The Spider Woman/Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror – Review | The Spiderwoman - London is in a panic over a series of apparent

With the new Sherlock Holmes movie in theaters, people may remember other portrayals of the famous sleuth. One of our favorites has always been Basil Rathbone, whose performances brought Mr. Holmes to life for a generation of theater goers as well as those who encountered him at Saturday matinees or late night television.

This double feature DVD presents two Holmes favorites, restored in 35mm.

First on the disc is The Spider Woman, an adventure that can still produce nightmares for those who are prone to arachnophobia. Sherlock Holmes and the good Dr. Watson are called upon to help solve a baffling crime, or in this case a series of murders. The murders occur in the victim’s bedroom, after retiring for the night.

The London police believe that these are “pajama suicides” but Mr. Holmes thinks they are murders. Holmes goes “undercover” and meets an exotic and cunning woman Miss Adria Spedding. She sees through his disguise, and knows that he believes that she is connected to the murders. It becomes a battle of minds and intrigue as Holmes and Watson try to outwit The Spider Woman.

The second feature is The Voice of Terror, a film that may be familiar to many as the first Sherlock Holmes story to be dramatized as an adventure in the 20th century WWII era. Holmes and Watson are engaged by the British intelligence’s inner council to help locate and silence the nefarious Voice of Terror.

This radio broadcast airs just before tragic attacks upon the British people by the Nazi forces, and has been taunting the listening public with news of an upcoming invasion. Blending the master detective work of Holmes with the patriotic pride of the British people who refused to be crushed, this film probably brought some hope in the dark days during the actual war.

Even now, viewers rally to Kitty the sweetheart of the slain hero, who galvanizes the Limehouse district denizens into a force of investigators to help solve the crime.

Both features look good. The B&W is clear and clean, the audio without scratchy sounds or noise. I grew up seeing these films on television on Sherlock Holmes Saturdays or Late Movie shows and this is the best I’ve ever seen them.

The features together have a running time of 129 minutes. This duo would be a nice addition to any Sherlock Holmes or crime or mystery DVD collection.

Visit the DVD database for more information.

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