The Speckled Band (1931)** 1/2 (out of 4) After the mysterious death of her sister, Helen Stonor (Angela Baddeley) asks Sherlock Holmes (Raymond Massey) and Dr. Watson (Athole Stewart) to investigate her stepfather (Lyn Harding) who at times can have a mean streak and might have a reason for the sisters to be dead.Sir Author Conan Doyle always stated that "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" was his favorite Holmes story and it's easy to see why, although it's pretty hard to judge this film. I say that because it was originally at least 66-minutes and possibly 90-minutes but the only thing that survives is a print running 49-minutes. Obviously that's a lot of footage to be missing and it's clear as you watch the film because there are some rough edits at times. With so much footage missing it's hard to fully judge the movie but there's still a fairly complete story here to follow.I think one of the most interesting aspects was the casting of Massey as Holmes. The actor was still very much unknown when he took on the role but would eventually gain fame playing Abraham Lincoln. In this film, I found him to be a pretty entertaining Holmes and especially with some of the wit and humor that he displayed. He certainly had the look for the character and it's really too bad that he's not on screen more. Stewart, perhaps the only bald Watson, is decent in his role but doesn't stand out too much. Baddeley is charming in her role as the stressed sister but it's Harding who steals the film and not in a good way. His over-dramatic, theatrics like performance is so over-the-top that you can't help but laugh at times. Let's just say he leave to doubt at what type of person the character is.Again, with so much missing it's hard to judge the film. There's a subplot involving gypsies that might have played out more in the longer version and I'm also curious if Holmes had a bigger role. The film was obviously shot on a small budget and it shows at times but there's still a mildly entertaining movie here. Fans of Holmes will certainly want to check it out.

I just watched this as the last Holmes movie in a CD set I bought-it's really quite interesting to see Holmes evolve over the different eras and actors. I'd like to rate this particular Holmes movie higher except for the fact that like most packaged movies of this era the sound quality is relatively poor which makes viewing difficult. In the end, it's fun to watch period films like this and for one hour take a stroll back in time to the 1930's.Raymond Massey has a fine 1930's take on Holmes, including partiality to lounging around in a houserobe while making numerous deductions along with some light-hearted needling of Dr. Watson. The essence is here, much to appreciate but again just a tad bit lacking on the sound quality for total enjoyment.

It is clear to see why Sherlock Holmes has been popular in film, with the care and quality given to this early film as an example. When this was produced, all the stories had been written, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was dead. Audiences of the day had perhaps seen a few screen versions--most likely the awful John Barrymore vehicle--but Holmes was already known all over the English-speaking world. So here, before the B movies of the '40's, we have a really fine production that is beautifully true to Sir Arthur's creation. Raymond Massey, a young Canadian actor in his first film outing, interprets the part solidly, and imaginatively. The pace is a little slow for modern tastes, but perhaps that is respect. An admirable effort.

This is exactly the kind of thing I look for in an old Sherlock Holmes movie; atmospheric, almost Victorian, with old clichés played straight.The villain almost twirls his mustache. The whole thing creates perfectly creepy suspense with beautiful camera work and expressionistic sets that still have that silent movie movie, though four or so years into the sound era. Montage sequences pop up frequently, and the actors are often caught in a profile. Shots are often in deep focus, with shafts of light illuminating a distant figure in white - most often the heroine, terribly vulnerable in the cavernous spaces of the derelict old mansion. Simple suspense techniques remain effective, and the movie conjures a far more convincing world of fairy-tale menace than the Sherlock Holmes movies of just a few years later, when the light gets flat, the sets get thin, and the puzzle aspect of the crime overwhelms the horror and suspense. To my way of thinking, Sherlock Holmes movies should have a Grand Guignol element that borders on the supernatural; the more they become just puzzling crimes, the less interesting they are.