Search - Legends of Hollywood: Sherlock Holmes on DVD

Holmes movies and TV shows, plus two films noir

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 11/07/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Sherlock Holmes," the most renowned of all fictional detectives, was the creation of Scottish author and physician Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories were published in various British magazines beginning in 1887. Over the years Conan Doyle tried more than once to kill off the character, but public clamor made him reconsider. Doyle wrote four Holmes novels and fifty-six short stories, right up until the knighted author's death in 1930.

These five DVDs in BCI's LEGENDS OF HOLLYWOOD: SHERLOCK HOLMES contain one hour-length Holmes movie per side. Also included on the A side of each is an episode of the half-hour 1954 TV series, starring Ronald Howard (son of Leslie) as Holmes, Howard Marion-Crawford as Watson and Archie Duncan as Inspector LeStrade.

Contents of a sixth "bonus" DVD are two superb examples of film noir and some vintage movie trailers.

Transfer quality of the public domain material on these discs varies from quite good to only fair.


All 39 TV series episodes are available on MILL CREEK's SHERLOCK HOLMES - THE COMPLETE SERIES.


Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

(6.9) Dressed To Kill (1946) - Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce/Patricia Morison/Edmund Breon/Ian Wolfe
(5.9) Murder at the Baskervilles ("Silver Blaze") (UK-1937) - Arthur Wontner/Ian Fleming/Lyn Harding/John Turnbull
(5.7) Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (France/Italy/W Ger-1962) - Christopher Lee/Hans Söhnker/Senta Berger
(6.8) Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon (1943) - Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce/Lionel Atwill/Dennis Hoey
(5.9) The Sign Of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case (UK-1932) - Arthur Wontner/Ian Hunter/Isla Bevan
(5.3) The Speckled Band (UK-1931) - Raymond Massey/Lyn Harding/Angela Badderly/Athole Stewart
(6.1) A Study In Scarlet (1933) - Reginald Owen/Warburton Gamble/Anna May Wong/Alan Mowbray/Billy Bevan
(7.0) Terror By Night (1946) - Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce/Alan Mowbray/Dennis Hoey/Renee Godfrey
(6.1) The Triumph Of Sherlock Holmes (UK-1935) - Arthur Wontner/Ian Fleming/Lyn Harding/Leslie Perrins/Jame Carr
(6.8) The Woman In Green (1945) - Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce/Hillary Brooke/Henry Daniell/Paul Cavanaugh

SHERLOCK HOLMES TV SERIES (original airdates provided):
The Case of the Baker Street Bachelors (6/20/55) - Alvys Maben/Pénélope Portrait
The Case of the Baker Street Nursemaids (4/25/55) - Roger Tréville/Yves Brainville
The Case of the Belligerent Ghost (11/15/54) - Lou Van Burg/Gertrude Flynn
The Case of the Blind Man's Bluff (12/6/54) - Eugene Deckers/Grégoire Aslan
The Case of the Eiffel Tower (5/23/55) - Martine Alexis/Sacha Pitoëff

EXTRA DVD:
(7.4) D.O.A. (1950) - Edmond O'Brien/Pamela Britton/Luther Adler/Beverly Garland/Neville Brand/Frank Gerstle
(7.0) The Red House (1947) - Edward G. Robinson/Lon McCallister/Judith Anderson/Rory Calhoun/Julie London
BONUS MOVIE TRAILERS:
Side A - This Gun for Hire; Conflict; Blackmail; In a Lonely Place
Side B - The Third Man; Mildred Pierce; The Big Sleep; Crossfire"