Sherlock Holmes Movie Review, The Woman in Green

With Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson

Sep 21, 2009

The Woman in Green is considered one of the best of the 1940s Sherlock Holmes film series from Universal Studios, benefiting from good acting and a fast paced script.

In 1939 20th Century Fox released two Holmes movies, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Portraying the lead roles of Holmes and Dr. Watson were Basil Rathbone (1892-1967) and Nigel Bruce (1895-1953). Both films were well received by audiences, in part due to the screen presence of both actors.

Basil Rathbone as Holmes

The South African born Rathbone, who had often been cast as a sophisticated villain in previous costume dramas and swashbucklers, was an ideal choice for the part. His height of 6-1 and facial features, particularly his aquiline nose and high forehead, nearly matched the literary Holmes as described by Doyle.

Trained on the Shakespearean stage, Rathbone was able to bring a grave and dignified sophistication, and often seemingly cold-hearted edge, to the role. This combination of physical looks and acting skills has made the actor the definitive Holmes in the eyes of many.

Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson

English born Bruce came to America in 1934 where he typically played buffoonish, fuzzy-minded characters in the movies. He would bring these same traits to the role of Watson and, in so doing, would alienate Holmes purists who point out that Doyle’s Watson was actually a younger, more intelligent, and quite capable character.

It appears that it was upon Rathbone’s recommendation that his good friend Bruce was chosen for the role and he always defended the choice. To Rathbone, Bruce’s good natured and loveable, if sometimes slow, characterizations were the perfect complement to the often coldly, calculating persona of Holmes.

Universal Studios and Sherlock Holmes

In 1942 Universal Studios bought the rights to the Doyle stories and signed the two men to star in what would become a series of 12 Holmes movies, the last released in 1946. The ninth in the series was The Woman in Green (1945) and was loosely based on Doyle’s The Empty House.

Synopsis of The Woman in Green

Several young women have been murdered and their right forefingers severed, leaving Londoners fearful that a new Jack the Ripper has appeared in the city. Chastised by his superior for making little headway on the case, Inspector Gregson (Boulton) turns to Sherlock Holmes for help. Holmes believes the murders are not done by a deranged serial killer, but are part of a larger scheme.

His theory is shortly confirmed when the daughter of Lord Fenwick (Cavanagh) brings a woman’s finger that she saw her father bury in the family’s garden to Baker Street. His lordship is then discovered murdered and 10,000 pounds missing from his bank account. This leads Holmes to suspect a large scale blackmail scheme.

Following a series of clues, Holmes follows the trail to a beautiful and alluring hypnotist named Lydia (Brooke), a strange “Dr. Simnell” with a fetish for mutilating dolls with a scalpel, and Holmes’ old nemesis, Professor James Moriarty (Daniell).

Analysis of The Woman in Green

There are a few flaws, real and perceived, in the movie. The character of Dr. Simnell is never really explained or developed. It is presumed that he is the actual murderer, but he only appears briefly and then fades rapidly into the background. Some viewers could also reasonably argue that the beguiling Lydia appears to be more of a mastermind than the “Napoleon of Crime,” Moriarty.

These are minor concerns. Overall, The Woman in Green is a nice little movie with a quickly moving and tightly constructed storyline. Director Neill and his cameraman create an effective atmosphere with their use of light and shadow, and sometimes odd camera angles.

Except for one scene where he is hypnotized, Nigel Bruce’s Watson is shown more as loyal assistant and confidant than court jester. The character of Inspector Gregson, unlike most policemen in the Universal series, is portrayed as a quite competent professional.

Besides Rathbone and Bruce, the other leading and supporting actors are good. The seductiveness of Hillary Brooke’s Lydia makes it easy for the viewer to see why men could fall for her fake charms and be led into blackmail. Eve Amber as Fenwick’s daughter has a very small role but does it convincingly.

Several different men played Moriarty in the series and Rathbone felt that Henry Daniell was the best combining just the right amount of detachment, even boredom, with mild amusement. His scene with Holmes about how fitting it would be to die together comes across as fatalistic but, at the same time, oddly pleasant.

The Woman in Green DVD

The Woman in Green appears occasionally on TCM. There are several versions on DVD, including one colorized release. These versions vary in quality, particularly the older ones, so any potential buyer would do well to read reviews on them.

The copyright of the article Sherlock Holmes Movie Review, The Woman in Green in Classic Film Dramas is owned by John K. Davis. Permission to republish Sherlock Holmes Movie Review, The Woman in Green in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.