Stars: Basil Rathbone, Richard Greene, Wendy Barrie, Nigel Bruce, Lionel Atwill, John Carradine, Beryl Mercer

Director: Sidney Lanfield

Summary: The first of 14 films pairing Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as the definitive Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, this version of THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES remains the most celebrated adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic mystery. When his uncle is found murdered on the grounds of the family estate, Sir Henry Baskerville (Richard Greene) arrives from abroad to claim his ancestral home on the fog-shrouded Devonshire moors. But family friend Dr. Mortimer (Lionel Atwill) brings Sir Henry to master sleuth Sherlock Holmes with fears for the young heir's life and tales of a family curse placed upon the Baskerville clan. Together they travel to the desolate Baskerville Hall and encounter a slew of mysterious goings-on, including a suspicious butler (John Carradine) and the ghost of a hound haunting the moors. Dripping with atmosphere, this suspenseful and absorbing film is one of the true gems of the Holmes adaptations.

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It could have been a stroke of genius reuniting Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore in a send-up of The Hound of the Baskervilles. In the event, director Paul Morrissey goes for Carry On-style humour: plenty of coarse word-play and camp innuendo, but little wit or subtlety. Cooke is a rather androgynous Sherlock Holmes, while Moore inexplicably attempts a Welsh accent to portray Dr Watson (his cameo as Holmes' mother is far less contrived). The support cast is a compendium of British comedy acting of the period--all now departed, and clearly relishing the one-liners and musical-hall farce. There are excellent contributions from Max Wall, Joan Greenwood (priceless in the seduction scene), and--in one of his last major screen appearances--Terry Thomas, as well as a winning "madame" from Penelope Keith. Don't expect even a free adaptation of Conan Doyle's novel, just let the humour take its enjoyably silly course.

On the DVD:The Hound of the Baskervillesfilm reproduces very decently in the 4:3 aspect ratio, with stereo sound that's not too artificial in effect. Special features consist of nine biographical overviews, the re-release trailer, and a six-minute interview with director Morrissey. Die-hard fans of "Pete and Dud" will most welcome the inclusion of the original theatrical feature, playing for almost 80 minutes and featuring extra footage of Moore's wonderfully inept piano playing. --Richard Whitehouse

Aspect Ratio:	4:3
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Chapter Selection
Subtitles:	None
Year:	1939
Release Date:	May 10, 2004
Runtime:	80 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	H S C 10083
Keywords:	General, Hound, Baskervilles, Drama
Genre:	Drama