Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Collection
In a conversation some months ago, a man said to me that Nigel Bruce's depiction of Dr Watson as a bumbling, blathering idiot, belied the fact that it was (according to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories on which the films were based) Dr Watson who penned the tales of his colleague, Sherlock Holmes.
He had a point, there. Nevertheless, the Sherlock Holmes films featuring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce (most of which were directed by Roy William Neil), remain favourites for many.
Other actors who have played the role of Holmes - Jeremy Brett, and more recently, Robert Downey Jr, aren't bad, but they're not a scratch on Basil Rathbone.
Basil Rathbone is by far the most dashing and sophisticated Sherlock Holmes, capturing his detached, deductive investigative approach with such a commanding presence. Meanwhile, Bruce's Dr Watson provides a little light relief in otherwise creepy settings, such as dark streets, and pea-soup fog, in which mysterious murders are committed.
Rathbone and Bruce made fourteen films together as the detective duo. Not only have they been released as a collection, but they have been digitally remastered and restored, with excellent results.
For fans of these films, this is exciting news. For those who have not known the joy of these engaging and atmospheric tales, this restoration will be a marvellous discovery.