Six episodes from the 1968 BBC TV series featuring Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes, along with the 1962 film Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace starring Christopher Lee, will be available on Blu-ray Disc on July 30 from MVD Entertainment Group and Severin Films.
Peter Cushing first played Sherlock Holmes for Hammer Films in 1959. He returned to the role for the 1968 BBC series, with Nigel Stock as Dr. Watson. Although most episodes were lost, six remain, including the two-part “The Hound of The Baskervilles,” adapted by award-winning playwright Hugh Leonard. These episodes highlight Cushing’s excellent portrayal of Holmes and feature guest stars such as Madge Ryan, Ann Bell, Nick Tate, and Gary Raymond. The collection also includes “A Study in Scarlet,” “The Blue Carbuncle,” “The Boscombe Valley Mystery,” and “The Sign of Four,” all restored from BBC tape protection masters.
Special features for the series include audio commentaries by Kim Newman, Barry Forshaw, and David Stuart Davies. There are also illustrated audio interviews with Peter Cushing, missing episode clips with optional commentary by Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons, and all episodes are presented with the BBC countdown clock.
After the success of The Hound of the Baskervilles, Christopher Lee and director Terence Fisher worked together again on Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace. This 1962 film, shot in Berlin, features Lee’s only performance as Sherlock Holmes. Lee described his portrayal as true to the character’s original depiction, emphasizing Holmes’ difficult and argumentative nature. The film, based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Valley of Fear, includes co-stars Senta Berger and Ivan Desney and is now scanned in 2K from the German negative.
The Blu-ray special features for Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace include audio commentary by Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw, interviews with and about Terence Fisher by Tony Dalton, and the film’s trailer.
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