Taking a look around a DVD sellers page,I was surprised to discover that he had recently tracked down a German version of Sherlock Holmes,which was one of only 2 films found in Hitler's bunker!,that led to me getting ready to meet the hounds of the Baskervilles.
The plot:
Finding out that his wife has been having an affair,Lord Baskerville kills the man that his wife has been going with.As he murders the man,a Baskerville runs across the hall and brutally kills his wife,which leads to a curse being put on the mansion,where the dogs and blood-curdling screams of the women can be heard across the moors.
200 years later:
On the same night that a man escapes from prison, Lord Charles Baskerville notices a strange figure standing in the moors.Pushing aside the loud howls that could be heard outside,Charles goes to investigate.As the howls from outside grow louder,the mansion staff go to investigate,and are shocked to discover that Charles has died from a sudden heart attack.
Attending the reading of the will,Charles family and his staff are caught by complete surprise,when the will reveals that Charles has left everything to an unknown cousin: Lord Henry Baskerville. As he tries to settle in at a hotel,Henry receives a mysterious letter,which says that if he wants to stay alive,then he must give the family mansion away.Suspecting that there may be a human face behind the infamous "Baskerville hounds" detectives Sherlock Holmes & John Watson are hired to finally put a stop to the howling hounds.
View on the film:
Withholding Holmes and Watson for the first 30 minutes,director Carl Lamac and cinematographer Willy Winterstein build a chilling Gothic Noir atmosphere brick by brick,with the Baskerville mansion being surrounded by decaying tress and merciless moors,which close the mansion off from the outside world.Along with the haunting backdrop,Lamac covers the mansion in stark shadows,which along with allowing for the Supernatural Horror mood to light up,also reveals the doubt that Holmes and Watson have over Baskerville and the other residences of the household keeping things hidden in the dark corners of the mansion.
Although the ending ties things up far too quickly, Carla von Stackelberg's adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle book superbly mixes intelligently written police protocol with restrained Horror barks and chilling Film Noir loners.Keeping the Baskerville family at the front of the title, Stackelberg hangs the supernatural myth over the household,as Henry Baskerville (played by an amazing,unsteady Peter Voß) finds himself suffering with a deep sense of mistrust,which femme fatale Beryl Vendeleure (played by an alluring Alice Brandt) subtly takes advantage of.Gaining a reputation over the following decades of being a bumbling fool, Stackelberg pulls Watson back to his roots,thanks to Watson showing a real zest for spotting the smallest clue,and also perfectly complimenting the quick-witted aspects of Holmes.
For the first Germen sound version of Baskerville, (after 2 Germen Silent versions had been made) Bruno Güttner gives a terrific performance as Holmes,with Güttner really bringing out the calculating side of Holmes,as he pushes aside all of the deadly howls.Closely following Holmes, Fritz Odemar gives a great performance as Watson,who Odermar brilliantly makes the focus of the title,thanks to Odermar giving Watson a gripping energy over following each clue to its solution,as Holmes & Watson put down the hound of the Baskerville.
The plot:
Finding out that his wife has been having an affair,Lord Baskerville kills the man that his wife has been going with.As he murders the man,a Baskerville runs across the hall and brutally kills his wife,which leads to a curse being put on the mansion,where the dogs and blood-curdling screams of the women can be heard across the moors.
200 years later:
On the same night that a man escapes from prison, Lord Charles Baskerville notices a strange figure standing in the moors.Pushing aside the loud howls that could be heard outside,Charles goes to investigate.As the howls from outside grow louder,the mansion staff go to investigate,and are shocked to discover that Charles has died from a sudden heart attack.
Attending the reading of the will,Charles family and his staff are caught by complete surprise,when the will reveals that Charles has left everything to an unknown cousin: Lord Henry Baskerville. As he tries to settle in at a hotel,Henry receives a mysterious letter,which says that if he wants to stay alive,then he must give the family mansion away.Suspecting that there may be a human face behind the infamous "Baskerville hounds" detectives Sherlock Holmes & John Watson are hired to finally put a stop to the howling hounds.
View on the film:
Withholding Holmes and Watson for the first 30 minutes,director Carl Lamac and cinematographer Willy Winterstein build a chilling Gothic Noir atmosphere brick by brick,with the Baskerville mansion being surrounded by decaying tress and merciless moors,which close the mansion off from the outside world.Along with the haunting backdrop,Lamac covers the mansion in stark shadows,which along with allowing for the Supernatural Horror mood to light up,also reveals the doubt that Holmes and Watson have over Baskerville and the other residences of the household keeping things hidden in the dark corners of the mansion.
Although the ending ties things up far too quickly, Carla von Stackelberg's adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle book superbly mixes intelligently written police protocol with restrained Horror barks and chilling Film Noir loners.Keeping the Baskerville family at the front of the title, Stackelberg hangs the supernatural myth over the household,as Henry Baskerville (played by an amazing,unsteady Peter Voß) finds himself suffering with a deep sense of mistrust,which femme fatale Beryl Vendeleure (played by an alluring Alice Brandt) subtly takes advantage of.Gaining a reputation over the following decades of being a bumbling fool, Stackelberg pulls Watson back to his roots,thanks to Watson showing a real zest for spotting the smallest clue,and also perfectly complimenting the quick-witted aspects of Holmes.
For the first Germen sound version of Baskerville, (after 2 Germen Silent versions had been made) Bruno Güttner gives a terrific performance as Holmes,with Güttner really bringing out the calculating side of Holmes,as he pushes aside all of the deadly howls.Closely following Holmes, Fritz Odemar gives a great performance as Watson,who Odermar brilliantly makes the focus of the title,thanks to Odermar giving Watson a gripping energy over following each clue to its solution,as Holmes & Watson put down the hound of the Baskerville.