IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

The comedy team of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were beloved in England in the 1960s and 70s, having found success on stage, television, film, and audio recordings. Consequently, the idea of starring the pair as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in a spoof of Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles must have seemed like a “can’t miss” proposition. Unfortunately, “miss” it did… tremendously so… by a mile. Hound became a notorious dog. It was critically reviled, and the U.K. box office was dismal. Based upon the British reception, the U.S. theatrical release was postponed by three years, and the American distributor cut 10 minutes out of the film and re-ordered some of the scenes. The cuts didn’t help the movie’s narrative coherence, critical reception, or U.S. ticket sales. If anything, the U.S. version was an even mangier dog. Still, I have a degree of affection for the film (due mainly to my love for the comedy duo), so I didn’t hesitate to check out the rather surprising Blu-ray release of the original 85-minute British cut of The Hound of the Baskervilles from Code Red, in partnership with Kino Lorber.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles has been adapted for stage, film, radio, and television more than any other Sherlock Holmes story. I’ve always found this a bit baffling, because the narrative separates Holmes and Watson for the bulk of the novel, and Sherlock disappears from the story entirely for several chapters. The most enjoyable part of any Sherlock Holmes story is the relationship and interplay between Holmes and Watson, so dividing the team is a disadvantage that any adaptation has to contend with. However, this is the least of the problems in the 1978 movie adaptation. Like the novel, Dr. Mortimer (played by British comedy royalty Terry-Thomas) solicits the help of Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cook with a bizarre accent) when his friend, the owner of Baskerville Hall, is mysteriously killed. Also, as in the novel, Holmes sends Dr. Watson (Dudley Moore with an annoyingly exaggerated Welsh accent) alone to Baskerville Hall to investigate. That’s where the similarities with the novel end. What follows is a lot of nonsensical nuttiness involving a not-so-demonic dog, flooded rooms, A Victorian massage parlor, urinating Chihuahuas, a one-legged runner, Sherlock’s mum (Dudley Moore again), and an incomprehensible parody of The Exorcist.

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore made one of the finest comedies of the 1960s with Bedazzled (1967), but it is pretty obvious from the start of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978) that their follow-up feature is going to be sub-par. The opening scene resorts to undercranked, sped-up motion to try to convey humor; and when Holmes and Watson are introduced, Cook and (especially) Moore are performing at an amped-up level that is way too big for the cameras. They also resort to silly voices that might be amusing for a 5-minute sketch but are trying for a full-length feature.

So what went wrong? Most agree that it was the choice of the director. Bedazzled had been directed by Stanley Donen (Singin’ in the Rain, Charade), an old pro, who understood how film amplified performances and who let Cook and Moore handle the comedy. Paul Morrissey (Flesh for Frankenstein, Blood for Dracula) was an experimental director associated with Andy Warhol. Morrissey was particularly ill-suited for Pete & Dud’s style of comedy, which thrived on satire and subtlety. Morrissey’s idea of great comedies were the British Carry On series of puerile spoofs. He re-wrote Cook & Moore’s screenplay, throwing in Carry On-style groaners; and he cast Carry On regular, Kenneth Williams as Sir Henry Baskerville. While Peter Cook tried to get the rest of the cast to tone it down, he was thwarted at every turn by the director. Morrissey encouraged the actors to play as broadly as humanly possible. At a certain point, Cook gave up the fight and focused on his drinking.

The ill-served cast is peppered with extremely skilled actors, including Denholm Elliott (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Hugh Griffith (Ben-Hur), Roy Kinnear (The Three Musketeers), gap-toothed Terry-Thomas (Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines), velvet-voiced Joan Greenwood (Kind Hearts and Coronets), and Spike Milligan (The Bed-Sitting Room). Many of them turn in their worst performances here, which again, was likely Morrissey’s fault. Terry-Thomas comes off the best. He was such a professional that he underplayed his scenes, despite any direction to the contrary.

The Hound of the Baskervilles is undeniably a disappointing mess. Still, there are reasons for the curious to seek it out. Unlike many bad films, it is fast-moving, sprightly, and never boring. Morrissey may have been a poor fit for Pete and Dud’s comedy, but he did have a knack for evoking a Victorian, “old dark house” atmosphere. The film has the look and feel of a lower budget, 1970s Hammer horror film, which makes it fine viewing during the “spooky season” around Halloween. The movie also has some genuinely funny moments, because Cook and Moore were too good not to sell some of the material. For example, they perform a variation on their famous “One Leg Too Few” sketch, which works well in the context of the film. Of course, there are also perverse pleasures to be had in watching a movie fall apart so spectacularly.

It’s hard to defend a comedy that is as aggressively inept as The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978). However, if you know what you’re getting into, this cinematic train wreck can be an enjoyable watch for both the parts that work and the “WTF” nature of the parts that don’t. It might make a nice double-feature with another reviled literary spoof, The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980).

UK/C-85m./Dir: Paul Morrissey/Wr: Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, and Paul Morrissey (based loosely on the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle)/Cast: Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Kenneth Williams, Terry-Thomas, Denholm Elliott, Joan Greenwood, Hugh Griffith, Irene Handl, Max Wall, Roy Kinnear, Dana Gillespie. Lucy Griffiths, Prunella Scales, Josephine Tewson, Penelope Keith, Spike Milligan

For Fans of: If you are an official “Baker Street Irregular,” you’ll probably hate this comedic take on the popular Arthur Conan Doyle novel. If you aren’t a Sherlock Holmes fan, you’ll probably also hate it. Unless you are a fan of cinematic train wrecks, this Hound is for “die hard” fans of Peter Cook & Dudley Moore only.

Video: Code Red in partnership with Kino Lorber will release The Hound of the Baskervilles on Blu-ray on October 12th. It is the complete, 85 minute version as originally released in Great Britain. The film looks sharp and colorful, with slight (almost imperceptible) film grain. The colors aren’t exactly naturalistic. They lean a bit towards the pale brown side, but I believe that it represents the original appearance of the film, which was supposed to look a bit antique and Victorian. There are occasional speckles, but they are minor, and not distracting. Overall, it is a nice looking HD transfer. Considering the reputation of the film, it is a miracle that it has been given a 1080p upgrade. While not pristine, it is probably the best the film will ever look on home video.

The DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio supports the film well. Dialogue, music, and sound effects are clear, with no age-related hiss. Dudley Moore’s frenetic piano score sounds especially good. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The only extras are a collection of Code Red trailers:

• The original theatrical trailer for The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978)
• Bonus trailers for C.H.O.M.P.S. (1979), National Lampoon’s Movie Madness (1982), La Cage Aux Folles II (1980), Almost Summer (1978), One More Train to Rob (1971), and The Statue (1971)

Streaming: At the time of this review, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978) was not streaming on any of the major subscription services. It also was unavailable for purchase digitally on iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, and other retailers.

More to Explore: If you want to see Peter Cook & Dudley Moore at their best, I highly recommend their Faustian comedy Bedazzled (1967), which was released as a limited-edition Blu-ray by Twilight Time. Pete and Dud also did fine supporting work in The Wrong Box (1966), which is available as a region-free Blu-ray from Indicator. Finally, some of their television work was released on DVD as Peter Cook & Dudley Moore: The Best of… What’s Left of… Not Only… But Also… from BBC Home Video.

Trivia: Terry-Thomas’ excellent performance is especially impressive, due to the fact that he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease at the time of filming. He was diagnosed in 1971, and he retired from acting two years after completing The Hound of the Baskervilles.

For More Info: For information on the life and careers of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, read One Leg Too Few: The Adventures of Peter Cook & Dudley Moore by William Cook. If instead, you crave info on Sherlock Holmes-related movies, Sherlock Holmes On Screen (Updated Edition): The Complete Film and TV History by Alan Barnes and Starring Sherlock Holmes: A Century of the Master Detective on Screen by David Stuart Davies both do a very nice job of covering the many different interpretations of the character.