Review of Hound Of The Baskervilles, The

Introduction

The late nineteenth century saw the proliferation of literature to an amazing degree. Dickens penned his classics, Twain fed the imagination and science fiction was born in the writings of Jules Verne and his contemporaries. It was truly a turning point in the history of literature, when books became available to all. However, of all the tremendous works that fired the imagination and lightened the soul, none were so universally popular as the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The adventures of his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes as chronicled by his constant companion Dr John Watson sparked an interest in the general public that persists to this day over a hundred years after the first short story appeared in print. According to the Internet Movie Database, the third Sherlock Holmes novel, The Hound Of The Baskervilles has inspired 19 different productions since 1914 in various countries, and I wouldn`t be surprised if there were more. It must come as a surprise that despite all these filmed versions, as well as the collected Sherlock Holmes stories gathering dust in two volumes on my shelf, I have never read or seen the story of the Hound. Until now that is, with this 1959 version of the tale from Hammer studios.

Lord Hugo Baskerville was by all accounts a lout and a brute. One night, during a little party for his friends, a local girl who he as seduced as a plaything objects to her treatment and escapes his clutches and runs to the moor. Incensed by her disobedience, he unleashes his hounds and pursues her into the night. He corners her in some ruins and in a fit of rage strikes her with a dagger. At that moment, a vicious beast appears and mauls him to death. Since then the curse of the Hound has haunted the Baskervilles, at least that is the story that Doctor Mortimer relates to Sherlock Holmes when he visits him to ask for his help. The current Lord Charles Baskerville has been found on the moor, apparently scared to death and it appears that the Hound has returned. As the last Baskerville, Henry returns to take his place, it is evident that his life is in considerable danger, not in the least helped by a hereditary heart condition. Holmes sends Watson on ahead to keep Henry safe and promises to follow soon.

Video

The picture is presented in the original 1.66:1 ratio. It is a letterbox transfer naturally, and being such an old film you won`t be surprised to see that there is quite a bit of print damage to contend with. That said the colours are rich and strong and the cinematography is lush. The sets and costumes border on the garish, which actually contrasts quite effectively with the bleakness of the moors. If you have a suitable zoom control, you can rest assured that the subtitles won`t be lost.

Audio

This being an MGM back catalogue disc, you`ll be able to the watch this film in several languages, English, German, French, Italian and Spanish all in DD 2.0 mono. The dialogue is mostly clear for the most part and the music is suitably spooky, but there is some minor hiss and crackle.

Features

The trailer is Black and White and presented in 4:3. There are several subtitle tracks for the main feature.

Conclusion

The Hammer take on The Hound Of The Baskervilles is fairly faithful to the source material, but there are the inevitable Hammer touches that will be instantly recognisable. The story is slightly different and tends a little to the shocking, instantly visible with the addition of a tarantula early on in the film, firmly establishing the studio`s style. There is also the addition of a mysterious femme fatale who makes a languid entrance to the film. Add to that the innocent and rather impotent flirtation with taboo, and you know that you are watching a Hammer production.

Still, the story is there beneath the flourishes and it is entertaining enough. A young Christopher Lee plays the enigmatic Henry Baskerville and André Morell is Dr Watson. He`s fairly bland though, and as he has to carry the first third of the film slows the pace right down. The revelation of the film has to be Peter Cushing though as Sherlock Holmes. It`s as if he was born to play the character and brings and arrogance to the role that echoes the stories, yet he overlays this with a playful flamboyance that gives the character a certain charm. Other characters include Sergeant Wilson, I mean John Le Mesurier as the butler Barrymore. Also giving a humorous turn is Miles Malleson donning clerical garb yet again as Bishop Frankland.

The Hound Of The Baskervilles meanders along quite well for eighty minutes. It`s the kind of film that makes great background viewing, the kind of film you can look up occasionally from your newspaper when something of interest occurs. The problem is that while Peter Cushing makes an excellent Holmes, the rest of the cast is just ineffectual enough to render the film devoid of excitement. The mystery has been diluted in favour of thrills and chills, but let`s face it, after nearly fifty years this is pretty tepid stuff.