The Hound Of The Baskervilles (DVD)

...I was deliberately vague with the description, as I am sure everyone will have their own favourite version of this oft filmed Sherlock Holmes outing.

Other than Dracula, Sherlock Holmes is the most depicted fictional character in screen history, with 'Hound of the Baskervilles' the most filmed tale. In 1959, and sniffing a potential franchise, Hammer became the first studio to mount a colour Sherlock Holmes production, and chose the ...
...Following hot on the heels of their succesful gothic horrors, Hammer chose to approach the material with a little more sublety, if not with their marketing campaign. With Peter Bryan freely adapting Conan Doyles original, they upped the suspense, but downplayed the horror in favour of a more literate take on the story. Hammers two bankable stars, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee joined the production, with Cushing taking the lead role of Holmes. ... more

On proposing this film, I was deliberately vague with the description, as I am sure everyone will have their own favourite version of this oft filmed Sherlock Holmes outing.

Other than Dracula, Sherlock Holmes is the most depicted fictional character in screen history, with 'Hound of the Baskervilles' the most filmed tale. In 1959, and sniffing a potential franchise, Hammer became the first studio to mount a colour Sherlock Holmes production, and chose the potentially chilling 'Hound' as their starting point.

Following hot on the heels of their succesful gothic horrors, Hammer chose to approach the material with a little more sublety, if not with their marketing campaign. With Peter Bryan freely adapting Conan Doyles original, they upped the suspense, but downplayed the horror in favour of a more literate take on the story. Hammers two bankable stars, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee joined the production, with Cushing taking the lead role of Holmes. Andre Morell was cast as Watson, with other roles being taken by familiar faces around the Bray Backlots.

Helmed by the dependable Terence Fisher, shot and lit by the brilliant Jack Asher, designed by regular Hammmer genius Bernard Robinson and scored adeptly by James Bernard, Hammer had thrown all of their big guns at the production. Box office takings were poor though, as audiences demanded supernatural ghoulishness, creatures from beyond the grave, not this rather tame take on a classic Holmes tale.

Rather more surprisingly, the critics who had decried the gruesome activities of Hammer chose to mark the film down too, for exactly the same reasons. Far too little gore, not enough horror for their admission.

Hammer's 'Hound' though remains my favourite adaptation of Conan Doyles story, and even those that were left cold by the film, enjoyed the onscreen magic created by Cushing and Morell in the lead roles. Reminiscent of the early pictures in the Rathbone and Bruce cycle of the 30s and 40s, Holmes and Watson are a great partnership, sparking off of one another perfectly. Later the character of Watson would be allowed to degenerate into a bumbling fool, but with this film, Hammer redressed the balance, and for many, Cushings outing as Holmes on the big screen would remain the definitive portrayal. He would later return to the character for the BBC, and many years later for Tyburn Productions 'The Masks of Death'. A stickler for accuracy, Cushing chose his own wardrobe and contributed much to the costume design, sticking as closely as possible to the Strand illustrations by Sidney Paget.

Cushing brought the little details to the characters, a highlight being when we catch him scribbling notes on his own shirt cuffs. Morell is an athletic and keen minded Watson, and refuses to take a back seat, and the on screen chemistry suggest we should have had more of this pairing.

Enough, for now, of Holmes and Watson, what of the screenplay? Hammers retelling begins with a flashback, as over 100 years before the current events, villainous Sir Hugo Baskerville makes sport of the local peasants, taking the life of a young girl out on the moors, before succumbing to a vicious, giant hound, and giving birth to the 'curse' of the Baskervilles. Fast forward, and another mysterious death has hit the Baskerville family, bringing young Sir Henry (Christohper Lee) from South Africa back to England to claim his estate.

A concerned acquaintance of the family, Dr Mortimer (Francis de Wolff) contacts Holmes and Watson, and ask them to accompany the sceptical Sir Henry, and see that no harm comes to him. From here the story unfolds in familiar fashion, with Hammer occasionally changing details to allow for heaving cleavage (Marla Landi) and some shock moments (a tarantula). On the whole though it is a fairly creditable attempt to bring the tale to the screen, frkurt will no doubt hunt me down and put me straight on that record!

Typically for a picture from this golden Hammer period, it drips with atmosphere. Terence Fisher gets the most out of Bernard Robinsons sets, which Jack Asher lights stylishly in greens, reds, golds and blues. The performances are uniformly impressive, with the likes of Miles Malleson and John le Mesurier adding depth to the cast. The music is top drawer composing from James Bernard, just one of the many faces behind the scenes at Hammer that had the special touch and skills that projected these films beyond exploitation. There is an obvious care and attention to detail in each and every set up throughout the films 81 minute running time. The most attentive of the production though is Cushing as Holmes, picking lines from Conan Doyle and inserting them into the script wherever he saw fit. Constantly at work with props, and never afraid to make Holmes a rather unlikeable creation.

If there is a failing in the film, then it lies with the titular Hound. So much emphasis is placed on this demonic creature that his climactic appearance is inevitably a rather lacklustre one. A docile Great Dane lollops around playfully while snarls are layered over the soundtrack, and it's hard not to feel a little let down. It's not like Hammer didn't try though, they mounted a rather costly 2nd unit shoot involving miniature sets and children in replica costumes in an attempt to lend scale to the hound. Even the crew laughed. The idea was aborted, and so we are left with a Great Dane in an unconvincing mask.

As previously mentioned, 'Hound' failed to ring at the box office, and Hammer shelved their plans for further Holmes adventures. A great shame as this is a very worthwhile production, and provides us with a splendid Holmes/Watson pairing, there was just not enough horror lurking on the fog bound moors to appease a shock hungry public.

MGM briefly let this feature slip out onto DVD, but now it has been deleted remains unavailable for purchase. Certainly on a par with the Rathbone and Bruce version, but light years ahead of the BBC's latest tepid remake.

You may prefer Jeremy Brett, Basil Rathbone, Ian Richardson, Stewart Granger, Tom Baker, Christopher Lee, Christopher Plummer, Robert Stephens, Nicol Williamson or perhaps another actor as your perfect Holmes, but for me, Peter Cushing remains my favourite incarnation of the great sleuth.
 

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