Rent The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)

Gothic Crime (spoiler) - The Hound of the Baskervilles review by Steve

Returning to the start of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce’s 14 picture stretch as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, it’s a pleasure to notice just how opulent is this version of the famous gothic detective story. The costumes, period Victorian setting and the atmosphere of mysterious, perilous Dartmoor are all just right. Plus all the fog.

Also, it’s a joy to encounter Bruce playing Watson as fairly competent; still the comedy relief, but not a complete idiot. Thirdly, it’s unusual how much of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel makes it onto the screen. This is a reasonably faithful account of the great detective’s most famous case. And we even get the infamous last line: ‘Watson! The needle!’

It should be restated how ideal is the casting of Rathbone as Holmes. Of course, the weakness of the story is that he disappears in the early chapters, but that’s hardly a factor in this 75 minute retelling. The support cast is variable with Richard Greene a bluff, plucky hero and Lionel Atwill splendidly inscrutable as the local medic. But Morton Lowry makes an inoffensive villain.

This sort of gothic mystery was ideal for the (so-called) horror ban of the late ‘30s when foreign markets rejected Hollywood fright films. The hound is a sort-of mythic monster anyway, and well realised here. It was a box office hit and inspired a sequel and the long low budget Universal series. And it’s the best version of the classic tale on the big screen.