The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection Blu-ray Review

As a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, I’ve been biding my time waiting for these films to arrive on high definition and the wait is finally over!  MPI and the UCLA Film and Television Archive have teamed up to restore twelve out of the fourteen films in this collection.  Now in glorious 1080p resolution, these films have never looked better!  With the incomparable Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as the bumbling but good natured Dr. Watson, this is the team up that all other actors playing these roles are compared to.

Film (4 out of 5 stars)

Note:  Since there are fourteen films in this set, I took an average of them all to decide a final score in this category.  Below, you will find each movie’s individual score.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939, 80 min.) (4 out of 5 stars)

The most celebrated tale of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s canon, “The Hound of the Baskervilles” is set in the Victorian Age and was originally released by Twentieth Century-Fox in 1939. It is the first of the fourteen Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.

When Sir Charles Baskerville is killed outside of Baskerville Hall, his good friend Dr. Mortimer (Lionel Atwill) fears that the curse of the Baskervilles has struck once again. Mortimer enlists the help of Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone), before yet another Baskerville can succumb to the evil legend.  Sir Henry Baskerville (Richard Greene) arrives in London to claim his inheritance, Mortimer takes Sir Henry to 221b Baker Street and expresses his fear for Sir Henry’s life. Baskerville soon learns that along with the grand mansion on the moor, comes a devlilish curse, a curious butler (John Carradine) and a cast of bizarre neighbors.  Holmes, pressed with “other business,” sends Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) to accompany Sir Henry to the dreary moor to protect the young Baskerville from the legend of the wicked hound. Of course, with danger afoot, Sherlock Holmes may not be so far from the scene as is assumed.

I loved the original story of this from Arthur Conan-Doyle, and this movie was a great adaption of it.  The movie benefited from  a large budget, good actors, and some great atmosphere.  I think this movie serves as a perfect example of what people think of when they think of a Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movie.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939, 83 min.) (4 1/2 out of 5 stars)

Set in the Victorian Age and regarded by many as the finest of the fourteen films in the Sherlock Holmes/Basil Rathbone series, “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” was originally released in 1939 by Twentieth Century-Fox.  Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) has at long last been brought to trial for murder. But the “Napoleon of Crime” is acquitted after the court finds a lack of sufficient evidence. Moments after the judge releases the defendant, Sherlock Holmes dashes into the courtroom with proof that will destroy Moriarty’s alibi and send the professor to the gallows. Alas, he is too late and the criminal mastermind is set free.

Moriarty wastes no time in plotting his next crime, but in order to be successful he must divert the attention of the Great Detective. Enter Miss Ann Brandon (Ida Lupino), who calls on Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) after she and her brother receive anonymous letters containing a drawing of a man with an albatross hung around his neck, and a date written above the picture. Their father received the same baffling letter years before and was found murdered on the date inscribed in his letter.

Are these mysterious letters but erroneous distractions? Are they clues to a case irrelevant to the exploits of the evil Professor Moriarty? Or are these portents of disaster inexorably linked to the master criminal’s plan to commit a crime that will shake the very foundation of the British Empire? It is for Holmes and Watson to sort out the mystery and, hopefully, eliminate the menace of Professor Moriarty.

While The Hound of the Baskervilles serves as a perfect example of an atmospheric Holmes movie, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmesis a perfect example of the majority of the novels.  I think this movie best captures the spirit of the books and it has a great script that perfectly illustrates the battle of wits between Holmes and Moriarty.  While the actors who played the role of Moriarty changed frequently in this series, I think George Zucco was the best of the bunch and he really was a fantastic nemesis.

Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942, 65 min.) (3 out of 5 stars)

This was the first film in the Sherlock Holmes series to bring the master detective and Dr. Watson into the terrifying modern world of Nazi sabotage and spies.  The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm to original condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.  This newly restored version of the classic film includes the period war bond tag, studio logo and credits from its original theatrical release.  Filled with ominous shadows and interesting camera angles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning.

When taunting saboteurs warn of a Nazi invasion of the British Isles through their horrific radio menace the Voice of Terror, the British Intelligence‘s Inner Council calls in Sherlock Holmes to help in the crisis.  On the first night of their inquiry, Holmes and Watson find a dying man on their doorstep. His last word sends Holmes to London‘s seedy Limehouse district, where he enlists the aid of Kitty, the sweetheart of the slain man, to help find the saboteurs.  With the Voice of Terror promising new destruction in the coming days, Holmes and Watson must hurry to solve a complicated puzzle of terrorism and espionage.

Seeing Holmes and Watson in action in the 1950s isn’t as jarring as you might imagine and much like the message that appears before the movie, Holmes is timeless and can work in any time-frame.  This movie was obviously made to shore up morale in England and it works well on that level.  With the Nazis being the villains this time, Holmes faces a new threat larger than any before.

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942, 68 min.) (3 1/2 out of 5 stars)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Dancing Men” inspired The Secret Weapon. The wartime plot pits Sherlock Holmes once more against his nemesis, the villainously brilliant Professor Moriarty, who was believed dead but is now working for the Nazis. The Nazis have assigned Moriarty to kidnap Dr. Franz Tobel, the inventor of a new super bombsight.  Sherlock Holmes outwits the enemy agents and escapes with Tobel and his precious invention.  But despite elaborate precautions, the inventor later disappears before the process of manufacturing the bombsight is perfected.  Holmes and Watson must stop the Nazis from getting their hands on the new bombsight, wrapped in a code of dancing men. Using a variety of disguises – a Swiss inventor, the Lascar sailor Ram Singh, and an old German bookseller, Holmes puts his own life on the line in a race against the clock to prevent Moriarty from carrying out his evil plans.  The Secret Weapon is also the first of the films to introduce Dennis Hoey as Scotland Yard detective Inspector Lestrade.

It was nice to see the dancing men concept incorporated into one of the movies and it was fairly clever to add it to a World War II film where cryptography played such an important role in the war.  This movie challenged Holmes more than most since he not only had to match wits with Professor Moriarty like usual, but he also had to deduce the code left by the equally brilliant Dr. Tobel.  This had a good script that kept you guessing and I think it’s one of the better films in the set.

Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943, 71 min.) (3 out of 5 stars)

A British secret service operative, carrying top-secret microfilm from England to Washington, disappears while traveling to his destination. Fearing for his safety just before his disappearance, he passes the microfilm, ingeniously hidden, to another passenger on the train without her knowing. The agent is reported missing and Sherlock Holmes is called in to investigate. Filmed during World War II, Sherlock Holmes in Washington pits Holmes and Watson against Nazi enemy agents. The British government asks Holmes and Watson go to Washington to recover the missing documents before they fall into the wrong hands, which would be disastrous for England and her allies. Holmes is up against an international ring of spies in a race against time to piece together the clues and discover the whereabouts of the microfilm before it is too late.

A decent entry in the Holmes series but not one of the best.  The movie has a great concept of using an item that everyone is looking for which has worked before ihe consummate advertising pro but events from the last season have shaken him up and left him more vulnerable than before. With his new position in the new company, his ego is running rampant and combined with his increased drinking, it’s a bad combination.  Somehow, he’s still able to keep it together for the most part since he’s so good at selling concepts that he’s been able to sell untruths about himself for years.  No matter how close his secrets threaten to ruin him before, he’s always found a way to escape the consequences.  He’s the James T. Kirk of advertising.  This season however,things don’t go as well for him and Don Draper finally gets a taste of fear.

His ex-wife Betty (January Jones) has the unenviable honor of being the character that has had the greatest arc from being a sympathetic likable character to a cold, vindictive, and immature harridan who I can’t stand.  Betty had some valid reasons for her treatment of Don thanks to his constant cheating and lying, but every season she grows more and more unlikable.  Her vitriol isn’t aimed solely at Don, as she also goes out of her way to make her daughter Sally (Kiernan Shipka) suffer since she seems to be transferring her anger at Don  onto the easier target of Sally.  Even her new husband (Christopher Stanley) grows exasperated with her constant need for attention and validation.  Betty has never matured emotionally and spends every episode lashing out at everyone.  Her constant petulance about everything has put her relationships with everyone in her life in danger.

Life at the new business has changed the work culture quite a bit with the addition of more young men to the mix.  What was already a male oriented world (much to Peggy’s (Elizabeth Moss) chagrin), but it’s now even worse with a frat boy undercurrent that’s made it even more uncomfortable for women to work there. It’s an issue that also affects Joan (Christina Hendricks) when she is the target of pornographic art that is both demeaning and without a basis of truth.  While Joan seems to have accepted the realities of working in a man’s world, Peggy still fights the good fight, as she questions the prevalent attitudes that perpetuate that status quo.

Pete (Vincent Kartheiser), is still the office weasel but he grows a pair this season to along with his new promotion.  He still constantly complains but he he does finally have some moments in this season where he shows he can be a good guy (if it suits him).  He’s still married to Trudy (Alison Brie) who also seems to have come into her own this season as she starts putting her foot down with Pete over finances.

Speaking of finances, things take a dark turn this season for Roger Sterling (John Slattery) as his relationship with Lucky Strike cigarettes turns ugly, first by being humiliated by the owner, and also because their agency is completely depended on their Lucky Strike contract.  They’ve put all of their eggs into one basket so to speak, and Roger has become lazy and indifferent to the account because of the longevity of the relationship.  His new marriage has lost its luster for him and his attention drifts back to Joan who is now married.  Roger seems completely adrift this season and because of that there will be severe consequences for him and others.

One of the show’s strengths is its attention to all of the characters large and small and they each get a turn to shine.  Jared Harris plays the new Chief Financial Officer and Partner, Lane Pryce and as an Englishman who has come to appreciate New York,he offers a welcome outside view of how events and cultural mores are changing in America.  Dr. Faye Miller (Carla Buono)comes in to share her marketing expertise but ends up trying to help Don against her better instincts and of course discovers Don’s true nature.  I really enjoy watching the elder statesman and founder Bert Cooper (Robert Morse)who doesn’t say much but when he does, he’s deadly accurate and honest.

While the earlier seasons seemed to have a slow and deliberate pace, this season’s events moved quite a bit quicker which made me enjoy this season the most.  More is at stake at this point in their lives, and with the higher stakes comes more drama and more opportunities to learn new things about each character. This show is a well oiled machine at this point and even some of the cast members like John Slattery are now directing episodes with flair.  As good as the dialogue is in this show (and it’s very good), a lot of the best moments are wordless exchanges of just a smile or a look that work because of the previous years work of character building.

Video (4 1/2 out of 5 stars)

This 1080p (1.78:1) transfer is very impressive.  Colors pop off the screen, especially from the wide variety of dresses the women wear or the crystal clear blue water Don likes to swim in.  The black levels are also wonderful which is nice since so many scenes take place in dark interiors.  The image quality is very sharp and you can easily see the textures from the clothes and read the writing on props.  Flesh tones are accurate and natural for the most part except for a few instances where it was a little too warm for me.  That’s such a minor detail in comparison to the rest of this superb transfer that I almost didn’t even mention it.

Audio (4 1/2 out of 5 stars)

This season of Mad Men offers DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and it too is excellent.  There is a lot of nice cross channel panning and the rear channels offer a lot of good ambiance.  The period music sounds great and never drowns out the constant flow of  dialogue that is the hallmark of this show.  This is a well balanced mix that integrates all of the audio cues into a nice even package.

Special Features (4 out of 5 stars)

There’s some pretty comprehensive extras on this set with great commentaries from the cast and crew as well as some real in depth featurettes that are all in high definition!  I just wish they offered a behind the scenes featurette and more commentaries with Jon Hamm. It’s even more mysterious that January Jones doesn’t have a single commentary track.  While I don’t like her character,I would love to hear her thoughts on the show.

Audio Commentaries with the Cast and Crew:

• Public Relations - Matthew Weiner and Jon Hamm and an alternate track with David Carbonara and Jane Bryant.
  
  
• Christmas Comes But Once a Year - Matthew Weiner and Michael Uppendahl and an alternate track with Joel Murray and Alexa Alemanni.
  
  
• The Good News - Matthew Weiner and Jennifer Getzinger and an alternate track with Melinda Page Hamilton and Jared Harris.
  
  
• The Rejected - Matthew Weiner and Chris Manley and an alternate track with Vincent Kartheiser, Cara Buono, and John Slattery.
  
  
• The Chrysanthemum and the Sword - Matthew Weiner and Erin Levy.
  
  
• Waldorf Stories - Matthew Weiner, Brett Johnson, Scott Hornbacher and an alternate track with Aaron Staton, Jay Ferguson, and Danny Strong.
  
  
• The Suitcase - Matthew Weiner, Chris Manley, Tim Wilson and an alternate track with Elisabeth Moss.
  
  
• The Summer Man - Matthew Weiner and Leo Trombetta and an alternate track with Christopher Stanley, Matt Long, and Rich Sommer.
  
  
• The Beautiful Girls - Matthew Weiner and Dahvi Waller and an alternate track with Cara Buono, Christina Hendricks, and Kiernan Shipka.
  
  
• Hands and Knees - Matthew Weiner and David Carbonara and an alternate track with Vincent Kartheiser and Christina Hendricks.
  
  
• Chinese Wall - Matthew Weiner and Erin Levy and an alternate track with Cara Buono and Jessica Paré.
  
  
• Blowing Smoke - Matthew Weiner, Bob Levinson and Josh Weltman and an alternate track with John Slattery, Robert Morse, and Andre and Maria Jacquemetton.
  
  
• Tomorrowland - Matthew Weiner and Jonathan Igla and an alternate track with Matthew Weiner, Jessica Paré, and Kiernan Shipka.

Featurettes:

• Divorce: Circa 1960′s- A three part documentary which covers the rise of divorce in the 60s with interviews with experts and film clips.  This is a fairly long yet comprehensive look that bookends nicely with the events of the show.
  
  
• How to Succeed in Business Draper Style – This two part featurette contains interviews with real life businessmen and advertising executives about Draper’s plan for success.  This is a great featurette for all of the men who have been influenced by Draper and want even more points.
  
  
• Marketing the Mustang: An American Icon – A nice look back at the release of the ’64 Mustang and the effort it took to make the car and market it.
  
  
• 1964 Presidential Campaign – A look at the election between Lyndon B. Johnson and Barry Goldwater which talks about how instrumental advertising was in the campaign and it even includes some vintage commercials.

Final Thoughts (4 1/2 out of 5 stars)

Mad Men is a great show filled with smart writing, excellent actors, and good enough attention to detail that it feels like you are in a time warp.  It’s also a show that proceeds at its own pace which can frustrate some people.  It’s been said that season five won’t be released until 2012, so we all have no choice to be patient now.  After watching four seasons of this show, I feel like I need to have some kind of closer to influence you to pick up this set.  How about…buy this because it’s the cure for the common show!

Mad Men Season Four has been released on Blu-ray so order yours now!