The 31 Films for Halloween 2011 reaches the second to last film in our series. This edition's film is one of the many film adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective, and his most famous case. This film version stands out since it was produced by Hammer Films and features two of their biggest actors. Let's look at the 1959 Terence Fisher-directed The Hound of the Baskervilles, film number 30 in the series.
- Title: The Hound of the Baskervilles
- Director: Terence Fisher
The film opens with cruel aristocrat Sir Hugo Baskerville killing a lowly commoner, much to the amusement of his fellow party-goers. The man's daughter escapes, with Hugo in pursuit of her. He catches up to her in the ruins of an abbey. He kills her, but is suddenly attacked by a dog-like beast. Thus, beginning the infamous myth of the Hound of the Baskervilles. Whenever a Baskerville inherits the ill-reputed Hall, the heir is soon murdered.
This instance is brought to the attention of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Holmes shows interest and agrees to meet with Henry Baskerville. After a close call with a tarantula, Holmes suspects foul play and takes a deeper interest in the case. Die-hard fans of the novel will notice some creative differences between the film and the source material, but overall this is an exceptional presentation.
The Review
The Holmes/Watson team of Peter Cushing and Andre Morell show to be an entertaining combination. They have a comradeship that emits chemistry and play off one another impressively. Christopher Lee brings much guilt and shame to the role of Sir Henry Baskerville. Its clear he's not proud of his family's history.
Terence Fisher gets a lot out of his leads. No surprising that Fisher was Hammer's go-to director along with Cushing and Lee being the flagship actors of the company. Jack Asher's simple, yet effective, cinematography recalls the classic Universal horror films of the 1930's, as does the music score by James Bernard.
Conclusion
This film is another example of various elements fitting together in unison and it makes for an excellent movie. You have two of horror's greatest icons in a film directed by one of Hammer's best directors, based on one of the most famous detective stories ever written. The Hound of the Baskervilles should be a given, whether its Halloween movies or movie-watching in general.
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