Sherlock Holmes: The Scarlet Claw

Director: Roy William Neill Roy William Neill

Overview

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce once again portray Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson in this episode from Universal's long running mystery series, which gets a simple but strong presentation on DVD. Sherlock Holmes: The Scarlet Claw has been transferred to disc from a newly restored 35mm print, and is presented in the original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1 with the original screen logos and credits. The audio is mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo; the dialogue is in English, with no multiple language options or bonus materials included, though the quality of the visual presentation will certainly please fans of the series.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/25/2003
UPC:	0030306755397
Original Release:	1944
Rating:	NR
Source:	MPI HOME VIDEO
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[B&W]
Language:	English
Time:	1:14:00
Sales rank:	49,697

Special Features

[None specified]

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Basil Rathbone	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	Dr. John H. Watson
Gerald Hamer	Potts/Tanner/Ramson
Paul Cavanagh	Lord William Penrose
Arthur Hohl	Emile Journet
Kay Harding	Marie Journet
Miles Mander	Judge Brisson
David Clyde	Sgt. Thompson
Ian Wolfe	Drake
Victoria Horne	Nora
George Kirby	Father Pierre
Frank O'Connor	Cab Driver
Harry Allen	Taylor, the Storekeeper
Olaf Hytten	Hotel Desk Clerk
Gertrude Astor	Woman
H.J. Salter	Composer

Technical Credits

Roy William Neill

Edmund L. Hartmann

Roy William Neill	Director,Screenwriter,Producer
Edmund L. Hartmann	Screenwriter
John P. Fulton	Special Effects
Bernard Brown	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Open [1:20]
2. For Whom the Bell Tolls [7:54]
3. "Retained By a Corpse." [8:00]
4. Journet Interrupted [5:56]
5. Watson Inconspicuous [10:34]
6. Sherlock Holmes Baffled [4:42]
7. The Dog in the Day Time [5:13]
8. The Man With the Limp [8:21]
9. Dressed to Kill [11:42]
10. Final Acts [9:37]
11. End Credits [:28]

Menu

Side #1 --
   Play Movie
   Scene Selection
   Subtitles: On
   Subtitles: Off

Editorial Reviews

Although not based upon anything in the Arthur Conan Doyle canon, The Scarlet Claw is nonetheless one of the best episodes in the Sherlock Holmes series. Like most of the entries, this one has been set in contemporary times, which is always a bit unsettling. But, perhaps because it's set in a perpetually fog-enshrouded backwoods town in Canada, Claw feels as if it's set closer to Holmes' correct era. More importantly, Claw has a clever script that, while it fudges the tone of Doyle a little bit, features a plot that would have made Doyle proud. While Watson has by this point become a bit too dithering for purists (no fault of Nigel Bruce, who makes the dithering enjoyable), Holmes as written here is near his best and most faithful. Basil Rathbone is his usual expert self and brings a slightly keener edge to bear than in some of the other Holmes films, due no doubt to opportunities provided by Claw's sharper writing. Gerald Hamer strikes just the right notes throughout, and Paul Cavanaugh plays the "is he or isn't he" game to perfection. Roy William Neill turns in some of his best work in the series, and his always carefully framed and lit shots are especially atmospheric herein. As a matter of fact, aside from a bizarre and out-of-place homage to Canada at the very end of the film, there's precious little to complain about with Claw.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler