TV version completely faithful to the original book, but this version is true to the SPIRIT of the story and is a really engrossing and entertaining film. This should be the true test of the film, does it hold interest, is it well acted and does it entertain. The answers to all of these questions is YES. For anyone wanting an exact reproduction of the original book, it would be better to lock yourself in a quiet room and play the story on the screen of your own imagination. Then you will get the Holmes you dream of and the exact details of the book. For anyone else, this as a fine and satisfying experience.