Rent Sherlock Holmes: House of Fear (1945)
3.8 of 5 from 58 ratings
1h 9min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
The story begins in a remote coastal corner of West Scotland, where the middle aged members of a club, "The Good Comrades" have taken out heavy insurance policies with each other as beneficiaries. Chalmers (Gavin Muir), an insurance company representative, worriedly brings the case to Sherlock after two members suddenly die horribly, Holmes (Basil Rathbone) discovers that one of the members is Simon Merrivale (Paul Cavanagh), a doctor who some years ago had been disagreeably involved in the death of a young girl, though acquitted. "Murder is an urge to kill again". Holmes has to beat master minds of crime to discover who is behind the murders and with the aid of Watson (Nigel Bruce) find the killer stalking the halls of 'The House of Fear'. - Actors:
- Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Aubrey Mather, Dennis Hoey, Paul Cavanagh, Holmes Herbert, Harry Cording, Sally Shepherd, Gavin Muir, Florette Hillier, David Clyde
- Directors:
- Roy William Neill
- Writers:
- Roy Chanslor, Arthur Conan Doyle
- Aka:
- The House of Fear
- Studio:
- Orbit Media
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- Action & Adventure, Top Film and TV Detectives: Guide to Screen Sleuth
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Reviews (1) of Sherlock Holmes: House of Fear
Mystery Comedy. - Sherlock Holmes: House of Fear review by Steve
Undemanding entry in the Universal Sherlock Holmes cycle which is fun but betrays evidence that the series is starting to run out of inspiration. In a castle on the remote and rugged Scottish coastline a fellowship of elderly bachelors are being murdered one by one, and their demise foretold by the delivery at dinner of orange pips.
While it's only an hour, the scenario feels stretched. Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson eases into his end of series imbecility and when he's running amok in a thunderstorm, this might as well be Abbott and Costello Meet Sherlock Holmes. Except Bruce is much funnier. Then Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey) arrives to double up the comic relief.
There is absolutely nothing left of Arthur Conan Doyle's story, The Five Orange Pips. This is more like Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Still, no matter, there's all the atmosphere typical of the Universal series with the gothic old dark house and the craggy clifftops and the superstitious locals.
The series survives as it always does: because Basil Rathbone is perfect as Holmes and makes an endearing double act with his old pal; Roy William Neill is an expert B-picture director and continually drives the narrative forward, however illogical; and because Doyle's legendary heroes are immortal.
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