Sherlock Holmes And The Deadly Necklace (1962)/The Speckled Band (1931) On DVD

The Deadly Necklace (1962, B&W): A priceless Egyptian necklace, once worn by Cleopatra, is stolen. At the same time, a series of mysterious murders, including that of a police informant, baffle the authorities. Called onto the case is the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes, accompanied by his faithful assistant Dr. Watson. Holmes suspects that the notorious criminal mastermind Professor Moriarity, posing as a kindly antiquities collector, is the thread that links the crimes. Holmes and Watson stay hot on the Professor's trail, determined to retrieve the ancient jewels and bring their arch nemesis to justice.

Sherlock Holmes And The Deadly Necklace, based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyles "The Valley Of Fear," is a German/Italian/French co-production possessing richly atmospheric Baker Street sets. It was made at a time when the Deutsche film industry was churning out mystery and crime thrillers based on the writings of Edgar Wallace and it delivers a similar mood and style. Sherlock Holmes And The Deadly Necklace teams Christopher Lee with director Terrence Fisher, who had previously worked with Lee on Horror Of Dracula (1958), which became a career landmark for the actor. Sherlock Holmes And The Deadly Necklace features a screenplay co-written by Curt Siodmak who also wrote Donovan's Brain, The Wolfman, I Walked With A Zombie, and many others.

The Speckled Band (1931, B&W): A dying girl's last desperate words, "speckled band," are the only clue to a mystery embroiled in murder and sinister corruption. Attending the inquest is Dr. Watson, who calls upon Sherlock Holmes to help unravel the mystery and uncover the killer. The duo spends a night in the room where the girl died and discovers a sinister secret that could lead to their own violent deaths.

Holmes is played by a young Raymond Massey in one of his first major screen roles. Featuring detailed sets and brooding atmosphere worthy of Universal's early horror film classics of the same period, The Speckled Band also stars Angela Baddeley who, some forty years later, became a fixture on the British television series "Upstairs Downstairs." Directed by Jack Raymond.

Legendary Baker Street sleuth Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Lee) takes on the evil Moriarty again in THE DEADLY NECKLACE, when the mad doctor goes after a priceless necklace which once belonged to Cleopatra. Director Terence Fisher and star Lee had previously worked together in several successful Hammer horror films, including THE HORROR OF DRACULA (1957), THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957), and THE MUMMY (1959). This was a German/French/Italian co-production. Then, in THE SPECKLED BAND--one of the first Holmes adventures--the sleuth investigates a mysterious whistle.