Search - Sherlock Holmes: The Woman in Green on DVD

Keeping Watch Over London

Bobby Underwood | Manly NSW, Australia | 08/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This spiffy little entry in the Sherlock Holmes franchise starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, who will forever be Holmes and Watson to moviegoers the world over, has a good cast and story and loads of atmosphere that make it one of the best in the series.

London is being terrorized by a Jack the Ripper type killer preying upon young women; murdering then mutilating them by severing the right forefinger from each victim. Scotland Yard is at a loss to find the killer or prevent the murders from continuing. It is time to call in the one man who may be able to put an end to the terror, Sherlock Holmes.

A chance encounter at Pembroke House where Holmes sees an attractive woman named Lydia (Hillary Brooke) will be the key to what's really behind the slayings, which as Holmes explains to his old pal Watson, may involve something far more sinister than plain old murder. Every Holmes devotee knows only one mind could devise something more sinister than murder, but wasn't Moriarity hanged in Montividio?

This fast paced and exciting entry is a lot of fun for Rathbone and Bruce fans as the two have some fine moments together. The story is full of dark alleys and London fog. The morgue, hypnotism, and a deadly confrontation between Holmes and his long-time "acquaintance," Professor Moriarity, on a dangerously narrow ledge overlooking London, make this one a fine Holmes' tale well-told.

Henry Daniel is the definitive Moriarity and Hillary Brooke adds flavor in this story of blackmail and murder, all tied to hypnotism. Paul Cavanagh is good as Sir George Fenwick, who awakes one morning after a date with Lydia with no memory of where he's been. His only clue is a bloody finger in his pocket and the newsboy's chant outside his window about the latest victim.

Eve Amber has a small but nice role as Sir George's daughter Maude, who comes to Holmes worried about her father. Holmes suspects she has reason to worry and those suspicions are proven valid when her father's body is discovered by Holmes and Watson, clutching a matchbook from Pembrose House.

There are two confrontations between Holmes and Moriarity in this one for us to enjoy. Also included in the jam-packed 68 minutes is a niftily, and quite humorously thwarted, assination attempt on Holmes' life. Watson and an army sniper named Williams may be easy fodder for hypnotism, but is Holmes impervious to Lydia's charms?

This one is great fun and gets the highest rating for being a fine and entertaining "B" entry for Holmes' fans to enjoy."

The Best Colorized film I have ever seen

PGBrown | UK | 05/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Many people here have covered the actual film content, I just wanted to mention that I have seen many colorized films over the years and have not been very pleased with the results until I saw this new version of Woman in Green, it's The Best Colorized film I have ever seen, stunning natural color that I feel really adds to the viewing pleasure of the film, I watched this on my 7ft screen projected from a dlp projector, and it was fantastic quality, I hope there will be more of these classic old movies released in both original black and white for the purists, but also in these wonderful colorized versions, well done to all the technicians involved in this disk."

Nearing the End

laddie5 | 05/21/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Rathbone and Bruce made 14 Holmes and Watson films; it's a real shame that four of the weakest are in the public domain and keep turning up while the rest are out of print. This one, from late in the series, at least has the virtue of a script by Bertram Millhauser, who wrote the best of them and was most responsible for the distinctive tone of the series: sly humor mixed with slightly horrific mystery. Two of his most memorable creations, the Spider Woman and the Creeper, went on to lives of their own in other Universal horror movies. As for The Woman in Green, it's a blend of Jack the Ripper and Conan Doyle's "The Empty House," with a nice film noir ambience and some clever twists. Unfortunately, the ending is lame and one senses the fact that, after seven years, 10 films, and hundreds of radio broadcasts, Rathbone has begun to weary of playing Holmes. Film trivia note: someone colorized this a few years ago, and didn't even bother to put Hillary Brooke in a green dress. Go figure."

You can see the green!

Terry D. White | Fort Worth, Texas United States | 02/11/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some purists insists these old classics be kept black and white as filmed. I can understand that, and, in theory, agree, but I found the quality of this colorized version of The Woman in Green remarkable! If I wasn't already aware of the movie I would think it had been filmed in color! I think it adds to the viewing experience, making the characters more life-like and believeable. It helps bring the menance of the mutilated London murder victims, oddly missing a finger, seem even more subtle, yet immediately menacing and you can still enjoy the original version also on this disk if your prefer. Highly recommended."