This is the fourth portrayal of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Wontner in his authentic old guard style. It tells the tale of 'The Valley Of Fear' fairly faithfully to the original. He was 60 by the time he made this so Wontner is just right to play a Sherlock Holmes of early retirement age. Holmes retires to Sussex to keep bees but Watson and Lestrade soon get him back on a case. The action shifts 20 miles away to Birlstone Castle where the owner Mr Douglas has his head blown away by a sawn-off shotgun.
At Birlstone Castle an old man has been taking an interest in it's old ruined tower. Holmes suspects that a Professor Moriarty is much involved in the brutal killing there. Dr Watson tries to soften Holmes' obsessive suspicion by telling him that Moriarty is just a harmless old professor of mathematics. But Moriarty is full on menace in this film rather than just hovering as in the original 'Valley Of Fear.'
Holmes goes missing from the action for a long time as Mrs Douglas recounts the American part of the story. But of course this is how the original tale was written so perhaps this film shouldn't be faulted for that. In fact the action that is being recounted is good and tells of the secret society of Scowrers. The brutish-looking Roy Emerton is terrific as Boss McGinty of the Scowrers as he towers above his fellow mobsters in his mean and mocking way. But it is good to eventually return to Holmes himself to see how he solves this intriguing mystery.
At Birlstone Castle an old man has been taking an interest in it's old ruined tower. Holmes suspects that a Professor Moriarty is much involved in the brutal killing there. Dr Watson tries to soften Holmes' obsessive suspicion by telling him that Moriarty is just a harmless old professor of mathematics. But Moriarty is full on menace in this film rather than just hovering as in the original 'Valley Of Fear.'
Holmes goes missing from the action for a long time as Mrs Douglas recounts the American part of the story. But of course this is how the original tale was written so perhaps this film shouldn't be faulted for that. In fact the action that is being recounted is good and tells of the secret society of Scowrers. The brutish-looking Roy Emerton is terrific as Boss McGinty of the Scowrers as he towers above his fellow mobsters in his mean and mocking way. But it is good to eventually return to Holmes himself to see how he solves this intriguing mystery.