REVIEW: This Christmas season, cozy up to Christopher Lee as Sherlock Holmes
Image courtesy of Severin Films / Provided by Foundry Comm with permission.
The prolific and irreplaceable Christopher Lee was an actor of the highest order, a total chameleon who could get lost in his many genre roles. From Star Wars to Lord of the Rings to his many Hammer films over the years, Lee’s contributions to cinematic history are numerous and varied. For some devotees, they may be surprised to find out that Lee also appeared as the detective Sherlock Holmes. His only movie appearance as the sleuth occurs in Sherlock Holmes and The Deadly Necklace, which was recently released on Blu-ray thanks to Severin Films.
Yes, technically Lee appeared in more than one Holmes project, including the classic The Hound of the Baskervilles, but in that 1959 feature he gives the pipe over to his frequent Hammer co-star, Peter Cushing, who portrays the detective. In The Deadly Necklace, Lee is center stage, ready to solve a mystery with his colleague, Dr. Watson (Thorley Walters).
The film, which hit theaters in 1962, is still stirring and satisfying more than 50 years after its release. The new 2K scan from the original negative makes for a crisp, beautiful image, which has thankfully been preserved by Severin. The black-and-white mystery plays out in various locations of great detail, most notably Holmes’ parlor, with its messy books and crackling fire. Although the proceedings are meant to depict London, the film was actually shot in Berlin. The fact that the audience cannot tell the difference is a credit to director Terence Fisher, working off a screenplay by Curt Siodmak.
Lee’s portrayal is unique in the long history of adapting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories for the silver screen. He’s not as quirky as Robert Downey Jr.’s retelling, and Basil Rathbone still holds the title for the most complete portrait of this complicated man. But all things considered, Lee’s acting brings a new, exciting layer to this sleuth. He’s quoted on the back of the Severin set as wanting to portray Holmes as a “very intolerant, argumentative, difficult man,” and that’s exactly what comes across. He refuses to back down, refuses to cut corners and refuses to explain himself until the last clue has been collected.
The Severin disc includes a few helpful special features, including audio commentary from film writers Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw. Also, there’s an archival interview with Fisher, with additional words about this landmark director courtesy of Tony Dalton. Finally, a trailer is included as well. Severin fans should also note that this feature can be found in one of the company’s box sets: The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection. The film can be enjoyed in English or German, with subtitles available for either version.
Sherlock Holmes and The Deadly Necklace is a joy to behold for completists of Lee’s oeuvre and for those obsessed by Holmes. It’s difficult to conjure a more fitting combination than Lee and Holmes, especially for lovers of the actor’s work with Hammer Films. One wonders how he had enough time to shoot all of these projects, from the Dracula films to the Frankenstein movies. He was a busy man, and now viewers have the chance to look back at one of the tastiest morsels from his unprecedented catalog of cinematic delight (and horrors).
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Sherlock Holmes and The Deadly Necklace (1962). Directed by Terence Fisher. Written by Curt Sidomak, based on the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Starring Christopher Lee, Thorley Walters, Hans Söhnker, Santa Berger, Hans Nielsen, Ivan Desny and Wolfgang Lukschy. Running time: 86 minutes. Rating: 
Now available from Severin Films. Click here for more information.
