Tag: basil rathbone

Thoughts From The Music(al) Man (2022) on… International Lady (1941)

Today, we’re here to look at a 1941 spy thriller called International Lady starring George Brent, Ilona Massey and Basil Rathbone!

Coming Up Shorts! with… Beginner’s Luck (1935)

(available on Blu-ray as part of The Little Rascals: The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 5 (1935-1936) from ClassicFlix)

(Length: 18 minutes, 38 seconds)

After having Spanky (George McFarland) recite for some of her lady friends, Spanky’s mother decides to enter him in an amateur talent contest. However, Spanky has no desire to win, and enlists the Gang’s help to sabotage his performance. It’s yet another short focused on Spanky, and the results are once again hilarious! Spanky brings the fun, whether dealing with a meddlesome parrot or doing his recitations (especially when he defends himself against everything the Gang was throwing at him). Of note with this short is the debut of future Our Gang star Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer (although not as the character he would become known for). I laughed from start to finish on this one, which in my book makes it worth recommending (and I’ll certainly be coming back to it whenever I can)!

And Now For The Main Feature…

During the London bombing by the Nazis, Tim Hanley (George Brent) runs into concert singer Carla Nillson (Ilona Massey), and invites her to a bomb shelter/nightclub. There, they run into music critic Reggie Oliver (Basil Rathbone), who joins them. However, Tim and Carla had been followed there by somebody, and Tim decides to go down to the police station with the man to do something about it. There, he is joined by Reggie, and it is revealed that neither Tim nor Reggie are who they claimed to be. Tim (who had claimed to be a lawyer working with the U.S consulate) was actually an FBI agent while Reggie was from Scotland Yard, and they were both with Carla because she was suspected of being part of a ring of saboteurs trying to stop American planes from being shipped to England. However, the two men can’t quite agree on how to handle the case, resulting in Tim trying to sneak Carla off to Lisbon (without Reggie), where he helps her get a visa to America. While in Lisbon, Carla sneaks away to meet with members of the sabotage ring to get her new “music” (which is the code for the organization). Tim had seen her sneak away and tried to follow, but the cab he tried to take quickly lost sight of her. Reggie joined them after they got back together, and the three finished out the trip to the U.S. together. Once in the country, Carla went her way to the home of chocolate magnate Sidney Grenner (Gene Lockhart) (who was also the head of the ring of saboteurs) to prepare for his radio program (where they would use the music to communicate with the other members). At the party being held for Carla’s “concert,” Reggie goes undercover as a waiter, and snoops around while everybody is listening to Carla sing. He overhears a telephone conversation between Grenner’s “butler” Webster (George Zucco) (who is an expert marksman) and another member of the ring. After the concert, Tim finds Carla’s sheet music, and, discerning the existence of a code on there, he writes it down to pass off to another agent. When Webster sees Tim alone in the garden, he is suspicious and takes a shot at Tim (but doesn’t kill him on purpose). Carla discovers that Tim is an FBI agent, but she doesn’t reveal it to anybody else until after Tim has left the premises. With time running out as the saboteurs follow through with their plans to destroy all the planes being sent to England, Reggie works hard to crack their code. But will he succeed in time? And will Carla’s feelings for Tim stop her from continuing to take part in the sabotage (or will she let Tim get killed)?

Honestly, I hadn’t heard of this film at all until it was announced for a Blu-ray and DVD release from ClassicFlix (but more on that in a moment). I’ve come to enjoy trying out the different films that ClassicFlix has been putting out, so I was willing to give it a try (and the presence of Basil Rathbone in the movie certainly didn’t hurt its appeal). In general, the film turned out to be better than I had anticipated. I found the film’s way of showing the saboteur’s code being sent while Ilona’s Carla was singing to be an interesting way of portraying it. I have mixed feelings about George Brent’s performance, as I don’t think he fully works as the leading man in this film, yet I like his relationship with Basil Rathbone’s Reggie, as the two almost work well as a comedy team (with their main comedy bit being the language difference between British and American slang). Even apart from his dealing with George Brent’s Tim, Basil Rathbone really carries the film, especially when he is in disguise at the party (which is almost hard to notice at first unless you are really looking for it, which is saying something). You won’t really find a lot of tension here (especially since this is considered a spy thriller), and you won’t find much in the way of shootouts. Still, I found it to be a very entertaining film (and one I’m glad to have seen), and I think it’s worth giving a chance!

What’s Old Is A New Release Again (2021) with… International Lady (1941)

This movie is available on Blu-ray and DVD from ClassicFlix as part of their Silver Series line of releases. According to a post by the founder of ClassicFlix on one of the forums I frequent, their original plan was to release the film on DVD only, but they were given an HD master by the owner that was good (but not quite good enough for their main line of releases, and would be too expensive of a proposition for them to do a new and better master). Having seen it now myself, I’m still very impressed with a picture that looks quite good, with very little damage evident, and a fairly sharp picture throughout. Overall, it’s a very good transfer given a pretty good release on disk. Given that it’s part of their “no frills” Silver Series, there are no extras beyond a few trailers for some of ClassicFlix’s other releases, and there are no subtitles for those who need them (but dialogue is still relatively easy to understand the majority of the time).

Film Length: 1 hour, 42 minutes

My Rating: 8/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

Jezebel (1938) – George Brent – Tomorrow Is Forever (1946)

Balalaika (1939) – Ilona Massey

The Mark Of Zorro (1940) – Basil Rathbone – The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad (1949)

The Sea Wolf (1941) – Gene Lockhart – Going My Way 1944)

As an Amazon Affiliate, this site gets a small percentage for every purchase made upon using one of the Amazon links, even if it’s not the movie I linked to (and it’s at no extra cost to you). If you like what I’m doing with the blog, please consider using them so that I can continue to do more!

“Star Of The Month (March 2022)” Featuring Bing Crosby in… The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad (1949)

And now we have one final film featuring Bing Crosby as our Star Of The Month! In this instance, he does some voice work alongside Basil Rathbone in the 1949 Disney animated film The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad! However, due to the nature of the film, I will take a similar approach to last year’s Invitation To The Dance (1956) review, and throw in a table of contents to help find the different sections quicker!

Table Of Contents

Coming Up Shorts! with… The Reckless Driver (1946)

(available on Blu-ray as part of The Woody Woodpecker Screwball Collection from Universal Studios)

(Length: 6 minutes, 46 seconds)

While driving on the highway, Woody sees a billboard reminding him to renew his driver’s license. Going to the department of motor vehicles, he tries to renew it with officer Wally Walrus. This one was quite entertaining, as Woody dealt with Wally’s attempts to flunk him on the test. The various gags did their job, providing me with a few good laughs throughout. Woody and Wally still make for good enemies here, which makes it easier to keep coming around for more!

And Now For The Main Feature…

After Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs turned out to be such a hit for Walt Disney, he was approached about doing an animated movie based on the 1908 Kenneth Grahame book The Wind In The Willows. Walt was initially reluctant, but he ended up buying the film rights in 1938. A few years later (in 1941), his animators started working on the film. However, the movie suffered some delays in between his animators striking, and the project being shelved because he thought the quality wasn’t good enough. After the second World War ended, he went back to the idea, but decided to shorten the story and make it part of a package film. At first, the plan was to combine it with The Legend Of Happy Valley and The Gremlins (an original story by Roald Dahl), but The Gremlins ended up not happening, and The Legend Of Happy Valley ended up being paired with the story Bongo for the 1947 film Fun And Fancy Free. Meanwhile, work had begun on The Legend Of Sleep Hollow in 1946, and a decision was made to pair that up with The Wind In The Willows, with Basil Rathbone and Bing Crosby brought in to narrate the two stories due to their audience appeal. The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad turned out to be a hit, and was Disney’s last package film until the much later The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh (1977). When aired on television in the 1950s, the two segments were separated (with The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow having a fourteen minute prologue on the life of author Washington Irving added to it), which was the only way to see the segments until the advent of home video (although the Washington Irving prologue has yet to be made available on home video).

The Wind In The Willows

As narrated by Basil Rathbone, we are told the story of one J. Thaddeus Toad (Eric Blore), who resides in Toad Hall near London, England. Toad Hall is a source of pride for many in the community, but trouble is at the door. Toad, famous for obsessively following the latest fads (or “manias”), is facing bankruptcy due to his escapades. His friend, Angus MacBadger (Campbell Grant), has taken over as his bookkeeper, but he has come to the conclusion that Toad must stop with these manias. So, Angus recruits some mutual friends, Ratty (Claude Allister) and Mole (Colin Campbell), to stop Toad’s latest mania: roaming around the countryside in a gypsy cart led by his horse friend, Cyril Proudbottom (J. Pat O’Malley). Ratty and Mole try to stop him, but he develops a new interest: motor cars! They try to lock Toad up in his room, but he escapes, and is soon arrested for “stealing a motor car.” At the trial, Toad says that he had gone to a tavern, where he bought a motor car from some weasels. Since he hadn’t any money, he traded them the deed to Toad Hall. When Toad asks the bartender, Mr. Winkie (Ollie Wallace), to give his testimony, Mr. Winkie instead declares that Toad had tried to sell HIM a stolen motor car! This results in the court throwing the book at Toad and sentencing him to twenty years in the Tower Of London. On Christmas Eve, Cyril comes to visit (disguised as Toad’s “grandmother”) and gives him an outfit to escape. Toad makes his way to Ratty’s home, where they all find out from Angus that the weasels (led by Mr. Winkie, no less!) have moved into Toad Hall. His friends now know the truth, but can they get the deed back and prove Toad’s innocence to the law?

Due to the two segments being separated for the early part of my life, I’m not sure if I ever saw the The Wind In The Willows as a kid (and if I did, it was maybe one time). That being said, I KNOW I saw the song “Merrily On Our Way (To Nowhere In Particular)” many, MANY times (mainly due to the song being included as part of a Disney Sing-A-Long VHS that I wore out from frequent viewings as a little kid). I finally got around to seeing the entire film in 2020 (the first time I had seen much of ANYTHING from the movie, including the sing-a-long in nearly two decades), and I can tell you this: that song STILL sticks with me, even after all this time! Even ignoring that, I also find the whole segment to be a lot of fun. Of course, one thing that makes watching this as an adult enjoyable is the voice acting. As a kid, you could have told me the narrator was Basil Rathbone, or that Mr. Toad was Eric Blore, and that would have meant nothing to me. Now, as a fan of classic cinema, those two names mean a lot more to me, which makes it just that much more appealing! Of course, it’s also easy to tell that some of the footage was “recycled” later on for part of the Disney film The Jungle Book, but it’s still fun to see how it was done the first time. Overall, The Wind In The Willows is an entertaining segment that I’ve come to enjoy seeing every now and then!

The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow

As narrated (and sung) by Bing Crosby, we are told the tale of traveling schoolteacher Ichabod Crane. He has just come to the New England town of Sleepy Hollow, where he becomes the new teacher. He maintains a firm hand in the classroom (except, of course, with students who have mothers that are good cooks). His ways are odd, which causes him to become a victim of the pranks of the most popular man in town, Brom Bones (although Ichabod just shrugs him off). The two quickly become rivals for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel, one of the most beautiful women in town (and daughter of Baltus van Tassel, the richest farmer in the area). Ichabod manages to outwit Brom Bones at every opportunity (helped by Katrina stoking the rivalry, since she doesn’t want to make things easy for Brom Bones, who always seems to get what he wants). On Halloween night, when Baltus Van Tassel throws a party, Brom Bones notices how superstitious Ichabod is, and tells the story of the Headless Horseman, who haunts an area nearby every Halloween as he looks for a new head (and of course, the area he haunts would have to be right along the way Ichabod has to travel to get home). So now, Ichabod has to face this long, scary ride back in the dark. Will he get back alright, or will he run into the Headless Horseman?

Ah. The Legend Of Sleep Hollow. The reason for this package film being included as part of this month’s Star Of The Month blogathon. Unlike the Wind In The Willows segment, I saw this one many a time as a kid (but stopped watching it long before I got into classic live-action films). As a kid, I always found this one entertaining (but, again, the fact that Bing Crosby narrated it meant zilch to me at that time). As an adult (and a classic film fan), not only is it more fun that Bing Crosby is narrating, I can now see the different ways that they incorporated elements of Bing Crosby and his persona into the segment, whether it be his manner of speech in his narration, the style of crooning (when Ichabod is leading the three women as part of their choral society), or Ichabod’s ears. Of course, having always thought of the character Brom Bones as being similar to the character Gaston from the later Disney film Beauty And The Beast, it feels weird to hear Bing’s voice coming out of that character as well, but certainly not enough to throw me. All three songs in this segment (“Ichabod,” “Katrina” and “The Headless Horseman”) are quite fun, but it’s definitely “The Headless Horseman” that is the most memorable! But the final section, with Ichabod going through the woods at night (and facing off against the Headless Horseman) is very effective in being scary, as the narration almost disappears, leaving us to endure Ichabod’s imagination slowly running wild (and who can blame him?) up until he realizes that (and then, of course, the Horseman shows up). It’s as scary as anything I can think of from a Disney cartoon, and yet, in spite of the fact that I just do not care for horror/scary stuff (as I’ve indicated in the past), I actually like to watch it! I can’t deny that this one is definitely a different Disney story, since it can be quite ambiguous, not only in the story’s ending, but in whether the story actually has a “hero” for us to cheer for (since Ichabod is interested in Katrina’s father’s wealth as much as he is her). As a kid, this one was fun for me, and as an adult, it’s even better!

My Overall Impression

While I left this film (or rather, I should say the segment The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow) behind for a long time, it was one that I had a lot of fun coming around to when I saw the whole thing in 2020. I’ve had the good pleasure to revisit it a few times since, and it’s been a fun Disney film! In some respects, it’s one that works well for two different holidays, what with part of The Wind In The Willows taking place around Christmastime (even if it barely touches on that in the story), and then The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow‘s most famous part being on Halloween night. With the now familiar-to-me voice talent behind-the-scenes, and the very enjoyable tales onscreen, it’s one that I very much enjoy, and have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending!

This movie is available on Blu-ray and DVD from Disney.

Film Length: 1 hour, 8 minutes

My Rating: 10/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court (1949) – Bing Crosby – Here Comes The Groom (1951)

International Lady (1941) – Basil Rathbone – We’re No Angels (1955)

Romance On The High Seas (1948) – Eric Blore

As an Amazon Affiliate, this site gets a small percentage for every purchase made upon using one of the Amazon links, even if it’s not the movie I linked to (and it’s at no extra cost to you). If you like what I’m doing with the blog, please consider using them so that I can continue to do more!

An Old-Fashioned Christmas Movie On The Farm (2021) with… We’re No Angels (1955)

We’re here today for a slightly-delayed look at the 1955 holiday film We’re No Angels, starring Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov!

Coming Up Shorts! with… Come On In! The Water’s Pink (1968)

(available on Blu-ray and DVD as part of The Pink Panther Cartoon Collection: Volume 2 (1966-1968) from Kino Lorber)

(Length: 6 minutes, 4 seconds)

At Bicep Beach, the Pink Panther runs afoul of a muscle-bound freak with his various inflatables.  This one was quite fun, with all the various inflatables that the Panther pulls out of his bag that work well for him (but not so much for the other guy)!  The hunk proves to be a good foe for the Panther as he tries to regain the admiration of the girls on the beach, which certainly adds to the humor.  I know I like this one, and find it worth revisiting!

And Now For The Main Feature…

It’s Christmas Eve, 1895.  Three convicts (Joseph as played by Humphrey Bogart, Albert as played by Aldo Ray and Jules as played by Peter Ustinov) have escaped from Devil’s Island in French Guiana, and made it to the nearby penal colony of Cayenne.  There, the three convicts are able to blend in with other criminals to avoid detection, while making plans to escape via the Paris-bound ship in the harbor.  After giving directions to Medical Officer Arnaud (John Smith), they lift a letter that he was taking to store owner Felix Ducotel (Leo G. Carroll).  The rather inept Felix thinks they are there to help repair his roof, which they agree to do (with plans to later kill and rob him).  While they are on the roof, they overhear a conversation between Felix and his wife, Amelie (Joan Bennett) as they talk about Felix’s rich and miserly cousin, Andre Trochard (Basil Rathbone), who owns the store.  They also talk about how their daughter, Isabelle (Gloria Talbott), has fallen for Andre’s nephew Paul Trochard (John Baer), even though Andre himself will never approve of the relationship.  Once Felix finally opens the letter that the three convicts brought, he learns that his cousin (and Paul) are stuck quarantined on the ship in the harbor, and Andre is demanding Felix’s help getting off the boat.  After Felix runs off, Isabelle reads the letter herself, and faints upon reading about Paul’s engagement (at Andre’s insistence) to the daughter of a wealthy shipbuilder.  Upon seeing Isabelle faint, the three convicts come down from the roof.  Albert and Jules help carry her to her room to recover, while Joseph helps drum up business in the store. Later, to thank them for their help, Felix invites the men to stay for Christmas dinner.  Honored, the three help out by stealing some food and decorations to help make things better for the Ducotels.  With all the kindness and generosity being shown them, the three men reconsider their plans to rob and murder this family. However, things start going downhill when cousin Andre and Paul arrive at the shop in the middle of the night, with Andre demanding their best rooms and the account books without caring about what he’s putting the Ducotels through. Will the three convicts be able to help out their new friends, or will Andre and Paul make trouble for them, too?

Humphrey Bogart and director Michael Curtiz had worked together three times before (Angels With Dirty Faces, Casablanca and Passage To Marseille). For their fourth film together, they went with the story from the 1952 French play La Cuisine Des Anges by Albert Husson (although it later came out that they borrowed a lot without permission from the 1953 English version of the play, My Three Angels by Samuel and Bella Spewack, which forced those authors to sue). The film also featured Bail Rathbone (one of a handful of movies that he had done after the end of the Sherlock Holmes series), and Joan Bennett returned to the screen (with the help and insistence of Bogart) after a scandal nearly three years earlier had effectively blackballed her from Hollywood.

As I hinted at in the start of this post, I had actually intended to review this movie as my final film in November for my Star Of The Month, Humphrey Bogart.  That plan was delayed, as I had never seen the film before, and didn’t get my hands on a copy in time to review it then.  Having seen it now, I can definitely say that it was a lot of fun! It’s a fun story, as we start out with the three convicts trying to evade the authorities while they wait for a Paris-bound ship, and make the decision to rob the Ducotel family (but then find themselves getting involved in helping them out). The film makes use of some dark comedy, particularly with regard to the convicts’ jokes about prison. Some of the films’ most memorable comedic moments for me involve the three men “rushing” to tell Basil Rathbone’s Andre of the poisonous snake in the container he is trying to open (that he thinks they were stealing when it was in fact theirs to begin with), or their lack of worry when SPOILER ALERT the snake also bites Paul. END SPOILER ALERT It’s a different part for Bogart, since he rarely did any screen comedies, but he is effective (and funny!) in this film, which certainly helps make it entertaining. The Christmas holiday angle really makes the film work, as we have the added spirit of the season helping to reform the three convicts (and which also helps make Rathbone’s Andre even more villainous). Speaking of which, while it is a small part, it just goes to show just how good Basil Rathbone is as a villain that he can make us hate him in such a short time, and cheer on the convicts when they hope to do something about him. For being a new (to me) Christmas film, I found this one quite entertaining, and I certainly look forward to coming back to it again and again in the future around this time of the year (so, yes, I definitely recommend it)!

What’s Old Is A New Release Again (2020) with… We’re No Angels (1955)

This movie is available on Blu-ray and DVD from Paramount Pictures.  In my opinion, the recent Blu-ray release looks pretty good.  Not having seen the movie before, my best guess is that it is probably the same transfer used for the DVD (but looking better with more space available on the Blu-ray disc).  There are some minor specks here and there, and some scratches more easily visible on bigger/better screens, but nothing too distracting.  For now, this is likely to be as good as this film gets, and I certainly recommend it!

Also, if you are interested in joining in on my first month-long “Screen Team Of The Month” blogathon for 2022 featuring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, please be sure to check out my Announcing the Jeanette MacDonald And Nelson Eddy “Screen Team Of The Month (January 2022)” Blogathon post to sign up!

Film Length: 1 hour, 46 minutes

My Rating: 9/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

The Caine Mutiny (1954) – Humphrey Bogart

Miss Sadie Thompson (1953) – Aldo Ray

Father Of The Bride (1950) – Joan Bennett

The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad (1949) – Basil Rathbone

Father Of The Bride (1950) – Leo G. Carroll

As an Amazon Affiliate, this site gets a small percentage for every purchase made upon using one of the Amazon links, even if it’s not the movie I linked to (and it’s at no extra cost to you).  If you like what I’m doing with the blog, please consider using them so that I can continue to do more!

Thoughts From The Music(al) Man (2020) on… The Mark Of Zorro (1940)

For a little bit of good, old-fashioned fun with a classic hero, we now have the 1940 film The Mark Of Zorro, starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell and Basil Rathbone!

Coming Up Shorts! with… Snow Place Like Home (1948)

(available on Blu-ray and DVD as part of Popeye The Sailor: The 1940s Volume 3 from Warner Archive Collection)

Disclaimer: On the disc case, it is noted that the set is intended for the adult collector, which is because these shorts were made at a time when a lot of racist and sexist stereotypes were prevalent. All I’m trying to say is, parents, be careful about just sticking these on for your kids.

(Length: 7 minutes, 14 seconds)

Popeye and Olive are caught in a tornado that takes them WAY up north from Miami, where they run into the now lovestruck Pierre. Another formulaic cartoon of Popeye vs. Bluto (well, Pierre in this instance) as they fight over Olive. Some recycled gags here and there, but I enjoyed a few good laughs here just the same! The formula may be getting old, but the chemistry still manages to make up for it just the same!

And Now For The Main Feature…

Diego Vega (Tyrone Power) has been in Spain, training at a military academy and becoming a famous swordsman, when he is summoned home by his father, the alcalde. Upon arriving home, he sees the people suffering, and they look upon him with horror when he claims to be the son of the alcalde. He is relieved to find that it is not his father causing trouble, but instead Don Luis Quintero (J. Edward Bromberg) is in charge as the new alcalde, with the aid of Captain Esteban Pasquale (Basil Rathbone) and his guards, who are overtaxing the people. Diego is clever, and quick to put on an act to convince them he is no threat to them at all (and keeps the act going even amongst family and friends, much to their dismay). Since his father and the other caballeros can’t do anything against the alcalde and his garrison of troops, Diego goes out as the bandit Zorro, stealing the gold back from the troops and handing it off to Friar Felipe (Eugene Pallette) to disperse to the peasants. Zorro tries to convince the alcalde to resign, leave and appoint Diego’s father, Don Alejandro Vega (Montagu Love), as the new alcalde. Of course, Capt. Esteban won’t let Don Luis resign, and instead suggests an arranged marriage between Don Luis’ niece, Lolita Quintero (Linda Darnell), and Diego, in an attempt at peace. Diego’s parents are less than thrilled, but he had already developed feelings for her when he met her under the guise of Zorro, and wants to go along with it. In front of everyone else, he keeps his act going (which annoys Lolita), but in private, he reveals himself as Zorro, much to her happiness. However, Capt. Esteban discovers the loot Zorro had hidden with Friar Felipe and arrests him, forcing Diego to make one final push with Don Luis.

The Mark Of Zorro was based on the story The Curse Of Capistrano by Johnston McCulley, which had been turned into a movie, also called The Mark Of Zorro, nearly twenty years earlier featuring Douglas Fairbanks as Zorro. While the 1940 version supposedly isn’t as faithful (honestly, I can’t say how much, as I’ve never read the story or seen the earlier film yet and am going off what I have heard elsewhere), it still helped maintain the legend of Zorro as a hero onscreen. Of course, the story would again be re-made as a made-for-TV movie in 1974 with Frank Langella taking over as Diego/Zorro.

Frankly, I had fun with this movie. I had first seen it nearly a decade ago, mainly renting the DVD from Netflix. I enjoyed it then, and while it has taken me a long time to be able to see it again, it was still just as fun! I can see so much more clearly now some of the various Robin Hood connections, since we have villains overtaxing the peasants and a hero who takes from rich government to give back to the poor. Of course, the connections are strongest with the 1938 movie The Adventures Of Robin Hood, since it brings in some of that film’s cast, like Eugene Pallette and Basil Rathbone in similar roles, as well as Montagu Love (although he changed from being an oppressor to being one of the oppressed). A very enjoyable movie, and the duel between Tyrone Power and champion fencer Basil Rathbone is a lot of fun! Admittedly, we don’t see a lot of real action for Zorro, as he is usually on the run, taking the money from the guards or threatening the alcalde, and the climactic duel is actually between Diego and Captain Esteban, but that works just fine for me! I know I have seen this film, the made-for-TV remake and the two Antonio Banderas films at this point, but this one so far ranks as my favorite Zorro film, and for that reason alone, it comes highly recommended from me!

This movie is available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber and DVD from 20th Century Fox.

Film Length: 1 hour, 34 minutes

My Rating: 10/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

Jesse James (1939) – Tyrone Power

The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1939) – Basil Rathbone – International Lady (1941)

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939) – Eugene Pallette – The Lady Eve (1941)

As an Amazon Affiliate, this site gets a small percentage for every purchase made upon using one of the Amazon links, even if it’s not the movie I linked to (and it’s at no extra cost to you). If you like what I’m doing with the blog, please consider using them so that I can continue to do more!

Film Legends Of Yesteryear (2019): 1939 on… The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1939)

Up for a good mystery? Then let’s get into The Hound Of The Baskervilles from 1939, starring Richard Greene, Basil Rathbone, Wendy Barrie and Nigel Bruce.

Upon the death of Sir Charles Baskerville (Ian MacLaren), his nephew Sir Henry Baskerville (Richard Greene) comes from Canada to take over the estate. Among some of the late Sir Charles’ friends is Dr. James Mortimer (Lionel Atwill), who comes to see Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) in hopes that the famous detective might be able to convince Sir Henry to stay away from Baskerville Hall. When Sir Henry arrives, Sherlock instead wants to encourage him to go on. He ends up foiling an assassination attempt before Sir Henry leaves London, but sends Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) with Sir Henry, electing to stay behind to work on something else. After they arrive at Baskerville Hall, they meet Beryl Stapleton (Wendy Barrie) and her brother John Stapleton (Morton Lowry), along with a few of their other neighbors. The howling of a hound at night bothers them, considering the legend of a hound that had killed one of Sir Henry’s ancestors, but it is the convict brother of Sir Henry’s butler’s wife that ends up killed (because he was wearing some of Sir Henry’s clothes). Sherlock, meanwhile, has been lurking in the background, trying to figure things out. After revealing himself, he decides to pretend to leave, in order to allow the potential murder of Sir Henry so that he could catch the killer. But can he get back in time and prevent the murder?

Based on the classic story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the 1939 film is probably the best-known version of the tale. Of course, at the time, they had no idea that it would be so successful, spawning thirteen more films as well as a radio series with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce continuing in their roles. But for this movie, Basil Rathbone as Sherlock was the second-billed actor, behind Richard Greene’s Sir Henry Baskerville (although, to be fair, Basil’s Sherlock disappears for a good part of the movie). But one remarkable point about this movie, according to TCM, is that it was the first Sherlock Holmes movie done as a period piece, being set firmly in the past as opposed to being done in then-modern times. The movie’s success resulted in another film being produced by Fox that same year (also a period film, based on a play), before the series moved to Universal a few years later, who brought the series back to modern times.

Having seen all of the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series, I will say that this is the best of the bunch. While it is definitely an introduction, I do like Basil’s portrayal of the character. It may not be based on the original stories, although I really don’t know myself, as I am going off what others have said plus other big and small screen versions of the character, but I like his way best. To me, he brings out the character’s humanity without maintaining the arrogance that I have seen in other portrayals. To me, he cares, and that alone makes his version more fun to watch. The fact that Basil and Nigel were friends offscreen just heightens the dynamic here. This is a wonderful movie, and one I would highly recommend! The first movie in this series is definitely the best place to start (at least, if you want to start with a high point instead of a low one, anyways)!

This movie is available on Blu-ray as part of the fourteen film Basil Rathbone In The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection from MPI Home Video.

Film Length: 1 hour, 20 minutes

My Rating: 9/10

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938) – Basil Rathbone – The Mark Of Zorro (1940)

Nigel Bruce – The Chocolate Soldier (1941)

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Thoughts From The Music(al) Man (2019) on… The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938)

And now for the movie that brought a bit of swashbuckle to Sherwood Forest, the 1938 film The Adventures Of Robin Hood, starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains.

When Richard the Lion-heart is captured during the Crusades, Prince John (Claude Rains) takes over England with the help of his Norman friends, most notably Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone).  Under Prince John’s rule, the Normans overtax, torture and steal from the Saxons they rule over.  Some of the Saxons rebel, led by Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn).  Sir Robin, or rather, Robin Hood, robs from the rich to give to the poor (and help pay King Richard’s ransom).  Along the way, Robin ends up falling in love with Maid Marian (Oliva de Havilland.  Sir Guy tries (and fails) to capture Robin, eventually leading to their climactic duel to the death.

This wonderful tale covers many wonderful moments associated with Robin Hood. We have the opening fight at Nottingham Castle, where Robin starts the big rebellion against Prince John and his lackeys. We have Robin recruiting the people for his Merry Men, including the staff fight on the downed tree with Little John. We have that archery contest, which is intended as a trap for Robin.  No, I’m not describing the Mel Brooks comedy Robin Hood: Men In Tights, although you can definitely see a lot of the things that Mel was spoofing in this movie, including the look of this Robin Hood.

Speaking of the casting, one can’t help but feel this is about as close to perfection as you could hope for with a Robin Hood movie!  Olivia de Havilland works as a Maid Marian, who at first sides with her Norman people, but comes to realize that Robin is right, and tries to help him out (even helping to plan his escape)! Then there’s Basil Rathbone, one of the greatest swordsman in Hollywood, perfectly cast as the villainous Sir Guy of Gisbourne, who gives Robin Hood a run for his money! And Alan Hale, in his second outing in the movies as Little John (preceded by his appearance in the 1922 silent Robin Hood, and followed by the 1950 movie Rogues Of Sherwood Forest). Of course, we can’t forget about Robin Hood himself, as played so well by Errol Flynn! It’s hard to imagine anybody else being cast in the role, but he wasn’t the first choice! James Cagney was (until he walked off the set and they had to replace him)! Personally, I can’t see James Cagney as the classic type of Robin Hood (however if he was done as a 1930s-style gangster as they did for Frank Sinatra with Robin And The 7 Hoods a quarter of a century later, then I could see it). However you want to look at it, this is a wonderful movie, and one I would highly recommend as one of the best Robin Hood movies!

This movie is available on Blu-ray from Warner Home Video and on DVD from Warner Archive Collection.

Film Length: 1 hour, 42 minutes

My Rating: 10/10

Audience Rating:

List Of Actor/Actress Filmographies/Collections

Errol Flynn – Dodge City (1939)

Basil Rathbone – The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1939)

Claude Rains – Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)

One Hundred Men And A Girl (1937) – Eugene Pallette – Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)