The Hound Of The Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Directed by: Terence Fisher

Starring: Peter Cushing, Andre Morell, Christopher Lee, Marla Landi, David Oxley

From: Hammer

While brusque, at least this version of Sherlock Holmes wasn't insufferable like what RDJ did with the character.

This was a movie I remembered watching on VHS way back when I was a kid; as that was literally decades ago and TCM showed it last night, what better time than now to check it out? While more mystery than horror there's still a family curse, an ancient mansion out in the countryside, a creepy moor, spooky caves, and a hellhound that's a key component of said curse. Christopher Lee is the last living decedent of the haunted Baskerville family and the duo of Holmes & Watson are asked to determine if his life is in imminent danger.

Aside from it being an intriguing story from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that takes some turns, of course this was a delight as a Hammer production, having the hallmarks you'd expect from the company. Naturally, it's always great seeing Lee and Peter Cushing together... and as others have noted, subtext can be read into what the titular hound represents due to the actions perpetrated against the louse responsible for the genesis of the curse. From what I've heard, on page Holmes was rather distant and haughty, so I can't fault those qualities being present in this adaptation. This was a wise revisit as the movie is pretty good.