"The Curse of the Hound is on you!" (The Hound Of The Baskervilles [1959] (DVD))

Member Name: Jake Speed

Product:	The Hound Of The Baskervilles [1959] (DVD)
Date:	23/10/09 (109 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good fun, Cushing, Lee

Disadvantages: Takes a few liberties with the book

There have been countless versions of Conan Doyle's timeless The Hound of the Baskervilles made for cinema and television over the years but one of my own personal favourites is this 1959 adaption by Hammer Films - an enjoyably melodramatic and gothic spin on the famous tale starring the great Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes. Holmes purists might find a few elements to nitpick over but the film is wonderfully rich in Hammer residue and great fun on the whole. It begins with an unmistakably 'Hammer-esque' prologue set back in the 1600s where the wicked Sir Hugo Baskerville (David Oxley) kidnaps a local wench for his pleasure and hunts her down ("Let loose the pack!") on the moors when she escapes. At an old abandoned abbey near Baskerville Hall he murders the unfortunate girl but is then almost immediately killed himself by what appears to be a giant spectral hound - thus starting the legend of the Hound of the Baskervilles. Since then every male Baskerville heir has died in strange circumstances when venturing too close to the moors alone, an apparent victim of an ancient curse on the family.

When the latest heir to Baskerville dies in creepy circumstances at the remains of the abbey, family friend Dr Mortimer (Francis De Wolff) travels to London to consult the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) and his assistant Dr Watson (Andre Morell) and asks them to examine this very spooky and troubling mystery. "Do you imagine that I can prevent the Powers of Darkness?" says Cushing in his delightfully urbane voice as Holmes. Holmes duly agrees to look into matters but has urgent business to attend to elsewhere for the time being and places Watson in charge of the case, requesting that he goes to stay at Baskerville Hall to keep an eye on the new owner, Sir Henry (Christopher Lee).

Hammer do a fine job with Conan Doyle's most famous story and reel you in right from the start with the atmospheric prologue which broadens the film out a little and gives it a more cinematic gloss. Once back in the present day and inside the cosy firelit rooms of 10 Baker Street, it is apparent fairly quickly that Peter Cushing makes a wonderful Sherlock Holmes. He's energetic, eccentric, brilliant, kind, aloof and always great fun to be with as he pits his considerable intellect against the mystery of the Baskerville curse. Cushing doesn't have the rangy physical presence of Basil Rathbone or the angst of Jeremy Brett but he gives a very commanding performance nonetheless that makes you wish Hammer had tackled a few more Holmes adventures with him. "Superficial," dismisses Holmes after a brilliant piece of deduction on his part. "There is nothing remarkable about using one's eyes." Another big plus is Andre Morell as Watson. The Basil Rathbone films, as enjoyable as they are, tended to use Watson for comic relief and depicted him as a buffoonish old dodderer. Morell plays it straight and his brave and decent Watson - who lest we forget is supposed to be a former military man - is much closer to the Watson of the books.

Hammer play slightly fast and loose with the novel at times, adding a few distinct theatrical horror caper elements such as the mist shrouded prologue, a missing tarantula and sacrificial rites. They do an excellent job though in terms of atmosphere and this is a wonderful film to watch late at night with the large, creaky antique rooms of Baskerville Hall casting long shadows and strange lights on the damp, foggy moors at night. One thing that can become a problem with this oft-adapted tale is of course the fact that Holmes is offscreen for the middle portion of the story. Here though, Morell manages to carry the picture along fairly well as Watson settles into Baskerville Hall and meets the various local characters who may or may not be red herrings. The cast is enjoyable on the whole with Miles Malleson hamming it up as the eccentric and forgetful Bishop Frankland ("Bishop of the Upper Isles... for what they're worth") and Ewen Solon as neighbour Stapleton with Marla Landi as his exotic daughter Cecile. The film also plays up the class distinctions of the era more than other interpretations. "When you're poor, no one wants to know you," laments a key character.

The middle section of the film is pleasantly mysterious with Hammer deploying their vast experience in creating spooky landscapes and sets with dim lights coming from isolated old houses. The escaped convict on the moor strand to the story is nicely done here too and the film has some great moments when Watson detects strange flickerings outside in the dead of night. Once Cushing re-enters the film though it really picks up the pace and builds to an entertaining final act. Although the film isn't completely faithful to the book, Cushing himself has obviously gone to great lengths to delve into the literary roots of the character and his Holmes is admirably enigmatic at times, always two or three steps ahead of everybody else but keeping his cards close to his chest. By the end of the film you are convinced that this is a brilliant man and that Cushing IS Sherlock Holmes. One thing I really like about Cushing's Holmes is that he's very energetic, almost athletic, as he rushes around the desolate countryside from ruined buildings to abandoned mines, eager to corroborate his theories and suspicions. I don't think Conan Doyle's Holmes ever actually said "elementary, my dear Watson" but it's absolutely fantastic when Cushing says it here just for the crisp and polished way he pronounces the word "elementary". Cushing's palpable enthusiasm is infectious and gives the film a big boost.

Christopher Lee is also excellent in the film as Sir Henry. Lee was apparently tiring of playing the same roles all the time and seems to enjoy himself as a more vulnerable and slightly timid character up to his neck in a mystery he doesn't understand. He affects great terror in a memorable scene involving in a tarantula. It's always a great pleasure to be in the company of actors like Lee and Cushing for 90 minutes or so and consequently The Hound of the Baskervilles is highly enjoyable. The film has a wonderful closing image of Holmes and Watson together with a final line that never fails to make me smile.

Hammer's spin on The Hound of the Baskervilles is great fun on the whole with two of my favourite actors of all time and a wonderful atmosphere. Well worth a look if you've never seen it before.

Summary: Peter Cushing is Sherlock Holmes