Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman

Basil Rathbone Director: Roy William Neill Roy William Neill

Overview

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce team up once again as Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson in this installment from Universal's classic detective series, which gets a simple but attractive presentation on DVD. Sherlock Holmes: The Spider Women (based on a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) has been transferred to disc from a newly restored 35mm print, and is presented in the original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1 with the original screen logos and credits. The audio is mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo; the dialogue is in English, with no multiple language options or bonus materials included, though the quality of the visual presentation will certainly satisfy fans of the series.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/25/2003
UPC:	0030306754697
Original Release:	1944
Rating:	NR
Source:	Mpi Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[B&W]
Time:	1:03:00
Sales rank:	38,714

Special Features

[None specified]

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Basil Rathbone	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	Dr. Watson
Gale Sondergaard	Andrea Spedding
Dennis Hoey	Insp. Lestrade
Vernon P. Downing	Norman Locke
Alec Craig	Radlik
Mary Gordon	Mrs. Hudson
Arthur Hohl	Adam Gilflower
Teddy Infuhr	Boy
Angelo Rossitto	Pygmy
Gene Roth	Taylor
Lydia Bilbrook	Colonel's wife
John Burton	Announcer
Harry Cording	Fred Garvin
Marie de Becker	Charwoman
Stanley Logan	Colonel
Belle Mitchell	Fortune teller
John Roche	Croupier
John Rogers	Clerk
Donald Stuart	Artie

Technical Credits

Bertram Millhauser

Roy William Neill	Director,Producer
William Austin	Editor
William Austin	Editor
Russell A. Gausman	Art Director
James Gibbon	Editor
John B. Goodman	Art Director
Bertram Millhauser	Screenwriter
Martin Obzina	Art Director
Hans J. Salter	Score Composer,Musical Direction/Supervision
Charles Van Enger	Cinematographer
Vera West	Costumes/Costume Designer

Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Open [1:21]
2. the Pajama Suicides [4:16]
3. The Death of Sherlock Holmes [6:07]
4. A Female Moriarty [2:52]
5. Luck Be a Lady [4:40]
6. "Just Adrea." [4:05]
7. The Pajama Game [5:31]
8. The Spider Woman Strikes Back [13:24]
9. Spider Man [8:05]
10. The Shooting Gallery [5:12]
11. The Moving Target [5:57]
12. End Credits [:39]

Menu

Side #1 --
   Play Movie
   Scene Selection
   Subtitles: On Off

Editorial Reviews

While owing only the slightest allegiance to actual Arthur Conan Doyle stories, Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman is a thoroughly enjoyable entry in the long-running detective series from Universal. Yes, as if too often the case with the series, there are a number of places where the viewer -- especially longtime Holmes aficionados -- may cry, "Oh, come now, Holmes is smarter than that!" (In this film, this is especially true of the candy wrapper incident, although the sequence up until that point has been handled with great skill.) But the need to "dumb" Holmes down slightly in order to fulfill the dictates of plot is handled much better in Spider Woman than in some of the other films. The majority of Spider Woman's screenplay is fast and clever, and the climactic shooting gallery sequence is a doozy. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are once again in very fine form, with the chemistry between the two especially cozy and lovable. Even better, Spider Woman boasts a wonderfully entertaining turn from Gale Sondergaard, who almost always knew how to make evil dangerously alluring and attractive. Roy William Neill directs with his customary efficiency, finding time as usual for a surprising number of shots that show flair and invention. All in all, Spider Woman is crackling good fun in a mystery thriller vein.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler