Watch The Hound of the Baskervilles For Free

Best movie ever!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

When an actor is so inextricably associated with the role of Sherlock Holmes, as Basil Rathbone most surely is, it comes as something of a surprise to see him take only second billing in this, his first outing as Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle's master detective. That Richard Greene, in the role of Sir Henry Baskerville, is considered the star is indicative that either Rathbone wasn't yet considered a bankable enough name or, perhaps more likely, 20th Century Fox were very much looking at this project as a one-off rather than the first in a potential series.'Hound' may well be the best known Sherlock Holmes story, but in having the Baker Street sleuth absent for a considerable chunk of the narrative it is perhaps not the character's best outing so in that sense perhaps it is only right that Rathbone takes second place. Make no mistake, however, it is he who steals the show.There are many other screen versions of this famous story, however it is very difficult to find a better one than this. From start to finish it maintains a steady pace, and absorbs the viewer with not only an intriguing mystery but also a pervading atmosphere of foreboding menace. There are so many great cast members in this piece, such as Nigel De Brullier, John Carradine, Eily Malyon and especially Lionel Atwill as Dr Mortimer, whose mere faces are compelling to watch when photographed and lit so effectively.It cannot be easy to recreate Dartmoor within the confines of a soundstage and yet the sets and model work are utterly convincing, not to mention gloriously atmospheric. Even when it comes to one of the most difficult aspects of the story to achieve on screen, the hound itself, this film succeeds and the beast comes across as wholly real and savage, unleashing what appears to be a truly devastating attack on its victim without any sign of a close-up showing a fake paw being dragged across an actor's face.In transferring the novel to screen, some minor tinkering has been made to the story in order to keep it tight and make it more suitable for this medium. Characters such as Dr Mortimer and Barryman (Barrymore in the novel) are given a greater air of menace. The character of Laura Lyons is removed altogether whilst others are added such as the neighbour Frankland, a morose man who speaks his mind. Certain scenes are new additions, such as a séance and a glimpse of the inquest into Sir Charles Baskerville's death. The dog is not covered with phosphorescence. The most crucial change, perhaps, is that Beryl Stapleton really is John Stapleton's sister in this version and that she is oblivious as to the plot against Sir Henry. All of which is very well, but it does then leave open the question of who sent the anonymous warning letter to him at the outset.Rathbone and Bruce nail their roles of Holmes and Watson immediately and already show a great chemistry in their scenes together. There has been much debate over the years about Nigel Bruce portraying Watson as a buffoon but there is little evidence of it here, other than lapses which are present in the original novel. On the whole Watson is brave, courteous and intelligent. A mention also for Mary Gordon, making her debut as Holmes' housekeeper Mrs Hudson, a role she would retain when the series switched to the Universal film studios.There are a few minor faults, such as not quite seeing the villain of the piece get his final comeuppance (it happens off screen) but overall this remains a wonderfully watchable film version of a famous Sherlock Holmes adventure and a masterful demonstration into achieving subtle menace on the screen at almost every turn.

This 1939 adaptation of the novel "The Hound of the Baskervilles," is the perfect opening film for the definitive Sherlock Holmes - Basil Rathbone. We could debate until doomsday who is the best incarnation of the Baker Street sleuth. I do enjoy the efforts of Jeremy Brett, Peter Cushing, Douglas Wilmer and Robert Stephens in particular but Basil Rathbone is still my favourite. He immediately made the character his own with "The Hound of the Baskervilles." It helps this film that the time and budget were a good deal better than those of the 1940s films from "Universal" studios. Nigel Bruce isn't everyone's favourite Watson and it is true that a few liberties were taken by the scriptwriters. However, Bruce makes for a likable and loyal Watson. It should be noted that quite a few details from the original novel had to be excluded from the film. The rather short running time made this clear. The acting and the direction are brilliant and the whole film has the right look for something that is based in the late 19th century. This was one of several out of the 14 Basil Rathbone Holmes movies that came out on video in the early 1990s. It was about 1984 when I saw some clips of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" from a T.V recording. I enjoyed what I watched. The pace is good and the eerie effects of the Devon Moors serve their purpose very well.

"The Hound of the Baskervilles", arguably the most famous of all of Sherlock Holmes' cases, was filmed in 1939 - not for the first time, of course (there had already been at least five tries, most notably in 1932 with Robert Rendel), but probably in the most impressive way possible. And it was the first time that Basil Rathbone portrayed the world-famous sleuth from Baker Street - the beginning of a very successful, and very high-class film serial produced by 20th Century-Fox that would comprise all in all 15 movies over the next eight years.And Rathbone certainly was an ideal choice for the role, both physically and regarding his (on-screen) image: very British, and slightly haughty, but still with a sense of humor - only most of the time at the expense of his friend and assistant, amiable Dr. Watson, who was wonderfully played by Nigel Bruce. In fact, many Sherlock Holmes fans regard Rathbone as THE personification of Holmes (only we mustn't forget Arthur Wontner, who had also played Holmes in five movies, and was at LEAST as close to Conan Doyle's original character, if not even a little bit more...).Actually, the whole cast is superb: idyllically handsome young Richard Greene as Sir Henry Baskerville, the heir of the huge estate of the Baskervilles, whose father has died under mysterious circumstances in the moor recently, Lionel Atwill as the strange Dr. Mortimer, Wendy Barrie as beautiful Beryl, Morton Lowry as her young step-brother... And no less superb is the direction: foggy Dartmoor probably had never been photographed in such a uniquely creepy way before, providing a perfect background for the murderous ongoings that revolve around the old legend of a horrible hound that scares or bites people to death... But Sherlock Holmes, of course, has got another, much more reasonable theory! The whole film is immensely suspenseful (with England around 1900 being marvelously recreated in every detail), but especially the dramatic climax in the end is REALLY made for strong nerves - a real, thrilling, classic MUST for every fan of the crime genre!

Sidney Lanfield directed this film adaptation of the classic Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel that stars Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Doctor John Watson. Here, the plot involves a murder plot being planned against the heir(played by Richard Greene) of the Baskerville estate, an American hoping to come into his inheritance, but someone else has plans to usurp his title, involving a local legend about a huge hound that has cursed the family for generations. Is the supernatural at work, or is it of human origin? Good cast, especially Basil Rathbone, though muddled story and lack of a music score hurt it. The novel was much superior, but this version is acceptable.