The Speckled Band (1931)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Absolutely the worst movie.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and get a lot of enjoyment out of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. Also love Basil Rathbone's and especially Jeremy Brett's interpretations to death. So would naturally see any Sherlock Holmes adaptation that comes my way, regardless of its reception.Furthermore, interest in seeing early films based on Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories and wanting to see as many adaptations of any Sherlock Holmes stories as possible sparked my interest in seeing 'The Speckled Bamd', especially that it was an early film version, to see Raymond Massey in an early role and with such a great story to work from.'The Speckled Band' is one of Conan Doyle's most famous stories and also one of his best. It has a clever and intriguing mystery, one of Conan Doyle's most colourful antagonists and an ingenious final solution. As said by me many times, there are better Sherlock Holmes-related films/adaptations certainly than 1931's 'The Speckled Band', the best of the Jeremy Brett adaptations and films of Basil Rathone fit under this category. It's not one of the worst either, it is better than all the Matt Frewer films (particularly 'The Sign of Four') and also much better than the abominable Peter Cook 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'.How does 'The Speckled Band' fare? Not too badly, though it could have been much more. Not great, not terrible. More an uneven film, sadly also available via a pretty dreadful print that looks cheap, has a choppy feel and very primitive in sound. 'The Speckled Band' won't be for everybody. As has been said in previous reviews, it has a tendency to drag and can be stagy and talky, almost like a filmed stage play of the time. Not all the acting works. Athole Stewart is a somewhat dull Watson, instead of any loyalty and dignity or blustering and bumbling (much prefer Watson portrayed as the former) he is rather vanilla, although his sensibility, helpfulness and resourcefulness are intact. Angela Baddely is rather histrionic Helen, adopting an acting style that is reminiscent of very early silent melodrama. On the other hand, Raymond Massey is very good as Holmes. Not definitive certainly, but indicative that he should have done more Sherlock Holmes films. Lyn Harding's performance will divide, and has divided, viewers. It is a very theatrical performance yes but also an imposing and menacing one, that Rylott is far from the most subtle of characters in the first place is likely to account for the theatricality. Apart from the print hindering it, there is a real sense of sinister atmosphere to the visuals. They are starkly beautiful and suitably noir-ish, complete with handsome and evocative costume and production design.Dialogue may be talky but it is very literate and thought-provoking too, and has enough of Conan Doyle's style. The film quite faithfully adapts the source material, and keeps the mystery's cleverness and intrigue as well as the denouement's ingenuity. In conclusion, interesting and not bad at all though not mind-blowing. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Had I seen the director's cut of The Speckled Band I might have given it a higher rating. But the version I saw was one released in Canada and only ran 50 minutes. Still the basic idea of the famous Sherlock Holmes mystery came through and Raymond Massey was a fine Holmes.A slight change in the plot that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote has Dr. Watson played here by Athole Stewart called in on the inquest on the death of Joyce Moore. That was a mistake because Watson being a doctor and also having served in the Afghan War would have known exactly what the cause of death was and Holmes would never have to be called in.In any event her sister Angela Baddely is fearful for her own life and fearful of a coarse and brutal stepfather Lyn Harding. Harding is also a blusterer and he dares Massey to pin anything on him.Harding also served in India and that's the key to what happened to Moore and almost to Baddely. I would like to have seen the full version of The Speckled Band as it is considered one of Arthur Conan Doyle's best Holmes stories. Still as an introduction to Holmes it's not a bad one and Massey's portrayal stands up well. In fact it was his first real cinema role of note.

Now this is unusual—the excellent character actor, Raymond Massey, as Sherlock Holmes. Unusual because in the 1930s, the British film industry made quite a few very good Holmes films starring Arthur Wontner—and at first I assumed this was yet another Wontner story. Athole Stewart (whoever he is—and I sure hope it's pronounced 'At-Hole') co-stars as Watson.The first thing I noticed when the story began was how beautiful the black and white camera-work was. It had great depth and style—much more than a typical story of the day and very artistically done. The next thing I noticed was that Dr. Watson was bald—probably the only bald Watson ever in film. Now there is nothing wrong with this—it just took me by surprise. Third, and this one bothered me, this Holmes has a fancy modern office with a secretary!!! So, instead of his usual apartment at 221 Baker Street, this is more like a detective agency—complete with an intercom, typewriters and other office equipment. For a Holmes purist like myself, this is all complete heresy!! This final complaint is an odd one, as in other ways this is a very accurate and faithful rendition of one of Conan Doyle's stories. Aside from the modern trappings, the story itself is very close to the original and should make purists quite happy. The only odd thing about Massey's version of Holmes is that, for once, he is rather sarcastic and shows a somewhat dark sense of humor. Overall, not a great film but a reasonably good adaptation that should please fans of the stories.SPOILER ALERT: The 'speckled band' used in the film was not actually a poisonous snake but a constrictor. But, considering how dangerous such a snake could be, I can understand the film makers making the switch! By the way, this film is in the public domain. However, the print I saw was quite choppy in places and the sound has seen better days, so be forewarned.

I saw this film in 1931at a time when most British movies creakedalong. As I recall, this was a cut above most of its contemporaries,with convincing performances b y Massey, Baddeley and Harding.Most impressive was the opening: camera ranged through thedark halls and passages of an old English manor in a sustaineddolly shot to the eerie sound of some kind of Indian windinstrument. The sequence ended with a jump cut to the face of ayoung woman, screaming in her death throes. Most alarming andimpressive. For me it ranks with one of he best shock openingsI've ever seen. Today, they'd probably play such a scene before themain title.An interesting footnote: In later life, Angela Baddeley, the heroine,was to play Mrs. Hudson, the cook, in the unforgettable Britishseries, Upstairs, Downstairs.