One of the quintessential Halloween season programs is The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939), directed by Sidney Lanfield and produced by wunderkind Irving Thalberg. It introduced the world to Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes in what is widely considered the definitive portrayal of the titular detective. Whenever entertainment sites publish articles about roles actors were born to play - Basil Rathbone is always near the top of the list. It’s like he walked off the pages of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and onto a movie set.
With its gothic black-and-white photography, tight pace, crisp dialogue, captivating ghost story, and iconic performances, it’s no surprise The Hound of the Baskervilles has endured while other films from its era have faded. It’s also a go-to fave for more squeamish viewers who still want to watch a horror flick on Halloween. And teachers are comfortable throwing it on for their kids while they eat candy on the big day. It’s old, but still fresh and holds their attention.
Unfortunately, being one of a handful of universally embraced films from the 1930s that is accessible to generation after generation has led to it being played out. The Hound of the Baskervilles as a story has also been beat to death, with several theatrical film and TV adaptations being produced throughout the years.
Fortunately for genre fans that want more of that lush black-and-white photography, spooky atmosphere and Rathbone’s Holmes, there’s a few other films in the series worth watching this Halloween.
In total, there are fourteen films in the series featuring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson respectively. The first two classics were produced by MGM and the subsequent films produced by Universal. HD versions of these films are widely available on YouTube. The series on a whole is renowned for its consistent quality and watchability.
The Scarlet Claw (1944)
Many consider this haunter to be as good as the two MGM classics, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, both released in 1939. It’s certainly the best of the Universal series and, from the jump, establishes itself as a Halloween tale with its tavern talk of ghosts and ghouls. Whenever the village bell rings, death strikes as a murderous phantom stalks the villagers. While the distressed working-class folks in the foggy Canadian village insist “it is the work of the supernatural,” Sherlock Holmes will have none of it, and sets out to find the real culprit.
Despite the brisk pace and shorter run time, The Scarlet Claw never feels rushed or underdeveloped, and the mystery’s swerves are earned and well plotted. With its Halloween vibes and gorgeous black-and-white photography sculpted by none other than Universal monster movie veteran George Robinson, this is one you don’t want to skip. Like The Hound of the Baskervilles, this one will thrill both horror fans and Holmes fans alike. This is a classy, vintage chiller that reeks of ‘reason for the season’ and deserves to be in any genre lover’s rotation this October.
The Pearl of Death (1944)
The bodies pile up as Sherlock Holmes and an interesting cast of characters race to track down a priceless pearl in this loose adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventure of the Six Napoleons. This is a very well-mounted noir with Universal horror flourishes. The Hoxton Creeper, an oversized and disfigured killer portrayed by Rondo Hatton, would go on to appear in two more Universal pictures independent of Holmes - House of Horrors (1946) and The Brute Man (1946). In 2002, ‘The Rondo Awards’, honoring outstanding achievements in horror genre journalism and scholarly research, were created in his honor, and the award itself is a bust of the iconic Creeper character that originated in The Pearl of Death.
While The Pearl of Death lacks the gothic atmosphere and haunting locales of some of the other horror-centric Holmes films, it is easily one of the best films in the series and is significant for introducing one of Universal’s iconic, if lesser-known, horror villains in the Creeper. Genre fans will no doubt wish the Creeper appeared earlier in the film and with more frequency, though cinephiles of all shapes and sizes will appreciate the well-rounded narrative, exquisite photography, and the effort director Roy William Neil and co. put into producing a top-tier caper.
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943)
When Universal took over the franchise, they enlisted Holmes to join the war effort in successful WW2 propaganda films such as Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942), Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942), and Sherlock Holmes Goes to Washington (1943). However, the suits understood the patriotic fervor wouldn’t last and brought Holmes back to reality in this film in an attempt to ape the gothic stories the studio was known for while still honoring the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Kudos to screenwriter Bertram Millhauser for setting the film in a convalescent home for WW2 patients suffering from combat shock. This gives the film an additional off-kilter feel from the outset. There’s a difference between tight and slight, however, and this one could have been fleshed out a bit more. The handling of the villain is wonky, and the ending falls flat.
Stalwart Holmes director Roy William Neil appears restrained by both the budget and the location, despite now iconic scenes like the ‘human chess board.’ Veteran cinematographer Charles Van Enger, who would later go on to shoot the classic Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), rises to the occasion, but despite everyone’s best efforts, it comes up a hair short. A fan favorite, this is a respectable if not entirely successful entry in the series.
House of Fear (1945)
A secluded cliffside Scottish castle is the eerie setting for this grisly tale. Distinguished single dudes with piles of money that are part of an exclusive club begin getting bumped off one by one after receiving a mysterious letter. Holmes is brought in to solve the crime before more folks wind up dead. He’s only partially successful. The film is a loose adaptation of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story The Five Orange Pips, but let’s not kid ourselves - this is Holmes by way of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None through and through. Candelabras, shadowy staircases, dark and stormy nights, and bravura black-and-white compositions make this one a cozy October screener. Perhaps a bit too cozy.
The last thing anyone wants to watch in 2026 is another adaptation of Christie’s And Then There Were None, but thanks to the always game cast, some self-deprecating wit and narrative momentum, this one manages to draw you in and you won’t see the twist ending coming. This film is rightfully regarded as a high spot in the series, though more critical viewers will notice a bit of a conveyor belt feel to the proceedings. Eternally loyal Holmes director Roy William Neil, now seven films deep in the series, may have been feeling some franchise fatigue and this comes off as a bit of a quickie, especially after the tender loving care that went into the two stellar films in the series that proceeded it.
--Damian K. Lahey