Sherlock Holmes Faces Death

Starring:Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Dennis Hoey, Arthur Margetson, Hillary Brooke, Halliwell Hobbes, Minna Phillips, Milburn Stone, Gavin Muir, Gerald Hamer, Vernon Downing, Olaf Hytten, Frederick Worlock, Mary Gordon, Heather Wilde, Peter Lawford, Eric Snowden, Martin Ashe, Charles Coleman, Norma Varden
Director: Roy William Neill
Studio: Mpi Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH
Digitally Restored in 35mm

The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm to original condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This newly restored version of the classic film includes the period war bond tag, studio logo and credits from its original theatrical release. Filled with ominous shadows and interesting camera angles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning.

SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH (1943) is an intriguing mystery based upon Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Musgrave Ritual." Dr. Watson, tending recuperating soldiers housed at centuries-old Musgrave Manor, summons Sherlock Holmes to investigate strange happenings. What follows is a bizarre series of events, including murders, secret passages, a game of chess and a mysterious family ritual.

Description

SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH
Digitally Restored in 35mm

Customer Reviews:

High quality DVD.......2006-11-10

I am a Sherlock Holmes fan, and am pleased to see his adventures so clearly reproduced on the DVDs I have purchased. His cases are timeless and the quality of the DVD makes them so much more enjoyable to view.

"These Egomaniacs Are Always So Much More Chatty When They Feel They Have The Upper Hand" -- S. Holmes.......2006-07-22

The ever-appealing acting pair of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce teamed up once again for "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death", which premiered on U.S. theater screens on September 17th, 1943.

"Faces Death" marked the sixth Holmes entry in the Rathbone/Bruce series of fourteen black-and-white films featuring the famed fictional detective from London's 221B Baker Street (and this was the third Sherlock pic they made together in what was a busy calendar year of 1943, following their earlier '43 efforts, "The Secret Weapon" and "Sherlock Holmes In Washington").

"Faces Death" is one of my overall favorites amongst the 14 Basil Rathbone-as-Holmes movies, and it's a nice rebound effort for Universal right after a bit of a misfire with the "In Washington" Holmes entry.

Holmes and Dr. Watson (Bruce) investigate a series of bizarre goings-on (including murder) in "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death". These strange occurrences take place at the old and creepy "Musgrave Manor", which is a large, foreboding mansion that comes complete with secret passages and a checkered floor which comes in handy when playing a game of chess (utilizing human beings as chess "pieces").

The puzzling "Musgrave Ritual" is another of the things that makes this movie a lot of fun. But, luckily, it's not enough of a puzzler to keep Sherlock H. from figuring out its cryptic meaning. .....

"Who came then to slay him?
The bloodthirsty bishop.
Where shall he go?
Deep down below.
Away from the thunder.
Let him dig under."

Dennis Hoey shows up in this Holmes installment, too (as the always-inept "Inspector Lestrade"). Other co-stars include Hillary Brooke, Milburn Stone, Gerald Hamer, Frederick Worlock, Halliwell Hobbes, and Vernon Downing.

Downing is my favorite Musgrave Manor "patient" in this film. He plays "Lieutenant Clavering", a very odd-acting fellow who flinches and twitches a lot, enjoys "American cigarettes", and likes to eavesdrop on people by listening to conversations through the Manor's walls with his "sound detector" (which, actually, is a device that aids Mr. Holmes greatly in solving the case near the end of the picture).

Also watch out for a very young (19-year-old) Peter Lawford. He has a small bit part as a sailor at the beginning of the film. And Peter gets in a good thick-accented "Blimey!" too. ~grin~

"Faces Death" and "The House Of Fear" are two Holmes films that are very similar. Which is probably why they are two of my favorite titles in this 14-movie Holmes series. Both of those films feature eerie old houses, dark scenery, stormy nights, various murders, and a host of assorted strange characters (i.e., "suspects") roaming the hallways of these respective mysterious dwellings.

But with Basil and Nigel on the scene, can there be any doubt that the culprit(s) will be brought to justice? Nah. Not a shred of a doubt.

MPI Home Video released "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death" as a stand-alone DVD on October 28, 2003. On that same date, MPI also released a multi-movie "Sherlock Holmes Collection" (Volume 1), which includes "Faces Death" plus three other Sherlock titles.

The individual-disc version of "Faces Death" comes in a Keepcase box with a two-sided, one-sheet insert enclosed. A chapter list occupies one side of the insert (there are 12 total chapter breaks).

The video and audio look and sound pretty darn good for a film from this (1940s) era. Video is in the OAR of 1.33:1 (Full Frame); with a Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono soundtrack.

English Subtitles are available on this disc. The subtitles, though, lag a little behind the spoken words on screen; but it's a minimal delay. However, I have spotted a few blatant errors in the text of the subtitling that's been done for these MPI Sherlock Holmes DVDs (including this disc, plus some of the other DVDs in this Holmes series). On occasion, the printed words don't match the spoken dialogue at all. And sometimes the mis-match is quite (unintentionally) humorous. :)

DVD bonus features -- None.

Here's the DVD "Scene Selection" list for this 68-minute movie:

1.) Opening Titles
2.) Musgrave Manor
3.) Doctor In The House
4.) "A Killer Loose!"
5.) Extraordinary Patients
6.) "That Appalling Man From Scotland Yard"
7.) The Musgrave Ritual
8.) The Rat And The Raven
9.) The Butler Did It?
10.) The Ritual Solved
11.) Checkmate
12.) End Credits

-------------------

Invite Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce back into your living room for about an hour by way of this DVD, and watch Sherlock Holmes face death in ... um ... "SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH".

And if you ever play a game of 'Human Chess' with Mr. Holmes, just make sure you don't have a secret burial crypt underneath your 'chess board' that you want to keep hidden. Because that Sherlock guy is one smart cookie. :)

Favorite........2005-12-05

This is my favorite Sherlock Holmes movie. It features a gloomy old English mansion, an ancient riddle, a locked shadowy crypt, lots of thunder and lightning, a puzzling series of murders, and plenty of suspects to keep you guessing. It also has Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. What more could you ask for-a perfect movie to watch on a dark and stormy night!

Doesn't he face death in every movie?.......2004-11-01

SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH was the movie in which Universal abandoned the idea of making Holmes a WWII spy-catcher and delivered him in a more traditional story of mystery, riddles and puzzles (albeit still set in the then-present day). Although I enjoyed watching the previous three movies, it is nice to see the characters of Holmes and Watson going back to their roots.

Based loosely upon Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Musgrave Ritual", the story is concerned with mysteries rather than war. Here, Watson is a genuine doctor with a practice of his own rather than merely a sidekick to the Great Detective. Holmes is the private detective worried about ancient secrets and unsolved mysteries. FACES DEATH itself is, I feel, more concerned with style than substance. The plot is no great piece of literature, but the presentation has good features.

There's a dark, gothic flavor to the film, which adds to its atmosphere, even if it doesn't quite fit together logically. A clock that chimes thirteen times, secret passages, a convenient lightning strike, etc. These things are all creepy, even if not all of them end up with rational explanations.

I watched this movie twice. Once normally, and the second time with commentary track that's available if you buy this as part of the 4-pack collection. I think it works a lot better if you allow yourself to be absorbed by the stylistic moments rather then looking too closely at the plot. Some parts of the story are obscure while others seem obvious. That said, there are a few good scenes of genuine detective work.

There are some funny moments in the film -- some unintentional. A patient asks Watson if he happens to have any cigarettes on him. Watson replies in the affirmative and drops a giant box of the cancer sticks onto the table. Try to find a doctor who will do that nowadays! But the deliberately funny scenes work too. Comic relief is provided by both Watson and Inspector Lestrade (the latter seems a bit dimmer than usual).

All of the films in the Rathbone/Bruce Holmes series have a certain mood to them, and if you like that flavor, then watching almost any of the movies will provide that fix. But SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH (generic title and all) is an above average entry and contains everything that makes this such an enjoyable series.

Not a Nazi in sight in splendid Holmes mystery.......2004-03-17

After three films in which Sherlock Holmes battled the Nazis, even Universal must have grown tired of their gimmicky attempt to "modernize" the Great Detective. With "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death," Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are back on more familiar turf and solve a mystery having absolutely no connection to World War II.

For the first time in the series, a film doesn't merely credit a story by Arthur Conan Doyle, screenwriter Bertram Millhauser actually makes use of one, "The Musgrave Ritual," a traditional murder mystery involving an old family curse. The story gives director Roy William Neill plenty of opportunities to pour on the atmosphere that is the series' best attribute, aside from stars Rathbone and Bruce, of course.

With this entry, the series greatly improved, and greater adventures were still to come for the famous detective from Baker Street.

Description

Contains four classic feature films:
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR (1942) - When taunting saboteurs warn of a Nazi invasion of the British Isles through a horrific radio menace, the British Intelligence's Inner Council calls in Sherlock Holmes to help in the crisis.

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (1942) - The great detective must stop the Nazis from getting their hands on a new bombsight, wrapped in a code of dancing men.

SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (1943) - Top-secret documents are missing and a British secret service agent is dead. Holmes and Watson go to Washington to recover the documents before they fall into the wrong hands.

SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH (1943) - Holmes and Watson are summoned to Musgrave Manor to investigate a murder. Holmes solves a complicated puzzle of an ancient family ritual to expose the murderer.

BONUS MATERIAL
Commentary from renowned British author David Stuart Davies
Photo Gallery
Original Movie Posters

Customer Reviews:

5 stars for content BUT..........2007-03-14

$62.99?!?!?!

I got Dressed To Kill, Terror By Night, The Secret Weapon and The Woman In Green in a two-DVD box set at Ross (of all places!) for under $10.00! And (naturally) no shipping!

Sherlock Holmes Collection Vol. 1.......2006-03-15

Exactly what I was hoping for in old movie DVD's. Perfectly restored and just what I was looking for in movies to watch. This is a perfect mix of Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes Collection Vol. 1.......2006-03-04

This is a wonderful collection of the best of the Sherlock Holmes movies, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. There have been many actors cast in the roles of Homes and Watson, but Rathbone and Bruce are by far the best. These films are all updated to the 40's, when Britain was at war with Hitler, but they still are very intertaining. "The Voice of Terror," "The Secret Weapon," and "Holmes in Washington" all are concerned with Nazi spies and the war, and were obviously made as a moral booster for the wartime audiences. They are excellent examples of how to make movies that will entertain for many, many years and not just for the weekend boxoffice grab, the way most films are done today.

Classic.......2006-02-25

If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan than this set is for you. I'm going to buy all of the sets.

excellent, but a rip off.......2006-02-06

excellent dvd's, marvellous restauration, but you americans are getting ripped off like crazy here: this complete collection of 16 restaured films cost more than 200 dollars in the USA while the SAME collection with exactly the same extra's and the same restauration from the same company can be purchased, with a rather more appealing slip cover I'd say, in the UK for as little as 25 pounds(about 37 dollars) or at amazon uk for 34 pounds(about 51 dollars)... if that isn't a reason to buy a regionfree dvd player I don't know what is....don't let those money hungry purveyors of the seperate dvd regions get their way!!!

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