Legendary Detectives 20 Movie Pack [5 Discs]Legendary Detectives 20 Movie Pack [5 Discs]

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DVD FEATURES:
  • Number of Discs: 5
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
  • Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
  • Screen: Black and White
AWARDS
  • Telluride Film Festival
  •     Film Presented - 1981
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
REVIEWS:
  • Although he bears little physical resemblance to Chester Gould's comic strip hero, Morgan Conway plays Dick Tracy with a tough no-nonsense approach worthy of Humphrey Bogart and his is perhaps the closest screen interpretation of any comic strip-to-movie character, Warren Beatty's Tracy version included. Thanks to director William Berke and cameraman Frank Redman, Dick Tracy has much of the same feel as a typical 1940s noir. At the same time, and although he is a creation of the RKO writers, Mike Mazurki's Splitface fully adheres to Gould's archetype villainy. Anne Jeffreys' Tess Truehart and Lyle Latell's Pat Patton are also perfect casting and the RKO stock company provides plenty of atmosphere. There are quite a few interesting camera angles at work here and the famous brownstone set from such films as The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) and Cat People (1943) adds production gloss to what essentially is a lower-grade B-picture. Audiences never warmed up to Morgan Conway's interpretation, however, and the final two films in the series starred the original serial Dick Tracy, Ralph Byrd. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
  • Although Terror by Night is not the best of the Universal Sherlock Holmes films, it does feature one of the more convoluted plots in the series; indeed, whereas many of the other entries concentrate on action or step-by-step plots that progress in a logical fashion, Terror is essentially concerned with keeping viewers guessing as to the identity of the jewel thief and in keeping them off guard as it does so. It does this rather well, even if it "cheats" a bit by not always providing sufficient information -- and director Roy William Neill does an excellent job of capturing small moments, grimaces, and gestures that manage to manipulate the audience's suspicions very nicely. And, of course, Basil Rathbone continues to be in tiptop form as Holmes, with the usual solid support from Nigel Bruce's amusingly befuddled Watson and a very capable supporting cast. Indeed, Terror's only real flaw is that it has comes so late in the series that a slight bit of ennui has set in; there's a tinge of "been there, done that," nothing so overt that it derails Terror, but just enough to dampen its effectiveness slightly. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • A so-called film historian once listed Dick Tracy Vs. Cueball among the "Fifty Worst Films of All Time." Pay absolutely no notice! A delightful whodunit very much in the spirit of Chester Gould's original comic strip, this sometimes rather violent humdinger of a Grade-B film shouldn't be found on any "Worst Films" list at all and is actually more entertaining than Warren Beatty's critically acclaimed but over-produced blockbuster of 1990. Here are deliciously juicy performances by Ian Keith as Vitamin Flintheart, a character very much based on the latter-day John Barrymore; Esther Howard as the old waterfront hag Filthy Flora; and, of course, Dick Wessel as the rampaging title character, whose eventual demise remains a shocker. Although not popular with contemporary audiences, Morgan Conway's Tracy is actually considered the definitive version by some notable modern aficionados and if he doesn't quite resemble his comic strip alter ego, Conway's jaw-punching portrayal is perhaps closer to Gould's no-nonsense crime fighter than competitors Ralph Byrd and Warren Beatty. Anne Jeffreys, meanwhile, repeats her spirited Tess Truehart from Dick Tracy and Lyle Latell adds his usual bumbling comic by-play as sidekick Pat Patton. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
  • Boris Karloff's unforgettable visage was always larger than life and his stalking appearance in Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome remains very much in the spirit of Chester Gould's comic strip. Gone, however, are most of the noir touches that lifted the three previous films out of the rut. Like Karloff's presence, the freezing gas is much in line with Gould's latter-day story-telling but that too is more mindful of action serials than hard-boiled detective fiction. The climax, where Boris Karloff almost becomes the victim of a runaway conveyor-belt, also points in that direction. By 1947, a bit of mental fatigue had set in and instead of fully developed supporting villains, RKO made do with punning character names such as Dr. A. Tomic, Dr. I.M. Learned, L.E. Thal, and Y. Stuffum. The last appears on a sign advertising a taxidermist! ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
  • Bulldog Drummond's Revenge, truth be told, is guilty of misleading the viewer. Although the venerable Captain Drummond does appear in the film, and once again in the person of the stolid John Howard, he avenges himself on absolutely no one. Having said that, this nifty little action-adventure from Paramount remains typical of its day: fast-paced, well-acted (especially by the always interesting John Barrymore), and deftly skirting the issue of exactly who the enemy is. Is it Japan (character names such as Nogais and Sumio Kanda certainly point in that direction) or Nazi Germany? The wily Paramount kept the identity hidden lest the studio should lose important foreign markets. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
  • Despite good work by Morgan Conway in the initial two Dick Tracy features, Ralph Byrd's return to the role is cause for celebration. Happily, Byrd follows Conway's lead and plays the character with steely determination and director John Rawlins adds enough noir touches to satisfy even a more discriminating modern audience. Chester Gould-like supporting characters also include Longshot Lillie (Bernadene Hayes), tough and unflinching even under intense pressure; Vitamin Flintheart (Ian Keith), as grandiose as ever and obviously patterned after John Barrymore; and, of course, the Claw himself, played by Jack Lambert with a monosyllabic malice not often found in this kind of cinematic pulp fiction. Add little Jimmy Conlin as the none too handicapped Sightless and you have a rogue's gallery worthy of Damon Runyon. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
  • Having nothing in common with the famous Arthur Conan Doyle story other than its title and lead characters, A Study in Scarlet is a rather disappointing Sherlock Holmes adventure. Still, completists should see it, if for no other reason than to see what they think of Reginald Owen as Holmes. Owen, who had played Dr. Watson only a year earlier, is not ideal casting. He doesn't have the same sharp features generally associated with the part and, because this is a modern-dress version, doesn't don the familiar costume either. However, physical appearance counts for little with Holmes; it's the performance that matters. Owen is, to these eyes and ears, rather wan; one doesn't believe him to have the acumen that the character must possess. While he does come across as somewhat more humane than others in the part, this doesn't make up for the lack of a truly commanding presence. Much better is Anna May Wong, who is a delightful villainess; the rest of the cast are passable, but no more. The screenplay is predictable, with few surprises for real fans of the mystery genre. There's some moodiness from director Edwin L. Marin, but little real atmosphere. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • It is a sad duty to report that The Shadow Strikes, the first of four projected whodunits based on the popular comic strip, is played strictly for laughs. Which is a shame because silent screen matinee idol Rod La Roque makes a dashing hero and all the ingredients for a good crime thriller are present, including the main character's yen for disguises. But La Roque is soundly defeated by a lackluster script, a tired-looking supporting cast, and a parsimonious budget, and "The Shadow" had to wait almost 50 years to earn a vehicle at least somewhat worthy of his talents. Not surprisingly, small-scale Colony Pictures cancelled the projected series after only one sequel, International Crime (1938). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
  • John Barrymore has himself a high old time in Bulldog Drummond Comes Back, donning several colorful disguises, including an old seadog and a derelict Limehouse dweller, and merrily letting the audience in on the joke. Barrymore, we are told, paid little attention to his screen assignments at this late stage in his long career and mainly let the chips fall where they may. The chips this time fell on rather ancient burlesque routines and Barrymore's delight is evident. For being such a good sport, presumably, the venerable thespian earned star billing above nominal leading man John Howard, who had replaced the more substantial Ray Milland in the title role. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon is an enjoyable entry in the Holmes series, although it suffers more than most of the Universal pictures from being moved to modern times. Some of the other modern Holmes movies merely seem to have placed Holmes and Watson into then-contemporary clothing and given them a few 20th century props, but Secret Weapon is drenched in the 1940s, with Nazis, secret weapons, and bombed out buildings seemingly at every turn. All this is distracting, but it doesn't do fatal damage to the film, which is quite a lot of fun. True, it plays up the action and adventure aspect at the expense of good old-fashioned sleuthing and deducing, but this proves quite diverting. The screenplay is a bit slapdash, and viewers may be unconvinced that Moriarty would fall for Holmes' ploy for disposing of him, but it's such a nifty method that most viewers will overlook this. Indeed, Secret Weapon has some sort of secret charm of its own that makes it easy to overlook its flaws and just sit back and enjoy this rousing little adventure. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • The 1932 adaptation of the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery, The Sign of Four, is overall only adequate, but it's worth seeing if for no other reason than to get Arthur Wontner's take on the lead character. Wontner is not as satisfying as such later interpreters as Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett, but his is a fine and worthy one that makes for a nice change. He's appropriately shrewd and clever and displays a surprising amount of energy, as well as a nice touch of smugness. On the debit side, he's a bit too snide with Watson, although scenarist W.P. Lipscomb paints the character as such a slow witted fellow that it's easy to sympathize. The screenplay untangles the storytelling of the novel, thus reducing the tension and the suspense a bit, but it is otherwise pretty faithful. The sound is quite poor, which will be a problem for many viewers. Director Graham Cutts handles some sequences rather well, such as the warehouse scene, but he muddies others. Ian Hunter is fine as Watson, ditto Isla Bevan as the lady of the story. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • The final entry in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes series Dressed to Kill is not one of the best entries, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. An air of deja vu hangs over Dressed as if we've all seen this before -- which we certainly have. That's a danger with any long-running series, and here it seems as if the writers and director Roy William Neill were simply connecting the dots and coloring by numbers rather than trying to create something special and sparkling. This is especially true with the cavalier manner Holmes displays in regard to the safety of the music box in his possession and in the way in which the detective is so easily tricked; either of these machinations could have been exploited as an opportunity to comment upon the character's egotism, but this opportunity was missed. At least the cast is not to blame, with Rathbone and Bruce turning in their customarily winning performances and a delicious wicked turn from Patricia Morison helping to enliven things. They help make up for most of the film's shortcomings. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
  • The main problem with Universal's otherwise generally delightful Sherlock Holmes thrillers is that most armchair sleuths often are miles ahead of the supposedly so-eminent detective. And so it is with The Woman in Green, the solution to whose conundrum is never too taxing. Happily, this entry also features the unflappable Basil Rathbone matching wits with Henry Daniell, perhaps his only equal in unflappable Hollywood cool. You can cut the chill between these adversaries with a knife this time around and not even the bumbling Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) is able to ruin the built-up tension. As for Hillary Brooke in the title role, she is as statuesque and unruffled as ever. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

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