Search - Sherlock Holmes: The Pearl of Death on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Content Advisory: Suitable for Children Movie Release: 1944 DVD Release: 11/25/2003 Format: DVD - Black and White Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 9 mins Studio: MPI Home Video Members Wishing: 4 Genres: Mystery, Detective Film

This above-average entry in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series is loosely based on the Conan Doyle story -The Six Napoleons. On this occasion, Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) are assigned to guard the priceless Borgia Pearl, a "cursed" gem that has inspired scores of murders over the years. Their principal antagonist is master criminal Giles Conover (Miles Mander), who, though he is constantly thwarted in his efforts to pilfer the pearl, manages to discredit Holmes in the eyes of the public. Conover's chief assistant is the beautiful Naomi Drake (Evelyn Ankers), who adopts several clever disguises in the course of the action. Complicating matters is a series of seemingly unrelated murders, in which the victims are found with their backs broken, lying amidst piles of shattered China. Holmes deduces the connection between the murders and the Borgia Pearl, and in so doing nearly becomes the latest victim of The Creeper (Rondo Hatton), a horribly disfigured homicidal maniac. In addition to providing Basil Rathbone and Evelyn Keyes endless opportunities for bravura disguise scenes, The Pearl of Death launched the short starring career of the tragic Rondo Hatton, a real-life victim of the disfiguring disease known as acromegaly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Basil Rathbone - Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce - Dr. Watson
Dennis Hoey - Inspector Lestrade
Evelyn Ankers - Naomi Drake
Miles Mander - Giles Conover

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce return as Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson in this installment from Universal's popular whodunnit series, which gets a simple but adequate presentation on DVD. Sherlock Holmes: The Pearl of Death (based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Six Napoleons) has been transferred to disc from a newly restored 35mm print, and is presented in the original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1 with the original screen logos and credits. The audio is mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo; the dialogue is in English, with no multiple language options or bonus materials included, though the quality of the visual presentation will certainly please fans of the series. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide