Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #206179 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-08-22
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 194 minutes

Customer Reviews

Very Enjoyable Collection
All 3 of these films are very enjoyable, with clear picture and terrific sound. They are all short, and the time invested watching them was well-spent. They are classics of the B-movie genre; 2 with Karloff, 2 with Dick Tracy (not the same ones!), all with quick editing, rapid-fire dialogue, witty repartee and wonderful characters. Some politically correct persons may take issue with Karloff's Mr. Wong, but it's what they did back then with low-budget films. I enjoyed this trio of films immensely. PS~A lot of reviewers here got this confused with a Sherlock Holmes anthology, apparently of poor quality. Ignore reviews about this product that refer to the Sherlock Holmes product...

Get a clue, people...
Sherlock Holmes is not even on this video!

The 3 movies on Crime Stoppers Vol 1 are:

Mr. Wong, Detective - Detective Wong investigates the death of a chemical manufacturer and discovers an international spy ring plotting to steal the secret formula for an invisible poisonous gas. Starring Boris Karloff.

Dick Tracy's Dilemma - An evil villain known as The Claw, named for the steel hook in place of his hand, has murdered a man while robbing a shipment of furs. It's Dick Tracy's job to hunt him down and bring him to justice! Starring Ralph Byrd.

Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome - Boris Karloff plays Gruesome, a delightfully creepy mastermind behind a clever group of bank robbers who use a special gas that temporarily immobilizes people in their tracks. Starring Ralph Byrd.

BONUS features:
"Breakdowns of 1940" - Warner Bros blooper reel
Classic Popeye cartoon - "Popeye for President"
Tales of Mystery and Supense radio show - "Consequences" starring Jimmy Stewart, originally broadcast May 19, 1949.

The Great Detective lives on!
Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce will be forever remembered as "Hollywood's Holmes and Watson". This DVD gift pack (one hopes the first of many) recaptures the timeless duo in four adventures.

In "The Woman In Green", Holmes finds himself wrapped up in Ripper-like murders of young London women. When he investigates a beautiful woman who is also a master hypnotist, he finds he may end up dead. Features Henry Daniell in a wonderful performance of Holmes' most famous nemesis, Professor Moriarty.

"Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" finds Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson fighting Nazis in World War II. Loosely based on 'The Dancing Men', Holmes must locate and reclaim the secret plans of a devastatig weapon before the Nazis use it for their own evil purposes. The WWII Holmes films are excellent documents of the times. Many people don't remember the militarization of Hollywood during the 1940s when every film had to pass the litmus test of "How will this help us win the war?" Every film from an American studio was used to a degree as propaganda to help in the war effort. The Sherlock Holmes film series was no exception, and thus we find our beloved characters unaged in the then present day - without explanation, but still an enjoyable film.

Getting away from the War, we come to "Dressed to Kill" where Holmes finds that a music box is the key to an elaborate counterfeiting scheme. Patricia Morrison is great in this film and Rathbone and Bruce have their share of moments as Holmes and Watson.

Finally, probably my favorite, "Terror By Night" is a great Holmes adventure which has as much comic relief as intrigue. A murder has been committed on a train, and Holmes must find the killer before the train reaches it's destination. It's high adventure at high speed where Holmes finds himself reunited with bumbling Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade, who has just the right amount of comic timing.

This is the first time these movies have been available in a format that's worth watching; until recently you could only purchase them in the low definition EP VHS format. Plus, the discs also feature a rare interview with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, making the set a must have for both Holmes enthusiasts and classic movie buffs alike!