Sherlock Holmes in Pearl of Death | Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce

Sherlock Holmes in Pearl of Death | Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce | A Pearl, A Creeper, and Evelyn Ankers

DVDs:

Sherlock Holmes in...

	Sherlock Holmes in Pearl of Death Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce Mpi Home Video, 2003 average customer review:based on 9 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm to original condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This newly restored version of the classic film includes the period war bond tag and studio logo and credits from its original theatrical release. Filled with ominous shadows and interesting camera angles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning. The famous Pearl of Death, a valuable gem with a history of bringing murder and misfortune to its owner since the days of the Borgias, finally reaches its proper place at a museum in London. But before long the jewel is ingeniously stolen. Shortly thereafter, a series of horrible murders begins, with the murderer leaving his victims surrounded by a mass of smashed china. Holmes must outwit two diabolical criminals in a complicated case that could lead to his own death.

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A Lively Jewel in the Series

Movie: ***** _____ DVD Quality: ***** _____ DVD Extras: N/A

Delightful entry in the classic Sherlock Holmes series with typically outstanding performances by Basil Rathbone as the urbane master of deductive reasoning and Nigel Bruce as his partner and foil, Dr. Watson. In this outing, based on Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Six Napoleons", the pair are searching for the Borgia Pearl, a priceless jewel which has been stolen and hidden away; time is of the essence because a gang of thieves is also conducting a frantic hunt for the pearl, murdering innocent people who happen to cross their paths. The mystery takes up a mere 69 minutes and is pure unadulterated fun, made all the more enjoyable by a first-rate supporting cast, including Evelyn Ankers as a shady lady who's a master of disguise; Miles Mander as the calculating master thief; Rondo Hatton as a brutishly strong assassin; and series stalwart Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade.

The MPI video release features a superb video and audio transfer from a 35mm print restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Simply put, it doesn't get any better than this! The picture is sharp and clear with perfect contrast, and the soundtrack is remarkably crisp and clean. Very enthusiastically recommended, MPI's release of "The Pearl of Death" is a worthy candidate for addition to your home video library.

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A Pearl, A Creeper, and Evelyn Ankers

This fun entry in the Sherlock Holmes series has a good story by Bertram Millhauser and Universal's pretty Evelyn Ankers in a rare bad girl role. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, who will always be Holmes and Watson to us all, have more fun than usual as they try to prevent the theft of a priceless pearl with a long and bloody history.

Standing in their way is lovely Naomi Drake (Evelyn Ankers) and her boss, master criminal Giles Conover (Miles Mander). A deadly figure known as the "Creeper" will break the back of anyone who gets in their way. It is the showmanship of Holmes himself that allows the pearl to be stolen, however, so he and Watson must, of course, retrieve the priceless gem.

When the Creeper begins killing people right and left and breaking dishes at every murder scene, only Holmes can deduct the reason for the shattered bric-a-brac and stop the killer. Dennis Hoey as Lestrade is left far behind, but tries to keep up with the world's greatest detective nonetheless. Bruce has the funniest moment when he employs deductive reasoning to find a lost newspaper clipping.

This is a really fine entry in the series with nice photography from Virgil Miller and lots of atmosphere. It moves fast and there aren't any wasted scenes. You get to see Evelyn Ankers right off the bat, which is always a big plus. The opening scene onboard ship, as she tries to pull a fast one to get the pearl, is a gem once all is revealed on dry land.

All these were fun to watch, even the lesser entries, and this one is topflight entertainment for fans of Rathbone and Bruce, a.k.a. Holmes and Watson. You'll enjoy this one.

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ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!

I have to say I was so excited to see that all 14 Rathbone and Bruce Sherlock Holmes movies were remastered and made available!! These are classic must see gems!!! Pearl of Death is one of the better films.

SHolmes Fan

I tend not to be very critical of these films. They are, for the most part, beautifully done and never a disappointment. Enjoy!

Not the best Holmes...

It's a fun mystery, and it's fun to see even Holmes struggle. However, it was a little intense and violent for such an old movie. The ending was especially chilling.

reviews: page 1, 2

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