Silver Blaze finds Sherlock Holmes and the ever present Dr. Watson back at Baskerville Hall seen of their greatest case. Apparently Sir Henry Baskerville gives them free run of the joint in gratitude for saving his life back in The Hounds of the Baskerville case. Anyway no sooner are they there than the murder of a stable-boy and the theft of a prize race horse happen and suspicion falls on the Baskerville son-in-law.
On the other side of the pond Arthur Wontner and Ian Fleming did a few Sherlock Holmes films and are as known there as Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are here. The horse itself is found on the moor where that infamous hound used to prowl, apparently none the worse for wear. But that's only the beginning.
Wontner and Fleming are certainly the equal of Rathbone and Bruce. Except for a couple of the early films, the Rathbone/Bruce films were B films the same as this British production so the quality is about the same.
Professor Moriarty is at the bottom of things here as you note by the cast list. This Moriarty believes in taking direct action and does try to eliminate Holmes before he spoils the Professor's foul scheme.
My criticism of the film is that in fact Moriarty is grafted into the screenplay. The original novel does not have him in it. I'm not a Holmes expert, but it seems to me that Moriarty always went in for bigger schemes than fixing horse races.
Still it's a good Sherlock Holmes mystery well worth Americans viewing a British view of their conception of the greatest sleuth in history who happens to be one of their's.
On the other side of the pond Arthur Wontner and Ian Fleming did a few Sherlock Holmes films and are as known there as Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are here. The horse itself is found on the moor where that infamous hound used to prowl, apparently none the worse for wear. But that's only the beginning.
Wontner and Fleming are certainly the equal of Rathbone and Bruce. Except for a couple of the early films, the Rathbone/Bruce films were B films the same as this British production so the quality is about the same.
Professor Moriarty is at the bottom of things here as you note by the cast list. This Moriarty believes in taking direct action and does try to eliminate Holmes before he spoils the Professor's foul scheme.
My criticism of the film is that in fact Moriarty is grafted into the screenplay. The original novel does not have him in it. I'm not a Holmes expert, but it seems to me that Moriarty always went in for bigger schemes than fixing horse races.
Still it's a good Sherlock Holmes mystery well worth Americans viewing a British view of their conception of the greatest sleuth in history who happens to be one of their's.