Running Time 590 Min
Format: DVD MOVIE
Amazon.com
Jeremy Brett ended his riveting run as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous sleuth in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994), the final set of episodes in the long-running Granada Television series. In The Three Gables, an old widow receives a suspicious offer of a large sum of money to move out of her depressing mansion and leave absolutely everything behind. Holmes looks into this strange proposition and comes face to face with an enforcer and powerful pugilist, who Holmes cuts down to size with verbal agility. This adaptation may, in all honesty, be an improvement on Doyle's original story. The Dying Detective features Brett in a particularly strenuous and emotionally compelling performance as the Great Detective. Following his uncharacteristically provocative threat to expose a murderer, Holmes becomes mortally ill and delirious. Brett, who was actually suffering from cardiac problems at the time, certainly looks the part of the doomed hero, and his urgency in the role is haunting and poignant.
With Dr. Watson (the also excellent Edward Hardwicke) absent from The Golden Pince-Nez, Holmes is joined by his brother Mycroft (Charles Gray) in an investigation into the murder of a secretary to a chain-smoking, invalid professor. Gray's amusing, inscrutable performance helps supplement that of the valiantly struggling Brett, whose considerable health problems a decade into the series are well known to his devoted fans. The Red Circle draws upon facts related to a one-time, secret Italian terrorist organization. Holmes and Watson investigate a mysterious lodger who tells Holmes of her ties to the Red Circle and of her efforts, along with those of her missing husband, to break free of the Circle's long arm of revenge.
The ailing Brett largely stepped aside for The Mazarin Stone, a radical reinvention of the Doyle story, which was based on a one-act play also written by Doyle and performed in 1921. Instead of Holmes solving the crime, this time it is his brother, Mycroft (Gray again), ably assisted by Watson. (Sherlock does show up from time to time in a dream-like refrain, thinking through some knotty problem in a moonlighted garden.) Despite the absence of Brett from the main proceedings, the episode is still fun to watch, if largely out of curiosity to see Mycroft in action.
Controversial upon its first publication in 1893, The Cardboard Box confronts some nasty consequences of adultery. Holmes and Watson link the grisly mailing of two severed human ears with a complicated love triangle. Holmes, an expert in ears, naturally, has no problem with the mystery of where they came from. But toward what end mortals pursue "this circle of misery, violence, and fear" is another question. Though still ill at the time and at the end of his Holmes career, Brett gives a focused, remarkable performance while Hardwicke lends strong support. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
Brett's final performances.......2007-06-14
Jeremy Brett was a genius and, though too ill to match his earlier Sherlock Holmes, he fought his health problems valiantly to complete this magnificent Granada series. Holmes and Brett fans should have this in their collections.
"What is the Meaning of It, Watson?".......2007-04-15
One of my favorite episodes in the entire Granada Sherlock Holmes series is "The Blue Carbuncle." I only mention it because I feel that in order to truly appreciate this fine production of six stories, you have to view it in light of the context of the entire series. In "The Blue Carbuncle," one of the earliest episodes filmed, you find a classic Holmes story set at Christmastime with a younger, more energetic Jeremy Brett still discovering the promising exuberance of a new role. The story is filled with joy and humor---filmed before days when a beloved wife would die of cancer, before a diagnosis would be made of manic-depression, and before treatments and medication would ultimately deprive all of us of a truly gifted man who died too soon in the prime of life. When we fast forward to "The Cardboard Box," the last episode filmed in the series (and also set at Christmas time), we've come full circle and realize why Jeremy Brett was such a success in a part that so many others believed had no substance. Rather than concentrating solely on the rational, intelligent side of the character, Jeremy Brett gave us over the course of 41 dramatizations of Conan Doyle stories a completely developed emotional man. Of course, the deterioration in his health, particularly in these last six episodes, is shocking. Nothing can conceal it, but also nothing can conceal the fact that this Holmes has become emotionally involved in his cases. He can no longer treat them or the people involved as mental exercises or mere problems to be solved. This is a truly vulnerable Holmes, and as a result he's not a Holmes that we just respect, like the great Basile Rathbone's. This is a Holmes that we love and care for. However, viewers need to be warned that there is a very high emotional price to be paid for becoming involved with this Holmes. By the time he utters his last words in "The Cardboard Box," all of us faithful "Watsons" realize that this Holmes has seen enough horror, enough brutality and cruelty. There will no longer be any more adventures that willingly draw us from our beds in the middle of the night, no more "games afoot," and sadly of all, no more miraculous resurrections from the depths of the Reichenbach Falls. One can easily imagine that in keeping with the spirit of his creator Conan Doyle, this Holmes is ready to go off into permanent retirement on a quiet farm, never to work on another case again. It is heart-wrenching, however, that he had to take with him the very best actor that ever played the role.
Born to Play the Part.......2007-03-15
Jeremy Brett is the DEFINITIVE Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, if he were alive today, would probably not only say Brett was the best actor to play the part, but was honored to see him do so, as I have been.
A Well Purchased Jewel.......2006-10-13
With this box set I have now completed my Brettish Sherlockian set. I am personally well pleased with the quality of DVD's (actually better than the adventures of Sherlock Holmes); and the stagings, and backgrounds are amazing.
Brett; to me has the definitive portrayal of the master detective in each of these box sets, which make up the best of ACD's Baker Street adventures of our favorite sleuth.
Indeed his illness in hind sight does show; but the excellent acting overshadows this as one is caught up in the chase.
Edward Hardwicke simply put "owns" the role of Dr. Watson. He's great, and consistantly delivers his best.
I have just purchased a movie with Rupert Everett as Holmes, and to say the least Everett is no Brett in this role.
This Brett set will be a well purchased jewel for any Sherlockian fan.
Excellent!! A must have!!.......2006-04-20
Jeremy Brett does it again. I am pleased to have this final set which completes my entire Sherlock Holmes with Jeremy Brett collection by Granada. Sad to know that he is no more with us, but he will always be the quintessential Sherlock Holmes.
This final installment is a great completion to the series, although, I would have liked to have more. It is interesting to see how the series portray the progression of technology at the time when the stories were written. Even though the quality of the film is less than state of art, I much rather prefer it this way, because it has a rather vintage and authentic appeal to it.
Average customer rating:
- classic Wilder collection
- great collection....but.....
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The Billy Wilder DVD Collection (The Apartment / Avanti! / The Fortune Cookie / Irma la Douce / Kiss Me Stupid / One Two Three / The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes / Some Like It Hot / Witness for the Prosecution)
Starring:
Jack Lemmon ,
Shirley MacLaine ,
Fred MacMurray ,
Ray Walston , and
Jack Kruschen
Director:
Billy Wilder
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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Similar Items:
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The Billy Wilder DVD Collection (Stalag 17 Special Collector's Edition / Sunset Boulevard / Sabrina 1954)
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The Woody Allen Collection, Set 3 (Hannah and Her Sisters / The Purple Rose of Cairo / Broadway Danny Rose / Zelig / A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy / Radio Days)
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Classic Comedies Collection (Bringing Up Baby / The Philadelphia Story Two-Disc Special Edition / Dinner at Eight / Libeled Lady / Stage Door / To Be or Not to Be)
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The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
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Ace in the Hole - Criterion Collection
ASIN: B00008ZZ9T
Release Date: 2003-07-15 |
Amazon.com
Even if "nobody's perfect," Billy Wilder sometimes came close. This DVD box presents a strong cross-section of films by one of Hollywood's greatest directors, and although his early Paramount years are not covered (they're available in a different set), the box does include a couple of Wilder's woefully underappreciated autumnal gems. Chronologically speaking, 1957's Witness for the Prosecution is the earliest film in the set, a crackerjack courtroom drama derived from Agatha Christie. It gives especially tasty roles to Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich. With Some Like It Hot, Wilder merely created the film widely considered the best comedy of the sound era, with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon impersonating female musicians in the Roaring Twenties. Marilyn Monroe is the songbird tired of getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop. Wilder took home three Oscars® for The Apartment, his exquisitely bittersweet look at an organization man (Lemmon) who loans out his flat for his boss's liaisons.
One, Two, Three is a breathless Cold War comedy (and a time capsule of its era) with James Cagney as a Coca-Cola executive in Berlin. Irma La Douce teams Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine in a racy Parisian love story that became a box-office smash. With Kiss Me, Stupid, Wilder suffered a rare flop, although the once-scandalous sex comedy looks better and sharper as it ages. The Fortune Cookie, which nabbed an Oscar for Walter Matthau, is one of Wilder's most cynical tales, but the last two films in the set represent Wilder's late-career romantic flowering. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes arranges slapstick around the melancholy, misogynistic figure of Holmes, who might just be a directorial self-portrait. Avanti! is a delightful, leisurely romance about a businessman (Lemmon again) who loosens up while in Italy settling his late father's business. It's a lovely end note for a snappy, often acerbic collection. --Robert Horton
Description
The Billy Wilder DVD Collection includes the following films: The Apartment, Avanti!, The Fortune Cookie, Irma la Douce, Kiss Me Stupid, One Two Three, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, Some Like It Hot, and Witness for the Prosecution.
Customer Reviews:
classic Wilder collection.......2006-02-25
For Billy Wilder fans, this is a must. Get this box set now before it is discontinued now that Sony distributes MGM's library.
great collection....but............2004-12-29
This is a great collection but why is one of the best, Double Indemnity, missing ??? It is a good collection of a genius who was such a major influence on modern film making. Both his comedy and dramatic films are in this set. I have to say that his dramas hold up a lot better then the comedy films. The constent theme of stupid women, or the whore with "a heart of gold" now seems just pathatic and not endearing.
Average customer rating:
- same as the other series. Wonderful
- The Best
- Jeremy Brett is too hot to handle
- a must for your holmes collection
- The Definitive Sherlock Holmes
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The Sherlock Holmes Feature Film Collection
Starring:
Jeremy Brett ,
Edward Hardwicke ,
Neil Duncan ,
Kristoffer Tabori , and
Edward Romfourt
Director:
Brian Mills ,
Tim Sullivan (III) , and
Peter Hammond
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
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Similar Items:
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The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Collection
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The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Collection
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The Return of Sherlock Holmes Collection
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Boxed Set Collection)
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Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Classic Collection
ASIN: B00007H5C8
Release Date: 2003-03-25 |
Amazon.com
In addition to numerous one-hour episodes, Granada Television produced five feature-length Sherlock Holmes films starring Jeremy Brett, easily the best of all screen actors to play the sleuth, and Edward Hardwicke, a warm and capable Dr. Watson. The 1987 feature version of The Sign of Four, the second Holmes novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is faithful to the original story except in one important detail: Dr. Watson does not get the girl. Otherwise, the familiar tale of the death of Bartholomew Sholto and the theft of the Agra treasure is all here, as is a snappy performance by Brett as Holmes doing some of the finest investigative work of his career.
A thrilling blend of detective yarn and Gothic horror, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988) concerns the apparent return of an old curse upon the Baskerville family in the terrifying form of a gigantic killer hound. Fans of Hardwicke get an opportunity to see his Watson on a solo mission for part of this story, though Brett is never far from the narrative. The supporting cast is very good, and the beast itself, revealed in a famously terrifying finale, is indeed a spooky revelation.
In The Master Blackmailer (1991), Holmes takes on the reputed king of all blackmailers. Charles Augustus Milverton (Robert Hardy) has made a fortune extorting money from the famous and the blue-blooded, and he routinely ruins others' lives when not pleased. Unable to talk Milverton into turning over letters belonging to Lady Eva Brackenwell, Holmes decides to steal them, going undercover as a plumber and even romancing Milverton's housemaid, Agatha (Sophie Thompson), to gain better access in the house. The story builds to a surprisingly violent finale, but the real hook is Brett's performance as the disguised detective and the startling suggestion that Holmes's close contact with Agatha truly moved the bachelor sleuth.
A little overextended as a two-hour movie, The Eligible Bachelor (1992) was made late in the enterprise. It finds Holmes (the ailing Brett, playing an increasingly darker and more neurotic detective) and Watson called upon to help in a case involving the disappearance of Henrietta Doran (Paris Jefferson). Fiancée of the noble Lord Robert St. Simon (Simon Williams), Doran was last seen with a former lover of St. Simon's, Flora Millar (Joanna McCallum). The unimaginative Scotland Yard instantly arrests Millar on suspicion of foul play, but it is Holmes who has to find the missing woman.
The Last Vampyre (1992) was perhaps the most ill-advised of the series. Entirely contrary to the tone and spirit of Doyle's short story "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire"--which finds Holmes victoriously pitting his well-grounded deductive powers against irrational fears of a rise in bloodsucking--it's something of an embarrassment to the largely wonderful legacy of Granada's earlier efforts. (For the record, most of the creative executives who had worked on the beloved series in the 1980s had been replaced by the time this film was made.) In this version, Holmes does battle with a Dracula-like fellow who may or may not be the real McCoy. There is a great deal of padding to fill out the story, and it is mostly silly, but the ailing Brett gives an ever-fascinating performance, which deviates from Doyle's vision of the detective toward something darker and more personal. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
same as the other series. Wonderful.......2007-08-24
We finally went through all the sets of DVDs from all the Jeremy Brett's Holmes, and every one was a gem
The Best.......2007-05-07
These films are a must-have for any serious collector of Brett's version of Holmes. Accept no substitutes.
Jeremy Brett is too hot to handle.......2007-05-06
I absolutely LOVE and ADORE Jeremy Brett. I put these movies on at bedtime so I can doze off the the smooth sound of his voice each nite. He is, as usual, excellent in these films. Brett's movements, his facial expressions, his utterances - my goodness, words do not do justice! He is such a natural Holmes in these films and there truly is no one like him. He simply becomes Holmes - he's the essence.
a must for your holmes collection.......2007-03-31
jeremy brent puts a different twist to the famous sleuth. basil rathbone would be proud.
The Definitive Sherlock Holmes.......2006-11-03
Jeremy Brett is undoubtedly the definitive Sherlock Holmes. Having read all the stories as a child, this television adaptation is the closest anyone has come to capturing the brilliant, yet eccentric sleuth in a video format. The feature film collection is an excellent addition for anyone who owns most of the other episodes. The production values and acting are excellent. The only thing that prevents me from giving this a 5 star rating is the fact that some of the features tend to deviate from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's source material (e.g. The Last Vampyre). Otherwise, the feature film collection should not be missed.
Average customer rating:
- Unbelievable
- Sherlock Holmes DVD Set
- Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2
- Major Ripoff
- Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2
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The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2 (The House of Fear/The Spider Woman/Pearl of Death/The Scarlet Claw)
Starring:
Basil Rathbone ,
Nigel Bruce ,
Gerald Hamer ,
Paul Cavanagh , and
Arthur Hohl
Director:
Roy William Neill
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Mystery
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Classics
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Sherlock Holmes
| Mystery & Suspense Masters
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Allen, Harry
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Astor, Gertrude
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Harding, Kay
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Similar Items:
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The Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 1 (Voice of Terror / Secret Weapon / In Washington / Faces Death)
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Sherlock Holmes Collection Volume 3 (Dressed to Kill/In Pursuit to Algiers/Terror By Night/The Woman in Green)
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Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
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Sherlock Holmes in Pursuit To Algiers
ASIN: B0000APVBY
Release Date: 2003-11-25 |
Amazon.com
Here are four strong entries (each beautifully restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive) from the peak of Basil Rathbone's prolific, seven-year run as a definitive Sherlock Holmes for the big screen. Three of these films were released in 1944 alone, beginning with the gripping Pearl of Death, a then-contemporary update (set in the World War II years, as with most of the Rathbone-Holmes features) of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Six Napoleons."
A reluctant Holmes agrees to help a London museum recover a stolen, rare pearl. But the investigation takes a strange turn when the great detective and his sidekick, Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), find their mystery linked to a series of odd murders involving the destruction of porcelain china. Typically, "Pearl of Death" has its share of inside jokes for true Sherlockians, including Holmes's declaration, "If I'm wrong, I'll move to Sussex and raise bees." Of course, that's exactly what Doyle's most famous character did upon retirement.
The Scarlet Claw is an original screenplay with elements loosely inspired by Doyle's "The Adventure of the Dancing Men." A skeptical Holmes and Watson attend a meeting of the Royal Canadian Occult Society in Canada, but are soon looking into a killing spree attributed to a fanciful marsh monster. Fantastic events are soon supplanted by an even stranger horror concerning a master actor bent on revenge.
The Spider Woman employs details of Holmes's apparent death and resurrection between "The Final Problem" and its follow-up, "The Adventure of the Empty House." But the movie takes a different direction when a bizarre series of late-night "pajama suicides" finds Holmes probing the involvement of a femme fatale. Of the quartet of features in this set (all produced and directed by the energetic Roy William Neill) Spider Woman has the most vivacity and familiar textures from Doyle's canon.
Finally, "The House of Fear," adapted from "The Five Orange Pips," is a chamber mystery concerning successive murders of the members of an elite club, the Good Comrades. On film, the tale seems a bit ludicrous, but its conclusion is among the most startling in the Rathbone films. There's also a fair amount of comedy between Watson and Inspector Lestrade's bumbling ways. --Tom Keogh
Description
The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm to original condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This newly restored version of the classic film includes the period war bond tag and studio logo and credits from its original theatrical release. Filled with ominous shadows and interesting camera angles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning. Includes: Sherlock Holmes and The Scarlet Claw Sherlock Holmes and The Spider Woman Sherlock Holmes and The House of Fear Sherlock Holmes and the Pearl of Death
Customer Reviews:
Unbelievable.......2007-03-08
Excellent quality. It's unbelievable that such a tremendous improvement could be made to the film. After seeing these and comparing to what I've seen broadcast in the past, the films floored me.
Sherlock Holmes DVD Set.......2007-01-03
These are great! They came within a couple days and were well packaged. I've been greatly enjoying watching these old movies and have ordered more.
Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2.......2006-03-15
Perfect Holmes. I just ordered more of this genre. Movies that you watch over again.
Major Ripoff.......2005-12-27
For the price they are asking, and the lack of extras, these collections are a major disappointment. Don't believe the packaging. These disks are far from being 'loaded with extras'. There are no extras on 3 of the disks, and the 4th has only a commentary track, and an 8 minute featurette about the restoration. Don't get me wrong, I love the films themselves, I just hate the way they have been packaged and sold. I mean they could easily have put 2 or even 3 of the films on one disk without any degradation, and issued the entire series in one collection for the price of a single one of these 'volumes'. I guess they are trying to recoup the cost of restoration. My advice, wait a couple of years for them to release the entire collection at a much lower price, because that is what they will have to eventually do.
Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2.......2004-10-21
For all fans of classic mystery films, you should seriously consider investing in this particular set from the 14 original Sherlock Holmes movies starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce during the 1930's and 1940's. Lovingly restored by UCLA and liberally adapted from the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories, there isn't a weak link among the four selected films here.
In "The Spider Woman," Holmes is forced to fake his own demise in order to counter the title character's fiendish plot. Perhaps the best sequence of the film is the circus shooting gallery finale.
In "The Pearl of Death," Holmes and Watson face off with a ruthless serial killer who is intent on recovering a lost jewel by burglarizing the homes of seemingly random victims. Before it is too late, Holmes must realize that he is facing more than one opponent.
Another serial killer is on the loose in "The Scarlet Claw," as Holmes make a rare visit to Canada to attend a convention. In a remote village, a sinister master-of-disguise is at work bumping off a list of unsuspecting victims that he has long sought vengeance on. The mark of death is a gardening tool used as a gruesome claw. I'll note that this particular film is surprisingly violent for the Rathbone series, but it only adds a greater sense of realism to the plot.
Finally, the "House of Fear" may be well the best of the series from the World War II era, as nicely woven humor is added by the befuddled presence of Inspector Lestrade. An insurance company hires Holmes and Watson to look into the bizarre deaths of an exclusive club of recluses known as the "Good Comrades." One by one, the comrades are brutally dispatched by one of their own after they are each left a warning of their impending demise by the receipt of a mysterious packet of orange pips. Holmes, however, is left with too many baffling clues and a narrowing field of suspects. The finale is well worth waiting for.
Of the three available collector's sets, I would recommend starting with this one before making a decision on the other two since all four titles are of a similiarly excellent caliber. I have no doubt that Rathbone and Bruce will likely insure your entertainment for hours to come.
Customer Reviews:
Two Thumbs Up.......2007-08-27
Rathbone and Bruce are the classic Holmes and Watson (in my opion, anyway) The sound clarity is excellent, the stories nothing less that my greatest expectations. It is a "Must Have" . Buy it!!!!!!!
best of sherlock holmes!!.......2007-07-19
wonderful set, so much fun to listen to during car rides and at home when relaxing. the wine commercials are almost as interesting as the actual stories! the voice actors are great, watson charming as ever and sherlock more clever and witty played out live.
50 Best of Sherlock Holmes .......2007-01-30
For $20 and 25 CD's. You can't pass it up. Sherlock Holmes is always a fun detective show to listen to. You just have to put up with the wine commercials.
Average customer rating:
- Dressed for terror
- Satisfied but Bewildered
- Most favorite Holmes movies.
- Worth the wait !
- Fantastic quality - classic films!
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Sherlock Holmes Collection Volume 3 (Dressed to Kill/In Pursuit to Algiers/Terror By Night/The Woman in Green)
Starring:
Basil Rathbone ,
Nigel Bruce ,
Hillary Brooke ,
Henry Daniell , and
Paul Cavanagh
Director:
Roy William Neill
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Suspense
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Mystery
| Mystery & Suspense
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Classics
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Sherlock Holmes
| Mystery & Suspense Masters
| Mystery & Suspense
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General
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Classic TV
| Television
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| The Addams Family
| The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents
| The Andy Griffith Show
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ASIN: B0000EMYKY
Release Date: 2004-01-27 |
Description
The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm to original condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This newly restored version of the classic film includes the period war bond tag, studio logo and credits from its original theatrical release. Filled with ominous shadows and interesting camera angles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning. Volume 3 contains: Sherlock Holmes In Pusuit to Algiers, Sherlock Holmes Dressed to Kill, Sherlock Holmes Terror By Night, Sherlock Holmes and The Woman in Green
Customer Reviews:
Dressed for terror.......2007-02-06
Basil Rathbone is one of the two great Holmes actors in movie history (the other being Jeremy Brett). And he was in fine form in "Sherlock Holmes Collection Volume 3," which varies from merely okay to absolutely brilliant.
"Dressed to Kill" has a friend of Watson's (Nigel Bruce) telling Holmes of a bizarre crime -- someone broke into his house, and stole a worthless music box from a valuable collection. Then the man is murdered -- and three plain little music boxes are the key to solving an elaborate mystery.
"Terror By Night" has Holmes hired to look after a valuable diamond belonging to a wealthy woman, as she travels back to Scotland. Of course, the diamond gets stolen and the woman's son is murdered in the attempt, and now Holmes discovers that the murderer is an old enemy.
"The Woman In Green" deals with a serial killer -- four women have died, and each time a finger was removed. The police think that it's just a baffling series of crimes, but Holmes knows better -- and he suspects that his old, supposedly-dead nemesis Moriarty (Henry Daniell) is involved.
Finally there's "In Pursuit to Algiers," in which the king of Ravenia has been murdered -- and now his son is in danger too. On the cruise to his homeland, the young king pretends to be a relative of Watson's -- but Holmes still has to guard him against an array of potential murderers.
These were some of the later Holmes adventures, often not based (or loosely based) on Arthur Conan Doyle's works. But even the weakest ("Dressed to Kill") is still an enjoyable mystery, with some amusing moments and unexpected twists. They're just not as brilliant as Doyle's, that's all.
And they are solidly written and directed, with plenty of interesting settings, from the claustrophobic train to Scotland to a hypnotists' society. And the filmmakers throw in some wonderful little twists, such as a switcheroo Holmes plays on his enemy in "Terror By Night."
Rathbone is still best known for playing Holmes, and he does it well -- cool, cerebral, but with a gentle humor and warmth in scenes such as the little girl's rescue. Bruce doesn't fare as well, since the capable Watson is portrayed as a kindly bumbler, but he does a solid enough job with a poorly-portrayed character.
"The Sherlock Holmes Collection Volume 3" is a bit less solid than the other collections, but still very nicely done. Definitely worth watching.
Satisfied but Bewildered.......2004-12-17
After having spent years watching all 14 of the videos from Key, I recently purchased volume 3 of the Sherlock Holmes Collection. Everything they've said about the enhanced picture/sound quality is true, however, the DVD extras are missing. Am I the only one? The DVD extras promoted on the back of the case include: audio commentary with Stuart Davies, footage of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, production notes by Richard Valley and Photo Gallery/Original Movie Posters. I don't have any of the extras. It's still worth the buy and a five star gem.
Most favorite Holmes movies........2004-04-24
I couldn't wait to get this set of Holmes. My all-time favorite is Terror by Night. They are super quality and even better than the Key Vidio editions. This volume is NOT COLOR...it's B & W. Amazon...PLEASE CHANGE THIS ASAP!!!! It's deceiving!!! I would have bought it from you but it said that it was COLOR. I went and called Suncoast Pictures and they said it was B&W so I got it there. Fans...it IS B & W. What would a Rathbone, Holmes movie be without it being B & W.
Thanks Amazon,
Larry
Worth the wait !.......2004-02-05
IF the house were burning down, I'd grab these 3 DVD sets of Sherlock Holmes on my way out !! Thanks to those who made these restored versions possible, they are wonderful. All of these are far superior to any entertainment made today.
Fantastic quality - classic films!.......2004-02-02
The films on this collection are of truly stunning quality, in comparison to the diabolical Region 2 set by Orbit Media Ltd. Truly fantastic quality. If you are a Basil Rathbone fan, you *must* get this set. I cannot recommend it highly enough. A definate must-buy product. Elementary, my dear Reader.
DVD:
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 5 (The Resident Patient / The Red-Headed League / The Final Problem)
- The Alfred Hitchcock Signature Collection (Strangers on a Train Two-Disc Edition / North by Northwest / Dial M for Murder / Foreign Correspondent / Suspicion / The Wrong Man / Stage Fright / I Confess / Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
- The Cry of the Owl
- The Evil That Men Do
- The Frightened City
- The Green Archer
- The House on 92nd Street (Fox Film Noir)
- The Lady in Scarlet
- The Last Chapter: The Complete Series
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen [Blu-ray]
DVD
DVD
The Sherlock Holmes Feature Film Collection
Low audio signal.......2007-01-10
