The Scarlet Claw

source: The Scarlet Claw

One of the best in the series, only no offence but I would have preferred it to be based somewhere in the UK and not Canada That Linchpin Of The English Speaking World. If you ignore references to Toronto and French place names the village, its inhabitants, their accents and the fog would make it Brigadoon or some-such anyway! Apart from La Morte Rouge being generally populated by Limehouse rejects, this is a cracking story albeit cobbled from various sources, which doesn't let up for the 71 minutes running time. Watson is more bumbly again, and Holmes more condescending towards him as a result making for some humorous quotes and quips. Lord Penrose is the only character in here who should have been slashed for his myopic rudeness, but only the good get murdered in TSC. Poor old Watson, he sure paid for his avuncular feelings for Marie. When Holmes confronts him, the perp acts and talks more like a robot than a consummate calculating killer, something was rushed there. But a great little B film, worthy entry no. 8/14 in the series.

Atmospheric, well-cast and much different from its brethren, The Scarlet Claw looks and feels more like a classic late Universal horror film than any of the other Holmes movies. Spoilers follow. The concept of a murder mystery where the killer turns out to be one person behind many faces is always entertaining and it is well-done here. This film is interesting too because, more than any other Holmes film I know in any series, Holmes fails repeatedly -- to stop the killer and even to apprehend him at the end. It is far different in that respect from the traditional Holmes tale, where Holmes is always at least one step ahead of his adversary. Finally, the years have lent the story a touch of unintended, grim humor. One of the elements the story uses to divert suspicion away from the killer's main identity is the idea that no one would ever suspect a postman of violent crime. Times change.

Holmes and Watson are in Canada at a conference on the occult and the power of cults. Holmes sceptically questions Lord Penrose on his stories about the gruesome killings of sheep and supposed sightings of ghosts and such. However Penrose is called out of the meeting and returns to tell the group that his wife has been murdered in the same way. When Holmes gets a note sent by the dead woman before her death saying her life is in danger, he realises that it is murder and stays in the town to investigate. Although I prefer the Holmes adventures that occur in his own time this is a good example of how well the characters and mystery works no matter the setting. Here this story is set in Canada as a salute to our Allies during the Second World War. Happily, this flag waving style salute is confined to the final scene as opposed to becoming the whole body of the film (as in some of the `Holmes v's Nazis' films). For the vast majority of the film the plot functions very well as both a mystery and a chiller. The mystery side is good, even if the villain is not very good at delivering lines when confronted by Holmes - no cat and mouse wit here. The chiller element of the film is much better than I assumed it would be, the director gets a great atmosphere, even if `the beast' is a poor effect by today's standards. The actors all do a reasonable job; my only complaint is that all of them seemed to have English accents rather than Canadian - only one or two of the characters spoken in French or with a French accent. Rathbone is as assured as ever and is very comfortable in the role. As reliable as ever, Bruce is an expert at playing the blustering side kick Watson and he is given plenty of humorous moments throughout the film - a drunken moment in the local tavern and a good reoccurring interaction with the bog! Cavanagh does a good job in support - the tension between him and Holmes feels very real and adds real spice to the drama. The rest of the support is good, with colourful characters and a little cutie in the shape of Harding. Overall this is a solid little thriller - a real good atmosphere of mystery to it and the bogs are filmed with a real sense of tension that only Watson manages to break up with light touches! The feeling of loss and tension between the characters are very well brought through and make for a nice addition to the relationships. The lack of a real masterful villain is always an issue but with so much good here, that is a minor complaint.

England was at war, its very existence threatened. World War II is the first that includes new technologies of all types and is the first where movies become important. Movies and cinematic pageant were used by the Germans to define their new culture and unify vision. The Americans and British responded with amazing energy. Now go back a bit. Victorian England experienced a huge schism of worlds, similar to what is happening in America today. On the one hand, you had the spiritualist movement and a bogus science of "paranormal" stuff: spirits, seances, magic. Arthur Conan Doyle was the most public promoter of the these notions, which he infused with the vague smell of science. On the other hand, you had Darwin and a host of other scientists that were revealing the machinery, the logical machinery, of the world. Everything it seemed had a mechanical, predictable explanation. No divinity it seemed. No magic. Conan Doyle was also a talisman of this thread. He created Sherlock as a sort of cartoon, a thinking machine that could deduce human behavior. It was a bit extreme and hit a sweet spot in the public. Conan Doyle actually came to resent the character, actually killed him at one point. But the meme has grown a whole literary and cinematic family tree, all based on the notion of discovered narrative. By the time of the War, the Brits had adopted and adapted Sherlock as a sort of national identity. Cool, determined, still a master of logic but human. Watson is transformed from a dispassionate transcriber to a comic buffoon, also important to the national character. This story is not from Conan Doyle, but follows the "Hound" rather closely with the addition of the element of an actor. In Hound, the murderer was acting like a ghost. Here, he is as well but is literally an actor who takes on several human disguises as well. It is a peculiarly cinematic notion of folding: an actor acting as an actor acting as several people, on both sides of this Conan Doyle split. Incidentally, the "Lord Penrose" here in his occult society is deliberately a copy of Conan Doyle. The story employs non of the deductive miracles of the books. Actually, this man might as well have been any Scotland Yard inspector. So this is a strange thing. It is derived from Sherlock without being genuinely Sherlock. It captures all the insider references that make it intelligent. It is produced as a sort of horror movie way. The inside of Penrose's house is extraordinary. Except for the ending, it is well made. It is set in Canada with a bit of hidden disdain for the French speakers. Even in this you find an essential element of how the English define themselves, as not French. Students of the history of narrative will find this important. Fans of Sherlock will hiss. Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

Holmes and Watson are attending an Occult debate in Canada (since WHEN were they interesting in that, never mind travelling thousands of miles to be a part of it?) when the wife of one of the spokesmen is slaughtered by a mysterious phantom in the nearby village of La Mort Rouge (The Red Death). Holmes and Watson are dismissed from having any involvement in the case but when a delayed note from the dead woman reaches them, begging for help, Holmes decides that it is his duty to interfere. It's a bit longer and a bit more substantial than most of the Rathbone/Bruce movies but it's obvious that it doesn't extend to the supporting cast, who are, without a doubt, really bad actors. The first scene in the village tavern is like watching a teen soap. And one of the actors, who plays an actor, is so convincing in one disguise yet utterly hopeless when playing himself. How topsy-turvy is that? The atmosphere is forged of fog, spooky mansions and a general feeling of isolation. It's my favorite kind of atmosphere and certainly fits a Sherlock Holmes mystery even if it IS set in Canada and in the 1940s. But there are some nice shots in here. Not the best of the bunch, but never intolerable. The sentimental 'Canada' speech at the end is ludicrously tacked on however. And you never really get to know what his last words are since the music drowns it out. Anyone have any ideas?

I like all of the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films, but this is one of my favorites. Imagine you are in The Quiet Man's village of Inisfree full of quirky colorful characters and suddenly the fog rolls in and a glowing monster wandering around the marshes first starts ripping out the throats of sheep, then graduates to people. The same thing happens here, except it is in a village in wartime Canada. Luck will have it that Holmes and Watson are in Canada at a convention on the occult when the first human victim is killed, the wife of one of the attendees of the conference. She was once a famous actress. This is quite a mystery, since two of the people Holmes comes to suspect end up victims of "the monster" themselves, and yet none of the three victims has anything in common, none know each other now nor ever did. Well, they actually did have one thing in common - each had an odd premonition that they were about to be killed before it happened. The first victim actually sent a message to Holmes at the convention in Canada asking for his help, unfortunately, not in time though. You know you are in present day because of the technology being used, but the characterization of Holmes, Watson, and the villagers makes the film timeless. How odd that Universal could hit it out of the park in the 40s with the Sherlock Holmes series in the realm of suspense and even horror, but really never managed to hit the mark post Laemmle with any of the actual Universal horror franchises. This is a wartime film that rarely enough has nothing to do with WWII, yet at the end Holmes manages to find a way to quote Churchill. I'd highly recommend this one.

I don't know how I missed this one over the years, but watching it today on TCM, I don't remember ever seeing it before. THE SCARLET CLAW was written especially for the screen and not from any novel penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Turns out it's one of the very best entries in the series, up there with THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES and THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES as essential Holmes films. It has all the atmosphere one would want in a Sherlock Holmes story and a mystery that deepens as the plot goes forward but resolved in a very satisfying way by Holmes. The cast includes an excellent performance from PAUL CAVANAGH as Mr. Penrose, whose wife dies a vicious death at the hands of a killer and leads to Holmes' investigation. GERALD HAMER as a nervous postman and VICTORIA HORNE as a frightened housekeeper are also fine, as is MILES MANDER as a judge whose life is in danger from a serial killer. Although this one takes place in Canada, it might just as well have taken place on the Dartmouth moors in Devonshire--that's the kind of atmosphere it has with plenty of mist and fog to add to the Gothic ambiance of the tale. Well worth watching for Sherlock fans. Especially good is NIGEL BRUCE as the bumbling Dr. Watson who inadvertently helps BASIL RATHBONE from time to time. His blustery interpretation of the comic sidekick is especially well done in this caper. Rathbone, of course, is beyond reproach.

Of all the Sherlock Holmes movies from Universal from the 1940s, this is among the best. Unlike some of the stories that are VERY, VERY loosely based on actual Conan Doyle stories (thus irritating fans of the books, since they are so unlike the originals), this is an original story written for the movie. And the writers should have been proud of themselves because it is very, very good and intelligently written. One of the reason is that the plot is much more solid--with few of the usual glaring holes. Second, the story is exciting and fun from start to finish. Third, Watson isn't quite as stupid and bumbling as he was usually portrayed in these films (in the books he wasn't so much 'stupid' as he just didn't see the world the same way Holmes did). Nigel Bruce actually got a few good snappy lines here and there throughout the film--indicating he wasn't so dim after all. And fourth, unlike most of the WWII era Holmes films, this one is more timeless and enjoyable because it didn't feature the duo chasing after Nazis and other ridiculous things that bore no relation to the real Sherlock Holmes. Good stuff and a lot of fun to watch.

As well as one of the best of all the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films, alongside Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes(from 20th Century Fox). The only thing that didn't quite work was Holmes' ending speech, which felt really tacky. Any fans of Sherlock Holmes however will be enthralled by The Scarlet Claw. The black and white photography and Gothic, foggy setting give off a very creepy atmosphere, and The Scarlet Claw is literally rich in it. The music is jaunty and haunting without making it too obvious, while the script is one of the most intelligent of the series. It is thoughtful but brings in some funny lines from Watson that are funny and well-timed. The story is full of creepiness and suspense, some of the images and touches are some of the most memorable of the series, especially with a dead woman's hand clutching a bell-rope and a luminous "monster" stalking Holmes across a marsh. It is always solidly directed, and the acting is very good. Basil Rathbone proves with his cunning, intelligent and clinical approach to the role that he is the best Holmes on film(Jeremy Brett for me is the best overall but only just), and while bumbling Nigel Bruce brings some loyalty and brings some fine comic moments without being irritating. Paul Cavanaugh and Gerald Hammer stand out in support, the former especially stuffy and foreboding. Overall, great entertainment and of the Universal Sherlock Holmes films stands out as the best(Pearl of Death from memory was also excellent). 9/10 Bethany Cox