Holmes' Hammer
Following the death of Sir Hugo Baskerville (David Oxley) the last of the Baskerville's, Sir Henry (Christopher Lee) returns home to take residence in the family estate. But friend of the family, Doctor Mortimer (Francis De Wolff), believes Sir Hugo was killed by the Baskerville curse and Sir Henry's return will put him in peril. It is why Doctor Mortimer has sought out the help of Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) and his assistant Doctor Watson (André Morell) to get to the bottom of the Baskerville curse before Sir Henry meets a premature end.
One review after another I came across written by either fans of Sherlock Holmes, Hammer films or Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee with the majority of those reviews being forthcoming in their praise for this 1959 version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles". But whilst I like Sherlock Holmes movies, Hammer films as well as Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee I am not a fan of any and as such whilst this version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is entertaining it didn't blow me away.
In fairness "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is a good movie starting with not only Peter Cushing's entertaining performance as Sherlock Holmes but also Christopher Lee's performance as Sir Henry Baskerville. These two always seemed to bring out the best in each other and also André Morell who makes for a great Watson who at times steals the show. But these actors also benefit from some classic looking Hammer horror sets full of shadows and classic architecture which makes almost every scene a rich visual pleasure be it the moors or in the Baskerville home.
But what you also get with this version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" being a Hammer horror movie is a story which embraces the mystery and horror. As such whilst we get the fun of Peter Cushing as the abrupt Homes you also have moments of horror from deadly spiders to of course what the mystery is, I won't say so if you don't know you will have to watch yourself. Of course compared to modern horror movies the horror is not so in your face but because of director Terence Fisher's styling it still packs a dangerous punch.
What this all boils down to is that "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is certainly a good movie and in truth one of my favourite Hammer movies. But for me it is just a good movie and not the great movie which fans of Holmes, Hammer and the combined talents of Cushing and Lee feel that it is.
