Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles
March 2003 Reviewed by: Rad Bennett Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Granada Television's series of Sherlock Holmes stories, starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes and David Burke as Dr. Watson, won huge accolades in the early ‘80s for a bold new portrayal of the famous sleuth and his hapless partner. Brett’s Holmes was acerbic, even rude, a know-it-all who pulled it off. Burke’s Watson was less a fool and more an observer and long-suffering friend and confidant to the great detective. You'll find some of the best hour-long episodes in this series in the recently released MPI DVDs labeled The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, volumes 4 and 5. Volume 4 contains a crackling version of The Greek Interpreter, in which Holmes solicits the help of his brother, Mycroft, in solving a singularly heinous crime. Volume 5 introduces Holmes’s nemesis, Moriarty, in The Red-Headed League, then pits the two adversaries against each other in The Final Problem, which contains one of the more haunting endings ever seen on television. These episodes are four-star events, and any lover of mysteries in general, or Holmes in particular, ought to seek out these discs, especially since they are so reasonably priced.

The Hound of the Baskervilles was a feature-length spin off from the series. It finds Brett looking tired and drawn. His wife, a PBS producer, was to soon die (in 1985) from cancer. Moreover, Burke was no longer on hand to play Watson; milquetoast actor Edward Hardwicke replaced him. Thus, though this version is very good, it is certainly not definitive. It does not have the fire and energy of the shorter episodes, and Hardwicke simply cannot carry the ball when Brett is offstage, as this famous story’s plot often necessitates. The somewhat washed-out video images do not help, nor does the satisfactory, as opposed to exemplary, sound. The extras consist only of a Brett biography and some stills of drawings done for the original print edition.

Fortunately the story, first serialized in The Strand between August 1901 and April 1902, has attracted many actors and filmmakers. Due to happy circumstance and concurrent release dates, I was surrounded by several other Hounds that proved to be no mere dogs. All of my viewing took place during an exceptionally bleak and cold January here in West Virginia. I was so revved up to strange sounds by the end of these viewing sessions that a raccoon turning over a garbage can a few nights ago nearly caused cardiac arrest. So, be warned that some of these discs are very scary.

First, there’s the Hammer 1959 film, newly released on MGM DVD (***1/2). It stars Peter Cushing, who is surely the best Holmes in the Basil Rathbone mold. His clipped delivery and intent purpose keep things moving. Even when this Holmes is standing still, we can sense his brain at work. His Watson is Andre Morell: sturdy, strong, and able to hold his own when Holmes is not around. Christopher Lee plays Sir Henry Baskerville, in one of his few Hammer roles sans fangs. The sets are opulent in the Hammer Studios manner, and the mist on the moors is masterfully done. It is so menacing that one would not want to step into it any more than into John Carpenter’s fog! The MGM DVD is smashing. Seen on an HDTV widescreen monitor, the picture has a color-drenched, movie-like quality and the mono sound is very good. The bonus section features a current interview with Lee, in which he reminisces about working with Cushing. At MGM’s bargain price, this DVD is a treasure.

Next, there is a brand new BBC version with Richard Roxburg and Ian Hart (**1/2), promoted as a "terrifying new adaptation." Adaptation is right; there are many plot changes and much is left out. Roxburg, playing Holmes in Brett-like style, is quite effective, but Hart as Watson is less likable. He is totally different from any other Watson, looking more mousy than walrus-like, and definitely much younger than any Watson on screen. Though I admire the producer’s effort to do something different, I don’t consider the result successful. Moreover, this version is loaded with "shock effects": swooping close-ups, disgusting gore, patronizing flashbacks. If you ever wanted to see Holmes actually shoot up (twice) on screen instead of having his addiction merely referenced, this is your version. The sound and picture are both excellent, and there’s a very good interview-style "making of" featurette.

This brings me to another version, out for a while and worthy of a place alongside the Cushing/Hammer film. This 1983 version, on Image Entertainment DVD, stars Ian Richardson and Donald Churchill (***1/2). Richardson just might be the best Holmes of all, blending the Old World style of Rathbone and Cushing with the more pointed contemporary characteristics of Brett. Churchill is the strongest Watson on screen, and the sets are rich and gorgeous, with the mist just as menacing as that provided by Hammer. In addition, this version is downright eerie, being paced just right by director Douglas Hickox and editor Malcome Cooke. It also has a very effective, atmospheric music score by Michael Lewis. Yet it is generally overlooked, and I can only cite inadequate promotion as the reason.

Since the Image and MGM DVDs are priced so low, you can purchase both and revel in two good versions of an often-told tale. While you are at it, pick up volumes 4 and 5 of the MPI series. A chilly March night with the winds whipping through the eaves will provide a perfect atmosphere. And if anyone dares interrupt, simply say, "Can’t talk now, the game’s afoot!"

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