One of the absolute finest entries in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series, along with "The Pearl of Death" which came out immediately after this movie. These two are the best Holmes-films because they're atmospheric and unsettling horror stories rather than simple detective films revolving on an all-knowing hero. The story is worth digging into and the scenery & set pieces are terrific, with fog-machines seemly on every street corner and a mysterious villain hiding out in the marshes of a small Canadian town with a dubious name; La Mort Rouge. Holmes and his loyal assistant Watson (who seems to get dumber every film) are in Canada for a congress about the supernatural and decide to stay when they're facing seemly authentic supernatural murder case! A woman's throat has been brutally torn out and the villagers of La Mort Rouge fear there's a 100-year-old ghost at large. Skeptical Holmes, however, doesn't really believe this and looks for a suspect who's more human. I really appreciated how the screenplay doesn't idolize Sherlock Holmes too much! For example, despite his amazing deduction-talents, Holmes still can't prevent some extra murders from happening and not once but twice he arrives to late in order to stop the murderer. It might be a detail, but for me this makes the character a lot more convincing and realistic. The obligatory WWII references are more camouflaged than usual and Roy William Neill's direction is as solid and professional as ever. "The Scarlet Claw" is a highly enjoyable mystery/horror classic with some fascinating story-twists and engaging performances. Recommended!
Review of The Scarlet Claw
