Review of "Sherlock Holmes: Fatal Hour," a 1931 film starring Arthur Wontner as Sherlock Holmes

 Review of

Sherlock Holmes: Fatal Hour, a 1931 film starring Arthur Wontner as Sherlock Holmes

Four out of five stars

Need to view it in historical context

 Fans of Sherlock Holmes familiar with the later episodes starring Basil Rathbone will likely be disappointed with this movie. However, if  viewed in a historical context where the movie producers and actors were still learning their craft, it can be entertaining. One aspect of this movie is how physically close the actors sometimes are to each other.  The dialog is often delivered with a brusqueness that comes across as overbearing and the acting is frequently stiff. 

 This movie was released in 1931, when the players at all levels were still learning how to include dialog. The first movie with sound had been released in 1927, so the path to crisp and effective dialog was still unproven. 

 The plot is a simple one. A member of the British government is being blackmailed into transporting counterfeit British pounds out of the country where they could more easily be passed on. Professor Moriarty, the archenemy of Sherlock Holmes is the leader of the criminal enterprise that is behind the plot. He pays a visit to Holmes in a disguise that is overbearing but does not fool Holmes as to his true identity. 

 My purpose in watching the movie was to get some historical background of the evolution of the Holmes character on film. I am a big fan of the character, having read all of the original stories several times as well as watched most of the movies and read the later books by other writers. Sometimes, to appreciate the later work one must first study the earlier versions. In this case, my plan worked as I now have a better understanding of how the character has evolved on film.


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