- Though it is not based on any Conan Doyle story, The Scarlet Claw is regarded by Baker Street aficionados as the best of Universal's "Sherlock Holmes" series. Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) journey to Canada to investigate a series of mysterious murders. All the victims have been found with their throats ripped out (yecch!). Halfway through the film, Holmes deduces that the culprit is a demented actor, wreaking vengeance on those who've wronged him in some way or other. The actor is a master of disguise, and could be anyone in the village -- from the constable to the postman to the reclusive, violence-prone innkeeper (Arthur Hohl). Alas, the publicity photos sent out with The Scarlet Claw gave away the identity of the killer -- something we have no intention of doing here. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Menu
Side #1 --
Play Movie
Scene Selection
Subtitles: On
Subtitles: Off
- Chapters
Side #1 --
1. Open [1:20]
2. For Whom the Bell Tolls [7:54]
3. "Retained By a Corpse." [8:00]
4. Journet Interrupted [5:56]
5. Watson Inconspicuous [10:34]
6. Sherlock Holmes Baffled [4:42]
7. The Dog in the Day Time [5:13]
8. The Man With the Limp [8:21]
9. Dressed to Kill [11:42]
10. Final Acts [9:37]
11. End Credits [:28]
- Features
[None specified]
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Directors
Roy William Neill
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Producers
Roy William Neill
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Composers (Music Score)
Hans Salter
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Editors
Paul Landres
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Screen Writers
Edmund L. Hartmann
Roy William Neill
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Set Designers
Russell A. Gausman
Ira S. Webb
Others
Art Director - Ralph M. DeLacey
Art Director - John B. Goodman
Cinematographer - George Robinson
Composer (Music Score) - Hans Salter
Musical Direction/Supervision - Paul Sawtell
Screen Story - Paul Gangelin
Screen Story - Brenda Weisberg
Sound/Sound Designer - Bernard B. Brown
Special Effects - John P. Fulton
Although not based upon anything in the
Arthur Conan Doyle canon,
The Scarlet Claw is nonetheless one of the best episodes in the Sherlock Holmes series. Like most of the entries, this one has been set in contemporary times, which is always a bit unsettling. But, perhaps because it's set in a perpetually fog-enshrouded backwoods town in Canada,
Claw feels as if it's set closer to Holmes' correct era. More importantly,
Claw has a clever script that, while it fudges the tone of
Doyle a little bit, features a plot that would have made
Doyle proud. While Watson has by this point become a bit too dithering for purists (no fault of
Nigel Bruce, who makes the dithering enjoyable), Holmes as written here is near his best and most faithful.
Basil Rathbone is his usual expert self and brings a slightly keener edge to bear than in some of the other Holmes films, due no doubt to opportunities provided by
Claw's sharper writing.
Gerald Hamer strikes just the right notes throughout, and
Paul Cavanaugh plays the "is he or isn't he" game to perfection.
Roy William Neill turns in some of his best work in the series, and his always carefully framed and lit shots are especially atmospheric herein. As a matter of fact, aside from a bizarre and out-of-place homage to Canada at the very end of the film, there's precious little to complain about with
Claw. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
