Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes film series

Wait -- you're the nephew of Sol Wurtzel?

I'm usually the last person who would even suggest tampering with a classic, but in this case, for the restoration they should have added music -- perhaps lifted from some of the Universal entries.

 

Oh OK -- I always remember the name because one of the Ritz Brothers supposedly said, when Wurtzel was promoted at Fox, "Things have gone from bad to Wurtzel!"

 

Like some of the final films of Laurel and Hardy. While mostly not as good as the ones they made for Hal Roach, they are much, much better than many people would lead you to believe. Their final Fox film, and penultimate film overall, The Bullfighters is a classic, IMHO. I like it better than some of the lesser Roach features. I've always enjoyed the Charlie Chans as well.

 

I don't think he's supposed to be peeved, but staring at Holmes intensely at what he perceives Holmes' psychic intuition. He is also still emotional about his loss. It is not intuition at all, of course; it is Holmes's incredible powers of observation, but the good doctor does not know that. My thoughts anyway.

Little piece of trivia: Hugo Baskerville is played by Ralph Forbes, son of Mary Forbes who later plays Lady Francis Carfax in Terror By Night and Lady Conyingham or Cunningham in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

 

Well, to me he looked pretty peeved!


go to 11m25s
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Haha, who knows?! Could be. The line sure gets a different read in the radio version. Morose.

 

Yes, Dr. Mortimer does appear to get defensive when Holmes points out the cane and the teeth marks, and I thought it was merely a plot device to increase the number of suspects. It seems to not make sense because Mortimer brought about the legend of the hound in the first place, and it doesn't make sense for him to put his neck squarely in the noose, but it is a detail (the teeth marks) that show nothing had escaped the sharp observational eye of Sherlock Holmes.

 

Mary Forbes plays Lady Margaret Carstairs in Terror by Night, I think you have her confused with a website about car accident history She would also play a third role between those two.

 

I stand corrected, Anthology123! haha. I wrote from memory - a big mistake! Also from memory, she was in Sherlock Holmes in Washington, but I won't guess the part this time!

 

Yeah, that's what I was thinking as well. I hesitate to call it as such, but the "problem" with a filmed version of HOTB, any version, is that it is the most famous story in the canon. We know the denouement -- we are just interested in how well it is translated to the screen. So Atwill's reaction just becomes a puzzlement, since we know he didn't do it.

Had I not known better, I would have suspected John Carradine. This was, BTW, a relatively minor role for him, especially when compared to his role in Stagecoach, released the same year.

 

I remember watching them growing up and enjoying them very much - they might have been Saturday afternoon matinees or on late at night, if I recall. I have some at home I need to get around to watching.

 

SH#2-The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)

Directed by Alfred L. Werker
The setting is 1894 gas-lit Victorian London. Due to lack of evidence, Holmes' nemesis Moriarty has just been acquitted of a crime although everyone believes him guilty. Leaving the courthouse, Holmes and Moriarty share a cab and some witty dialogue. Holmes tells his enemy, "You've a magnificent brain, Moriarty. I admire it. I admire it so much I'd like to present it pickled in alcohol to the London Medical Society." Moriarty brags that he will pull off the most incredible crime of the century right under Holmes nose, and the humiliation will break Holmes. Thus begins a battle of wits between the two men.

Moriarty concocts a puzzling, intriguing case to absorb Holmes' interest and to divert his attention from Moriarty's real crime: stealing the crown jewels. Miss Brandon (Ida Lupino) comes to Holmes for help. Her brother has received a strange note, which is just like one their father received before he was killed. Therefore, she fears for her brother's life -- and rightly so! Before Holmes can get to him, Mr. Brandon is killed on the street. Almost immediately, Miss Brandon also receives the same, strange, death-portending note. Miss Brandon's fiancé follows her and acts suspiciously, but is only the red herring in this story. Just as Moriarty planned, Holmes becomes completely occupied with the Brandon case, and he ignores a threat to steal the Star of Delhi, a precious emerald arriving by ship the next night.

Moriarty knows Holmes cannot be in two places at once, so while Holmes is protecting Miss Brandon, Moriarty proceeds with his plan to steal the crown jewels. Having replaced the policemen assigned to guard the emerald, and wearing their uniforms, Moriarty and his men escort the Star of Delhi to the Tower of London. Holmes has sent Watson to help guard the emerald, but Watson fails to recognize the now beardless Moriarty. Professor Moriarty stages an unsuccessful attempt to steal the emerald. While the tower guards are chasing Moriarty's associates, the Professor hides inside the chamber containing the crown jewels. Watson recovers the Star of Delhi, and thinks that he has foiled Moriarty.

Meanwhile, at Mrs. Jameson's garden party Holmes, disguised as a "music hall chap," does a song and dance routine while keeping an eye on Miss Brandon. As far as I know, this is the only film in which we hear Basil Rathbone sing. It isn't great singing, but good enough for the character, and a great disguise for Holmes. Later, Holmes hears Miss Brandon's screams coming from the garden. He rushes to her, arriving just in time to see a man about to hurl a Patagonian bolas (a weapon made of long strands of rawhide with leather-coated lead balls on the ends). Holmes knocks Miss Brandon to the ground as the deadly bolas flies by and decapitates a nearby statue. When Holmes learns from the would-be killer that Moriarty is behind this, he figures out what Moriarty is really up to, and he and Watson rush off to the Tower of London in time to thwart Moriarty's theft of the crown jewels. A hand-to-hand battle between Holmes and Moriarty ensues atop the Tower, ending with Moriarty falling to his apparent death below. (Moriarty never really dies. He returns in Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon and again in The Woman in Green.)

The Players

Basil Rathbone-Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce-Dr. Watson
Ida Lupino-Ann Brandon
Alan Marshal-Jerrold Hunter
Terry Kilburn-Billy
George Zucco-Prof. Moriarty
Henry Stephenson-Sir Ronald Ramsgate
E.E. Clive-Inspector Bristol
Arthur Hohl-Bassick
May Beatty-Mrs. Jameson
Peter Willes-Lloyd Brandon
Mary Gordon-Mrs. Hudson
Holmes Herbert-Justice of the Court
George Regas-Mateo
Mary Forbes-Lady Conyngham
Frank Dawson-Dawes
William Austin-Inquisitive Stranger (aren’t you ill?)
Anthony Kemble-Cooper-Tony Conyngham
Frank Baker-Tompkins (uncredited)
Frank Benson-Cockney (uncredited)
Ted Billings-Pub Customer (uncredited)
Harry Cording-Cragin (lamplighter)
Robert Cory-Tower Sentry (uncredited)
Neil Fitzgerald-Clerk of the Court (uncredited)
Denis Green-Sergeant of the Guard (uncredited)
Gordon Hart-Guard (uncredited)
Ivo Henderson-Bobby (uncredited)
Keith Hitchcock-Constable (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson-Bobby (uncredited)
Boyd Irwin-Bobby (uncredited)
Charles Irwin-Marine Sergeant (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie-Barrows - Moriarty's Attorney (uncredited)
Robert Nobel-Foreman of the Jury (...and may god forgive us)
Ivan F. Simpson-Gates - Trial Prosecutor (uncredited)
Robert R. Stephenson-Cabby (Moriarty-Holmes cab ride)
Eric Wilton-Conyngham Butler

Disguises – Dance Hall Chap (Holmes), Sgt Bullfinch (Moriarty)

Songs –
I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside
(uncredited)
Written and Composed by John Glover Kind
Performed by Basil Rathbone

"I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside" is performed at Lady Conyngham's party. This was composed in 1907, thirteen years after the film's 1894 setting.

Locations referenced –
Old Bailey
Tower of London
Portland Square
Oxford Circus
Hammersmith
Kensington Museum
Tower Hill

The year indicated in the films’s introduction is 1894.
Lionel Atwill was cast to play Moriarty, but was replaced before shooting. Lionel Atwill would get another chance later to play Moriarty in the Universal films, and George Zucco would play yet another villain also later.

Other players that appeared in other SH films-

Arthur Hohl – 1st of 3 roles (Bassick)
EE Clive – 2nd of 2 roles. (Inspector Bristol)
George Zucco – 1st of 2 roles (Moriarty, Sgt Bullfinch)
Holmes Herbert – 1st of 6 roles (Justice of the Court)
Mary Forbes – 1st of 3 roles (Lady Conyngham)
Harry Cording – 1st of 8 roles (Cragin)
Ivo Henderson – 2nd of 2 roles (bobby)
Leland Hodgson - 1st of 7 roles (bobby)

film notes:
In the final scene, while Holmes and Watson are dining in a restaurant and reading of Ann Brandon's marriage to Jerrold Hunter, Holmes begins to pluck at a fiddle to find the note that will annoy the flies and make them leave. Watson demonstrates to Holmes the better way to eliminate flies--WHACK! with a newspaper.
This ending was not in the original script for the film. The first ending features a scene in Inspector Bristol's office, in which Mateo (the murderous Indian with the bolas) explains why he tried to kill Miss Brandon. He claims that Miss Brandon's father killed his father years ago, and stole the mine that made the Brandon family rich. Mateo swore vengeance against Brandon and his family. (One wonders what Moriarty had to do with this?) While this scene does tie up some loose ends, director Alfred Werker felt the lengthy explanatory scene was too anticlimactic and replaced it in the final edit with the shorter restaurant scene.


Rathbone gave an exceptional performance as Sherlock Holmes. Unfortunately, it was the last time he would don the famous Inverness cape and deerstalker cap. In a surprising move after the success of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Twentieth Century Fox decided not to produce more Holmes films. About two years later Universal Studios acquired the film rights to the Sherlock Holmes stories, and Universal placed Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce and Mary Gordon (Mrs. Hudson) under contract for four years.

This was one of Ida Lupino's early films, and her performance was superb. She went on to earn fame not only as an accomplished actress, but also as a director, producer and screenwriter. According to a Scarlet Street interview (issue #13, p. 48), Lupino had fun during the filming of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and liked to call her co-star "Basil Bathrug."

 

I was surprised to hear Doyle, when discussing Holmes say that he gets letters addressed to his "rather stupid friend Watson." That shocked me to hear what he thought of Dr. Watson. I never felt that from reading all the stories. After all, Watson was the conduit Doyle created to tell the stories. Why give a stupid character such an important role? Did he conceive of him being stupid but presented him differently in the books? Like I said, an interesting comment.

 

Especially given that many of the stories were written from Watson's POV. Maybe on some level, Conan-Doyle resented the good doctor. I know that the writer griped about the fact that despite having written a lot of other stuff, the Holmes stories were the only ones that really achieved huge success.

 

Nigel Bruce's memoirs excerpt on "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes":

On June 5th we commenced our second Sherlock Holmes picture, and once again my old friend Gene Markey was the producer. Besides Basil and myself, the cast included Ida Lupino, George Zucco and Lionel Atwill (named probably because he was changed just before shooting). We took over 5 weeks to make a rambling and complicated story which had no resemblance to any of the writings of Conan Doyle. In this picture Ida Lupino had her first really dramatic part and making full use of her chances, she gave a grand performance which may be said to have started her on the road to stardom.
The director, who was the same man who had directed Kidnapped (Alfred Werker), possessed a curious streak in his nature which I had already seen in his dealings with Arlene Whelan. He well knew that I had injured my back during the filming of Kidnapped. It had happened in front of his nose and shooting had been suspended on account of it; and yet for the very last shot of Sherlock Holmes, he planned a scene in which Basil ran out of a door and knocked me over, causing me to fall on my back.
I asked him if I could fake the fall until the actual take and he smilingly said, "Try it now and let's see what happens." By the time the cameras finally rolled, I had fallen on my back ten times, and during the taking of the scene I was made to repeat my fall four more times. When it was over he turned to me and said, "Now we'll take the scene without your carrying a gun."

That was the end. I told him I wouldn't fall once again for him or anyone else on God's earth and that I would see him in hell first. I walked off the set and telephoned to Gene Markey. As it was after midnight, I traced Gene to a party and he told me that of course I was not to attempt another fall and that I should have demanded a stunt man to do the falls for me in the first place. I returned to the set and informed the director of Gene Markey's decision, said goodnight to Basil and walked off to my dressing room. My back was numb for a month!

 

I've never held this one in high regard.

I've never held director Alfred Werker in high regard, either. He directed arguably Laurel and Hardy's worst film at Fox: A-Haunting We Will Go.

So rather than tie up loose ends, he leaves the audience confused. I certainly was. Are you sure it was Werker's decision? I thought the "director's cut" was a modern thing invented to boost DVD sales of movies people already owned. I can just see Seinfeld watching this and saying to Elaine: "Wait, why is he trying to kill her? Oh, he's with them?"

I agree. You keep waiting for it to take-off -- but it never does. I wish I had a nickel for every time someone filmed a scene of Moriarty falling to his death.

Ida Lupino and her love interest seem like actors from the 1940's transported back to the 1890s. (Compare this to the Brett series, where it looks like a film crew was transported back in time.) The guy's hairdo seemed too modern. Neither seemed to have much of an British accent, either.

I'd rank this slightly above Pursuit to Algiers and Voice of Terror, but not any higher.

I guess you can consider the move to Universal a reboot of the series, to use modern parlance.

One more thing -- since this was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, is this considered an "A" picture?

 

Tony, I think I agree with most/all of what you said. I would add:

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes has a great look and great atmosphere. It has everything but a story. It might be empty, but it still is fun to watch, (although truthfully, I haven't for years). My own view is that Ida Lupino was slightly miscast and that is not a knock at her. She is a very strong-willed woman and can't hide it. She became a director herself. A more extreme example of her being miscast is playing Rebecca's lead in a radio version with Ronald Colman as Maxim de Winter.

Again, I agree with you, and especially with your ranking. I enjoy all the Holmes films but this one is IMHO outdone by lower budget entries.

 

There is actually more to the script that was cut, according to the liner notes of the MPI DVD.
Opening court scene - cut from the final script was Holmes explaining how he could destroy Moriarty's alibi. It was such a technical explanation beyond belief for 1894 that would have
gone over most people's heads in 1939 when the film was made. There is also more dialog in the carriage ride home with Holmes and Moriarty where they talk about it. It had something to do
with the Greenwich Clock. I could not find anywhere on-line this excised script section, so if time permits, I may transcribe the text if there is any interest in it. There is also script dialog of the alternate ending with Mateo, it also extends into Anne making up with Gerrold Hunter and even Billy gets one more line!

 

Right, when I think of old Fox pictures I think of those epic Cinemascope technicolor pictures that didn't start until the mid-50s.

BTW, I'm just old enough to remember double-feautures, which is how these films were originally shown. Most of those that I saw were from Disney in the '70s when they would re-release an old animated classic with a new live-action feature. Also, the Disney Summer Film Festivals. Does anyone have a list of the "A" pictures that the Holmes films were paired with? Was that up to the local theater? Were the "A" and "B" pictures always from the same studio?

What aspects of the Gillette play did they actually use? Everything I read says they bear little resemblance to each other. The screenplay of TAOSH seems to have been written according to the rules of the old kids' game wherein everyone takes turns adding to an improvised story. In this instance, it appears to have taken about a month to play, with each writer passing the screenplay along to the next writer as soon as his allotted five minutes were up.

Aha! So that's where you are getting all this information.
I'm enjoying it.

I would be interested, but I don't want you to have to type it in. Do you have a scanner?

 

Yup.