robert-temple-1 This is an excellent, atmospheric old Holmes film, but the version available on DVD is badly mutilated, with countless maddening cuts and at least 20 minutes missing, and apparently maybe 40, as no one really knows for certain. (Records apparently record a version which once ran for 90 minutes!) I do hope that a decent print of this film is preserved somewhere, as it is well worth saving. This was the second time this story by Conan Doyle was filmed (the first time was the 1923 silent, with Ellie Norwood as Holmes). Raymond Massey appears here in his first credited film role, and he is a superb Holmes. A pity he never played him again! He had the perfect neuraesthenic manner, the thin thinker's face, the suppressed melancholy, all the right ingredients, and was like a more accessible and sympathetic version of Basil Rathbone. Massey also plays Holmes with a naturalism and almost an abandon, in complete contrast to the rest of the very up-tight cast. Massey does not hesitate to throw himself down on a sofa as if he were in his own home and not on a studio set. Isn't it bizarre that Massey's daughter Anna Massey (one of Britain's finest actresses and fascinating female conversationalists) was married to Jeremy Brett, who became famous for playing Sherlock Holmes half a century after his father-in-law had done so? Massey's Dr. Watson is played by Athole Stewart, who is a boring and tedious actor, at least in this role. There is no chemistry at all between the two men, and Massey just gets on with the job and makes the best of it. The ingénue of the piece is played by Angela Baddeley (sister of Hermione, whom I knew, and the Rev. William Baddeley, formerly rector of St. James Piccadilly in London, whom I also knew, as did countless others, as he seems to have known just about everyone in London in his heyday). Angela goes in for big soulful eyes and for fear. She has the wobbly voice which all such girls had in 1931. It is truly a wonder that anyone would marry a girl with such a wobbly voice, but they must have done, as the race continued somehow to breed, and England is more populous than ever. I guess this goes to prove that wobbly voices are no obstacle to the propagation of the race, no matter how repellent they may be to us in retrospect in these old movies. Lynn Harding plays a terrifying Rylett, the baddie of the story, and he does so with such overdone rage that one half expects the cameraman must have run away in the middle of several of the scenes quaking with anxiety. Indeed, Rylett comes near to being a mad dog,though he never quite foams at the mouth. It's called over-acting. The film is nicely directed by Jack Raymond, who started as a silent film actor, and died in 1953 after directing 46 films, most of which seem to be lost, or are at least unknown to us today. This was his only Holmes film. A shocking innovation in this entry into the Holmes cinematic canon is the portrayal of a busy 'outer office' adjoining Holmes's flat, containing the latest gadgets and automated filing systems, with some alluring and trendy gals operating them. We could have done with a lot more shots of all that, which apparently did exist in the original full version. There is one visual red herring in this film which I found amusing. The film begins with a young girl named Violet dying,and her last words are: 'the speckled band'. While we are all wondering what on earth the speckled band could possibly be, Jack Raymond shows a swarthy gypsy encamped near the house where the murder happened, and around his head he has wrapped a scarf which is a speckled band. This is just a tease, but a very good one. I wonder if anyone else has ever spotted it? Of course the real speckled band is something else entirely, but I won't go into that. Holmes fans all know anyway, and those innocents unacquainted with the story should never be told in advance. If there is anyone out there who can find a decent print of this film, please try your best, and if you succeed, do notify me by writing to me at 221B Baker Street, London W.1. Thanks awfully.

rjtrules I just watched this as the last Holmes movie in a CD set I bought-it's really quite interesting to see Holmes evolve over the different eras and actors. I'd like to rate this particular Holmes movie higher except for the fact that like most packaged movies of this era the sound quality is relatively poor which makes viewing difficult. In the end, it's fun to watch period films like this and for one hour take a stroll back in time to the 1930's.Raymond Massey has a fine 1930's take on Holmes, including partiality to lounging around in a houserobe while making numerous deductions along with some light-hearted needling of Dr. Watson. The essence is here, much to appreciate but again just a tad bit lacking on the sound quality for total enjoyment.

catuus The fact that a film is on DVD doesn't guarantee that its quality is very good. The fact that a film's quality is threadbare doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it. This review actually applies to 2 films paired on a single DVD.The plots of these films are of little consequence. They are of interest only to people who collect Holmes films … anybody who merely wants a few of the better offerings would do well to purchase some of those made by Jeremy Brett … or, in a pinch, Basil Rathbone. There are a few other very good Holmes films featuring good actors on a one-shot basis – such as "Seven Per Cent Solution" or "Private Life of Sherlock Holmes". In any event, these films are considerably less estimable.Here we have a pair of films featuring some of the best actors to do Holmes, even if the results tend toward disappointing. This appears to be the only disc with these films on it (although "Deadly Necklace") appears by itself in the same version on other discs."(Sherlock Holmes and) the Deadly Necklace" dates from 1962, although it neither looks it nor sounds it. Some who have seen this may be surprised to learn that it was produce by Hammer Studios. Not that Hammer hasn't turned out some really schlock stuff, but where Christopher Lee was concerned, they usually did a better job. The print a direct transfer from a rather worn 1:1.33 copy in black-and white. The quality of the color suggests the original may have been in color, and the snipped ends of the film's aspect suggest it may originally have been 1:1.66 or more.The film is set in the early 20th Century – not improbable, since Holmes was still working then (and didn't actually die until 1957). However, the script is not adapted from any actual Doyle story. It involves an Egyptian necklace, and Professor Moriarty shows up as a world-famous archaeologist as well as the Prince of Crime. The plot is melodramatic and banal.The biggest defect of this film is that – for whatever unfathomable reason – Hammer filmed it in Germany. It was nonetheless filmed in English. It was then dubbed in German and then re-dubbed in English. So what you hear isn't Lee nor any of the other original actors, but a bunch of unknowns – not that, outside of Lee, I doubt anyone would know any of the other actors. This is too bad, since Lee (see his "Hound of the Baskervilles") makes a quite decent Holmes. As it is, his voice double is condescending and plain as bread pudding with no raisins nor cinnamon.The music for this film is primarily jazzy, in a possible attempt to be "period". Too bad nobody thought of ragtime. As it is, the music doesn't relate to what's happening on the screen, and often is at odds with the action.The other film is "(Sherlock Holmes and) the Speckled Band" from 1931, starring a young Raymond Massey. The quality of the picture and sound is fully up to that of the 1962 effort, and in fact a bit better. Massey makes a quite respectable Holmes, although he certainly doesn't own the rôle in the way Rathbone did and Brett does. The other thespians who take part in this production are unlikely to be of interest to modern readers. The acting – as is true of many films of this period – owes a lot to the post-Victorian stage and to silent films.It should be noted that, while "The Deadly Necklace" is available on DVD by itself, "The Speckled Band" is available only with the former film.There is very little else to be said of this film. The settings seem to be an odd combination of the 1890s (horse-drawn carriages) and the 1920s (electronic devices such as a primitive dictaphone). Taken altogether, it's an interesting curio and a sufficient inducement to buy the DVD with the pairing rather than a DVD with "Deadly Necklace" only.

Stampsfightclub I first watched this crime programme for my media studies lesson and found it wonderful The acting by everyone involved is superb and they really capture the essence of the characters to make it a thrilling exciting crime story full of twists and suspense the TV show is beautifully adapted from one of my favourite crime novels - i especially love the twist at the end The story follows infamous detective Sherlock Holmes who is asked for help by a wealthy woman who is nervous about her upcoming marriage but more importantly the man she lives with, the evil Rylotthaving stereotypes of villains and detectives works wonders as audiences can associate with their personalities The character of Sherlock is wonderful - he is sharp, elegant and an enthusiast - making him a joy for audiences of all ages to watchif you like crime, suspense and mystery then i definitely recommend this!