Review(s): DVD The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 1 (Voice of Terror / Secret Weapon / In Washington / Faces Death)
The Holmes Collection, Vol. 1
I very much enjoyed this offering. Anyone who is familiar with this series of movies knows that the content is excellent, so I won't go into that.
As to the collection,it's excellent also. The audio and video qualities are top notch. The picture quality is actually better than the originals as seen on tv.
Sherlock Holmes Collection Vol. 1
I enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes DVDs. The quality is much better than watching the movies on the classics channel. I enjoy the subtle digs at Watson and Rathbone plays a excellent arrogant Holmes. I think Sherlock Holmes fans will watch this collection over and over again.
The game's afoot...
I have a real affection for these Sherlock Holmes films. I'm a fan of Sherlock Holmes in general, but I think this pairing of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce is my favorite screen combination. Yes, I realize that such offerings may horrify the average Holmes scholar, but I can't help my tastes. What they lose in deviation from the original source, they more than make up for in style.
The first thing to be mentioned is how clear the picture and sound are on these restorations. Films of this age can be hit or miss when released on DVD, but these prints are in remarkably good shape.
I'll now quickly offer an opinion on each of the four movies. Note that these are the first four films in the series. When Universal bought the rights to Holmes, they decided to update the great detective. They not only brought him to the then-current time, they also decided that he should face what was the greatest threat of the day. So, for the first three movies, Holmes is aiding the Allies during WWII, a setting that he seems (at least to me) to fit into comfortably.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR is the first "spy catcher" that Holmes is involved in. It works. However, it attempts to be a triumph of style over substance and that's fine until one starts looking at the plot too closely. Still, it's a fiendishly stylish production with the fine lighting and careful choreography that would be a hallmark of the series.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON is based upon Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" and the code-breaking aspect of the original fits very comfortably into the WWII setting. This was one of my favorites as a child and I am happy to see that its just as much fun now.
SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON features Holmes and Watson being driven around back-projected images of Washington, DC stock footage. Notable more for Watson's attempts at going native than for actual plot. It's fun if nothing else.
SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH is the first one which places Holmes and Watson back into their familiar roles of detectives rather than spy-catchers. I enjoyed the first three movies, but it's nice to get back to basics. The story and its resolution are rather clever.
The front of the DVD case proclaims that it is "Loaded with DVD extras", which is stretching the definition of "loaded" quite a bit. Photo galleries don't really confer "must-own" status, and the only additional DVD extra is a commentary track which is only available on one of the four movies. "Loaded"? That's a bit strong.
That said, the commentary track for SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH is really excellent. Given by David Stuart Davies (according to the cover, a renowned British author), this offers a lot of trivial insight and critical observation. Realizing perhaps that listeners would not be viewing this commentary in isolation, Davies also makes comments particular to other films in this same box set. He offers a lot of comparisons between the original stories/characters and how they ended up being presented on film. He goes into a lot of detail concerning the history of this film series, as well as pointing out the actors who had appeared in others of this series. I found this a hugely enjoyable and informative commentary. (Beware that the commentary track does contain spoilers, so make sure you watch the films first.)
I'm very happy that these films have finally been cleaned up and released on DVD. I'm also thrilled to see that I can enjoy them as an adult as much as I did as a child. I'm definitely confident enough to order the next two box sets.
Related DVD's The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 1 (Voice of Terror / Secret Weapon / In Washington / Faces Death)
Here are four strong entries (each beautifully restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive) from the peak of Basil Rathbone's prolific, seven-year run as a definitive Sherlock Holmes for the big screen. Three of these films were released in 1944 alone, beginning with the gripping Pearl of Death, a then-contemporary update (set in the World War II years, as with most of the Rathbone-Holmes features) of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Six Napoleons."
A reluctant Holmes agrees to help a London museum recover a stolen, rare pearl. But the investigation takes a strange turn when the great detective and his sidekick, Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), find their mystery linked to a series of odd murders involving the destruction of porcelain china. Typically, "Pearl of Death" has its... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Basil Rathbone DVD Release Date: Released the 25 November 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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After having spent years watching all 14 of the videos from Key, I recently purchased volume 3 of the Sherlock Holmes Collection. Everything they've said about the enhanced picture/sound quality is true, however, the DVD extras are missing. Am I the only one? The DVD extras promoted on the back of the case include: audio commentary with Stuart Davies, footage of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, production notes by Richard Valley and Photo Gallery/Original Movie Posters. I don't have any of the extras. It's still worth the buy and a five star gem. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Basil Rathbone DVD Release Date: Released the 27 January 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce star in this 1939 adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's frequently filmed novel, and the result is one of the most atmospheric and purely enjoyable versions of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Except for minor changes, the script is true to Doyle's enthralling mystery about a centuries-long curse against heirs to the Baskerville estate, situated within the haunting and deadly Dartmoor in the southwest of England. With the arrival of a new master, Canadian Henry Baskerville (Richard Greene), Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Bruce) are called upon to solve the strange case of the "gigantic hound" that may be readying to savage the poor fellow. Wonderful sets, crisp performances, and Rathbone's accessible but no-nonsense take on the Great... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Basil Rathbone - Nigel Bruce Director(s): Sidney Lanfield DVD Release Date: Released the 27 April 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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One of the most engaging features from 20th Century Fox's Holmes series, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is also of historical interest as it based on a hugely popular, early 20th century stage play written by and starring William Gillette. Basil Rathbone cuts a fine figure as the lean, hawkish Great Detective, drawn into a complicated conspiracy by fiendish Dr. Moriarty (George Zucco) to distract Holmes while quietly preparing to steal the Crown Jewels. Nigel Bruce is on board as a buffoonish Dr. Watson, and British-born Ida Lupino is very good, and quite gorgeous, as a young woman who may be the target of a family curse. True-blue Sherlockians know that very little of Gillette's tale, and next to nothing about Zucco's or Bruce's performances, have anything to do with Sir Arthur... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Basil Rathbone Director(s): Alfred L. Werker DVD Release Date: Released the 27 April 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Though the Charlie Chan film franchise has earned brickbats for its casting of Caucasian actors as the Asian sleuth, the movies have retained popularity among aficionados of '40s-era B-crime pictures, and the six-disc Charlie Chan Chanthology, all featuring Sidney Toler as Chan, should please that crowd. The Missouri-born Toler starred in 11 Chan pictures for Fox before purchasing the rights to the character from creator Earl Derr Biggers's widow and bringing it to budget studio Monogram, where he starred in 11 more Chans before his death in 1947 (Roland Winters replaced him in six more features until 1949). At Monogram, Chan became a Secret Service Agent (a move calculated to cut down on exotic locations and sets), and comedy was integrated into the plots via Mantan Moreland's... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Sidney Toler DVD Release Date: Released the 06 July 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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