User Reviews

The year is 1926 and the place is a sitting room in London. An elderly gentleman is preparing to dictate a story to a young stenographer, a story which had until recently been kept a top secret by the British government. It concerned a situation which could have led to the excruciating deaths during The Great War of untold thousands of Londoners. Sitting nearby, smoking his pipe and reading the London Times, is the irascible old man who is the subject of the story. The gentleman getting ready to dictate (arthritis makes it difficult to write nowadays) is, of course, Dr. John Watson. His subject is the man he has known and assisted for nearly half a century, Sherlock Holmes.

In 1913 Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) had been long retired. He had spent some time tending his bees in Sussex but eventually returned to 221B Baker Street. There he resumed sharing quarters with his old friend and Boswell, the long-widowed Watson (John Mills). Unexpectedly, he is asked by Scotland Yard Inspector Alan MacDonald (Gordon Jackson) for unofficial assistance on a puzzling case which has stumped the police. A body has been found in the Thames with an excruciating grimace frozen on its face. There is no sign of foul play. Holmes is intrigued and he and Watson go to the morgue to examine the unfortunate man. Before long, another body turns up, another grimace frozen on its face, and this time its throat has been slit. The man was a derelict Holmes had spoken to only hours after he and Watson had left the morgue. Then an even stranger case develops. The Home Secretary himself (Ray Milland) visits 221B Baker Street along with a mysterious foreigner, who almost instantly Holmes identifies as the Graf Udo von Felseck (Anton Differing). von Felseck had been visiting England, along with a young man of high German birth on a secret mission. Now, the young man has been kidnapped from von Felseck's English estate. The Home Secretary pleads with Holmes as a matter of state importance to drop everything and locate the kidnapped victim.

The game is now afoot. In the next few days the elderly Holmes with Watson by his side will don disguises, encounter threats, escape attempts on his life and, completely unexpectedly, meet once more Irene Adler (Anne Baxter). She is one of only four people who ever bested Holmes, and the only woman to do so. He holds her in suspicious respect. At one time, it might even have been something more. Of crucial importance, Holmes uncovers a fiendish plot to cripple Britain should war come.

This TV movie is nostalgic on many levels. It has its faults -- the plot is a bit too complicated, a major character simply disappears with a smile over the shoulder at us, the production at times seems to lumber along. But, if you're fond of Sherlock Holmes and of a good pastiche, if you enjoy Peter Cushing, if you appreciate other aging but skilled actors, you might like The Masks of Death. I did.

Most of us know now that Holmes was born on January 6, 1854 of Siger Holmes and Violet Rutherford. He was 72 when we meet him in 1926 and 59 at the time of this case. The actor who plays him, Peter Cushing, was 69 when this story was finally filmed. John Mills was 76. Cushing looks his age. He is as lean as a stick, with sunken cheeks, thin lips and not an ounce of fat on him. He gives us a Holmes who has aged physically, who uses a walking stick and not just carries it, who becomes impatient quickly and shows it. He still has a brilliant mind and a memory which has not dimmed. Mills gives us a Watson who is spry and brave, who may nearly always be a deduction or two behind his friend and who remains loyal and steadfast. When Holmes turns to Watson after a momentary brusqueness and says, quite sincerely, "You are my only friend, Watson," you know Holmes means it...and that it is true. For another look at how good Cushing can be playing Holmes, check out 1959's The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Will there be any more stories of Holmes in retirement? Probably not unless they are fiction. John Watson in 1887 approached a London literary agent to assist in getting the first account published of his friend's unique methods to uncover malefactors. That agent, a man named Conan Doyle, subsequently saw to it that all of Watson's other accounts were published. But Conan Doyle died in 1930. However, for those who enjoy fiction rather than true cases, much still is available.

All star television presentation brings back the great Peter Cushing returning to the part of Sherlock Holmes as he and Dr. Watson(..played here by John Mills)attempt to solve a baffling mystery concerning three dead bodies with no apparent physical damage that could've caused death. The bodies' faces appear to have a look of fright so Holmes and Watson search the abandoned White Chapel district looking for possible clues, finding a hideous drunken hobo who tells them of demons in the area. Meanwhile, Holmes is visited by England's Home Secretary(Ray Milland)who begs for his assistance in finding a missing German of great importance, a special guest supposedly staying at the rented estate of Graf Udo Von Felseck(Anton Diffring) which could start a war between their two countries(England and Germany)if he isn't found. After uncharacteristic mistakes(..including threats against his life), Holmes uncovers a diabolical plan, which may very well involve Felseck in an attempt to cause the very war the Home Secretary wishes to avoid. Anne Baxter(..in her last film)has a nice role as "the WOMAN", Irene Adler, an American of German descent, who was able to defeat him in the past. She a potential suspect within the curious plot involving Felseck.

I must admit that I was hoping for something more substantial when I purchased this, but seeing Cushing in the role of Holmes once again was thrilling enough. It's also fascinating seeing Cushing, as a much older gentleman, as Sherlock Holmes, both men in the twilight of their careers taking on one last case. The most painful thing about this film was that it seemed to end so soon. I was like, "That's it! Oh, no, don't let it end!" That's how much I loved his performance. As Sherlock Holmes in this particular film(..more interesting than perhaps the case itself)was seeing him as imperfect and flawed. Through making certain mistakes he wouldn't have as a younger man, Holmes does succeed in figuring out the case. Cushing gets to don two disuises, both of which lend a great deal of support to his staying alive and escaping others idenitfying him. And, the identifiable traits are added so that we couldn't forget the details of the character, such as his pipe, violen, and suit/hat. I, like a lot of folks who may've watched this, did wonder how one case(..regarding the trio, soon a fourth victim, who were found dead)correlated with the kidnapping plot, but it all has a connection, of course, revolving around the potential horror of a German-British war, which certain sinister figures probably wanted due to a brilliant plan which could've worked had not the Baker Street Sleuth been involved. Mills lends a great deal of support to Holmes as Watson, a man who would follow his partner anywhere, more than happy to lend a helping hand when necessary. I thought the pair(Cushing and Mills)made a wonderful, endearing duo, two older gents who had been a part of many difficult, life-threatening cases, at it one final time.

The film has Watson publishing Holmes memoirs to a writer narrating the "Masks of Death" case. Superb cast joining Hammer scribe Anthony Hinds and director Roy Ward Baker. Such a collaborative effort from so many recognizable names provides THE MASKS OF DEATH with an allure. Sadly, for me anyway, Milland is only in one scene, begging for Holmes assistance in solving the mystery behind a kidnapping. Anton Diffring, an actor who just never received the respect he deserved, ably fulfills his role as a suspicious character, equipping Felseck with an air of mystery, yet also providing him a degree of sophistication and manners..a polite, yet dubious fellow who is talented enough to skillfully hide his evil intent. Baxter, still quite lovely as her life was nearing an end, plays off of Cushing especially well..she provides Adler with enough debatable qualities that you're never sure what is up her sleeve, or if there's a scheme at all. Adler, thanks to Baxter, has a charm about her, for sure, but there's an uncertainty that she pulls off that adds to the film. I couldn't help but think back to her performance in ALL ABOUT EVE because the character of Eve had such sneaky qualities as well, a certain ability to project a person who may or may not have ulterior motives to benefit her own well being. I think Baxter proves why her Adler was indeed able to out-best Holmes once before. I wanted more of Adler and Felseck, but THE MASKS OF DEATH had a rather flimsy plot which didn't provide much time for all the characters to evolve. Still, it was such fun to see all these actors together even if for such a short amount of time on screen. Somber experience for me knowing that most of the cast have now left us because such talent was certainly appreciated. I would hate to not mention Gordon Jackson as Inspector Alec MacDonald, of Scotland Yard, who comes to the retired Sherlock Holmes, wondering if he'd help solve the case of the three dead men found around White Chapel. 70 or so minutes is just too short, sigh, but alas..