The Hound of the Baskervilles

This excellent 1959 Hammer picture starring Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville was in my opinion one of the best Hammer films they did. I found the film to be very nicely done with a generally spooky setting in the moors. I also found it to keep my attention a lot better than that of other Hammer films such as The Mummy. The acting from Lee and Cushing is of course superb as is the performance of Andre Morell as Dr. Watson. Overall, I would say that this is the best Sherlock Holmes film made to date.

Hammer Studio's greatest stars in top form prove to this day that old-fashioned, relatively cheap yet eerie good films can look and work when quality pros are at work. Conan Doyle did not focus here on detective intrigue, but on a gloomy atmosphere, since the surroundings of the Baskerville estate over which the family curse prevailed favored a Gothic mood. The sequences with the tarantula thrown up on Sir Henry Baskerville (suffering from arachnophobia), Sherlock's visit to an abandoned mine collapsing through the efforts of some undetermined criminal, exemplify the fine pumping up of suspenseful strain. There are also some lightweight scenes - for example, with the participation of a good-natured bishop whose distraction almost costs the young aristocrat his life. Hitchcockian "Hammers", which included the director Terence Fisher, hardly used to claim the laurels of major artists, being more modestly content with the title of artisans. Be that as it may, the studio's default experience with the horror genre in its classical form enriched the Holmesian cult. One can't help comparing it to other (at this point about two and a half dozen!) attempts to adapt the famous story. The 1939 version was quite good by the way.

The initial version of HOUND, released in 1939, was the first to introduce Sir Basil Rathbone as the immortal detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, eventually resulting in the actor being the most identified in the role. Twenty years on, his contemporary, Peter Cushing took a stab at it as well, and the results are equally as gratifying.

It's interesting to note as well that Andre Morell's interpretation of Dr. John Watson, Holmes' steadfast companion and confidante, paints a more capable and robust picture of the cultured sidekick than the cloud of befuddlement that always seemed to surround Nigel Bruce in his performance.

Like Old Faithful, Hammer vet Terence Fisher directs HOUND as more of a stunning crime thriller with horror elements than an out-and-out costume romp, much like the others that the studio became famous (or infamous) for. Allegedly the start of a planned series, the idea was scrapped when Holmes didn't catch on with latter audiences, who were more drawn to Hammer's "Monster" movies with werewolves and vampires.

The best treat of all in this case, though, besides seeing British character vets in action like Morrell, John Le Mesurier (Barrymore, the manservant), Francis De Wolff (Doctor Mortimer) and a hysterical turn by Miles Malleson as Bishop Frankland, (worthy of Barry Fitzgerald), is seeing Cushing and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville sharing scenes together, no matter how briefly, in a non-"Dracula"-inspired context.

If you love old-school mysteries, and Hammer films especially, be sure to add this one to your "Must-Rent" list.

Director Terence Fisher, actors Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Andre Morrell, and the Hammer production crew bring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous story of the legendary hound of the Baskervilles into colour for the first time. In point of fact, this is the first Sherlock Holmes story filmed in glorious colour, and it does the story proud with its phospherescent glow on the dog, its swirling mists, and the natural tweed colours of Holmes and Watson. Though some argue that Cushing was miscast as Holmes, I argue most vehemently THAT he is perfectly cast as the great detective. His features cry out Doyle's character, and his obvious inner quest for perfection resonates strongly through the character as well. Cushing lends his class to the role and, in my opinion, gives us a fine Holmes, perhaps one of the screen's best. I always enjoy watching a Cushing performance as he was an actor that loved to play with props, and as Christopher Lee states in his autobiography, a man who could play with the prop and act to perfection, often making it look so very elementary. Watch his Holmes. Very few scenes go by where he isn't playing with something. Lee is good in his role, though the part is rather lacklustre. Andre Morrell is a fine Watson. He does not do the Nigel Bruce buffoon act, but rather he plays a man capable of having graduated from medical school. The rest of the cast is good with Francis DeWolff standing out as a doctor in love with himself and the sound of his voice and the ever affable Miles Malleson adding comic relief as a befuddled bishop. The story stays pretty close to the word according to Doyle. Fisher gives what you would expect: tight direction, lush cinematography, and loads of beautiful shots of the fog-ridden moors. The film has a clever prologue about the curse of the Baskervilles as an introduction, and it is wonderfully executed.

Ah, you can't go wrong with Hammer. On the back of the DVD, Newsweek proudly proclaims "The Best of the Sherlocks!", and I have to agree. This is the role that Peter Cushing was born to play, it's a shame he didn't play it as often as he did Van Helsing. His mannerisms, his delivery, even his looks, everything about him is perfect Holmes. The rest of the cast are pretty good too, don't get me wrong, but Cushing puts them to shame. Though he is rather ominous in some scenes, it's nice to see Christopher Lee opposite Cushing as a good guy for a change. I really liked the classic plot, full of surprises, great characters, humor and lots of chances for Cushing to shine. The atmosphere is great, foggy and dark like many Hammer films. Perfect for horror. All in all this is a really fun film, though it does have a few pretty cheesy moments. Good film overall though.

7.5/10