SHERLOCK HOLMES' FATAL HOUR(1931)
(AKA "The Sleeping Cardinal", the UK original title!!)
This is really very good!! Those who pan it
are obviously not interested in deductive
detective work, as this has a lot of that in
it!! The first meeting of Holmes and Moriarty,
there's a lot of bantering with little action!
But this really doesn't need it! The whole caper
is about forgery!!
BTW, this is also known as "The Sleeping Cardinal",
which refers to a painting!! A
From an IMDb.com customer:
Wontner makes a good Holmes and Fleming makes
a good Watson. Mrs. Hudson is a down to earth
mum, and Lestrade is a bumbler. Moriarty is
etched rather nicely by Norman McKinnel.
The photography and action at the outset are
intriguing.
Despite its faults, the acting carries the
story. I do like this depiction of Holmes
and Watson. I will watch the others done by
Wontner, just as I've watched those done
by Rathbone and Brett.
The fault is that it's done as a stage play,
not as a movie. All or most all the action
occurs off stage. In later years, the stories
would be enacted quite differently and take
advantage of a much broader range of locations.
Being stage bound and set bound, it's a talk
fest. Should that dissuade you from checking
it out? No, I don't think so. - msroz