The Spider Woman / The Voice of Terror (Sherlock Holmes)

Before Robert Downey Jr / Jude Law and Benedict Cumberbatch / Martin Freeman, there was Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.Basil Rathbone portrayed Sherlock Holmes in fourteen films from 1939 to 1946 and to many his iconic characterization of the Baker Street detective remains the best and is certainly the role Rathbone is best remembered for. I also want to give a shout out to Nigel Bruce’s rather unorthodox but excellent portrayal of Dr. Watson. In the novels, Dr Watson was nearly as intelligent as Holmes and a capable assistant but in these films, Nigel Bruce’s Watson acts buffoonish and seems to get more buffoonish with each film. Despite or perhaps because of his controversial stooging, Nigel Bruce was the perfect foil to Basil Rathbone. They played off each other wonderfully and truly are a dynamic duo.Speaking of dynamic duos, MPI Home Video has released digitally restored double feature sets for all but four (Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, The Woman in Green, Terror by Night, and Dressed to Kill) of Rathbone’s fourteen films. I find it odd MPI didn’t choose to pair the films together in chronological order but that gripe aside this set features the pairing of The Spider Woman (1944) and The Voice of Terror (1942). The Spider Woman is one of the better of the twelve Sherlock Holmes films Rathbone did for Universal and is in my top five favorites. The Voice of Terror is an enjoyable although non-essential film. I bought this for The Spider Woman and look at The Voice of Terror as an added bonus.Video: Both movies are presented in a solid 1:37 full frame transfer. Even though both films are together on one single-sided dual layered dvd the image looks fine. The films are in black and white and overall look relatively clean for their age. I think UCLA really did a commendable job of restoring the films.Audio: The only audio track is English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono. It is clear sounding and I have no complaints.Subtitles: EnglishExtras: None

WOW!! If you are looking for episodes of Sherlock Holmes with Basil, no impostors need apply, these redone issues are unbelievably flawless. For years and years, years and years ago, I watched these movies late at night no matter what condition they were in, or how bad the transmission quality. Not any more, I got 'em in pristine condition, and retouched by the UCLA film dept.. The movies are incredibly sharp and clear. The blacks look black, and the whites look white, like they should. Any Basil fan of Sherlock should be gobbling these up fast. I'm going to get the final two discs also.I'm not going to review the movies at all. What is the point? You are either a Sherlock fan or not. I grew up with these movies from the 30s-40s and they are flat out fun. NO, I didn't watch them in the 30s or 40s, but 50s to 60s and beyond. These movies will always entertain. If you are not from that era, give them a try anyway. Watch these along with the new king of Sherlocks, the Cumberbatch PBS series, and compare notes. The new PBS series is possibly the best show on TV now. Check it out.

Oh Basil, you fiend! The 1940's settings do not really work for Sherlock. He is a Victorian Man, set in a Victorian world. To move him up by more than a few hundred years proved to be a really dumb (film) move. However, the Defeat the Nazi's mentality, using Sherlock H. and Dr. Watson, ONLY work as well as they do, because of the supreme elegance of "Basil Rathbone". Even in the 1940's, Basil is still ultra-educated, eloquent, charming, well dressed, stylish, cute and adorable, charming, witty, a dear friend to Dr. Watson, with that lovely profile, sharp as ever. He is sharply dressed, curt, short and quick. Basil, still plays his role, bouncing off the other characters, as usual, funny, slick and sharp witted. Basil, is as ever elegantly outfitted, and crisp. Basil's dealings with the locals are the very same as in the Victorian era. Even in the 1940's, his treatment of the ugly criminal mastermind, is chilling and snappy.

I FIRST SAW "HOLMES & THE SPIDER WOMAN, IN A SEVERELY EDITED VERSION IN AUGUST 1954, ON THE CBS EARLY SHOW. I WAS ABOUT 14 AND IT BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES FILMS I HAD BEEN TAKE TO SEE WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY. THE SPIDER WOMAN FILM WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOLMES FILMS. CBS HAD BEGUN TO TELEVISE ALL OF THE BASIL RATHBONE/NIGEL BRUCE FILMS. I CANNOT EXPLAIN THE PLOT OR THE STORY BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T BE RIGHT TO GIVE AWAY ANY OF THE FILM'S PLOT POINTS/ ALL I CAN SAY IS SEE THE FILM YOURSELF, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. RATHBONE'S HOLMES IS HOLMES AT HIS MOST SUPERIOR AND WATSON IS NIGEL BRUCE AT HIS PHUMFFERING BEST. DENN IS HOEY'S PLAYS LeSTRADE WITH A COCKNEY ACCENT AND DISPLAYS ALL OF HIS ENVY OF HOLME. YOU'LL ENJOY S' METHODS OF DETECTION.. THAT'S ALL WISH TO SAY. SEE THIS AND ANY OF BASIL RATHBONE'S HOLMES FILMS SECURE IN THE KNOWLEDGE, THAT YOU'LL ENJOY THEM ALL.

Once again both films are fun to watch, but neither ranks as the best in the series. THE VOICE OF TERROR has a good cast, but the bizarre hairdo for Holmes was distracting. The cast was very good, but the film didn't play fair with the audience as Edgar Barrier supplied the radio voice heard and not the actor revealed as the villain. But it does end with the marvelous speech by Holmes from "His Last Bow". THE SPIDER WOMAN. with its nasty bugs and series of suicides has its moments, but the ending in a shooting gallery was decidedly lame. I'm not familiar with British insurance laws, but it always seemed strange to see policies on suicides being paid. Nitpicking aside, all the films in the series are welcome viewing.

It was suspenseful. Rathbone plays an excellent Sherlock Holmes. I would recommend it for Sherlock Holmes fans.