This movie has some good acting by Basil Rathbone, Ida Lupino, and George Zucco. The photography is good and the sets are well made. There are some suspenseful scenes. Rathbone is a great Sherlock Holmes, second only to the incomparable Jeremy Brett. For all this, I give the movie a 7.
There are two big problems. One is Nigel Bruce. His Dr. Watson is clownish, and I just can't abide it. It turns the movie into a Disney movie. It ruins the sense that this could be a real story about a real detective.
Worse, the plot is silly. As someone has described well on one of the comment threads, it is full of holes. I don't want to give anything away here, but there are so many gaps and illogical points as to once again reduce the movie to little more than a cartoon.
What a waste of great talent!
There are two big problems. One is Nigel Bruce. His Dr. Watson is clownish, and I just can't abide it. It turns the movie into a Disney movie. It ruins the sense that this could be a real story about a real detective.
Worse, the plot is silly. As someone has described well on one of the comment threads, it is full of holes. I don't want to give anything away here, but there are so many gaps and illogical points as to once again reduce the movie to little more than a cartoon.
What a waste of great talent!
- henry