Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 3, 1993 TAG: 9304030087
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: C10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
SHERLOCK HOLMES SERIES MORE THAN ELEMENTARY
Say the name Sherlock Holmes, and most people think immediately of Basil Rathbone with a deerstalker hat and a curving meerschaum pipe.The actor played the detective in 14 films. They've been available on cassette for some time, but they've just been reissued with new box art and lower prices. Overall, this is an excellent series that deserves special treatment.
The first two films, "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" were made by Twentieth Century Fox in 1939. They're expensively produced period pieces faithful to the spirit, if not the letter, of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fiction.
In 1942, Universal Studios took over the series. Like so many popular heroes of the day, including Bugs Bunny, Charlie Chaplin and the Three Stooges, Holmes was recruited for the war effort. The next three films,"Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror," "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" and "Sherlock Holmes in Washington," pitted the great detective against Nazis. The remaining nine films have contemporary settings.
The first two are probably the best. "The Hound" is simply a grand mystery tale with hints of the supernatural and a really spooky setting, Baskerville Hall out on the treacherous moors. The story is so strong that it's been filmed no fewer than five times since the 1939 version.
"The Adventures" is almost as good. It features the wonderful Victorian London atmosphere - hansom cabs, cobblestone streets and foggy nights - that Sherlockians love. It also has Ida Lupino at her loveliest and George Zucco at his most villainous as Professor Moriarty. They're more than enough for any movie.
Of the others, "The Scarlet Claw" has a fine tricky plot, and despite its flaws, "Sherlock Holmes in Washington" is one of my own favorites. The reason is one terrific scene in which the camera follows a book of matches (containing secret microfilm) through a cocktail party.
But the real source of the continued popularity of these films lies in the casting of the leads.
Basil Rathbone was born for the role. With his strong resemblance to the illustrations of Holmes that had been drawn by Sidney Paget in the Strand magazine, where most of the short stories and novels first appeared, he fit the public perception of the character. His cool screen presence, his intelligence and his ability to disguise himself with costumes and makeup completed the great detective's character.
Of course, Conan Doyle's Watson was not an "incorrigible bungler," as he's called in one film. As portrayed by Nigel Bruce, though, he's an immensely likeable character, the perfect foil for Holmes' deductive genius. Even when the films wander far afield from "the sacred canon" of Conan Doyle's works, Rathbone and Bruce have such a solid rapport that it's always fun to spend time with them.
Of course, they're not the only actors who have played these characters. Here's a quick look at some of the other notable attempts that are available on videotape:
Christopher Plummer and James Mason did fine work with the roles in "Murder by Decree." Director Bob Clark's 1979 film places the duo in pursuit of Jack the Ripper.
George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward may have been the most unusual Holmes and Watson ever to hit the screen in "They Might Be Giants." In this 1971 version, he's a delusional judge who thinks he's Holmes, and she's a psychiatrist named Dr. Watson.
In Nicholas Meyer and Herbert Ross's "The Seven Percent Solution" (1976) Holmes (Nicol Williamson) and Watson (Robert Duvall) consult Sigmund Freud (Alan Arkin) about Holmes' cocaine use, and solve a crime involving Moriarty (Laurence Olivier).
Producer Stephen Spielberg and director Barry Levinson took considerable liberties with the characters and the canon in 1985's "Young Sherlock Holmes," though Nicholas Rowe and Alan Cox did admirable work as teen-age versions of the famous characters.
Perhaps the most interesting (and least seen) interpretation of the characters was undertaken in 1970 by writer I.A.L. Diamond and director Billy Wilder. In "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" they put Holmes (Robert Stephens) and Watson (Colin Blakely) on the trail of the Loch Ness monster. The result is a good film that's better than it sounds, even though the studio severely recut Wilder's version. Christopher Lee plays Mycroft Holmes.
Finally, no column devoted to the great detective would be complete without some mention of the recent British television productions starring Jeremy Brett. Though I haven't seen it, I'm sure that his 1989 "Hound of the Baskervilles" is worth a look.
\ New releases
Husbands and Wives: ***1/2 Stars Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Judy Davis, Sidney Pollack, Juliet Lewis. Written and directed by Allen. Columbia Tristar. 107 min. Rated R for subject matter, profanity, brief nudity.
This story of disintegrating relationships is such a strange and vivid reflection of Woody Allen's troubled personal life that it's difficult to watch but absolutely fascinating. There's a bitterness to the film that's hard to take: It's the dark side of "Annie Hall." The ensemble cast is excellent. Davis was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
\ Consenting Adults:** Stars Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Directed by Alan J. Pakula. (Buena Vista) Rated R. 105 min.
This is a sleek suspense thriller on the surface, but one that's implausible and devoid of much suspense where it counts - in the story. The performances are solid, but the characters aren't.
\ Leprechaun: Stars Warwick Davis. (Vidmark) Rated R. 95 min.
A horror movie that plumbs the depths of amateurism. Note: Star
ratings are not available for reviews from wire services.