An absolutely brilliant film which is deservedly regarded as one of the jewels in Hammer's crown. Peter Cushing and André Morell are perfectly cast as Holmes and Watson while Christopher Lee is as wonderful as ever as Sir Henry Baskerville. The film has an extremely strong supporting cast including Francis de Wolff, John Le Mesurier, Marla Landi, Ewen Solon and Miles Malleson. From what I can gather (having never read the novel), it takes some liberties but the storyline is essentially the same.
This was originally to have been the first in a series of Hammer Sherlock Holmes films but apparently the idea was dropped because the audience didn't want a Hammer series without monsters. That's a terrible shame as I'd have loved more films of this calibre starring Cushing and Morell. However, I'm glad that they chose the best known and one of the most popular stories to adapt for their only Holmesian outing. While this was the only time that he ever played Holmes on film, Cushing reprised his role on television in 1968 and 1984. I also liked the fact that Christopher Lee played a good guy and that he and Cushing were on the same side for once. This is the first film that I've seen them both in which neither of them tried to kill the other even once!
This was originally to have been the first in a series of Hammer Sherlock Holmes films but apparently the idea was dropped because the audience didn't want a Hammer series without monsters. That's a terrible shame as I'd have loved more films of this calibre starring Cushing and Morell. However, I'm glad that they chose the best known and one of the most popular stories to adapt for their only Holmesian outing. While this was the only time that he ever played Holmes on film, Cushing reprised his role on television in 1968 and 1984. I also liked the fact that Christopher Lee played a good guy and that he and Cushing were on the same side for once. This is the first film that I've seen them both in which neither of them tried to kill the other even once!