The House of Fear
Page Two

THE HOUSE OF FEAR ABOVE-PAR SHERLOCK HOLMES ENTRY

One of the better entries in Universal's long-lived Sherlock Holmes series, "The House of Fear" will fully satisfy in action spots and make a good supporting dualler in the naborhoods. Based on the Conan Doyle tale, "The Adventures of the Five Orange Pips," this is laid in the shuddery setting of Drearcliff, a mysterious Scottish mansion inhabited by a half-dozen retired gentlemen each of whom receives a warning before meeting a violent death. Even Sherlock Holmes, who is aided by the loyal, blundering Dr. Watson and later annoyed by the bluff Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard, is stumped for a while, but he finally reveals an amazing solution — one that will come as a complete surprise to even the cleverest of the who-dun-it enthusiasts. Although the early scenes are slow-moving, the climax has both suspense and excitement and there is no romance to distract one's attention from the gruesome happenings. Basil Rathbone, as the imperturbable Holmes; Nigel Bruce, as the faithful Dr. Watson, and Dennis Hoey, as the not-quite-bright Inspector Lestrade, give standard portrayals, while Aubrey Mather and Paul Cavanagh are excellent as the last two surviving members of "The Good Companions" club who have watched their cronies receive a death warning. The three women in the cast have minor parts.

Each member of a group of English clubmen who live together in a somber old Scottish mansion has a large insurance policy upon himself, made out to the surviving members of the club. Shortly after a message containing only five orange pips is received, one of the members dies horribly in a car crash and , the next night, another is killed after receiving an envelope with four orange pips. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are called into the case but he is unable to stop the violent deaths of Holmes Herbert and Harry Cording, two of the other members. When only Paul Cavanagh and Aubrey Mather are left, the murder of a village tobacconist leads Holmes to the solution. In a surprise move, Dr. Watson is kidnapped but Holmes discovers an old smugglers' tunnel which leads to a cave where he finds the club members all very much alive. Using Aubrey Mather as an innocent dupe, the others had intended to collect the insurance by robbing local graves and mutilating each corpse so that the authorities could not learn that it was not one of the club members who had, apparently, met a violent death.

York

—Film Bulletin, April 16, 1945

Called upon to solve the mysterious deaths of two wealthy men, members of an exclusive club known as "The Good Comrades," Holmes (Basil Rathbone), accompanied by his friend, Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), goes to the Scottish mansion where the club members lived. There he learns that each of the members, of whom five were alive, carried a large insurance policy upon himself, payable to the last surviving member of the club. Holmes learns also that, in each death, the victim was so mutilated that his body was barely recognizable. Different clues lead Holmes to suspect one or another of the members of murdering his comrades and, during this investigation, additional murders are committed until the club is reduced to two surviving members. Meanwhile several attempts are made on his and Dr. Watson's life. Holmes finally discovers a solution to the crimes though the murder of a village tobacconist, who had been shot after declaring that he had seen one of the murdered men walking on the beach. Following up this clue, Homes discovers an underground tunnel leading from the mansion to the sea, where he finds the supposedly murdered club members very much alive. He proves that they had robbed graves and had disguised the corpses to appear like each of them in an ingenious scheme to collect the insurance money.

Roy Chanslor wrote the screen play based on the "Adventures of the Five Orange Pips" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Roy Williams Neill produced and directed it. The cast includes Aubrey Mather, Dennis Hoey, Paul Cavanagh and others.

Unobjectionable morally.

—Harrison's Reports, March 24, 1945

In the plot, an eccentric company of seven retired gentlemen, calling themselves "The Good Comrades," have insurance policies made out to the last surviving member. When one by one they start disappearing, to have their mutilated bodies turn up under the most sinister circumstances, Sherlock Holmes and his faithful Dr. Watson entrain to their retreat in an eerie Scottish mansion perched high above the sea.

The direction of Roy William Neill, who also produced, has sprayed the film with such conventional melodramatic touches as secret passageways, storm-swept nights, poisoned needles, clatter-shutters, etc.

When the crimes leave only two members, Holmes strikes suddenly and comes up with a surprise solution.

Basil Rathbone's intense characterization of the famous detective, is well balanced by the blundering amiability of Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson.

Seen at the Rialto theatre, New York, where an afternoon audience seemingly enjoyed the sleuthing. Reviewer's Rating: Average. —M. H.

—Motion Picture Herald, March 24, 1945

—Box Office Digest, March 24, 1945