THE HOUSE OF FEAR
US, 1944, 70 minutes, Black and white.
Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Aubrey Mather, Dennis Hoey, Paul Cavanagh.
Directed by Roy William Neil.
The House of Fear comes late in the series of Sherlock Holmes stories, updated, starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr Watson. They have a brief running time, introduce the characters and Watson and their interactions and solve the mystery. This film is based on Conan Doyle's story The Five Orange Pips. It is set in a house in Scotland, a number of people are being murdered - and there is a twist at the end as all survive in an insurance scheme. Audiences will enjoy once again Basil Rathbone's sharp performance as Holmes but Nigel Bruce hams a great deal as Dr Watson.
1. The popularity of Sherlock Holmes stories? His personality, his detection? His clear logic? Supreme self-confidence? His relationship to Watson? Watson and his dithering, his preposterous attitudes and image of himself, Nigel Bruce hamming as Watson?
2. The black and white photography, the studio sets, the atmosphere of Scotland? The black and white photography?
3. The murder mystery, the initial murder, the information, the insurance scheme? The company and their contacting Holmes? The photo of the members of the group?
4. Travelling to Scotland, at the hotel, seeing Dr Merivale? Going to the house, another murder? The meeting with the various survivors, their personalities, idiosyncrasies? Wanting Holmes to stay or not? Caring for each other? The various murders? The disfigurement of the bodies?
5. Alistair, thinking well of everyone, his surviving? His giving the clue to Watson about the pipe tobacco?
6. Holmes and Inspector Lestrade, his coming up from Scotland Yard, his bluff attitude, presuming that he would solve the mystery?
7. The secret passage, the discovery of the group, the confrontation, their arrest? Their being given away by the pipe tobacco?
8. The return to London, the insurance company, the newspaper articles? A satisfying Sherlock Holmes film?
