If you want to look at a master of spoof comedy, you need not look any further than Mel Brooks. While this particular form of comedy had been done before, rarely had it been done to heights such as Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles and Spaceballs. Nevertheless, you did not have to match this level of comedy in order to find some worthwhile humor in dramatic staples. Airplane! proved there were more than enough subjects to mine for gold. Unfortunately the 1978 spoof of the Sherlock Holmes tale The Hound Of The Baskervilles did not get the memo. Although the film is led by British comedy royalty Peter Cook (Bedazzled) and Dudley Moore (Arthur, Like Father Like Son), this woefully misguided take on the classic material rarely utilizes any of the performers to their full potential. Under the direction of Paul Morrissey (Blood For Dracula), nearly every creative decision seems to be the wrong one. While no masterpiece itself, the Gene Wilder directorial debut The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother would tackle similar material a few years earlier.
Perhaps the easiest thing this film could have done was to find creative angles to tackle the original Hound Of The Baskervilles text. While following a very rough general outline that may ring familiar Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fans, the situations our heroes find themselves in rarely feel natural to the world – I do not think Doyle had The Exorcist in mind when he was jotting down his classic. The film begins with Peter Cook bringing to life an overworked Sherlock Holmes in a way that could not seem further away from the detective we all know and love. His delivery is frankly awkward and the character traits not only do not match what we know of the character, but do not add anything humorous to the proceedings. He is only outdone by Dudley Moore as Dr. Watson; Moore dials things up to eleven with a thick Welsh accent that gains points for enthusiasm but rarely translates to anything gut-busting. Upon the arrival of Dr. Mortimer (Terry-Thomas), he relays the tale of a legendary hound curse on the Baskerville estate that may spell doom for Sir Henry Baskerville (Kenneth Williams). While Holmes cannot be bothered, Watson is happy to solve this mystery.
Holmes and Watson proceed to spend the majority of the film apart from one another; Holmes is seen often with his bogus spiritualist mother (also played by Moore) in London, while Watson is busy meeting various colorful personalities while trying to solve the case. The movie is not without some funny moments; a scene in which Watson is trying to send a coded message to Holmes with suggestions on which code would be the most indecipherable is a clever bit of verbal gymnastics. Another standout sequence involves Holmes interviewing a one-legged man (once again played by Moore) to be a runner for him. This encapsulates the perfect blend of silly physical humor and nimble verbal maneuvering that the rest of the film is mostly lacking. If you think overlong gags about a chihuahua urinating on Watson’s face sounds like the pinnacle of comedy, this movie may fare better for you. The greatest crime of this film is not how painfully unfunny it is most of the time, but that it wastes the talent of such performers as Joan Greenwood, Denholm Elliot and Hugh Griffith. It feels like a downright crime that this is one of the final performances from the legendary Terry-Thomas.
The Hound Of The Baskervilles is full of potential that never came close to being realized. While it would be easy to blame Moore and Cook for the flat humor, director Paul Morrissey should have been a strong enough personality to give some actual direction to the performers. The clashing of the different acting styles is very off-putting and the film never feels like it is flowing in a satisfying manner. You may get a few laughs out of this one, but it has come by its poor reputation honestly.
Video Quality
The Hound Of The Baskervilles comes to Blu-Ray from Kino Classics and Code Red with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1 that appears to be derived from an older master that is in fairly good shape. The presentation is pleasing throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being consistently good. Instances of print damage occasionally pop up, but overall clarity and detail is excellent. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with only minor instances of it seeming a bit clumpy. The picture can run a bit soft in long shots, but colors are well saturated in a visually pleasing way. Skin tones run a bit on the pasty side, but present with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels could stand to be a little deeper, but there is very little in the way of crush. This presentation is serviceable but without some drawbacks. Given the quality of the film, any fans will probably be content with the fact this got an HD release at all.
Audio Quality
This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that captures the intention of the film well. The dialogue is strong, coming through clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the chatter of the old bath house prostitutes to the yelping of the titular hound at the end. The track avoids most instances of age related wear and tear or distortion, but a few fluctuations display some shortcomings. This piano score that is played by Dudley Moore throughout the film is presented with great clarity. It maintains a pleasing fidelity as they come through the room. This is a track that represents the film in a loving manner. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Trailers: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided for The Hound Of The Baskervilles. There are also trailers provided for C.H.O.M.P.S., National Lampoon Goes To The Movies, La Cage Aux Folles II, Almost Summer, One More Train To Rob and The Statue.
Final Thoughts
The Hound Of The Baskervilles is not a good film, and it is made worse by the fact that it wastes the talents of so many well-known British comedy performers. It is understandable if you want to seek this one out as a fan of anyone involved, but just know that this is nowhere near the level of quality you would expect from them. Outside of a few comedic detours that work really well, this is a rough viewing experience. Kino Classics and Code Red have released a Blu-Ray featuring a solid enough A/V presentation but next to nothing in the way of special features.
The Hound Of The Baskervilles will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on October 12, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics and Code Red have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
