A Study In Terror

…

Rating 3


Directed by James Hill

Written by Donald Ford and Derek Ford, based on characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle

Starring John Neville, Donald Houston, John Fraser, Anthony Quayle, Barbara Windsor, Adrienne Corri, Frank Finley, Judi Dench, Robert Morley and Cecil Parker


Sherlock Holmes goes up against Jack the Ripper.

This little-known but influential 1965 British film has much in common with Hammer Films productions of the period, and indeed with the 1959 Hammer version of ‘The Hound Of The Baskervilles’, starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Quite gruesome at times, it veers between schlock-horror and serious thriller, just about getting the mix right.

There is fun to be had from spotting well-known faces amongst the cast, including ‘Carry On’ stalwart Barbara Windsor and, in a relatively early role, Judi Dench. John Neville, who plays Holmes, found fame later on in life when Terry Gilliam cast him in the lead role of his mega-budget 1988 film ‘The Adventures of Baron Munchausen’. He will also be well known to fans of ‘The X Files’ for his recurring role in that much-loved series.

Anyone with an interest in Sherlock Holmes or Hammer films (although this is not a Hammer production) would almost certainly find something to enjoy here.



…