Sherlock Holmes - The Definitive Collection [DVD]

If you're looking for the best ever Sherlock Holmes Boxset, featuring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, then look no further. Your search ends right here, with this beautiful magenta boxset. I can guarentee that once you purchase it, you will be overwhelmed at its priceless value. All the movies are here and so intense and fast paced that you will have watched it before you know it. The entertainment value is unbeatable and the monochrome pristine blue ray featurettes are A CLASS. My favorite, so far, (as I have watched 8 so far) is The Spider Woman. I love the chemistry between the famous due and the comedy sequences with Nigel Bruce and how he is always mumbling and talking to himself are beautifully acted. Basil Rathbone shows his affection by saying, "Oh, dear old Watson!" I am going to watch these again and again. I love the inside blue tinted cover and stills from the movies. It is decorated with the greatest love and care so the least any fan can do is to purchase it and treasure these beautiful cult classics. I want to thank Basil and Nigel for giving their heart and soul in their performances and, coincidentally, they are also Aquarius and Gemini, which are the same signs for another famous comedy duo; namely Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Thank you so much, Amazon and to the seller too. I LOVE MY SHERLOCK HOLMES magenta boxset.

One of my best purchases! Seven discs with 2 episodes on each. We've only watched three so far but have thoroughly enjoyed each one. Basil Rathbone, - just born to play Sherlock Homes,- could never be bettered! His quick-fire dialogue with every syllable as clear as a bell, alongside Nigel Bruce as DR. Watson,- and all this in glorious black and white ! Very easy viewing;- we like it as much, - or dare I say, - more, than colour. FANTASTIC ! Get it before they're gone.

This set is absolutely stunning. And at the price - its also a 100% bargain. As a big Sherlock/Rathbone fan, in a mad attempt to get decent copies of these films, I've been buying Sherlock DVDs on many different labels since I've had a DVD player. Most of the ones I have acquired originate from USA. They've all been released in this country by Orbit Media. The quality of the pictures & sound is generally poor. Some of the copies I've paid out for are nothing short of miserable. This set absolutely wipes the floor with EVERY other Rathbone Holmes DVD on the market. For picture quality & sound clarity it is positively without rival. Quality is simply pristine. As for the films themselves - you probably know! I'm aware the Brett fans will argue til the cows come home that he was the best (and I can see why), but for me, Rathbone WAS Holmes. Nigel Bruce's bumbling Watson has been an iritant of serious Sherlockians since these films were made, but as someone who largely came to Holmes through this series, I personally have a lot of affection for both the actor and his clumsy, pompous Watson. One of the discs contains a short documentary, detailing the lengths that the producers went to get this set as brilliant as it is. It was 10 years in the making! There are expert and insightful audio commentaries by David Stuart Davies on 5 of the films. These were full of fascinating facts about a whole range of subjects connected to the pictures you were seeing; from subtle props (that I hadn't previously spotted) through to mini biographies of the actors who pop up throughout the 14 films. It's honestly just wonderful! The films are; 1939: The Hound Of The Baskervilles 1939: The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes 1942: Sherlock Holmes And The Voice Of Terror 1942: Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon 1943: Sherlock Holmes In Washington 1943: Sherlock Holmes Faces Death 1944: Sherlock Holmes And The Spider Woman 1944: The Scarlet Claw 1944: The Pearl Of Death 1945: The House Of Fear 1945: The Woman In Green 1945: Pursuit To Algiers 1946: Terror By Night 1946: Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Code ("Dressed To Kill" In The USA) Cheers to whoever's idea it was to finally give these films the respect they deserve! You've made my decade (at least in a DVD sense)!

Have watched these before and decided to get them always like basil rathbone playing Holmes price is alright have watched a few and disc's are great would recommend

My favourite Sherlock Holmes, they may be dated and black and white but still the best.

Basil Rathbone is Sherlock Holmes, he even looks like the illustrations in the old Strand magazine. The first two films were made by 20th Century Fox and set in the 1890s, Holmes traditional times. The Twelve remaining films were made by Universal and set in the 1940s, which would make Holmes 90 years old! The extras are OK, it has five commentary tracks and has a few repeating documentaries. There, however, are no subtitles for the films.

For anyone looking to collect the Rathbone/Holmes films, this is THE set to get. The films are as fully restored as they are ever likely to be, and, further more, being in PAL rather than NTSC, the image has the best resolution we will see until the eventual release of these films in Blu-ray format (don't hold your breath for that one). Of the several actors to play the great detective Sherlock Holmes in a series, Basil Rathbone remains the favourite, as his avuncular interpretation warms us to the essentially cerebral character, without making him seem weak or ordinary. Nigel Bruce as Watson remains controversial; my own opinion is that, as a foil to Rathbone, no one else would do half as well. (Other notable series Sherlocks include Jeremy Brett, who benefits from great production values, plus arguably the most accurate yet interesting Watson, but is rather too Noel Coward for my liking; and Ronald Howard (son of Leslie, a little too young and light-hearted for the part), supported by a terrific Watson and Lestrade (I think the definitive Lestrade). I restrain myself from awarding five stars to this set, for two reasons, each minor in itself. First, the way the package needs to be unfolded to get at the discs is unwieldy, almost impossible without a broad surface to work on. Second, the preferences of those responsible for assembling the set have resulted in a lack of attention to certain films, in favour of others whose virtues have I think been overstated. (Edit: the lack of subtitles is also a serious problem, as others have pointed out.) Specifically, I think The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (second in the series, the last produced by Fox) suffers from stilted direction and clunky plotting to the extent that it is in no way entitled to be called "the best Sherlock Holmes film", as apparently some have done. The Scarlet Claw is another supposed classic (another "best"), which I find to be rather a lurid mess (the DVD commentator reports that this is the film which he always found himself watching late at night as a child, which may account for some degree of sentimental attachment to it). The problem with this emphasis, for me, is that two of the most interesting films are overlooked and not given commentaries. Being the last two of the Rathbone films, they supposedly represent the decline and nadir of the series, but this prejudice does not stand up to direct comparison: Dressed to Kill has an intriguing plot involving musical code (the tune itself is a fine composition), some interesting elements included from the Doyle stories, and a memorable "period" sequence in the den of London's low-life busker community, with an enjoyable music hall number thrown in (which I assume was written for the film, as I've never found mention of it anywhere else). Terror by Night is an admittedly slight piece (it's only an hour long), but I rate it as one of the top films in the "mystery on a train" genre. Overlooking what is possibly the worst ever attempt at a Scottish accent (it took me years to realise that's what it was supposed to be!), this is a tightly-directed, atmospheric little thriller, with a superlative ensemble cast of character actors occupying the various compartments on the train (and cult favourite Skelton Knaggs does a fine turn as the eerie assassin). It's also satisfying to see Holmes and Lestrade working together with some mutual respect at the end of the film; a nice "adieu" to that character at the end of the series. These two films, far from representing the low point of the series, show some of the best aspects of the Rathbone/Holmes combination, and I hope that these films will be given audio commentaries of the same high standard as their fellows, if this otherwise terrific collection is reissued. Edit: the US re-release of this collection includes a new commentary for Dressed to Kill, but as far as I am aware this has not been released in region 2.

The 14 movies (on 7 discs) are: The Hound of the Baskervilles 1939 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 1939 The Voice of Terror 1942 Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon 1942 Sherlock Holmes in Washington 1943 Sherlock Holmes Faces Death 1943 The Spider Woman 1944 The Scarlet Claw 1944 The Pearl of Death 1944 The House of Fear 1945 The Woman in Green 1945 Pursuit to Algiers 1945 Terror by Night 1946 Dressed to Kill 1946 (Known in the UK as Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Code) Yes, I think Jeremy Brett is the best onscreen Holmes, but I grew up watching Basil Rathbone and these films are still wonderful, atmospheric movies that capture the spirit of Holmes the master detective. The box set makes a great addition to any DVD collection. Picture it; an open fire in midwinter, a glass of something in your hand and one of these movies flickering away on the TV. Bliss. I also recommend the Sherlock Holmes radio shows that Rathbone and Bruce made in the 30s and 40s, they're great too - and the whopping great 23 DVD set of the Granada TV/Brett series (another excellent buy from Amazon). I love being transported back and losing sight of the 21st century for an hour or two, and this DVD box set does that wonderfully. The DVD transfer is excellent. The films look better than I have ever seen them. Come on, get your credit card out... the game's afoot!