The adventures (plural) of the great detective
Added 9/27/2009
There have been only two long-running Sherlock Holmes actors who were really memorable: Jeremy Brett, and Basil Rathbone. And Rathbone is showcased at his best in one of the early stories about the legendary detective, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," an atmospheric and twisting murder mystery.The one downside: Nigel Bruce's goofy Watson.
Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) arrives at the courthouse a minute too late, and angrily watches his nemesis Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) go free because of a lack of evidence. Sick of Holmes' investigations, Moriarty decides to utterly ruin Holmes with the most notorious and memorable crime in English history -- by distracting him with a bizarre threat to a young woman.
Specifically, a wealthy young lady arrives at his office, distraught because of a threatening picture that she got in the mail -- and in short order, her brother is murdered, even as her lawyer/suitor tries to convince her not to depend on the detective. Holmes becomes wrapped up in the potential murder, as the stressed-out police try to get him to pay attention to a threat to the Crown Jewels. Will he realize what's truly going on in time, or will Moriarty pull off the crime of the century?
"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" was one of the movies that cemented Basil Rathbone as THE Sherlock Holmes, at least until Jeremy Brett entered the scene. It's also one of the better movies that was spun up in the 1930s and 1940s -- a brilliant double-whammy of intertwined cases, deaths and bizarre happenings. And a brilliantly weird Moriarty to boot ("You've murdered a FLOWER!").
Though the whole movie takes place in London, the director cultivated a misty murky atmosphere, in which a corner could hold a murderer and people are never what they seem. And the stories are fast-paced and energetic, even when there's been a murder or theft, and there are still moments of eerie weirdness woven in -- such as the haunting presence stalking the young woman, and Holmes' elusive presence as he tries to keep her safe.
Rathbone's Holmes is the cerebral side of the Great Detective: cool and slightly languid, as if he's always lying back to ponder the mystery, but he also loosens up in disguise long enough to sing about how "I do like to be beside the seaside." He even fits Doyle's descriptions of Holmes -- tall, skinny, big nose. Nigel Bruce does a good enough job, although he's way too comic reliefy -- we don't need Watson to act like an idiot to make Holmes look like a genius.
"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" is a thoroughly entertaining, brilliantly plotted little mystery, and Basil Rathbone's onscreen Sherlock is utterly superb. Give this classic a watch.
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Cinema's best Holmes and Watson in one of their best adventures
Added 7/28/2009
1939's "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" features the crisp direction and artful cinematography of Hollywood's most prestigious productions of the time, coupled with exciting thriller elements (a larger-than-life villain, mysterious clues, chases and confrontations in a dark castle, etc. ) straight from the adventure serials of the day. It's quite a mix. Based on a stage play inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's many Sherlock Holmes tales (though the play didn't adapt any specific stories), "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" is the second of the fourteen Holmes/Watson thrillers starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. I pull these wonderfully restored (thanks UCLA!) films off the shelf every couple of years and re-watch them with continued pleasure.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Restored DVD Improved Atmosphere & Story
Added 5/8/2009
Here's a film I didn't fully appreciate the first time but onn the second look -thanks no doubt to the wonderful "restoration" job on this DVD - it brought the cinematography to the forefront and made the whole story more attractive, too.
There are some wonderful scenes with light and shadows and foggy London streets. Story-wise, it's okay nothing that memorable except we see a very young and innocent-looking Ida Lupino playing a nice British girl. Holmes (Basil Rathbone) is usual deductive self and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) elicits a few laughs along the way, not as many as he did in future films but more than he did in his first Holmes film, "The Hound Of The Baskervilles."
There weren't as many suspects in this Holmes adventure as in most of them, but that was fine with me. It was more a battle of wits between the good detective and his nemesis, "Dr. Moriarity" (George Zucco), which is better than having a dozen suspects.
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"Elementary, my dear Cinephile"
Added 2/5/2009
THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1939), starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, is a must-see movie for fans of 1930s Hollywood film. But do not make the mistake of thinking, as one reviewer has done, that this is an accurate portrayal of Conan Doyle's literary creation.
Instead, the film is probably best understood as an historical film artifact: a descendant of the German Expressionist visual aesthetic. The murky atmosphere; the gas lit, fog bound sets are half of the enjoyment of this work. That is why, I think, the latest UCLA Film Archive Restorations are so effective.
And Sherlock Holmes is very much a super-heroic character, seemingly defeating the very murk itself; establishing order in the chaotic world. And these were very popular themes in the Depression and WWII eras. It is also the point, in my opinion, of much of the Golden Age Universal Horror films.
Additionally, there is a light, humourous tone, throughout most of the 14 Rathbone/Bruce films; in fact, in the following 12 films, Watson's character becomes even more of a buffoon. That too, reflects more the WWII audience's need for light entertainment, and less Conan Doyle's stories.
What you do get in THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1939), other than the atmosphere and nostalgia, are great performances by Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce and George Zucco. But to enjoy them, we have to abandon our preconceived notions and enjoy the film on it's own terms.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Atmospheric vintage mystery
Added 6/29/2008
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) faces off against his arch-enemy, Professor Moriarty (George Zucco), in this installment of the vintage detective series. This movie is a great deal of fun, mostly due to the excellent performances, most notably Rathbone's. However, I can't help but feel disappointment that they choose to make Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) into a comic buffoon rather than the capable assistant he was in Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. I also wish they had adapted one of Doyle's tales instead of a Broadway play based on the character. Oh well, it's still fun, and Zucco is an excellent Moriarty
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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The adventures (plural) of the great detective
Added 9/27/2009
There have been only two long-running Sherlock Holmes actors who were really memorable: Jeremy Brett, and Basil Rathbone. And Rathbone is showcased at his best in one of the early stories about the legendary detective, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," an atmospheric and twisting murder mystery.The one downside: Nigel Bruce's goofy Watson.
Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) arrives at the courthouse a minute too late, and angrily watches his nemesis Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) go free because of a lack of evidence. Sick of Holmes' investigations, Moriarty decides to utterly ruin Holmes with the most notorious and memorable crime in English history -- by distracting him with a bizarre threat to a young woman.
Specifically, a wealthy young lady arrives at his office, distraught because of a threatening picture that she got in the mail -- and in short order, her brother is murdered, even as her lawyer/suitor tries to convince her not to depend on the detective. Holmes becomes wrapped up in the potential murder, as the stressed-out police try to get him to pay attention to a threat to the Crown Jewels. Will he realize what's truly going on in time, or will Moriarty pull off the crime of the century?
"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" was one of the movies that cemented Basil Rathbone as THE Sherlock Holmes, at least until Jeremy Brett entered the scene. It's also one of the better movies that was spun up in the 1930s and 1940s -- a brilliant double-whammy of intertwined cases, deaths and bizarre happenings. And a brilliantly weird Moriarty to boot ("You've murdered a FLOWER!").
Though the whole movie takes place in London, the director cultivated a misty murky atmosphere, in which a corner could hold a murderer and people are never what they seem. And the stories are fast-paced and energetic, even when there's been a murder or theft, and there are still moments of eerie weirdness woven in -- such as the haunting presence stalking the young woman, and Holmes' elusive presence as he tries to keep her safe.
Rathbone's Holmes is the cerebral side of the Great Detective: cool and slightly languid, as if he's always lying back to ponder the mystery, but he also loosens up in disguise long enough to sing about how "I do like to be beside the seaside." He even fits Doyle's descriptions of Holmes -- tall, skinny, big nose. Nigel Bruce does a good enough job, although he's way too comic reliefy -- we don't need Watson to act like an idiot to make Holmes look like a genius.
"The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" is a thoroughly entertaining, brilliantly plotted little mystery, and Basil Rathbone's onscreen Sherlock is utterly superb. Give this classic a watch.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Cinema's best Holmes and Watson in one of their best adventures
Added 7/28/2009
1939's "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" features the crisp direction and artful cinematography of Hollywood's most prestigious productions of the time, coupled with exciting thriller elements (a larger-than-life villain, mysterious clues, chases and confrontations in a dark castle, etc. ) straight from the adventure serials of the day. It's quite a mix. Based on a stage play inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's many Sherlock Holmes tales (though the play didn't adapt any specific stories), "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" is the second of the fourteen Holmes/Watson thrillers starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. I pull these wonderfully restored (thanks UCLA!) films off the shelf every couple of years and re-watch them with continued pleasure.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Restored DVD Improved Atmosphere & Story
Added 5/8/2009
Here's a film I didn't fully appreciate the first time but onn the second look -thanks no doubt to the wonderful "restoration" job on this DVD - it brought the cinematography to the forefront and made the whole story more attractive, too.
There are some wonderful scenes with light and shadows and foggy London streets. Story-wise, it's okay nothing that memorable except we see a very young and innocent-looking Ida Lupino playing a nice British girl. Holmes (Basil Rathbone) is usual deductive self and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) elicits a few laughs along the way, not as many as he did in future films but more than he did in his first Holmes film, "The Hound Of The Baskervilles."
There weren't as many suspects in this Holmes adventure as in most of them, but that was fine with me. It was more a battle of wits between the good detective and his nemesis, "Dr. Moriarity" (George Zucco), which is better than having a dozen suspects.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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