Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [2 Discs]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

This 2 DVD set packaged in a handsome collectors' tin contains hours of Basil Rathbone's classic portrayal of the sleuth, with Nigel Bruce as his faithful sidekick Watson.

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: All
• Number of Discs: 2
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Screen: Black and White
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Features:
  • Dressed to Kill Trailer
  • Terror by Night Trailer
  • An Interview with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Basil Rathbone - Sherlock Holmes
       Nigel Bruce - Dr. John H. Watson
       Alan Mowbray - Maj. Duncan-Bleek / Col. Sebastian Moran
       Dennis Hoey - Inspector Lestrade
       Frederic Worlock - Col. Cavanagh
       Mary Forbes - Margaret Carstairs
       Billy Bevan - Train Attendant
       Carl Harbord - Inspector Hopkins
       Leyland Hodgson - Conductor
       Geoffrey Steele - Ronald Carstairs
       Boyd Davis - Insp. McDonald
       Janet Murdoch - Mrs. Shallcross
       Skelton Knaggs - Sands
       Billy Bevan - Street Peddler

• Director:

  Roy William Neill

• Producer:

  Roy William Neill, Howard Benedict

• Screenwriter:

  Frank Gruber, Bertram Millhauser, Leonard Lee, Edmund L. Hartmann, Edward T. Lowe, W. Scott Darling

• Book Author:

  Arthur Conan Doyle

• Cinematographer:

  Maury Gertsman, Virgil E. Miller, Lester White

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Milton Rosen

• Composer (Music Score):

  Hans Salter

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Mark Levant

• Songwriter:

  Jack Brooks

• Composer (Music Score):

  Milton Rosen

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Charles Previn

• Composer (Music Score):

  Frank Skinner

• Editor:

  Saul A. Goodkind, Edward A. Curtiss, Otto Ludwig

• Production Designer:

  Jane Huizenga

• Art Director:

  John B. Goodman, Abraham Grossman, Martin Obzina, Jack Otterson

• Executive Producer:

  Howard Benedict

• Set Designer:

  Russell A. Gausman, Carl Lawrence, Ted Von Hemert, Edward Ray Robinson

• Costume Designer:

  Vera West

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Glenn E. Anderson, Bernard B. Brown, Paul Neal

• Makeup:

  Jack Pierce

• Special Effects:

  John P. Fulton

• First Assistant Director:

  Melville Shyer

• Short Story Author:

  Arthur Conan Doyle

• Technical Director:

  David D. Martin

• Production Director:

  Jane Huizenga

REVIEWS:

• 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
• 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 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