In contrast to most of the other 'Sherlock Holmes' movies with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, where we know almost from the beginning who's the 'villain', "The House of Fear" is a REAL, classic whodunit; and a real complicated one, almost Agatha Christie style... And besides that, it's also got many of the features of the good old 'dark old house' mysteries - alright, the house isn't dark, but there's no telephone, and not a soul around for miles, because it's built on top of a cliff in Northern Scotland; the IDEAL surroundings for mysterious murders...And that's just what happens: the members of the 'Good Comrades' club, consisting of seven men, are being 'reduced' one by one by horrible accidents - and every time, the next victim receives a mysterious envelope with orange pips (an old Asian symbol for death) in it, each time one less... Reminds us of the 'Ten Little Indians', doesn't it? But let's not jump to conclusions. The case is VERY twisted, and VERY interesting to follow, and requires the full attention of our 'little gray cells' throughout the whole duration of the movie.The cast is supreme, the directing extraordinary, the settings creepy and old-fashioned, the plot is simply fascinating - and yet, there's also room for some humor in between, mainly thanks to Dr. Watson, grumpy but helpful as always, and of course Inspector Lestrade, slow-witted as always...IMO, except for the two 'classic' adaptations made at 20th Century-Fox, this is probably the very best of the Rathbone/Bruce 'Sherlock Holmes' movies - enjoy the masterful crime entertainment, but don't let the many red herrings deceit you; will you find out the solution??

... even though I saw the end coming a mile away. I've got the entire series of Basil Rathbone Holmes films on DVD, and I think the films were better being brought into the modern era when they were taken over by Universal, although this particular film has such a Gothic atmosphere it really could be set in either the 19th or 20th centuries.Seven well-off men in rural Scotland who enjoy each other's company have named themselves "the good comrades" and have oddly taken out life insurance policies on themselves, naming all of the others as beneficiaries. However, two of them have been murdered after receiving an envelope containing a number of pips equal to the number of surviving comrades at that instant in time. Sherlock Holmes is recruited to solve the mystery, not by the police, but by the insurance company that doesn't want to pay off seven large policies. Who gets the money if all seven die? That detail is conveniently omitted for the viewers' pleasure.Thus Holmes and Watson are off to the castle in which the Good Comrades meet. The murders continue even while they and the police are actively involved in the investigation, including a near miss on Holmes' life with a large boulder thrown from a cliff along the beach. As usual, Holmes says things that tell you he's hot on the trail of the solution to the mystery, but nothing that would let the viewer in on matters until the final scene when Holmes solves the crimes.Holmes is generous to the police in letting them take credit, and generous to a fault to his friend and colleague Dr. Watson who may know medicine but is usually neither a help nor hindrance to Holmes. However, in this film, one key detail is noticed by Dr. Watson.Of course, you have to wonder, if you know who the intended victims are, why not just round the surviving comrades up in a room with a cadre of policemen and Holmes as watchdogs, but then, that wouldn't be much of a film now would it? Highly recommended for the atmosphere, for Rathbone and Bruce who wear the roles of Holmes and Watson like a perfect fitting glove, and for the sight of the housekeeper at the comrades' meeting place delivering all of the "death envelopes" as though they were routine telegrams and trudging around the castle at night wielding a hatchet when she thinks she hears a noise, like something straight out of a Universal horror film of ten years before.

I've just watched the Rathbone/Bruce Hound of the Baskervilles, and I have to say I far prefer this story. It spares us the war propaganda story lines of other films in the series, and in spite of its contemporary setting, its old dark house atmosphere puts us right back in Victorian times. Nigel Bruce and Dennis Hoey play their standard roles, and Rathbone is his masterful self. This is one film in the series without the usual love interest or femme fatale, and does fine without them.I was thinking while watching this movie that I wish the production had been in the hands of the mid-era Charlie Chan crew. The lighting in those films was far superior. The old stone mansion seen here is a fine setting, but some atmospheric lighting would have done wonders for the story.

Sherlock Holmes agrees to an insurance company request to investigate the gruesome deaths of wealthy gentlemen living in a Scottish mansion. Each death is predicted by the strange delivery of Orange Pips to the next intended victim.Lets get the main fact out of the way first, although an adaptation of Conan Doyle's Holmes story, {Adventures} The Five Orange Pips, The House Of Fear bears little resemblance to that particular source. So purist fans of the literary aspects are in for a let down. Or are they? Directed by Roy William Neill with the screenplay coming from Roy Chanslor, this tenth entry in the Rathbone/Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes films is a deliciously atmospheric mystery piece holding its own. Set very much in the creepy mansion formula, House Of Fear, with all its off kilter camera work {beautifully realised now with the marvellous restoration job}, utilises the scope for "nothing is ever what it seems" to great effect. Thus of course giving Holmes {Rathbone impeccable as usual} license to detect with great gusto and ingenuity. This is after all what one wants from a Sherlock Holmes film me thinks? The film is also aided by some rather fine work from the sound department, winds and footsteps are sharp to the ears, again impacting on the mood to fully involve the viewer.While the relatively short running time stops it from being a fully born out mystery, and yes if you dig deep enough you will find a couple of creaky plot holes. The House Of Fear is still one of the better entries in this marvellous series of films. Sometimes it's all about the characters and the situation they find themselves in. With that, this becomes an essential Holmes movie, regardless of grumbles from purists and plot holers alike. 7/10