If ever an actor was born to play a role, surely it was Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. His physical appearance was spot on, he had a phenomenal speaking voice, and if the producers had ever gone there, an exploration of Holmes' skills as a swordsman would certainly have been safe in his hands. The problem with most of this series is that the support isn't there for him. Nigel Bruce plays Watson as less of a dolt here than he did in subsequent installments, but still plays him as a dolt. Sidney Lanfield's direction moves the story along briskly, the B&W cinematography is gorgeous, and Chief does an excellent job in the title role. The plot of the novel is followed fairly closely, and on the whole, this is a winner, though not definitive by any means.
Review of The Hound of the Baskervilles
