THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1939). Director: Alfred L. Werker. "There's death in every note of it."
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) matches wits with Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) when the latter -- who has just managed to get off on a murder charge -- boasts that he will commit a spectacular crime right in front of the former's nose. Ida Lupino is a woman who fears for her brother's life -- does this tie in with the professor's plans? Despite the fact that the movie sort of clues us in early on as to what's going on, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is still suspenseful and exciting, with some eerie scenes relating to a club-footed killer. The haunting flute dirge that figures in the story is quite creepy. Little Terry Kilburn makes an impression as Billy, the page boy who appeared in some of the stories. Based on a play by William Gillette. Rathbone is excellent,as is Zucco as his nemesis. At one point Rathbone/Holmes masquerades as a music hall singer! This follows The Hound of the Baskervilles and was the second of two 20th Century-Fox films with Rathbone as Holmes. Followed by Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror, the first of 12 Universal "modern-day" Holmes adventures with Rathbone.
Verdict: There are some loose ends, but overall this is a pip! ***1/2.
After HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, this is my 2nd-favorite Rathbone Holmes. It's got plot holes to be sure, but it's enjoyably busy and is well-written, with ultra-sharp dialog. The film is set in Conan Doyle's correct time period, and the production almost outdoes HOUND with its lush trappings. Rathbone cements himself as the definitive Holmes with his twitchy performance--he's full of energy contrasted with intellectual nuance and it's a delight to watch him (the first time I saw this, at a campus screening, the music-hall singer's song was half over before I clicked it was actually Rathbone. Man, that filled me with admiration!). Nigel Bruce is likeable and genuinely hilarious--possibly because he's so childlike he almost seems brain-damaged. George Zucco is fiercely compelling, and IMO he's the screen's best Moriarty--every scene he's in is intense and interesting. He and Holmes sparring verbally in the cab at the beginning is highly memorable--and funny! After countless viewings I'm still impressed by how potent that scene is, and I think overall the film actually evokes a more complex Moriarty than Conan Doyle by showing Moriarty at home and fleshing him out a bit. The story's Moriarty was a remote and completely repulsive presence--Zucco's seems dangerous but fascinating--like he'd probably be a charismatic and entertaining dinner guest.
ReplyDeleteWell... in general, I think this is a job extremely well-done. It might not be perfect, but it ALMOST is.
--Mark
Definitely time for me to re-view this and the other Holmes films -- this one is a certified classic! I've always thought Zucco was an under-rated actor, and absolutely marvelous as Moriarty. Your points as to how he's portrayed in the film as opposed to Doyle's stories are well-taken.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments!