Sherlock Holmes, an astute and idiosyncratic English detective, was created by Arthur Conan Doyle. He is one of our fictional heroes as a Zen master in disguise. His meticulous methods of detection are a mystery to his intrepid partner Dr. Watson and to the earnest but incompetent investigators from Scotland Yard. In one of the stories, Sherlock Holmes says: "It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important." He notices what others miss and has a deep respect for the mysteries of human nature.
This DVD contains two 1940s movies featuring the inimitable Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. In Sherlock Holmes in Washington, the sleuth and his friend are dispatched to the American capitol to retrieve a top-secret microfilm that is very important to the English authorities. Holmes does not realize that an international ring of spies have kidnapped an English agent in the quest for the missing documents. It is delightful to watch Holmes reconstruct the agent's encounters with a handful of people on the train to Washington. Holmes is very patient as he puts together the facts in this case and then solves the mystery with effortless creativity.
In Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, the detective takes on a case that is already being handled by Scotland Yard. Dr. Watson invites him to Musgrave Manor, a country mansion, where he meets two brothers, their sister, her fiancée, and several veterans recuperating there from war shocks. There are several murders, a family ritual, and a chess game filled with clues about a hidden document of great value. Holmes figures it all out, using some tricks of his own.
In another story, Holmes states: "I make a point of never having any prejudices, and of following docilely wherever fact may lead me." This sounds a lot like the Buddhist definition of an open mind that is ready for anything.
Special features on the release, restored from the originally black-and-white 33mm film, include a still gallery and audio commentary on Sherlock Holmes Faces Death.
