User Reviews

This is one of the best of the low-budget Sherlock Holmes films with Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

Seven men, the "Good Comrades" have formed a club, and they all live together in a castle on the North coast of Scotland. They all have life insurance policies of high value, the beneficiaries being the surviving members of the club. Holmes is called in by the insurers when two of them die violently in quick succession.

It all takes place in the castle, and more of the Comrades meet an end, so it's Ten Little Indians territory.

Rathbone and Bruce, with the cheerful support of Dennis Hoey as Lestrade, do their usual number with a fairly intricate plot, and a jolly good time is had by all.

The direction is pacy, and it rattles along very satisfactorily; the production values are pretty low, but we're only looking at story-telling than brilliant cinematography.

Enjoyable stuff.

Sherlock Holmes and the House of Fear recently came on BBC2 and one of the reviews in the TV listings says this was one of the poorer Bathbone Holmes movies. I disagree and this is one of the better ones and certainly one of the creepiest.

In this one, Holmes and Watson are sent to Scotland to investigate a series of murders in a rather creepy and remote mansion, Drearcliff House. The Good Comrades Club are dining here and it looks like somebody has it in for these men, as more are killed and Dr Watson nearly becomes a victim of this killer too. One clue regarding these murders is orange pips. The investigation then takes Holmes into a secret passage leading to the basement of Drearcliff House...

This is very spooky in parts, helped by the howling wind and nighttime scenes and the location of the mansion.

As usual, Basil Rathobone is joined by Nigel Bruce as Dr Watson and the rest of the cast includes Dennis Hoey, Paul Cavanagh and Holmes Herbert.

This is a must for everyone Sherlock Holmes fan. One of the best of the series.

Rating: 3 and a half stars out of 5.

A club of retired rich men called "The Good Comrades" lives at an isolated Scottish castle. One by one the men are being killed off and an insurance agent believes one of them is responsible. Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) investigate but fail to prevent more murders from occurring. Soon they are joined by Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey), who will undoubtedly get to the bottom of things ("Suffering cats! What IS going on here?!?").

Fun Sherlock Holmes movie from Universal, the eighth in their series (tenth overall, counting the first two Fox films). It's loosely based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle "Five Orange Pips" story. Really the only similarity is the murder victims receiving envelopes with orange seeds before they're killed. That story is hardly one of Conan Doyle's best, by the way. The series regulars Rathbone, Bruce, and Hoey are all great. The supporting cast is made up of good character actors like Holmes Herbert, Paul Cavanagh, Harry Cording, and Aubrey Mather. Solid direction from Roy William Neill with interesting camera-work from Virgil Miller. Nicely paced with great "old dark house" atmosphere. Not the best of the series but a very entertaining one.

With lots of atmospheric detail and an interesting, involved Sherlock Holmes mystery story, this is one of many enjoyable features in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series. The plot is, to be honest, pretty far-fetched, but it makes for a very entertaining story with lots of intriguing developments. The supporting cast features Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade, Aubrey Mather as an interesting oddball character, and Paul Cavanagh in a good role as one of the suspects.

The story takes some of the basic elements from Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Five Orange Pips", but places it in an entirely new setting that works much better on the screen. It also adds many other ideas, some from Doyle, and some from other sources. The good cast and the effective atmosphere in a remote corner of Scotland help to keep the story interesting instead of straining plausibility.

Roy William Neill does one of his many solid directing jobs in the series, keeping a good balance between entertainment and mystery, and between the original characters and the contemporary setting. It might not be the most tightly-crafted of the series, but it's certainly one of the more enjoyable ones to watch.

Sherlock Holmes agrees to an insurance company request to investigate the gruesome deaths of wealthy gentlemen living in a Scottish mansion. Each death is predicted by the strange delivery of Orange Pips to the next intended victim.

Lets get the main fact out of the way first, although an adaptation of Conan Doyle's Holmes story, {Adventures} The Five Orange Pips, The House Of Fear bears little resemblance to that particular source. So purist fans of the literary aspects are in for a let down. Or are they? Directed by Roy William Neill with the screenplay coming from Roy Chanslor, this tenth entry in the Rathbone/Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes films is a deliciously atmospheric mystery piece holding its own. Set very much in the creepy mansion formula, House Of Fear, with all its off kilter camera work {beautifully realised now with the marvellous restoration job}, utilises the scope for "nothing is ever what it seems" to great effect. Thus of course giving Holmes {Rathbone impeccable as usual} license to detect with great gusto and ingenuity. This is after all what one wants from a Sherlock Holmes film me thinks? The film is also aided by some rather fine work from the sound department, winds and footsteps are sharp to the ears, again impacting on the mood to fully involve the viewer.

While the relatively short running time stops it from being a fully born out mystery, and yes if you dig deep enough you will find a couple of creaky plot holes. The House Of Fear is still one of the better entries in this marvellous series of films. Sometimes it's all about the characters and the situation they find themselves in. With that, this becomes an essential Holmes movie, regardless of grumbles from purists and plot holers alike. 7/10

I'd have to rate this as one of the best of the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films. It has about everything you would want in these movies - suspense, action, a clever story and some good humor courtesy our friend Dr. Watson. The latter is in top form with a number of funny lines and reactions to the happenings around him.

Meanwhile, this plays like the Agatha Christie story, "And Then There Were None." Instead of "10 Little Indians," there are the "orange pips" which are sent in an envelope to the members of the "The Good Comrades" club up in Drearcliff, Scotland. Whoever receives the envelope is shortly thereafter murdered in a grisly way. Holmes, Watson and then Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard, all venture up to the Scottish mansion to investigate the murders.

This is good stuff with nary a lull during the 69-minute film that features a variety of suspects, from evil-looking to the nicest guy in the house. Who is committing these murders is anyone's guess, right down to the end.

Being older I've found that many times we end up watching the same plot over and over in remakes. This movie was totally different then any I've ever seen to date. I won't spoil the movie by saying much but it kept me guessing whodunit.

The movie had it's share of comedy with Nigel Bruce and moved along at a good pace. This is probably the best of the Sherlock Holmes series by Rathbone and Bruce.

Let no one ruin the ending for you and watch it, I think you'll like it. For a low budget movie it won't let you down. How I survived this long without ever seeing it at least once is amazing.

Roy William Neil directed Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce as Sherlock Holmes & Doctor Watson in this loose adaptation of 'The Five Orange Pips'. Holmes & Watson are called to Scotland by an insurance company to investigate a case where seven men who belong to an exclusive club, and all of whom have taken out life insurance policies naming the others as the beneficiaries. Two have died already, and Holmes must prevent further deaths, and determine who the murderer is. Like the past two films, this is atmospheric and exciting, with a clever story and surprise ending. The series was at its peak here, but unfortunately would begin to decline afterward.

Gathered in THE HOUSE OF FEAR, the members of a strange tontine begin to meet violent & mysterious deaths.

Once again, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's celebrated consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, tackles the problems pervading an Old Dark House. This time it's the Good Comrades Club and their rapidly dwindling membership, and Universal Studios supplies all the proper atmospherics to provide plenty of chills & suspense.

Basil Rathbone, as the cerebral sleuth, and Nigel Bruce, as his amiable sidekick, have already reached perfection in their roles. Rathbone, with his wonderful voice, always commands attention, and Bruce is especially good in the sequence where Watson finds himself alone in Drearcliff House, surrounded by unseen menace. Together, their film partnership has become screen legend.

Dennis Hoey returns in the role of Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard, always several steps behind Holmes in his use of deductive reasoning.

The seven Good Comrades are played by cherubic Aubrey Mather, gaunt Paul Cavanagh, Holmes Herbert, Harry Cording, and the unbilled Wilson Benge, Cyril Delevanti & Richard Alexander. Also appearing without credit is that most versatile of British character actresses, Doris Lloyd, playing a Scots innkeeper.

This film, which was very loosely based on Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips, followed THE PEARL OF DEATH (1944) and preceded THE WOMAN IN GREEN (1945).

By this time, Roy William Neill and the other creative forces behind the Sherlock Holmes series at Universal had learned how to make an updated version of Holmes work...by pushing the updated elements into the background and letting the character of Holmes take center stage. The House of Fear is a fine example of this philosophy, featuring Holmes in a story that would play just as well in Victorian Britain as in the WWII era.

Indeed, the film is based (albeit very loosely) on Conan Doyle's Holmes story The Five Orange Pips. Only the main device is borrowed for the film...the foretelling of violent death by the mysterious delivery of orange pips (that's "seeds" for all us Yanks)...but the main thrust of the otherwise entirely original script is quite Holmesian, in itself, and gives the character of Sherlock Holmes plenty of room to utilize his singular gift for deductive reasoning.

This cinematic reworking of Conan Doyle's tale has Holmes at the home of the Good Comrades Club, a suitable location for the mystery which unfolds. The members of said club are frightened out of their minds (hence, the "House of Fear") as, one by one, they receive the ominous warning of the orange pips, then soon after, die horrible deaths...their corpses, mangled beyond all recognition, then to be discovered by the surviving members of the club. No one knows who will be next, and it seems very likely that the killer is, in fact, one of the club's own members. Sherlock Holmes must solve the mystery, hopefully before the club's roster dwindles any further.

There are ample twists and turns along the way...and also, this being a traditional whodunit, red herrings galore. The cinematography and direction are on a par with the best of the series' films, and the performances are of the usual admirable quality (especially given the brief shooting schedules and appallingly low budgets afforded the filmmakers). The atmosphere, I'd say, is most comparable to that of Sherlock Holmes Faces Death...but is slightly more effective here. As always, Sherlockian purists may be offended by Nigel Bruce's bumbling portrayal of Watson. But these are the little things we allow to slide in order to enjoy this film for what it is...a fun and entertaining mystery which, even if it defies some of the principles of the Holmes canon, at least follows in the tradition of the original Holmes character. A definite improvement over the first three films.

Overall, one of the top entries in this series...which started out with little promise, and went on to deliver great things. 1944 was the best year for the series, but 1945 delivered the goods more than once...this being the first example. Definitely recommended for series fans, or anyone with an appreciation of Sherlock Holmes or classic whodunits.

While it's not as great as earlier Holmes mysteries, such as The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Scarlet Claw; The House of Fear is still an admirable entry in Holmes' list of triumphs. My favourite detective mysteries are always the ones that include a dash of horror, and I'm pleased to remark that this one has that. The film is directed by Roy William Neill; the same man that directed fellow horror-orientated Holmes yarn, The Scarlet Claw. For this film, Neill has succeeded in capturing a foreboding and intriguing atmosphere once again, and the story, which includes a rickety old house, benefits immensely from that. The story follows a group of men that have moved to Scotland from London after forming a club and buying a large house. After two of them are murdered subsequent to receiving strange notes, the super-sleuth and his trusty sidekick; Dr Watson are called in to get to the bottom of the mystery. Could the fact that each member of the group is a beneficiary of each of the others' life insurance policies have anything to do with it?

This film is very short at just 69 minutes, and this is part of the reason why the film doesn't work quite as well as other Holmes yarns. Despite being short, the film doesn't have many moments of real tension and there are several instances where the story slows down to walking pace, and these can be a trifle dull. The story in this movie is rather thin, but, despite it's lack of tension, it does have intrigue; which redeems the plotting somewhat. One thing that the film definitely does benefit from is that, like all other Universal Holmes films made in the 30's and 40's, it stars the great Basil Rathbone as the great detective and Nigel Bruce as the sidekick; Dr Watson. These two have a great on-screen chemistry, and you can really believe that they are old friends. The climax of the film is nice and it's unlikely that you'll see it coming...but that's its main vice also; it's somewhat unlikely. I'm becoming a big fan of Sherlock Holmes movies, so I'm rating this one a little higher than many would; but in spite of my slight bias, this is still a very good film and one that Holmes fans will not want to miss

This time intelligent detective Holmes and his sympathetic pal Watson face off a cunning criminal master , a series of murders that are foretold by envelope containing orange seeds sent to the successive victims . As Holmes is approached by an insurance company representative when some members of a very exclusive club die in suspicious circumstances at a grim old house perched high upon a cliff on the west coast of Scotland. This is a Rathbone-Bruce effort set in a creepy castle , an enjoyable Sherlock entry , in which Holmes is called to carry out a mysterious assignment about some mysterious killings . First-rate and intriguing Holmes movie with adequate setting , including several suspicious people . Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and Watson (Bruce) , the detecting duo living in 223 Baker Street , again are up against ominous , threatening contenders and along the way they promise to help the baffled Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey) to solve a confused as well as twisted case in any way they can . Soon after , to be aware of more ruthless crimes and they go to a manor house in a remote part of Scotland, where the only 7 members of the Good Comrades club meet for dinner and subsequently one of the members receives an envelope addressed to him packing the orange pips . The master minds tackle the master crimes!.Marked... for sudden and violent Death! A HORROR stalking its halls! The master minds of mystery ¡ From Conan Doyle's gripping books! From your favorite radio mystery! THE MASTER MINDS OF MYSTERY...leap to life to challenge the menace of modern crime!

It concerns the usual battle Holmes vs. malevolent enemies and along the way Sherlock must solve killings and some vitally important . The movie is an excellent Holmes thriller with gripping setting , unanswered mysteries and unstopped suspense in which Holmes has to solve a hard case . The plot of the picture is freely based on story "The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , including some variations . In the flick appears the usual of the Arthur Conan Doyle's novels : Inspector Lestrade , Mistress Hudson , of course , Doctor Watson and furthermore several suspicious villians . This is the tenth of fourteen films based on Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional consulting detective Sherlock Holmes starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson. Here Basil Rathbone performance is splendid , he's the best cinema's Holmes , similar to television's Peter Cushing and Jeremy Brett . Rathbone as whimsical sleuth is top-notch , he's in cracking form , intelligent , broody and impetuous . He's finely matched in battle of wits with sinister arch-enemies , and some first-range villains . Nigel Bruce plays Watson with humor , jinx , goofy and mirth . He's the perfect counterpoint to Holmes . Besides , appearing briefly distinguished secondaries as Dennis Hoey , Paul Cavanagh , Holmes Herbert , Aubrey Mather .

This classic film gets an atmospheric black and white cinematography with plenty of lights and shades that originate an eerie setting well photographed by cameraman Virgil Miller . The setting are very good but similar to other entries and Universal terror films as ¨The Wolf man¨ , in fact the inn in the Scottish village is the same set used in the earlier Holmes film "The Scarlet Claw¨. The film has an eerie atmosphere , brilliant lighting and judicious use of shadows ; but available colorized in a horrible version . Adequate music score fitting to suspense by Paul Sawtell . This was the tenth of fourteen films based on Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional consulting detective Holmes feature to be produced and professionally realized at Universal , being starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson . Being competently directed by Roy William Nell the usual saga director and habitual in the Universal monsters movies , replacing John Rawlins , at times . Best-known for directing the Sherlock Holmes series of films at Universal , Neill was something of an expert on the subject of Holmes and, consequently, was often meticulous in his attention to detail. He had, arguably, his best spell during the final years of his career at Universal (1942-46). During his time as a fine filmmaker for Universal he established a reputation as a stylish maker of B-grade movies . His films proved a triumph of style over content, particularly with the stunning interpretations. Rating : 7.5/10 . Better than average Sherlock Holmes movie.

Sherlock Holmes and his mumbling sidekick Dr. Watson go to Scotland to investigate the deaths of members of "The Good Comrades," a group of seven lonely men that make a pact to split the money of each dying member. A maid has been given a letter to give the members of the group at dinner. The letter contains a number of orange pips(pits) that coincides with the remaining number of the group. After receiving the letter, the member shortly dies after. This is highly enjoyable fare from the Sherlock Holmes team of Rathbone, Bruce, Dennis Hoey as Lestrade, and director Roy William Neill. The film zips by at a nice pace, and it has a unique mystery which I could only partially unravel. Rathbone is at his best, but Bruce tends to steal almost every scene he is in with his mumbling antics and comedic abilities. The rest of the cast of stalwart British character actors do just as ably with Aubrey Mather really standing out as the genial owner of the home where the Good Comrades stay. Lots of dark atmosphere, rainy nights, and Scottish lore to surround this intriguing tale.

A superior entry in the Universal series of Sherlock Holmes films. Holmes is called in to investigate a series of murders among a group of "good comrades" living together in a Scottish castle. Each victim receives a letter containing orange pips prior to being horribly murdered. With his distinctive voice and mannerisms, Basil Rathbone is the definitive Holmes. On hand as well are Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson and Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade. Both are hilarious as they engage in their games of oneupmanship on each other but never quite get it right, providing the perfect foil for Holmes. There are suspects galore, including the eccentric house owner, a surgeon who was implicated but never charged in a previous murder, a surly retired ships captain, the man who suggested they all have insurance policies which would benefit the surviving comrades, a grim-faced housekeeper who delivers the dreaded letters.... Even the house is properly atmospheric, with eerie noises and secret passage ways. All in all, a great load of fun.

"The House of Fear" is a highly enjoyable entry into the Sherlock Holmes series. It stars Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Paul Cavanagh and Dennis Hoey. Sherlock and Watson go to Scotland to investigate the murders of members of the "Good Comrades Club" - before they die, they receive an envelope containing orange pips (seeds); shortly afterward, they are brutally murdered beyond recognition.

There is a Sherlock Holmes story called "The Five Orange Pips," but this is only very loosely the Conan Doyle plot. Nevertheless, it has all the great mystery elements - a large, old dark house, rainstorms and things that go bump in the night.

One of the faults of this series was the casting of Nigel Bruce who was then directed to act like an idiot. Also, some of the scripts have Holmes being very condescending toward Watson or making fun of him. In "The House of Fear," neither of these things occur, at least as broadly. Holmes seems not only genuinely concerned about his friend but very fond of him as well.

Rathbone is one of the best actors to play Holmes and looks the part - for the most part, the whole series is enjoyable, and this one is a cut above average.

A delightfully spooky murder mystery, this may be the best Sherlock Holmes movie yet (the best, that is, with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce). An exclusive club of men housed in an old castle are mysteriously being killed one by one ... right after receiving an envelope containing nothing but orange pips. Besides being a great old house thriller, the best thing about this movie is that all of the clues are there for us to solve the mystery on our own - matching wits with Holmes, as it were. You can ask nothing better from a mystery. Basil Rathbone is perfect as Holmes and Nigel Bruce is a wonderful Watson, bringing a comic edge to the proceedings. By all means, get this one for your collection.

In contrast to most of the other 'Sherlock Holmes' movies with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, where we know almost from the beginning who's the 'villain', "The House of Fear" is a REAL, classic whodunit; and a real complicated one, almost Agatha Christie style... And besides that, it's also got many of the features of the good old 'dark old house' mysteries - alright, the house isn't dark, but there's no telephone, and not a soul around for miles, because it's built on top of a cliff in Northern Scotland; the IDEAL surroundings for mysterious murders...

And that's just what happens: the members of the 'Good Comrades' club, consisting of seven men, are being 'reduced' one by one by horrible accidents - and every time, the next victim receives a mysterious envelope with orange pips (an old Asian symbol for death) in it, each time one less... Reminds us of the 'Ten Little Indians', doesn't it? But let's not jump to conclusions. The case is VERY twisted, and VERY interesting to follow, and requires the full attention of our 'little gray cells' throughout the whole duration of the movie.

The cast is supreme, the directing extraordinary, the settings creepy and old-fashioned, the plot is simply fascinating - and yet, there's also room for some humor in between, mainly thanks to Dr. Watson, grumpy but helpful as always, and of course Inspector Lestrade, slow-witted as always...

IMO, except for the two 'classic' adaptations made at 20th Century-Fox, this is probably the very best of the Rathbone/Bruce 'Sherlock Holmes' movies - enjoy the masterful crime entertainment, but don't let the many red herrings deceit you; will you find out the solution??

The black and white Sherlock Holmes films have a fantastic atmosphere and Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce make a great Holmes and Watson pairing.

The House of Fear is a strong entry in the series containing atmosphere, suspense, moments of comedy and of course the small matter of guessing who is behind the murders.

You can pick holes in the plot if you are like and some of the actions taken by the victims and Holmes and Watson don't always ring true. However this film is never anything other than entertaining with strong performances from a fine cast.

I've just watched the Rathbone/Bruce Hound of the Baskervilles, and I have to say I far prefer this story. It spares us the war propaganda story lines of other films in the series, and in spite of its contemporary setting, its old dark house atmosphere puts us right back in Victorian times. Nigel Bruce and Dennis Hoey play their standard roles, and Rathbone is his masterful self. This is one film in the series without the usual love interest or femme fatale, and does fine without them.

I was thinking while watching this movie that I wish the production had been in the hands of the mid-era Charlie Chan crew. The lighting in those films was far superior. The old stone mansion seen here is a fine setting, but some atmospheric lighting would have done wonders for the story.

The "Sherlock Holmes" movie series resumes with its tenth installment of THE HOUSE OF FEAR (Universal, 1945), produced and directed by Roy William Neil. Being the only film in this franchise to lift a title from unrelated Holmes movie (Universal's own 1939 mystery, "The House of Fear," starring William Gargan), this entry, based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Adventures of the Five Orange Pips," attempts on being different and most stylish from the previous entries, especially when formula tends to mix with that of both Doyle and famed mystery writer, Agatha Christie.

Following the traditional opening titles and theme score introducing "Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes" an "Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson" through the lifting fog as the camera captures their footed shadow images walking slowly down the streets of uncertainty, the voice-over narrative reveals what's about to occur: "The events I'm about to relate began a fortnight ago in a grim old house first high on a cliff on the west coast of Scotland. This singular structure is known as Drearcliff House. Gathered there for dinner were the seven members of the most extraordinary club called the Good Comrades ..." The story opens with the gathering of wealthy middle-aged members headed by its jolly old founder, Bruce Alastair (Aubrey Mather), Ralph King (Richard Alexander); Stanley Rayburn (Cyril Develati); Captain John Simpson (Harry Cording); Guy Davies (Wilson Benge); Doctor Simon Merrivale (Paul Cavanaugh); and Alan Cosgrove (Holmes Herbert). Mrs. Monteigh (Sally Shepherd), the melancholy housekeeper who never smiles, passes out an envelope containing orange pips to Ralph King, a retired barrister. The following night, King is killed as his car plunges over a cliff. As the men drink a toast to their dearly departed member, Mrs. Monteigh passes out another envelope, this time to Stanley Rayburn, a distinguished actor in his day. He, too, meets his doom. Because the club members have made each other beneficiaries to their substantial life insurance policies, Mr. Chalmers (Gavin Muir), an insurance underwriter, comes to famed London detective Sherlock Holmes for assistance. When Holmes learns Doctor Merrivale, a famous surgeon acquitted years ago for murder to be one of the members, he immediately takes the case. Assisted by his colleague, Doctor Watson, the two crime solvers come to Scotland via train, The Flying Scotsman. Upon their arrival, more ghastly murders take place, all preceded by a mysteriously slid under- the-door envelope containing orange pips, indicating a symbol of death. Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey) and assistant Sergeant Bleeker (Leslie Dennison) of Scotland Yard soon enter the scene, not long after Doctor Watson's life is threatened and soon abducted when coming close to solving the mystery himself during his frightful stay in the house, or better yet, castle of fear.

With an abundance of movie mysteries produced at that time, whether individually or part of a continuing series, the best are the ones that succeed even with overly familiar plots. THE HOUSE OF FEAR happens to be one of them. Witnessing club members being killed off one by one as survivors come fear of their lives, suspecting one another, adding to the suspense. Another added treat is the imaginative mid-camera range of subject matters to appear taller than their actual size as well as capturing certain viewpoints through slant camera focus. Aside from well constructed mystery and fine use of witty exchanges between Watson and Lestrade, the plot formulates well-intentioned humor for one noted scene that would do the comedy team of Abbott and Costello proud set during the midnight hours in a cemetery where Watson is shown doing all the work digging up a grave while Holmes sits around to think. As Holmes temporarily steps out of the picture, Watson finds himself conversing and answering questions to the constant sound of "Who?" turning out to be from an observing owl resting on a tree branch above. Notable quote: "No man goes whole to his grave."

For some trivia: THE HOUSE OF FEAR turns out to be a rare instance in the series to not include Mary Gordon in her recurring role as Mrs. Hudson. It's also the second time the full name of Holmes' assistant is indicated, that of Doctor John H. Watson. Harry Cording, usually seen in villainous briefs in other Holmes segments, has a sizable role for a change, while Doris Lloyd (Bessie); David Clyde (MacGregor, the blacksmith); and Alec Craig (Angus) turn up in scene or two. Excluding one brief moment of a plunging car, THE HOUSE OF FEAR could easily pass for Doyle's original intent with story setting being the 1890s rather than the 1940s.

THE HOUSE OF FEAR, distributed to home video and later DVD format, having been broadcast on numerous public television and cable channels, including Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: December 26, 2009), may not show preference as the best in the entire series, but certainly as enjoyable from start to finish as Holmes mysteries go. Next installment: THE WOMAN IN GREEN (1945) which features Holmes' arch enemy, Professor Moriarty. (***)

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in this enjoyable outing from Universal. They're called to an isolated mansion where several older men from a private organization gather and are beginning to get killed off, one by one. The only clue is that, just before each member is due to die, he receives an envelope containing a number of orange seeds ("pips") which mean certain death. Scotland Yard's Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey) enters the scene to lend his services.

THE HOUSE OF FEAR worked very well and held my interest throughout. A very satisfying thing is that the ending (which I will not reveal, of course) made many things come together for me after I had spent some time doubting certain things could have possibly happened the way they did.