The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
Directed by Terence Fisher

Crime / Drama / Horror / Thriller

Film Review

Abstract picture representing The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
After their successful pairing in Hammer's 1958 production of Dracula, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are reunited in this enjoyable Gothic-style adaptation of Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, the only Sherlock Holmes film which Hammer made, although others were planned.  Cushing is as good in the role of the deerstalker-wearing sleuth as he was as the vampire hunter Van Helsing, and his portrayal of Holmes as a cold man of intellect is somewhat closer to Conan Doyle's creation than Basil Rathbone's earlier film interpretation.  Cushing would reprise the role in a popular BBC television series in 1968, partnered with Nigel Stock as Dr Watson.  Christopher Lee would also get to play the famous detective in a Franco-German film, Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962) which, incidentally, was co-directed by Terence Fisher, the Hammer stalwart who directed this film.  Here the part of Dr Watson is capably played by André Morell, who had just starred as Professor Quatermass in the now legendary BBC TV series, Quatermass and the Pit.

Not surprisingly, given that Hammer's forte was horror not detective fiction, this version of The Hound of the Baskervilles puts much greater emphasis on the horror rather than the mystery elements of the story.  Although the horror content is pretty mild, even for a Hammer film of this period, the atmospheric sets and photography succeed in imbuing a spine-tingling sense of menace that suggests supernatural forces are at large.  The one horror scene that does leave a lasting impression is the one in which Christopher Lee is menaced by a tarantula; what makes this so frightening is the sheer terror the actor manages to convey, a touch of realism which is pretty rare for Hammer.  The film isn't flawless (many of the deviations from the original story are unnecessary and merely muddle the plot) but, thanks mainly to the fine performances and some unexpected humour, it offers an entertaining and original take on a familiar story.
© James Travers 2009
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Terence Fisher film:
The Mummy (1959)

Film Synopsis

When Sir Charles Baskerville dies in mysterious circumstances one evening, his friend Dr Mortimer is convinced that he is the latest victim of an old family curse.  Ever since Sir Hugo Baskerville murdered a young woman, some centuries ago, the Baskervilles have been haunted by a hound from Hell.   Concerned that Sir Charles' heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, is to be the hound's next victim, Dr Mortimer consults the world famous detective Sherlock Holmes.  The case intrigues Holmes, but he is convinced that Sir Charles' death was the result of natural, not supernatural causes.  He instructs his colleague Dr Watson to travel down to Baskerville Hall in Devon and keep a watchful eye on his new client.  It soon becomes clear that someone intends to kill Sir Henry, but who, and for what reason...?
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.


Film Credits

  • Director: Terence Fisher
  • Script: Arthur Conan Doyle (novel), Peter Bryan
  • Cinematographer: Jack Asher
  • Music: James Bernard
  • Cast: Peter Cushing (Sherlock Holmes), André Morell (Doctor Watson), Christopher Lee (Sir Henry), Marla Landi (Cecile Stapleton), David Oxley (Sir Hugo Baskerville), Francis De Wolff (Doctor Richard Mortimer), Miles Malleson (Bishop Frankland), Ewen Solon (Stapleton), John Le Mesurier (Barrymore), Helen Goss (Mrs. Barrymore), Sam Kydd (Perkins), Michael Hawkins (Lord Caphill), Judi Moyens (Servant Girl), Michael Mulcaster (Selden - Convict), David Birks (Servant), Elizabeth Gott (Mrs. Goodlippe), Ian Hewitson (Lord Kingsblood)
  • Country: UK
  • Language: English / Spanish
  • Support: Color
  • Runtime: 87 min

The very best American film comedies
sb-img-18
American film comedy had its heyday in the 1920s and '30s, but it remains an important genre and has given American cinema some of its enduring classics.
The best French Films of the 1920s
sb-img-3
In the 1920s French cinema was at its most varied and stylish - witness the achievements of Abel Gance, Marcel L'Herbier, Jean Epstein and Jacques Feyder.
The Carry On films, from the heyday of British film comedy
sb-img-17
Looking for a deeper insight into the most popular series of British film comedies? Visit our page and we'll give you one.
The very best of Italian cinema
sb-img-23
Fellini, Visconti, Antonioni, De Sica, Pasolini... who can resist the intoxicating charm of Italian cinema?
Continental Films, quality cinema under the Nazi Occupation
sb-img-5
At the time of the Nazi Occupation of France during WWII, the German-run company Continental produced some of the finest films made in France in the 1940s.
 

Other things to look at


Copyright © filmsdefrance.com 1998-2024
All rights reserved



All content on this page is protected by copyright