Best HOUN

I've watched various versions of The Hound of the Baskervilles over the years, since Jeremy Brett's version on the Granada TV series. (It did try to be faithful, but it felt slow and awkward. They kept trying to fake us out with glimpses of Holmes seemingly in London instead of on Dartmoor. They made Dr. Mortimer weird, shooting rabbits with a big gun, and joining the manhunt instead of Inspector Lestrade. Also, Selden has been lobotomized and made "like a child" which is why his sister can't abandon him.) I remember watching the Matt Frewer version of Hound too, followed by the 1968 TV version with Peter Cushing and Nigel Stock. Then I saw Ian Richardson's 1983 Hound, which I hated. I don't remember when I first saw it, but I watched the 2002 version starring Richard Roxborough and Ian Hart. I particularly liked Ian Hart as Watson, but felt meh about Holmes. The story was altered considerably, dropping Frankland and Laura Lyons. The case was set around Christmas time and includes a seance. Most terribly, Stapleton actually kills his wife before anyone can rescue her. Really depressing.

 

BBC Sherlock's version was shit, but most of their episodes were illogical and bad. The writers weren't even trying. I vaguely think I saw Elementary's version of Hound when it first aired, but it was a modernization too. Something about robotic dogs? I don't recall any other details, but at least I don't remember being viscerally angry about it. I was much more angry and disappointed about Jamie Moriarty and stupid things done with Watson's storyline; those things made me quit the show, not the quality of the mysteries.

Then recently I watched the Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce film, which as I said was good, but not totally faithful. For completion's sake, I just watched the 1959 Hammer version of Hound, which is a very loose adaptation, cutting a lot of Holmes's deductions about the walking stick, the "keep away from the moor" note, etc, in favor of action sequences. Like, they spend 10 freaking minutes on the legend of Sir Hugo! He tortures and kills the girl's father, offers to let someone else rape the girl, then gets furious when she escapes to the moor. He chases her with his hounds, then finally catches her and stabs her in the ruins of an abbey, before getting killed himself. Centuries later, Sir Charles is said to be killed in the same place. The film likes to linger on horror and danger, such as the tarantula, and Selden being ritualistically mutilated. Old Frankland becomes both an entomologist and the local bishop. No longer an entomologist, Stapleton a becomes a poor farmer who has webbed fingers, which is apparently a Baskerville family trait. Instead of Beryl Stapleton nee Garcia, we get Cecile Stapleton who is his half-Spanish daughter that runs around barefoot. She not only knows about her father's evil plot, but she enthusiastically participates in it. She seduces Sir Henry and confesses that she did the same to lure Sir Charles to his death. Also there's an added subplot in an abandoned mine, which caves in on Holmes, but he escapes somehow.

So out of all these many adaptations, I would say that overall the 1968 version was the best and most faithful. It's certainly the one I most enjoy to watch. In contrast to other versions, the legend of Sir Hugo is summarized quickly, rather than lingered over. It gives you enough gothic atmosphere without forcing you to watch gratuitous abuse and sexual violence. Then we get to Sir Charles's death, and to Baker Street quickly. Almost word for word, we get Watson's deductions and Holmes's deductions. There are minor cuts like Holmes sending Cartwright to try to find the cut newspaper at various hotels. But most major plots are intact including Laura Lyons, and nothing is egregiously added like a Christmas party or a seance. Nigel Stock really is wonderful as Watson.