THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES is the first in an American-made series of Holmes films starring the inimitable Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson, here enmeshed in Holmes's most famous case. Although the film suffers slightly from its familiarity - it's the most-filmed Holmes novel after all - I found it delightfully paced and surprisingly modern in feel, far from the slightly fusty feel you'd expect from a film of the age.
The film is convincingly shot in Hollywood, with atmospheric, fog-enshrouded sets and a realistic titular beast that doesn't disappoint when it shows up. Rathbone gives an effortless turn as Holmes while Bruce is slightly wiser here than he would become in later instalments in which the comic relief was enhanced. The exemplary supporting cast includes Lionel Atwill and John Carradine, two actors famed for their horror roles, and indeed this does feel like a horror movie throughout in the best old-fashioned Gothic sense.
The film is convincingly shot in Hollywood, with atmospheric, fog-enshrouded sets and a realistic titular beast that doesn't disappoint when it shows up. Rathbone gives an effortless turn as Holmes while Bruce is slightly wiser here than he would become in later instalments in which the comic relief was enhanced. The exemplary supporting cast includes Lionel Atwill and John Carradine, two actors famed for their horror roles, and indeed this does feel like a horror movie throughout in the best old-fashioned Gothic sense.