Product Description

3 Great Movies on 1 DVD. Star Power, Exciting Genre with Extras on each DVD.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85310 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-10-09
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 200 minutes

Amazon.com
Basil Rathbone. Nigel Bruce. Sherlock Holmes. Who can resist these mystery masters? Legendary Sherlock Holmes Movies packs three Arthur Conan Doyle adventures on one DVD. Dressed to Kill pits Holmes against a formidable female adversary as he tries to tease apart a puzzle involving music boxes and murder. The Woman in Green centers on a series of brutal murders in which each victim is missing a finger. Finally, Terror by Night is a good old-fashioned mystery about jewel theft and murder on an overnight train. Any one is perfect for curling up with a cup of tea on a stormy night. Basil Rathbone is still the definitive Sherlock Holmes, and Nigel Bruce, charming and deftly comic, is the perfect Watson. DVD goodies include cast biographies and Sherlock Holmes trivia. --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews

Tremendous Nostalgic Value
Many people, especially those who grew up during the 1930s and 1940s, have fond memories of Basil Rathbone's famous Sherlock Holmes series. My own exposure to the popular series came in the 1970s, when I encountered them on the late-late show; "The Scarlet Claw" was a particular favorite. Unfortunately, few of these films have ever been released to the home market in either VHS or DVD, and those that have reflect their need for serious restoration. This is particularly true of the films seen here. Although not unbearably fuzzy, the pictures are far from being crisp and clean, and the sound is occasionally problematic.

DRESSED TO KILL finds Holmes investigating three mysterious music boxes--and events quickly turn to murder. Of the three films, this is the weakest: the story is very slow to start and it never really achieves a good pace; the sound quality is also very, very poor in spots. THE LADY IN GREEN concerns Holmes' investigation into several murders that seem to be the work of a serial killer, and although the film elements remain problematic this film is quite a bit more enjoyable than the first. The third and final film, TERROR BY NIGHT, is easily the best of the three in both story and elements, setting a cracking pace with its story of murder and a diamond theft onboard an Edinburg-bound train.

Film restoration issues aside, Rathbone's Holmes has held up extremely well over time. As interpreted here, Holmes is sometimes as much action hero as he is thinking machine, and Rathbone plays him with a snappy clip, dry humor, and enough intensity to suggest untold depths. He is well matched by Nigel Bruce, whose truly dunderheaded Dr. Watson nonetheless has considerable wit and charm. The stories and scripts are pure formula, of course, and the supporting casts and production values quite mild--but Rathbone and Bruce's performances and chemistry have more than enough charm to gloss over these inadequacies. Not every one will enjoy these films, for they have a naive quality that many may consider unsophistocated to the point of absurdity, but fans of the series would rather fight than switch. Just bear in mind the quality issues, don't expect too much, and you'll have a very good time.

Just as I Remembered Them
This DVD brings back these three movies exactly as I remember them. I was not yet born when these movies debuted on the silver screen, however...my memories of these movies is from when I was a child, watching them on late-night television with my grandmother. Since then, I have been a fan of Basil Rathbone and enjoy his rendition of the infamous resident of 221B Baker Street. These movies are original material (as opposed to, say, The Hound of Baskervilles which is adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writings) but still capture the epitome of Sherlock Holmes.

The quality of the reproduction certainly is not perfect. However, if you remember watching these movies on television as I do, then you will be familiar with the quality of the film. The sound is a little scratchy, and the picture is a little grainy, but the movies are viewable and very much enjoyable. If you remember these movies, you will not be disappointed by this DVD. If, however, you are looking for adaptations of original Conan Doyle material, you may wish to look to the Jeremy Brett renditions.

The original is always the best
Best for price and best for quality!
Black and white imaging better than expected considering the movie negatives were made in the 1940s (thats 60 years ago!). I almost didn't buy after the critical review of the alternative [current cost]set (which includes only 1 more movie). But this set is super and will be appreciated by any fan of the original Holmes and Doctor Watson.