Compare Prices on The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection
MPI Home Video has made a terrific decision here, combining all of its previously released DVD boxed sets of this classic 14-film series into one affordable package. It is a must win for any Sherlock Holmes fan, or anyone who enjoys classic mysteries, who does not already have all of these astonishing films.
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When these were first released on DVD it was truly a cause for celebration, as it represented the completed painstaking restoration of all 14 classic films by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
The UCLA Theatre Archives did an award-winning job in restoring and thus preserving these gigantic films from 35mm master copies into the digital format, sometimes literally being forced to portion together the celluloid remnants that they found.
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It took the archivists several years to complete the entire project, but was well worth the wait. The result is that the dark and white images seem as novel today as when the films were released to theatres more than 40 years ago. The archivists deserve a hearty thanks from all movie fans concerned with preserving America’s classic cinema heritage for future generations to like.
This boxed station includes a facinating feature on what it took to restore the films. Well worth watching, it’s fantastic that it’s included.
Atmospherically, “The Hound of the Baskervilles” is arguably the best of the 14 Holmes films, and the only one based specifically on a Conan Doyle myth. It, and “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” are the only two “period” films in the series and race longer, the remainder taking position in then modern-day England and America of the gradual 30s and early 40s and accelerate about 90 minutes each.
Because the “regular” series was made during World War II, there are many references to it, as well as some facinating patriotic drum beating on the share of Holmes that concludes many of the films.
In both “Hound” and “Adventures,” Holmes dons his deerstalker cap, popularized by current Strand Magazine illustrator Sidney Paget who made the image synonymous with the large detective. It is though-provoking to ticket that in the first of the non-period films in the series, Holmes reaches for his handy deerstalker, but is stopped by Watson. “Holmes,” Watson said, “you promised.” Leaving the deerstalker on the peg, Holmes grabs a “recent” hat instead.
Rathbone is especially spellbinding in “Hound of the Baskervilles,” and is partnered by Bruce, who plays a bumbling Watson throughout the 14 films that was not Conan Doyle’s vision of the tall sleuth’s biographical “Boswell.” Nonetheless, the pairing is hugely titillating and satisfying.
The creation of the moor, the evil grimpen mire and truly repulsive hound remains unbelievable and does considerable to engender this tale as one of Conan Doyle’s most favorite with modern-day
readers and viewers alike.
The final scene represents the only reference any of the 14 films made to Holmes’ “seven-percent” cocaine habit as Rathbone asks Bruce to retrieve “the needle.” The scene, criticized as too risque by 1939 audiences, caused the film’s producers to obtain a conscious decision to omit any additional mention of Holmes’ recreational drug consume in future outings.
All of the films are really luscious and gain up wonderfully well under narrate viewings. For me, two of the best films of the “regular” series are The Scarlet Claw, where a village believes the supernatural is at work killing people, and Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, where Holmes must solve the riddle of the Musgrave Ritual.
Not matter your age, these films stammer hours of enjoyment, and thanks to the UCLA Theater Archives and MPI, will for generations to arrive. I only wish that Rathbone and Bruce had lived to peek their stout work released to unique audiences in this pristine DVD condition.
Philip St. John Basil Rathbone (13 June 1892, Johannesburg–21 July 1967, Modern York) and William Nigel Bruce (4 Sep. 1895, Ensenada–8 Oct 1953, Santa Monica) starred in 14 Sherlock-Holmes films as, respectively, Holmes and Watson. The first two films (1939) are period pieces whereas the last 12 (1942-46) are contemporary (”new”) .
“The complete Sherlock Holmes collection” is a 6/06 reissue on 5 DVDs of a 14-DVD state (in 5 boxes) previously issued by MPI 10/03-4/04. The reissues by MPI, which involve restorations of the 1942-46 films, have been critically acclaimed. This review thus unbiased compares the 2006 and 2003-04 sets of reissues (this review also supplements the previous two reviews by R. Smith, 7/18, and E. Hornaday, 4/10) :
OVERVIEW: 2006 reissue = 14 films on 5 DVDs (stare below for track listing) in 1 box 1 1/4″ wide VERSUS 2003-04 reissue = 14 films on 14 DVDs in 5 boxes totaling 4 3/8″ wide.
DVD CONTENT: Same in both reissues except the 2006 box site has for “Dressed to extinguish” an added (i.e., unfortunately, not on the earlier issues) commentary by actress Patricia Morison and Holmes scholars David Gregory and Richard Valley.
BOOKLET/INSERT AND TEXT CONTENT: The 2006 box station has 2 pages of text besides the front shroud. The 2003-04 reissues have 5 booklets (”production notes”) written by Richard Valley, 8 pages each for “Hound” and “Adventures,” 16 pages each for volumes 1-3. Although there is some overlap material, these 64 pages have many pictures and have considerable information on the 14 films, including cast listings.
SUMMARY OF PROS AND CONS OF 2006 BOX SET:
PROS: (1) mighty less expensive–$129.99 list ($119.99 Amazon in 7/06) versus $249.90 list ($224.95 Amazon in 7/06) ; (2) takes about 3″ less shelf space; (3) more convenient to journey only 5 DVDs than 14; (4) added commentary for “Dressed to extinguish.”
CONS: (1) no booklet insert and thus almost no information on the films included–a major deficiency; (2) appearance rather stark, with only 1 relate of Rathbone on the box (a pic of Bruce should also have been included) ; (3) flimsy cardboard case with 5 slim determined plastic DVD holders that fold out clumsily with the relieve of a cloth puller and that are awkwardly hinged with only cellophane tape (and thus becoming easily unhinged, that is, DVD trays 1-4 separating from tray 5) .
TRACK LISTING (dates from IMDb, times by reviewer) :
DVD #1:
Introduction by restorer Robert Gitt (2003) –TT0:4:38
(film 1) The hound of the Baskervilles (Mar. 1939) –TT1:19:38 (13 scenes), with commentary by David Stuart Davies
(film 2) The adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sep. 1939) –TT1:21:37 (13 scenes), with commentary by Richard Valley
(film 3) Sherlock Holmes and the scream of fright (Sep. 1942) –TT1:05:17 + 12-second war-bond trailer (11 scenes)
DVD #2:
(film 4) Sherlock Holmes and the secret weapon (Jan. 1943) –TT1:08:23 + 12-second war-bond trailer (12 scenes)
(film 5) Sherlock Holmes in Washington (Apr. 1943) –TT1:11:20 + 12-second war-bond trailer (13 scenes)
(film 6) Sherlock Holmes faces death (Sep. 1943) –TT1:07:54 + 12-second war-bond trailer (12 scenes), with commentary by David Stuart Davies
DVD #3:
(film 7) Sherlock Holmes and the spider woman (Jan. 1944) –TT1:02:00 + 12-second war-bond trailer (12 scenes)
(film
The scarlet claw (May 1944) –TT1:13:48, but no war-bond trailer (11 scenes), with commentary by David Stuart Davies
(film 9) The pearl of death (Aug. 1944) –TT1:08:29 + 12-second war-bond trailer (12 scenes)
Note: From “The scarlet claw” onward “Sherlock Holmes” was dropped from the titles to appeal to a wider audience.
DVD #4:
(film 10) The house of anxiety (Mar. 1945) –TT1:09:06, but no war-bond trailer (14 scenes)
(film 11) The woman in green (June 1945) –TT1:07:32 + 12-second war-bond trailer (12 scenes), with commentary by David Stuart Davies
(film 12) Pursuit to Algiers (Oct. 1945) –TT1:05:05 (12 scenes)
DVD #5:
(film 13) Alarm by night (Feb. 1946) –TT0:59:40 (13 scenes)
(film 14) Dressed to destroy (May 1946) –TT1:11:50 (13 scenes), with commentary by actress Patricia Morison and Holmes scholars David Gregory and Richard Valley
Additional bonus material:
(a) Photo galleries 1-5 (each TT0:2:35 with same musical background) : gallery 1 = of Hound; gallery 2 = of Adventures; galleries 3-5 = of films 3-6, 7-10, 11-14, respectively
(b) Theatrical trailers (6, not restored–for films 7-10, 13, 14–TT0:7:05)
(c) Footage of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle–TT0:1:15. Note: This is from a summer 1927 Movietone film of Conan Doyle (1859-1930) and is noteworthy abbreviated. The film is TT0:11:45 on the 2001 DVD of “Fright by night” by Focus Films.
FINAL COMMENT: The 2006 box situation crams 3 films on one DVD (e.g., DVD #1 with 232 min.) . Some compression may be enthusiastic, but film quality seems equal to the 2003-04 issues with only one film per DVD.
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