Although
it strays from the original genius of Arthur Conan
Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles is a Basil
Rathbone fans favorite because it is modeled after one
of the original canon cases rather than borne of
WWII-era American patriotism like many of his later
projects. In Dartmoor stands the ancestral home of Sir
Charles Baskerville. It's a demonic old place, eerily
placed in the center of the great Grimpton Mire and
situated at quite a distance from its neighbors. There
are two silent servants, Mr. and Mrs. Barryman, and
they have served Sir Charles for many years. That is
until he runs screaming through the gardens and falls
upon his face, to die in anguish of heart failure. The
estate is left to his Canadian nephew Sir Henry
(Richard Greene), and those at the trial testify that
it was an unsuspicious death brought on of paranoia
and old age.
Sherlock
Holmes (Basil Rathbone) has taken an interest in the
events of the investigation from his London flat and
predicts that Sir Henry too will be murdered. He is
approached by Dr. Mortimer (Lionel Atwill) to consult
on the matter and determine if it's safe to escort Sir
Henry to his manor on the moors. The doctor brings
with him an old document that traces the Baskerville
history to the vicious crimes of Sir Hugo Baskerville
in the middle ages. He kidnapped and intended to wed a
local moor girl, who escaped during the night and
fled. Pursuing her across the moors, Hugo killed her
in a mad rage -- but was set upon by a hellish hound
from the darkness, who tore out his throat and has
stalked his descendents ever since. The deaths of
Baskerville heirs have always been sudden, violent,
and mysterious. Fearing for the life of Sir Henry,
Mortimer pleads with Holmes to undertake an
investigation.
Plagued
with missing boots and murder attempts in London, Sir
Henry is relieved to travel to Dartmoor with Dr.
Watson (Nigel Bruce) while Holmes makes inquiries in
town. Watson promises to report everything of consequence
to his correspondent, and finds more than a fair share
of sinister events to follow. There is the eccentric
lawsuit-loving neighbor to the west, Mr. Frankland (Barlowe
Borland), who "knows everything about
everyone." There is Dr. Mortimer and his sinister
wife, a spiritualist who likes to walk the moors at
night. There's an escaped convict on the moor,
vanishing lights in the darkness, and intrigues
involving the servants... not to mention Sir Henry's
romantic interest in Beryl Stapleton (Wendy Barrie),
the younger sister of a naturalist in the region. And
then there are the ghoulish sounds of a hound across
the moor, baying at the moon. Can Watson keep his
promise to the great detective, and not allow Sir
Henry to go out "at night, when the powers of
evil are exalted"?
Fans
of the original page-turner on which this is based
will notice some peculiarities, particularly the
changing of many of the characters' names. An
interesting piece of trivia solves one such instance
-- in the novel and all later adaptations, the
butler's name is "Barrymore." Because the
famous John Barrymore was still acting in films (he
also played Holmes!) the character's name was changed
to Barryman. Censorship of the time also forbade the
novel's plot twist toward the conclusion in which it's
revealed that the villain is abusing his wife. The
result is a happier ending than the book that most
puritans won't mind. It's almost impossible to
translate a novel of this depth and magnitude to film
without desiring to make changes for dramatic
emphasis, so other inconsistencies can be forgiven.
Basil Rathbone is brilliant, portraying Holmes with
just the degree of jaded humor that makes him so
likable on the page. Nigel Bruce is also a suitable
Dr. Watson, sensible and level-headed unlike his
panicked, bumbling portrayals later in life. There's
one charming scene where he claims to be Sherlock
Holmes as an act of intimidation, much to the
amusement of the disguised detective.
Recently
remastered for collectors and loyal fans, The Hound
of the Baskervilles is in beautiful condition. The
scratches of the older volumes have been erased away
and the images are all beautifully clear and sharp.
The soundtrack has been enhanced and the
"fuzz" taken off many of the voices. This is
also one of the more fearsome dogs used in production;
later adaptations were less successful with the hound,
many of them resulting to CGI effects that a real-life
snarling hound easily outranks. There are very
few content issues but certain thematic elements do
bear mentioning. Audiences were in for a jolt with the
final line of the film, in which Holmes remarks that
it is now time to retire and rest and flippantly
reminds Watson to bring along his hypodermic needle.
Holmes was an occasional taker of opium. There is a
great deal of dog violence, where a hound attacks and
mauls several people. He pushes one off a cliff, where
we briefly see the mangled body. Another is engaged in
a lengthy screen fight with the creature before the
dog is shot and killed. Individuals are threatened
with guns.
The
only thing I truly dislike is the séance with Dr.
Mortimer's wife, where she attempts to call up the
spirit of Sir Henry. She does not succeed, as the
gathering is disturbed by the braying of a hound in
the distance, but it's not a part of the original
storyline and may make Christian audiences
uncomfortable. Fortunately this is easily foreseen and
fast-forwarded through, leaving the rest of the film
an enjoyable romp through the eerie land of Dartmoor
with one of the most beloved fictional detectives of
all time.
THE
HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
Plagued
with missing boots and murder attempts in London, Sir
Henry is relieved to travel to Dartmoor with Dr.
Watson (Nigel Bruce) while Holmes makes inquiries in
town. Watson promises to report everything of consequence
to his correspondent, and finds more than a fair share
of sinister events to follow. There is the eccentric
lawsuit-loving neighbor to the west, Mr. Frankland (Barlowe
Borland), who "knows everything about
everyone." There is Dr. Mortimer and his sinister
wife, a spiritualist who likes to walk the moors at
night. There's an escaped convict on the moor,
vanishing lights in the darkness, and intrigues
involving the servants... not to mention Sir Henry's
romantic interest in Beryl Stapleton (Wendy Barrie),
the younger sister of a naturalist in the region. And
then there are the ghoulish sounds of a hound across
the moor, baying at the moon. Can Watson keep his
promise to the great detective, and not allow Sir
Henry to go out "at night, when the powers of
evil are exalted"?
Recently
remastered for collectors and loyal fans, The Hound
of the Baskervilles is in beautiful condition. The
scratches of the older volumes have been erased away
and the images are all beautifully clear and sharp.
The soundtrack has been enhanced and the
"fuzz" taken off many of the voices. This is
also one of the more fearsome dogs used in production;
later adaptations were less successful with the hound,
many of them resulting to CGI effects that a real-life
snarling hound easily outranks. There are very
few content issues but certain thematic elements do
bear mentioning. Audiences were in for a jolt with the
final line of the film, in which Holmes remarks that
it is now time to retire and rest and flippantly
reminds Watson to bring along his hypodermic needle.
Holmes was an occasional taker of opium. There is a
great deal of dog violence, where a hound attacks and
mauls several people. He pushes one off a cliff, where
we briefly see the mangled body. Another is engaged in
a lengthy screen fight with the creature before the
dog is shot and killed. Individuals are threatened
with guns.
