A Little Autopsy on an Old Sherlock.

I’ve watched all the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes films now and I’m already missing them. I can’t agree with those YouTube commenters who claim that they’re the best adaptations ever, or that the pairing of Rathbone and Bruce is definitive. There’s too much ‘Elementary, old fellow,’ Holmes isn’t emotionally cold enough, and Bruce’s buffoonery irritates frequently. There are too many ludicrously evident footprints conveniently laid out to provide the vital clue. Some of the acting by the other players is seriously short of professional, and many of the plot points are laughably lacking in credibility.

And yet they have an infallible charm. They’re comfortable almost to the point of being hypnotic. They wile away a late night hour most pleasantly, and they will be missed.