Movie 25 - "Sherlock Holmes: House of Fear"

Sherlock Holmes has been played by many actors, but my favorite is Basil Rathbone as the London sleuth!  Tonight's 1945 movie is one of my favorite of the fourteen (I think) Holmes movies Rathbone made with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson.  Dennis Hoey rounds out the group as the slow-on-the-uptake Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard.  This film was directed by Roy William Neill.  The only of the supporting actors I am going to list here is Aubrey Mather, who played Bruce Alastair.  He is hilariously unable to notice anything bad in any person or situation.  I think this may have something to do with the white powder he kept sniffing unapologetically throughout the whole movie.  And so we begin our story in Scotland.

This is the story of a group of acquaintances known as the "Good Comrades".  They are a group of older gentlemen who just happen to be worth more dead than alive thanks to their insurance policies.  They have moved to Scotland together to live in the old estate of member Bruce Alastair away from publicity and city life.  At dinner one night, the maid (who is a cold, monotone woman) brings in an envelope for one of the Good Comrades.  When opened, the envelope contained only orange pips (seeds for the Yanks).  The gentlemen saw the orange pips as a joke and went about their business.  The next day, that gentleman's car went off the side of a cliff and he was killed.  Next, another member received an envelope containing one less orange pip.  The group was much less amused now.  Shortly after, that Good Comrade met death.  After this, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were asked to investigate by the insurance firm who would have to pay out on the deaths.  After finding out that the beneficiaries were the remaining Good Comrades, Holmes feels there is a case.  Orange pips continue to arrive for the group, even after Holmes arrives at the mansion.  With these, Good Comrades continue to die.  As Dr. Watson suspects each member in turn, Holmes seems to have an idea from the get go.  Inspector Lestrade arrives as official "law enforcement."  Although Lestrade remains pretty much clueless in all aspects of life, including detective work.  He is funny!  When the action hits, Watson is kidnapped, Alastair is detained as the murderer and only surviving Comrade, and Lestrade is ...well...clueless.  But never fear!  Holmes to the rescue.  He finds a secret passage that leads to...  Well that would just ruin it for you.  :)

I really do love these Sherlock Holmes movies.  I have a bunch of them.  I can watch them repeatedly and still love them.  The rest of you Sherlock Holmes can try, but Basil is the the best!!!