The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Volume One

good movies

When Universal gave up its rights to the Sherlock Holmes films in the early 1950's, ownership of the 35 mm nitrate prints changed hands many times. Nitrate film is incredibly unstable, and has been known to burst into flame for no apparent reason. According to the UCLA Film and Television Archive, over the years "the picture became stained and faded, and the film base began to turn sticky and gooey before collapsing into a brownish powder." When the films were ultimately sold to television, stations made 35mm and 16mm safety copies on acetate stock. Over time, these too deteriorated. But this was a different kind of decay, called "vinegar syndrome." That's because, in this case, "the decaying film gives off a strong odor of acetic acid and smells like salad dressing."I mention all this because I am totally amazed at the quality of the movies in this set. Each one is complete with beginning and end titles. There is even the famous title card at the end: "BUY WAR BONDS-ON SALE AT THIS THEATER."In 1939, 20th Century Fox made two fantastic Holmes movies-"Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." Then World War II came along, and the studio felt that the public wasn't interested in the exploits of a 19th Century detective. But Universal had a different idea. Why not place Holmes and Watson in modern times and have them fight the Nazis? So let's briefly take a look at the movies in this set:THE VOICE OF TERROR-A Nazi saboteur makes a series of broadcasts on the radio predicting disasters for England, which then occur. The Intelligence Inner Council summons Sherlock Holmes. But one of them is a Nazi agent, impersonating a member of the British government. You'll never guess who it is, but Holmes knows.THE SECRET WEAPON-Dr. Tobel (William Post, Jr.) is a Swiss scientist who has invented a secret bomb sight, an invention the Nazis would love to have. Disguised as an old bookseller, Holmes gets Tobel out of Switzerland and over to England. But Tobel is a naughty boy-instead of remaining in hiding in Baker Street, he goes out to visit his girlfriend Charlotte Eberli (Kaaren Verne). And before you can finish your popcorn, he's a prisoner of the Nazis. By the way, the code that Tobel uses to hide the secret of his weapon is loosely based on the Arthur Conan Doyle story "The Dancing Men." Professor Moriarty (Lionel Atwill) is here too, and both he and Holmes have the code. If Tobel is to be saved, Holmes must discover the secret first.Even though Rathbone, Bruce, and Lionel Atwill are excellent, what ruins this picture is the terrible acting of Post and Verne. However, it does have a great ending. Moriarty proposes that Holmes should donate his blood-all of it. It takes some time, but it is an interesting way to do away with someone.IN WASHINGTON-Holmes and Watson travel to Washington to prevent a secret document from being stolen by an enemy agent. Easily the most boring film in the series.FACES DEATH-Three siblings of the Musgrave family-Geoffrey, Philip, and Sally-have decided to open their home, Musgrave Manor, to soldiers suffering from combat fatigue during World War II. Dr. Watson has volunteered to treat several of the men. When Dr. Sexton, one of Watson's colleagues, receives a blow on the head, he calls in Holmes to investigate. As they arrive, they find the body of Geoffrey Musgrave. Shortly after, Phillip is also killed, and Holmes believes it has something to do with a poem-"The Musgrave Ritual"-that the next heir to the estate must recite. The residents dismiss it as nonsense, but Holmes believes it's the key to solving the murders.Hillary Brooke, who played Sally Musgrave, once stated that she adored working with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, even though she considered herself a pretty bad actress. I don't think so. Anyway, she's so beautiful that when she comes onscreen, I forget about the movie and just stare at her!But speaking of "Facing Death," did Halliwell Hobbes ever play any part EXCEPT a butler?

In 1942 Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce - the definitive Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson - stepped out of Victorian England to battle the Nazis in Universal's "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror." Three years prior the duo of Rathbone and Bruce had collaborated in what are generally regarded as the finest film adaptations of the legendary Sherlock Holmes adventures, Fox Studio's "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." The former, in particular, brilliantly captures the mood, mystery, and magic that has made the great detective such a compelling figure. Rathbone was perfect. Tall, with angular features and a unique singular intensity, Rathbone looked perfect carping through the fog draped Moor clutching a lantern in a deerskin cap and cloak. Nigel Bruce, too, was at his best here, conjuring up the loyal, gentlemanly, though intellectually ordinary compatriot, Dr. Watson. The chemistry between the stars was evident, and the two made 14 feature films as Holmes and Watson in addition to more than 240 radio episodes and stage productions. The 12 films that make up the Universal series never achieved the same critical acclaim as the Fox classics - though the Scarlet Claw is certainly a worthy entry - but the films have nevertheless achieved a certain cult status thanks to the impeccable performance of Rathbone as Holmes, the undeniable chemistry between Bruce and Rathbone, and the otherworldly gothic atmosphere Director Roy Hill creates. The rather obvious use of low-budget rear screen projection in some scenes, stock footage, and relatively short running times of these films give them an unmistakable B flavor. And yet the memorable turns by veteran characters acors - perennial heavies like George Zucco, Lionell Atwell, and Henry Daniel - stylish direction, and atmospheric settings still stir the imagination. The film have, however, been long out of print, or available only in second rate DVD or VHS versions. MPI has remedied that with this restoration series. Several years ago Key Video set the standard with the release of the entire Holmes series on VHS. Now MPI exceeds that high standard by a notch. The restoration, culled from the surviving 35mm prints and portions from second and third generation duplicates - is sharp, vivid, with great contrast and clear sound. The original Universal titles have been restored, as has the war bond tag that accompanied the films during their original theatrical runs. Though a few flaws remain this is probably the best anyone could have hoped for with these films given their age and the condition of the surviving film elements. The DVD extras included with this set are satisfying but not as generous as one might have hoped for. The sixteen page booklet included with the set is the best of the Bonus Material featuring well-written commentary and production notes on each of the individual films. The text includes interesting background on the films, its stars, snippets from reviews, and personal reminiscences. Also included is an account of the restoration process. The remaining Bonus material is included only on the "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death" disk. Author Davis Stuart Davies' commentary is informed, edifying, though he sheds little light on the principles, Rathbone and Bruce. A short video montage of Sherlock Holmes posters and stills rounds out the extras. Considering that MPI's packaging boasts "Loaded with DVD extras" the actual amount of Bonus material is a bit of a letdown. MPI has yet to release the next two volumes in their set, so perhaps there is still time to remedy this issue by including biographies, filmographies, trailers, and other DVD goodies. As it stands this set deserves a solid Five Stars. Video and sound quality is everything one could want, the DVD extras leave one hoping for more.

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