Rating: 
Summary: It's Holmes Against Moriarty--and the Nazis!
Review: Although the first two movies Basil Rathbone made as Sherlock Holmes ("The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes") were in the original Victorian setting, Hollywood subsequently decided that even Holmes could pitch in during the propaganda years of World War II. And so, he donned modern dress and rode about in fast cars in pursuit of Nazi collaborators, aided as ever by Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), who oddly enough was still wearing a suspiciously Edwardian collar. "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" is one such vehicle. Somewhat prophetically, the secret weapon is a type of super bomb and its inventor is a much-sought-after fellow. So Holmes goes over to the mainland to fetch him and bring him to the right side, England. While the inventor is very glad to be rescued from the Nazis by Holmes, for some inexplicable reason, he keeps leaving the flat, giving Basil Rathbone an opportunity to put on greasepaint and go scouring the wharves for this guy in cognito as a toughened seaman. That's actually the second disguise BR wears; before the movie's over, he'll indulge a few more times. Well, the upshot is that with all of his goings-about, the stupid inventor eventually gets kidnapped by Holmes' nemesis, Dr. Moriarty (Lionel Atwill), who of course puts him to the screws to get info out of him. Will Holmes get there in time? Since this review is being written in English not German, I think you can figure it out for yourself. Rathbone does a pretty good job in his various incarnations; actually, what strikes me most about him aren't his disguises, but his rather unique coiffure when he's being just plain Holmes. It is a style where the locks around his temples are brushed forward, not back, to make him look as though he were just about to set his hair in curlers. I know he does sport this hairdo again in "SH in Washington", but sad to say, this attempt to make Sherlock Holmes a trendsetter in the world of hairstyles came to naught. Ah well, what he does well, he does well, and so after the culprits are rounded up, Holmes ends the piece by reciting from the "this blessed isle" speech of "Richard II", demonstrating once again that British pluck that did indeed forestall Nazi domination. Not great cinema, but fine for easy viewing.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: Although these Rathbone/Bruce movies are stupid and are definitely NOT an accurate representation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, I generally find them quite enjoyable. Basil Rathbone played Holmes well. His portrayal wasn't entirely faithful to the character in Doyle's books, but he certainly didn't butcher the character either and I find him a pleasure to watch. Watson's bumbling (which I detest by the way) is very minimal in this one. He's actually somewhat smart most of the time in this movie. I would recommend it as long as you're not looking for something that's largely faithful to Doyle's Holmes stories. For a more accurate representation of the stories, check out the Granada series with Jeremy Brett. One Final Note: I would not recommend this particular version of this movie. It is watchable but the quality is not really worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: A weak plot does a great disservice to Professor Moriarty
Review: As a Holmesian traditionalist truly spoiled by the unsurpassed performances of Jeremy Brett as the great detective, I find it difficult to fully embrace the old 1940s Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone. If for no other reason, it's just odd to see Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade transported to the World War II era. Obviously, this film is not a product of any of the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (although it is extremely loosely based on his story The Dancing Men), a fact made manifest to even the most casual of observers by the overall weaknesses of this plot. While Holmes displays some of the remarkable talents of observation he is famous for, he can't hold a mental candle to Doyle's Holmes, and his archenemy, Professor Moriarty, displays none of the mental acumen that made him Holmes' intellectual equal in the stories of the canon.
There is a propaganda element to Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, as the plot pits Holmes in a race against time to keep a military secret from falling into the hands of the Germans. Holmes' final speech, I might add, surely did an effective job of rallying British audiences amidst the dark days of 1942. A Swiss scientist has invented a new bombsight capable of greatly increasing the accuracy of bombs, and Holmes is sent to Switzerland to safeguard Doctor Franz Tobel and conduct him and his innovative bombsight to London - before he and his discovery fall into the hands of the Gestapo. Once safely ensconced in the British capitol, though, Tobel refuses to part with his secret, insisting that he alone oversee the production of his nifty bombsight. Naturally, he soon disappears - courtesy of Professor Moriarty. The only solid clue Holmes has to work with is a piece of paper bearing the faintest of imprints of a coded message the scientist left behind (here's where your dancing men come in). Normally, a renewal of the struggle between Holmes and Moriarty lifts a Holmesian story to great heights, but neither great man really impressed me - especially Moriarty, who came across as a sad amateur rather than the greatest criminal mastermind in England. Furthermore, no matter what you might think of Professor Moriarty, I for one do not believe he would betray his own country.
Rathbone makes for an interesting and, by and large, successful portrayer of the great detective (even though it looks as if he and Shemp Howard shared the same barber). Dr. Watson (played by Nigel Bruce) is almost buffoon-like at times and barely manages to shine even in the presence of Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey). Personally, I was not very impressed by Lionel Atwill's portrayal of Professor Moriarty, but the weakness of his character here would naturally preclude any actor from excelling in the role.
This is still an interesting film with some enjoyable moments, and the atmosphere is, at times, noticeably Sherlockian, but Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon is very much in the pastiche vein and, as such, delivers only the palest of incarnations of the great detective - although I must admit the World War II propaganda aspect of the film makes it a little more interesting than it would otherwise be.
Rating:
Summary: "Secret Wepons for sail!"
Review: Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are exelent as ever in their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson. Once again, Sherlock Holmes is up against his faverate enemy. This time they must have a battle of wits while trying to get a bombsight. Not the best instolment in the searies. The plot is weak at points but hold with the humor. Rathbone does a good resighting of a William Shakespeare quote at the end.
Rating: 
Summary: This is NOT the UCLA restored version!!
Review: Despite what several customers have written (one even chastising others for slamming this DVD "when it hasn't even been released yet") this is NOT THE RESTORED VERSION, this is the dupey, scratched, and horrid sounding transfer that's been around for several years. MPI, not Focus Film, is the distributor of the new restored versions of this series. That said, if you come across a used copy of this version cheap (and I mean CHEAP!!) it has a few nice extras not found on the MPI, like the re-issue trailer (ironically looking better than the feature itself on this disc), and a generous helping of Rathbone / Bruce radio shows that are fun. But for the feature itself the UCLA restoration is the ONLY way to go.
Rating:
Summary: This is NOT the UCLA restored version!!
Review: Despite what several customers have written (one even chastising others for slamming this DVD "when it hasn't even been released yet") this is NOT THE RESTORED VERSION, this is the dupey, scratched, and horrid sounding transfer that's been around for several years. MPI, not Focus Film, is the distributor of the new restored versions of this series. That said, if you come across a used copy of this version cheap (and I mean CHEAP!!) it has a few nice extras not found on the MPI, like the re-issue trailer (ironically looking better than the feature itself on this disc), and a generous helping of Rathbone / Bruce radio shows that are fun. But for the feature itself the UCLA restoration is the ONLY way to go.
Rating:
Summary: Sherlock Holmes and The Secret Weapon
Review: First let me say that I'm one of the biggest Sherlock Holmes fans in the world. I have been waiting for years for someone to produce a DVD version of the Basil Rathbone movies. This is my second DVD Sherlock Holmes movie from the Focusfilm Entertainment group and it is no better than the first one. This one is going to be returned just like the first one was. This DVD tranfer is so dark in places you can not see the movie at all. The contrast is terrible and the orginal film had black dots and white streaks all over the place. The sound quality of this tranfer was fair. I have VHS copies of this movie that are twice as good as this DVD version. I hope someone besides Focusfilm will starts making DVD tranfers of this great series. Please save your money for a better product in the future. ---This text refers to the DVD edition
Rating:
Summary: Reread "His Last Bow"--Homes went up against the Kasier!
Review: First of all, this is not quite a Sherlock Holmes film. It has Holmes, but no deerstalker cap. no calabash pipe, and no magnifying glass. It does have Holmes keep observations, and it is loosely based (14% of the film at least) is based on the canonical story "The Dancing Men." Furthermore, it is not set in Victorian England, but during the Blitz of WWII. If you can get past all of this, it is quite an enjoyable film.
It is essentially a B spy film. Since it does not focus on Bond's gadgets, or any heroes super alien powers, you actually get a story that has a Bourn Identity fell to it. This is what saves the film--you see normal people with keen minds solving a riddle and trying to get the targeting equipment.
As a Sherlock film, it falls flat on it's face. It is a vague, pale ditto-copy of "The Dancing Men," and is barley a Holmes film As a spy film, it is fairly good, and is a good family film. The only objectionable material is there is a torture scene, which, by 1940's standard, is a bit graphic--about 10 years old and over. However, Kids see this type of thing all the time while playing HALO.
Most other reviews have blasted this film, primarily for the continuity jump from 1890's to 1940's. I would remind these people that Holmes is a timeless charter, as the Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century cartoon shows.
Moreover, the Nazi blitz was a real thing. Think of the scene where Holmes and Dr. Tobel were walking to 221-B Baker street, and cross over the rubble and bombed-out buildings. The Brits needed this film for the moral. That is why they had that corny speech at the end of the film. This was not a bleached-teethed marketing monkey or airhead exec, but a soul-surge of a people on the brink of a very real and present disaster.
For the die-hard Sherlockinas, I would also ask them to reread "His Last Bow": He was at odds with the Kaiser. Having him fight Hitler is by no means a stretch of the imagination.
This is a good Saturday afternoon or rainy day film.
Rating:
Summary: SHERLOCK HOLMES DVD SET
Review: HAVING SEEN ALL THE SHERLOCK HOLMES FILMS WITH BASIL RATHBONE 100 TIMES OR MORE , I WAS LET DOWN BY THE QUALITY OF THESE DVD'S. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN POSSIBLY DEGRADE THE QUALITY FROM VHS TO DVD,BUT, THEY DID. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT???? I LOVE THOSE OLD FILMS AND WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THEM ON DVD. WHAT A LETDOWN.
Rating: 
Summary: This Version will be better than Any previously available.
Review: I am frustrated that reviews of past DVD releases of this title are listed under this upcoming restored version. This is ludicrous and laziness on the part of someone!!! How can a review be asking customers to not buy this edition when it hasn't even been released to the public yet!! Furthermore it slams the quality of an upcoming RESTORED VERSION. WAKE UP!!!!!
I am writing this pre-review to express my Great Expectations and excitement over the upcoming DVD release of the 14 Sherlock Holmes movies made by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
For those of us who have loved and worn out our VHS versions of these films, I am sure that I speak for many of us in expressing incredible anticipation and near shock that someone has finally recognized the need to release a "restored version" of these timeless classics.
We are told that they have been "Preserved and restored in 35mm by the UCLA Film and Television Archive." This is marvelous and I have already pre-ordered Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 from MPI Home Video.
I so hope that the entire 14 movies, are ultimately released in restored condition. Especially the rarest of them, "The Scarlet Claw" which has rarely been shown on televison and only been available on VHS sporadically.
To me and many others I know, Basil Rathbone is the definative Holmes. Not just because he looks alarmingly similar -as much as is humanly possible- to Sidney Pagets drawings of Holmes from the Strand Magazine illustrations, but mostly we love Rathbone because he portrayed the same Holmes that we as readers get through the buffer of Dr. Watson explaining away not magnifying Holmes' shortcomings.
Jeremy Brett chose to amplify every negative aspect of Holmes' personality that in the written versions Watson explained away. Rathbone's Holmes has been demeaned visciously over the past years and hopefully the respect and dignity that he gave his portrayals will be seen in all their accuracy and glory with these new digitally restored releases. ... these will have to be the best quality versions of these classics ever released...so for all of us who have cursed the incomprehensibly awful releases of these films over the years...our time has almost come. Show your support for this effort by ordering a restored version of American Film Histroy.
Much Thanks to UCLA, MPI, and Whoever was ultimately responsible for the idea of doing this!!!!
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