The Hound of the Baskervilles

Even though Hammer's stab (sorry, I had to!) at one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous and most accomplished works introduces some of the tropes of the studio's other material into the story (such as the tarantula and Stapleton's exotic daughter), it still has to be one of the best adaptations of its kind. The story is all there, in one way or another, but what makes this adaptation truly special is Peter Cushing himself. He is extraordinarily adept as Sherlock Holmes and Andre Morell is surely one of the most competent Watsons ever committed to the screen. This film was apparently intended to lead to Hammer setting up its own Holmes franchise with Cushing as the lead. Although this did not come to pass, Cushing (an avid Holmes fan) later took over from Douglas Wilmer when he retired from BBC's own Holmes television series in the mid 1960s. Well worth a watch for any Holmes or Hammer fan.

When the noble Sir Henry Baskerville (Christopher Lee) inherits a property near a swamp, his friend Doctor Richard Mortimer (Francis De Wolff) hires Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) and Doctor John H. Watson (André Morell) to investigate the curse that apparently killed all the members of his family. I have watched almost all the other versions of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and although not quite as engaging as Basil Rathbones Holmes or Nigel Bruce’s Watson, this one produced by Hammer is a very good low budget movie. The cinematography creates a great atmosphere; the lines are very detailed and intelligent; As you would expect from Hammer, the horror asspect is pushed to the limits of good taste. Peter Cushing, who also played the character in the very good TV series in the 70s, André Morell and Christopher Lee give magnificent and very convincing performances in their roles. A series of Sherlock Holmes movies was planned by the studio with Peter Cushing in the starring role, but because HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES made a much poorer showing at the box office than Hammer's monster movies and vampire films, the series idea was scrapped. This is very enjoyable, but perhaps to the Hammer house brigade, not quite a classic but yes a good solid watch.