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By
SCOTT D. O'REILLY
During the 1930's, 40's and
50's Universal Studios was best known as for its
low budget horror films, such as the Frankenstein
and Wolfman series. But their most successful
franchise was the twelve 'modern' Sherlock Holmes
featuring the peerless pairing of Basil Rathbone
and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson. With more
than 240 radio broadcasts under their belt -- and
two earlier feature films at 20th Century Fox as
the crime fighting duo -- Rathbone and Bruce were
etched in the mind of the public as the definitive
Holmes and Watson even before Universal signed
them to bring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Victorian
hero into the age of motor cars and modern
warfare.
Volume Three of the Sherlock Holmes Collection
features Rathbone and Bruce at the tail end of
their successful run as crime-busters. It also
contains one of the best entries, "The Woman in
Green." As film Historian David Stuart Davies
notes in his feature length commentary the title
is virtually meaningless since the film is shot in
b&w and there is no references a green dress in
the script. Nevertheless, thanks to Hillary
Brooke's memorable turn as a seductive villainess,
and Henry Daniell's icy performance as Moriarty,
the film stands out as one of the best in the
Rathbone/Bruce series.
The series wound down over the next three films.
"Pursuit to Algiers" is considered by many fans
and critics to be one of the weaker entries, but
it does feature a nifty twist ending. "Terror by
Night" repeats its predecessor's format -- a
whodunit in a confined space, this time a speeding
train -- but with much greater atmosphere and
feeling of suspense.
The finale came with 1946's "Dressed to Kill."
Long available only in an inferior 16mm print,
MPI's restored 35mm is something of a revelation.
MPI's bonus material follows the pattern of its
earlier sets including a sixteen-page booklet with
informative production notes and a short video
montage featuring stills and posters. Also
included is rare archival footage of Holmes'
creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In April 2004 MPI
plans on releasing restored version of the first
two Holmes films featuring Rathbone and Bruce from
20th Century Fox: "The Hound of the Baskervilles"
and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." If these
sets are any indication they wait will well be
worth it for Holmes fans and DVD collectors. |
