August Review: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)

Sherlock Holmes may just be one of the most recognizable, and adapted, characters in all of literary history. From Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories to radio plays and BBC's disastrous 2000's Tumblr nightmare, Holmes has long captured the imaginations of sleuths a world over, including this reviewer! With so many iterations, it can be difficult to pin down the quintessential Sherlock Holmes, but few make as strong a case as Basil Rathbone across films including today's review, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939).

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) follows the plot of the story of the same name, with a few relatively minor changes and additions. Like all Holmes stories, we're lead through this twisted web of whodunit by the detective himself, and like all Holmes stories, this leads to the eventual "a ha" moment when he finally lets the audience in on his internal machinations. Film, unlike the written or spoken word, presents an interesting series of problems for mysteries that depend on getting in the mind of the detective, as we cannot see inside Holme's brain. In the case of Sherlock Holmes however, the inclusion of his faithful friend Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), compensates for this by forcing the detective to explain his reasoning, or at the very least act upon his though processes. As a result, this is a fairly faithful retelling of the original story with not much lost in the change of medium. As a nice side effect, the black and white gothic style of the scenery and cinematography helps add to the spooky atmosphere that perhaps no Holmes story is better suited for than The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939).

While the story is best described as "relatively faithful," what makes The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) so memorable is instead it's lead. Arguably one of the most iconic and recognizable performances of Sherlock Holmes, so popular it's been parodied in films like The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Basil Rathbone's take on the character is utterly classic. With expressions of curiosity and a smile that practically screams, "I know more than you," he creates a charismatic yet unapproachable genius straight off the page. Rathbone may be solving mysteries galore on screen, but it doesn't take a detective to understand why he is widely regarded as one of the best to ever don the deerstalker cap. He's joined by a strong if not quite as memorable cast, though this is not to discount the classic performance of Dr. John Watson by Nigel Bruce.

Overall, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) is best described as classic. It isn't playing much with the source material, but it clearly loves and understands the type of story it want to portray. Pair that with an excellent lead, a creepy atmosphere, and a few twists and turns, and you've got a recipe for a perfect autumn evening in. Or maybe a movie safe for your high school english class. Either way, for fans of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) is no mystery.

8 out of 10 Additional Séances