The Bloody Pit #206 - THE PEARL OF DEATH (1944)

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce return to the show! I am joined by Beth Morris and Troy Guinn to discuss the next in Universal’s long running Sherlock Holmes series featuring the legendary detective in the 1940’s. This entry uses one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original short stories to provide the basic plot – or does it? We look at the film’s very strong ties to a certain American crime fiction writer’s famous story that the script seems to borrow from. Is this a mash-up of two tales that taste great together?  

THE PEARL OF DEATH (1944) is a movie that doesn’t spring to mind as one of the best of the Universal Holmes films but perhaps it should. The series’ regulars are in fine form and returning guest actor Evelyn Ankers gets a lot to do as the main female baddie. She seems capable of getting any job in London and can disguise herself effectively in the bargain. In fact, this film has her character, Sherlock and the lead bad guy Giles Conover so often pretending to be someone else that it plays like there is a contest between them! And the film also sports the first screen appearances of Rondo Hatton as The Creeper. We talk a good deal about the way the plot unfolds and take note of how the screenplay seems to be digging into a Holmes character flaw to drive the story. Of course, there are the usual odd asides including a Tolkien reference that is quite out of place and a short debate about the correct size of a Yamaka or skullcap. We try to use our meager deductive reasoning skills but we tend to be more Watson than Holmes.

Thank you for listening to the show and thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send any thoughts. Stay warm and we’ll be back soon.

Video - PEARL OF DEATH (1944)

For those following along at home, here is the next film we are covering on The Bloody Pit podcast. It's the excellent Sherlock Holmes adventure based on the short story 'The Six Napoleons'. A better 69 minutes of 1940's mystery thriller fun would be hard to find!

Video - THE SCARLET CLAW (1944)

If you want to watch (or rewatch) this creepy little Sherlock Holmes film before listening to our latest podcast, here it is in all its foggy glory! It is perfect October viewing and one of the more entertaining of the series. 

The Bloody Pit #182 - THE SCARLET CLAW (1944)

Beth Morris and Troy Guinn visit the show again to discuss another Sherlock Holmes film. This time out we fan away the fog to examine one of the gothic horrors of the series, THE SCARLET CLAW (1944)! Good timing, huh? After all, our detective duo start the tale by being hired by a dead woman! That is creepy.

 

We talk about the production of the film which started out as a potential return of Moriarty but eventually became ‘Sherlock Holmes in Canada’ before the final bloody title was chosen. The story pulls heavily from The Hound of the Baskervilles but also seems to crib elements from the MGM film LONDON BY NIGHT (1937) as well. Of course, it also has a touch of Edgar Allan Poe evident in the name of the murder-stricken village. This is where the series leaves behind most of the modern details that were so much a part of the first three films Universal made. The traditional Holmesian Victorian period reasserts itself here with only the occasional 1940’s feature entering the frame to remind us of the real world. We point out several problems we have with the film including the need to show Holmes being a bit of a doofus on more than one occasion. There has to be a better way to extend the mystery than making the great detective seem incompetent! Of course, we love the cast and have a lot of fun trying to remember the names of the movies and obscure serials in which certain actors had memorable roles. For the record, Virginia Horne played a Chinese villain in SECRET AGENT X-9 (1945) but neither Beth or I could pull that title from our fevered brains!

 

If you have any thoughts on the Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon. 

The Bloody Pit #174 - THE SPIDER WOMAN (1944)

We rejoin the Universal Sherlock Holmes series with the fifth entry, THE SPIDER WOMAN (1944). Long considered one of the best of the run Beth, Troy and I relate our opinions in this episode’s rambling discussion. Be aware that spoilers abound! Do we think it is one of the best of the Rathbone Holmes films? Maybe…..

We dig into this one enumerating our likes, loves and various concerns about the story. We point out the numerous elements taken from several of the classic Arthur Conan Doyle stories and revel in the reference to the giant rat of Sumatra! We discuss the logic behind Holmes faking his own death and the inherent cruelty of that move. Of course, THE SPIDER WOMAN is the first of the series to feature a female villain and the casting could not have been better. Gale Sondergaard is brilliant in the title role with her sly smile and her expert delivery of the sharp dialog putting her well above other baddies that have faced Holmes.  Fully half the fun of the movie is watching her glide her way through her evil schemes. The other actors get fine moments too with Nigel Bruce and Dennis Hoey especially given scenes that show their characters under emotional strain. This is a tight, well-made film but we do find some things in it that don’t work as well as we might wish.

If you have any comments on this film or any other we’ve covered thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon.

Poster Art and Lobby Cards for THE SPIDER WOMAN (1944)

 

The Bloody Pit #158 - SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH (1943)

Troy, Beth and I convene to discuss the fourth of Universal’s Sherlock Holmes film series! Of course, the show is packed with spoilers but we just can’t resist.

SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH (1943) is based on an original Holmes story by Doyle, ‘The Musgrave Ritual,’ and has our favorite detective investigating what might be a cursed family. Pressed into wartime service Doctor Watson has been helping out at Musgrave Manor which is serving as a convalescent home for shell-shocked Allied officers. His young assistant, Dr. Sexton, is attacked with a knife and nearly killed. Watson travels to London to bring Holmes back with him, but upon their arrival they find the head of the household, Geoffrey Musgrave, dead. The lead suspect is an American airman, Vickery (returning Universal horror player Milburn Stone), who is in love with the youngest Musgrave, Sally (Hillary Brooke making her second appearance in the series) and was planned to marry her against Geoffrey’s wishes. The always-befuddled Inspector Lestrade shows up and quickly arrests him but Holmes knows there is more going on than such a simple murder. Might there be supernatural shenanigans afoot? Is there really a curse on the Musgrave family? And how does the game of chess factor into everything?

We dig into this nicely creepy film that shows a decided swing away from the espionage storylines of the first three of the series. All three of us are happy to finally have a scary Holmes tale to discuss even as we point out how many of the gothic touches don’t amount to much in the final analysis. After all, when is a broken clock just a broken clock? Beth brings up the story of Universal’s brilliant costume designer Vera West which adds some unexpected mystery to the conversation. I express my dislike of one element in the movie that presents the audience with false information. Troy takes note of how long Lestrade is lost in the secret passages of Musgrave Manor’s walls which is less time than I would have guessed.

We hope you enjoy our conversation and thebloodypit@gmail.com is the email address for comments on the episode. Thank you for listening and have a happy October! 

 

Video - SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH (1943)

After three films set firmly in the second world war Universal veers into gothic territory for a horror tinged adventure incorporating elements from one of Doyle's original stories. Perfect viewing for a dark October night! Oh - and there's a podcast on the way, of course. 

The Bloody Pit #144 - Radio Sherlock!

Following on our coverage of SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (1943) we once again dig into the wealth of radio adaptations of the original stories.

Beth has chosen two excellent audio versions of Arthur Conan Doyle tales with the connecting theme being that they involve an American character stirring up trouble. First we present 'The Noble Bachelor' from the long running BBC Radio series starring Carleton Hobbs as Sherlock Holmes and Norman Shelley as Dr. Watson. This program aired from 1952 to 1969 and became the way an entire generation of British listeners became fans of the character. We talk a little about the two main actors known primarily for their radio and stage work including the somewhat controversial work that Mr. Shelley was rumored to have done for Queen & Country. We then check out the CBS Mystery Theater’s 1977 version of 'A Scandal in Bohemia' with Kevin McCarthy as Holmes and Court Benson as Watson.  It’s another fine adaptation and this time I’ve left in several of the commercials from the original broadcast to give you a sense of what it would have sounded like when it aired. I snipped out the ExLax ads for your mental health!

Thank you for listening and if you have any comments thebloodypit@gmail.com is the show’s address. We’ll be back soon with a new episode!

Apple Podcasts LINK 

Direct Download LINK 

Poster Art and Lobby Cards for SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (1943)

I couldn't stop looking at these images even after we finished the podcast on this film!

 

The Bloody Pit #143 - SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (1943)

Sherlock Holmes takes center stage again with Rathbone and Bruce traveling to America to secure a secret document.

 

I am joined by Beth Morris and Troy Guinn for a detailed look at the third in the Universal Holmes series, SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (1943). This is one of the few that we all dreaded as memory told us we were in for a weaker entry. Imagine our surprise to find a much better movie than we expected. Exciting!

 

We dig into the production with some neat information culled from my ever-expanding pile of reference books on the subject. Beth finds some highs and lows in the deductive reasoning the script gives Sherlock and Troy finds his first viewing of this one to be his favorite of the run so far. We talk about the excellent cast and spend some time on the great George Zucco’s career as well as heaping some deserved praise on the screenplay. This being the first of the series with a completely original story Universal was wise in its choice of screenwriter Bertram Millhauser who went on the pen four more Holmes scripts for the studio. We lament the limited screentime of Henry Daniell and question the steady cruelty of Holmes to Watson throughout the story. We were all pleased to see Clarence Muse given a solid supporting role as a train porter where he gets to play directly with Rathbone as the search for clues ramps up. And, because I have a dirty mind, I spot a subtle sex joke that was sly enough to get past the production code. Busy, busy!

 

We end the show with three emails from listeners one of which pushes us into a long discussion of favorite actors in the Watson role. The email address is thebloodypit@gmail.com and we’d love to hear from you too. Thank you for listening to the show and we’ll be back soon. 

Apple Podcast LINK 

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The Bloody Pit #138 - Creepy Sherlock Radio!

For your October listening pleasure here are a couple of spooky Sherlock Holmes radio tales!

Beth has chosen these two as representative of the scary end of the classic radio format featuring the great detective. The first is from the 1940’s and is titled The Adventure of the Carpathian Horror so you know it’s going to be fun – with a splash of vampires! It has Nigel Bruce continuing his run as Dr. Watson and Tom Conway taking over from Basil Rathbone as Holmes. The second features Kevin McCarthy in the role for the CBS Mystery Theater and was originally broadcast in 1977. I think it is a solid version of that tale of a spectral hound! You know – the one that haunts the Baskervilles. I’ve edited out most of the commercials from the show but I left in one to give you a taste of what radio sounded like in the late 1970’s. Forgive me!

If you have any comments or suggestions thebloodypit@gmail.com is the address to which you can send them. We’d be glad to hear from you!

Download LINK 

The Bloody Pit #137 - SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (1943)

Join Troy, Beth and I as we check out the second of Universal’s Sherlock Holmes adventures.

 

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (1943) is - as you might have guessed – another World War II tale full of intrigue and subterfuge. The story allows spy-master Holmes the chance for a few interesting disguises and the opportunity to match wits with his long-time rival Professor Moriarty! It seems that the Napoleon of Crime has hatched a plan to profit from the war regardless of the damage it will do to good old England. Is there nothing that villainous snake won’t get up to in his quest for monetary gain? Surely it is time to put an end to his nefarious plots. 

We dig into the film to examine the success the studio had converting the Victorian detective to a soldier in the fight against the Nazi. I have been reading two books that focus in different ways on this series and use them to broaden our discussion a bit. Amanda Field’s ‘England’s Secret Weapon’ is especially interesting, pointing us toward several topics that lurk under the surface of these fast, entertaining movies. We are repeatedly brought back to how fascinating it is to watch these movies with the knowledge that the filmmakers had no way to know how this devastating war would turn out or how dark the future might be. Of course, that doesn’t keep us from babbling praise for the fine actors including our last chance to see Basil Rathbone and Lionel Atwill paired together onscreen. What we wouldn’t give to have seen many more.

 

As you might expect, our love for the movie doesn’t keep us from cracking a few jokes including our alternate title of SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DANGEROUS PUB CRAWL. When you go hunting for Moriarty in London during the Blitz you end up doing some risky things! Thank goodness for Watson.

 

If you have any Holmesian comments or suggestions thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. 

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Video - Boris Karloff in 'Sting of Death' (1955)

Were you aware that Boris Karloff once played Sherlock Holmes? Well, he certainly did, as the script for this television adaptation of Gerald Heard's 1941 mystery novel 'A Taste of Honey' makes perfectly plain without ever using that famous name. Mr. Mycroft (wink, wink) is an older, retired gentleman living in a small English village raising bees (nudge, nudge) who realizes that not all is good with a neighboring beekeeper. In fact, he suspects him of being a murderer! Enter the fussy honey devotee Mr. Silchester and Mr. Mycroft realizes he will have to handle things in his customary fashion - outside the law. 

Of course, this is a very set bound production made with little money and obvious false backdrops but the actors are wonderful and the story is quite satisfying. I recommend checking it out! 

The Bloody Pit #126 - Sherlock Holmes Radio!

After our last episode we thought it would be interesting to dig a little deeper into the radio tales of Sherlock Holmes. As Beth is such a fan of both the character and classic radio dramas, I asked her to pick two different audio tales that we could fashion into a short show to introduce listeners unfamiliar with the form to a couple of solid examples. I expected her to stick with the series that starred Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, but she surprised me by also finding a much later show that unexpectedly did an excellent Holmes adaptation. If you enjoy the two shows we present here you can easily find more online in various places and we highly recommend the search. We might even do some future episodes like this to discuss why they stand out or if they are particularly unusual in some way. Hope you enjoy this first presentation.

 If you have any comments or suggestions about the podcast please write to us at thebloodypit@gmail.com where we’ll be happy to hear from you. Not Petri Wine happy, but happy nevertheless. Thanks for listening! 

Apple Podcasts LINK 

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The Bloody Pit #125 - SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR (1942)

There have been roughly a billion Sherlock Holmes movies made over the last century and the master detective has been portrayed by enough people to populate a full reenactment of the California Gold Rush. But only a handful of these actors became so identified with the role that their physical appearance influenced most future visions of the character. Basil Rathbone played Holmes onscreen fourteen times and in hundreds of radio programs. His voice so perfectly captured the public imagination that his mannerisms and style of speech became the standard for Holmes for decades afterward and he is still considered one of the best to have ever attempted the role. Rathbone’s acting often elevates movies and he brings a level of competence and skill to his Sherlock performances that can help even the weakest of them entertain effectively. Luckily, he was often working with a cast that matched his abilities and a story that was worthy of the Holmes name. Not that there weren’t problems to overcome…..

Universal’s series of Sherlock Holmes adventures are considered a part of the studio’s 1940’s horror output and certainly several of them qualify as scary movies. But not all of them are so obviously part of that genre with most leaning into the expected mystery/suspense field. Strangely, their first Holmes film would stray from mystery more than most and ends up playing more like an espionage story with Holmes as a spy master. This grows out of the decision to set the Holmes and Watson characters in contemporary times instead of their usual Victorian or Edwardian period. This means the war with Germany takes center stage allowing the brilliant Holmes the opportunity to add his efforts to the battle against fascism. But does the change of time period and the repurposing of this great character as a WWII combatant work? We’ll be glad to let you know our thoughts in this episode. 

Troy and I are joined by Sherlock Holmes aficionado Beth Morris for this (and all future Holmes films). She adds her own perspective on Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce and the 1940’s version of the characters filtered through her obsessive reading of the original Doyle tales and every pastiche story that she can get her hands on. We discuss the film’s story, the extraordinary cast, the brilliant lighting and the lack of detective work the film has for Holmes. I dig into the way the film treats Evelyn Anker’s character Kitty, probably spending far too much time railing against the Hay’s office rules that force certain irritating actions at the film’s conclusion. I get a bit salty about it and I apologize for my enthusiasm and inability to let it go but it is infuriating!

 

We end the show with an email giving details about this year’s Blob-fest in Lehighton, PA. If you live near enough to attend, we envy you. I’ve really got to try to get to that show one year.

 

Here’s a link to the full info – LINK! 

If you have any comments or suggestions thebloodypit@gmail.com is the email address and we’d love to hear from you. Thank you for listening to the podcast and we’ll be back soon! 

Apple Podcast LINK 

MP3 Download LINK 

Video - SHERLOCK HOLMES & THE VOICE OF TERROR (1942)

Those following The Bloody Pit podcast and our ongoing series on the Universal Horror films of the 1940's will know that this is the subject of our next episode. No - it's not a horror film in the strictest sense but it does have horrific elements. And by including the Holmes movies from the studio we get to talk about some incredible actors and the restrictions placed on movies of the period. Plus, the entries later in the run that are unabashed horror movies are best enjoyed with a firm grounding in what came before. 

Enjoy this excellent print of the movie on YouTube and join us in a few days for a lengthy discussion. 

THE MAN WHO WAS SHERLOCK HOLMES (1937)

Since reading a collection of the Sherlock Holmes stories when I was around ten years old, I've been a fan of the character and those original Doyle tales. For a long time I was very resistant to adaptations of the stories or uses of the character that strayed from the canon in any way. But a few decades ago, I gave up such silly restrictions on my enjoyment and embraced an exploration of various authors interpretations of the character. This includes an openness to changing the setting (outer space), the possible gender (American television) and even the time period of the life of Holmes (Rathbone’s 1940’s movies). Regardless of some of the more extraneous details of a Sherlock adventure, as long as the characters act correctly and react intelligently to the circumstances of the mysteries placed in front of them, I find myself enjoying most pastiches I come across.  

My constant searching for new variations and additions to the noncanonical Holmes literary tradition often turns up things that seem like they might be played for comedy and in those cases I tend to stay away. Sherlock Holmes played for comedy instead of Sherlock Holmes stories with comedic moments within them always seem a little forced to me. But my curiosity about the German film THE MAN WHO WAS SHERLOCK HOLMES was strong enough for me to give it a shot and make it a blind buy. The fact that it was made and released in 1937 in a country being led by a dictator made me even more interested to see just what it might be. What a surprise!

The movie follows two men in Europe who stop a passing passenger train and give the impression that they are the actual Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. We are privy immediately to the fact that they are not those famous people and they seem to be pulling a con to get free transport to their destination. Once they leave the train, they use their faked identifies to obtain a hotel suite and are then pulled by the police into a stymied criminal investigation. Leaning into their roles the men proceed to act like detectives and start uncovering some interesting connections.

I’ll not spoil the film anymore because I think it is well worth seeking out with as little story information as possible. The delights of the plot are best discovered as cold as can be arranged. I haven’t enjoyed a ‘Holmes’ tale this much in years and this fine film is easily one of the best new finds of 2021. I haven’t smiled this much at the finale of a movie in years! Brilliant!

Magazine - Little Shoppe of Horrors #44

I should have already mentioned that the latest issue of the venerable magazine focused on the classic Hammer films has come out. You can order it at the LINK HERE and pick up any back issues that you might have missed. The 'zine is always filled to the brim with great information, interviews and reviews that range all over the Hammer landscape and off occasionally into other British production houses from the 50's, 60's and 70's as well. I can't recommend Little Shoppe more highly so if you've never read an issue you can jump in anyplace that most interests you and find hours of good reading. It's a horror fan's dream come true. 

LSOH Website

Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes Poster Art