Inspired by this month’s Basil Rathbone movie marathon held on October 5 by TCM, I thought it would be fun to discuss one of the the most classic characters Rathbone would take on in his career, Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes has been portrayed by many actors over the last century, so it takes a lot to really stand out above the crowd. Basil Rathbone certainly wasn’t the first – there were Sherlocks as far back as the 30-second short silent film Sherlock Holmes Baffled, from 1900, as well as the much longer short film series released by Stoll Pictures in the early 1920s. However, I feel that it is relatively safe to say that Rathbone’s Holmes might be the earliest that has been retained in the larger public consciousness, as it is one of the earliest series with sound, as well as the longest full-length feature movie series to date, with 14 entries.
Unfortunately, not all of these movies were of equal quality – in particular, I’d say that the two first released, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (both released in 1939) were the strongest – in my personal opinion. This is likely due to the differing production companies – 20th Century Fox released these two, while the rest were wartime (or shortly post-war) movies by Universal Pictures, often featuring a modern (well, modern at the time) Sherlock fighting Nazis. While the later films have their own charms, they suffered a bit from the modernization – too modernized to be true to the classic tales, too antiquated to be as accessible today.
I specifically re-watched The Hound of the Baskervilles for this article, and the only complaint I have is one also found in other adaptations and even the original material – there just isn’t enough Holmes. Holmes sends Watson off to Baskerville Hall early in the story, and only reappears toward the end of the work, leaving a largely Holmes-shaped hole in the middle of the work. It’s a good thing that Nigel Bruce plays such a good Watson, as he is required to handle a lot more of the heavy lifting in this particular tale than most – more on Bruce’s Watson later.
While I particularly enjoy the earlier two works in the series, if you watch those and want more, the next movie I would really recommend is The Scarlet Claw. Though not credited as being based on any specific Doyle story, it still somehow gives the strongest impression of being a Doyle-inspired piece. The ones I would least recommend are Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror,Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, and Sherlock Holmes in Washington. Sherlock Holmes hunting Nazis isn’t as entertaining as the concept may sound, and these early Universal movies in the series all feel a bit more rushed and cheaper to me than the Fox movies or the later Universal entries.
Regardless of which movie you watch, Basil Rathbone is of course excellent as Holmes, who he helps to largely define in film even today. Rathbone-as-Holmes displays the right degree of intellectual confidence leaning into arrogance, perfectly bringing the character of the eccentric investigator to the big screen. Clinically logical, bordering on cold, he’s just off-putting enough to truly bring the role to life.
But in many ways, his co-star, Nigel Bruce, playing Watson, is even more defining for the role. If anything, Bruce is perhaps a bit too perfect – he exemplifies a bumbling Watson, and as such has likely been the primary influence for the character in the many, many other adaptations that have been made since. This is definitely a necessary role, as it gives Holmes a ready target to describe the many masterful intellectual leaps that were required to reach the correct conclusions from minute observations. However, it does a bit of disservice to the original character of Watson, who is described as a classic Victorian gentleman by Doyle, an intelligent and athletic man in his own rights — if always outshone by the brilliant Holmes.
For fans of Rathbone’s Sherlock and Bruce’s Watson, it’s also worth noting that there’s more Holmes material out there starring them than the movies – they also starred together in a radio show with over 200 episodes from 1939 to 1947. Many of these, particularly the later episodes, can actually be found online on sites like YouTube.
(Note that if you do decide to pick up these movies, I would recommend The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection, which includes all the movies for a much lower price. Even if you don’t want most of the Universal pictures, you’re still probably getting the best value for money there rather than buying the movies one at a time.)
MerrileeFB says
Thank you for the background information. No matter who plays him, I have always thought Basil Rathbone was the most “Sherlock Holmes-like” actor/characterization to me. I enjoy the others, I just think Basil is the closest to the “real” Sherlock. Quite agree with your ideas about the Nazi-hunting themed movies. I certainly appreciate the other details you provided.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Merrilee, you’re welcome! I certainly agree that Basil Rathbone captures the essence of Holmes in a way many actors don’t.
Lydia M says
I really enjoy these films, too. Basil is still one of my favorite Holmes. I agree that the first two films set in the classic time of Holmes were the best. I think my top favorite is The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, with Hound of the Baskervilles being number 2.
But I have to say that the more “modern” day ones that followed had some good stories and both Rathbone and Bruce were a great combination.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lydia, Rathbone is very close to the top of my lists of Sherlock as well.
Mrs. Ainee C. Beland says
Lovely to know; I enjoyed reading some decades ago, The Hound of Baskerville; it is similar to that Madame Defarge who knitted during the time of the guillotine as they were taken out to be put to death…; I feel that the ladies or some lady in the Hound of Baskerville was similar to Madame or not. Thank you for sharing.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ainee, you’re very welcome!
Becky Tatar says
I think Rathbone was the best Holmes, my only problem with the movies is that they changed the time period.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Becky, it does seem an odd choice considering how good the first two “period pieces” were – but my understanding is that not having to worry as much about costumes and setting for the time period must have cut down the price of production a lot.
Moira Shepard says
I agree, Basil Rathbone was certainly a definitive Holmes. It’s nice to see Nigel Bruce get some love as Watson, too. They made a great team. I love their radio series, too, since its many episodes give us more of this dynamic duo’s wonderful banter and byplay.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Moira, every attempt at Sherlock Holmes definitely either thrive or fail based on the interaction between Holmes and Watson – Watson is just so integral to the stories that it’s impossible to imagine a first-rate Sherlock without a first-rate Holmes.
Sharon in MD says
Danna, what a great blog about Basil Rathbone and Sherlock Holmes. I haven’t read a Holmes novel or watched one of the movies in so long. I ordered The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection from my public library. So happy they had it. I miss not having TCM. My cable company, Comcast, removed it from the lineup some years ago.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Sharon, it’s always a shame when TCM gets removed from a cable package – it really hurts to lose access to so many great vintage and classic movies.
Carmelita says
I have the entire collection. My boys were raised on Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. My youngest boy is now a cop with superb deductive reasoning skills. I know every word of every film in the collection.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carmelita, it’s definitely a series that’s worth visiting over and over again!
Blondie says
The Secret Weapon is one of my favorites. Curious why The Hound of the Baskervilles is rarely shown on TCM and other dish channels when they run Rathbone/Bruce Holmes marathons? Love Watson.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Blondie, I’m not sure if this is the reason, but because the first two movies were produced by another movie studio, the rights might not be owned by the same people.
Beth Workman says
I always thought that Jeremy Brett was a fantastic Sherlock Holmes and the actors that played Watson were a little closer to the book’s description. Don’t get me wrong, Rathbone was a great Holmes and looked so much like Vincent starett’s depiction.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Beth, I have to admit, Brett is also my personal Holmes favorite – but Rathbone is also very good.