Was there ever a greater villain than Basil Rathbone, who gave us such great performances as the abusive Mr. Murdstone in "David Copperfield" (1935), the deadly Tybalt in "Romeo and Juliet" (1936), evil Sir Guy in "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), Baron von Frankenstein in "Son of Frankenstein" (1939) and the evil Captain Esteban in "The Mark of Zorro" (1940).
From 1939 to 1946 he focused on Sherlock Holmes films with only an occasional second film in any given year. He made the transition early to TV where he was a popular guest star, and continued to do films (e.g., "We're No Angels", "The Last Hurrah").
Yet in all the excellent work he did over the decades, you've never seen him like he appears in this film. You may not even recognize him despite his distinct looks and voice.
The rest of the film is pretty ordinary, but fans of Basil Rathbone need to see it.
From 1939 to 1946 he focused on Sherlock Holmes films with only an occasional second film in any given year. He made the transition early to TV where he was a popular guest star, and continued to do films (e.g., "We're No Angels", "The Last Hurrah").
Yet in all the excellent work he did over the decades, you've never seen him like he appears in this film. You may not even recognize him despite his distinct looks and voice.
The rest of the film is pretty ordinary, but fans of Basil Rathbone need to see it.