Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962)

Very well executed

Great Film overall

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

First off, I am a big Holmes fan, and have been for over half a century. I grew up reading the canon, and I saw the TV series in the 50's as well as the more recent one with Mr. Brett. I've seen almost every Holmes movie ever made. My only regret is not having seen the stage production with William Gillette performed around the turn of the century (the 19th), although I have seen the silent movie made from the play in 1920.Based on all that, I think I have a pretty good tolerance for the vastly differing styles that Sherlock Holmes can come in. I enjoyed the humorous takes that have been filmed ("Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother", "Without a Clue", and "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes"). I even managed to watch "The Seven-per-cent Solution" twice. However, I was bored out of my skull by this movie. I actually had to get up and walk around to stay awake, just to be able to say I watched it all. Now I wished I hadn't.

On paper, Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace looks like a sure fired winner. Christopher Lee as Holmes, Thorley Walters (who I swear seemed to be channeling Nigel Bruce at times) as Watson, the capable Terence Fisher directing, and Curt Siodmak writing the screenplay, - what could go wrong? It might have been great had the people behind this German/Italian/French co-production not messed with the script and hired a German co-director. The end result is middling at best. Even though the movie may be enjoyable at times, it bears little resemblance to the real Sherlock Holmes. Lee has described it as a "mess". As he put it in an interview, "It was a hodge-podge of stories put together by the German producers which ruined it".In the movie, Holmes is once again hot on the trail of Moriarty. Holmes feels Moriarty is responsible for two recent murders related to a necklace believed to have once been the property of Cleopatra. Through disguise and trickery, Holmes will attempt to reclaim the necklace and put a stop to Moriarty's nefarious scheme.The best part of Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace is easily the cast. Lee and Walters are both as good as you might expect. However, I'm not sure what brainiac decided not to hire either man to dub their own voice, but it was a huge, distracting mistake. The supporting cast is populated by a few familiar faces including the lovely (but terribly underused) Senta Berger and Leon Askin (known to most people as General Burkhalter on "Hogan's Heroes"). But Hans Sohnker, unknown to me before watching Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace, as Moriarty is the real standout. He goes toe to toe with Lee and comes out looking quite good.If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes, there may be some curiosity value to this movie. Or, if you're a Chirstopher Lee completist, it's worth checking out. Otherwise, skip it.

I had my doubts about this film when I bought it, at the time I had become fan of Sherlock Holmes because of TV- series starring Jeremy Brett. Before that I had seen only few Basil Rathbone movies, which were enjoy ables but not as great as Brett's work. But I had to see Christopher Lee as Sherlock Holmes.Well, first I was disappointed, because film is placed at 1910's instead of late 1800's. But jazz background music, great atmosphere that these black and white pictures have, and of course Christopher Lee as world's greatest detective saves a lot. Also Thorley Walters gives a good performance as Dr. Watson. The scenes where Holmes and prof. Moriarty are having an intellectual war between each other's and Homes showing how much the police has not seen on this case are must seen scenes for every Sherlock Holmes- fans.Film is directed by Terence Fisher and I think it is even better then he's Hammer- film "the Hound of the Baskervilles" also starring Lee as a romantic hero. I only wish they would have cast also some British Hammer- actor as Moriarty.

Terence, Fisher has most certainly produced a fine Sherlock Holmes movie. Christopher Lee, seen by many as THE Sherlock Holmes does a fine bit of acting and Thorley Walters plays a bit bumbling but convincing Watson. (You would not know him, when you have seen him as Watson in THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES' SMARTER BROTHER) The music is brilliant and the atmosphere is very much what a Holmesian fan would be expecting. Unfortunatly the film has a few blunders as well. The most eyecatching would be the Deerstalker and Inverness which Holmes are wearing in the country. They would be most suitable for any comic Holmes where all the other costumes are very adequate, I must say. The idea of the police being of the opinion that Holmes has no right to investigate, as uttered by Inspector Cooper in the beginning is utter nonsense to anyone who has ever read the cannon. And last but not least - the time! The time warp has already been done in the Universal Series with Rathbone/Bruce and I do not like it there either. But here it is most silly. Watson is said to be driving a car in 1918 where Holes is supposed to be close on sixty! Lee does not look that old, does he. Still a very nice and old fashioned Sherlock Holmes movie. 7 out of 10.