(no subject)
And here I was, thinking I'd seen it all. At least in the Sherlock Holmes fandom. Apparently I haven't.
I just found this old VHS tape in a used bookstore - a Sherlock Holmes movie I didn't know about!
At first I was like "Huh? Hans Albers and Heinz Rühmann... singing a duet in the bathtub... aha." And I put it back.
And then I was like: "FUCK what?! Heinz Rühmann and Hans "auf-der-Reeperbahn-nachts-um-halb-eins" Albers? Singing in the tub? You fucking WHAT?!" And I bought it.
Okay, just a little illustration on the side: This movie was made in Germany in 1937. Yep, that's right. It's the Nazi version. (The good news about this is that, unlike the Rathbone movies, this one definitely won't kick Holmes into the future so he can fight the Nazis in WWII.) Oh. And Doyle's family gave consent to making this movie! Remember that next time they bitch about slashy undertones :)
There are actually quite a few movies that were made in Nazi Germany that are still being shown and sold. The reason being: they're free from political propaganda, and largely PC. This is one of them.
Heinz Rühmann (Watson, or rather, Mackie who pretends to be Watson) is one of the most famous German actors of the 1930s to 1960s. If you crossbred Martin Freemann with a tiny little wide-eyed frog, Rühmann is what you would get.
Hans Albers is sort of the blond-and-blue-eyed version of Basil Rathbone, so of course he plays Holmes (or rather, Maurice who pretends to be Holmes). He's famous for his wackier movies, and for crooning.
The plot is vaguely this: Maurice and his docile friend Mackie pretend to be Holmes and Watson in order to score free meals, or a place to sleep. The shit hits the fan when they come to London and Maurice drags Mackie into an expensive hotel. Where, coincidentally, there are also some gangsters whose plans are messed up by the arrival of (apparently) Sherlock Holmes.
The real twist? Maurice and Mackie ARE basically Holmes and Watson, except that they have the wrong names in their passports. Maurice is really brilliant at concluding stuff about people - he uses it to pull off his role. Mackie is really his assistant who keeps people off Maurice's back. You can see where this plot is going. Not terribly original, but still better than the plot of "Without a clue".
The only surprising thing about this movie is: It works. Albers makes the most spot-on Holmes I've ever seen (damn, what the hell did I just watch?!). Rühmann, adorable as always, makes a perfect counterpart. Their ping-pong conversations could just come from the book. It's... I can't believe I'm saying this... it's very good acting, too. And also, the movie makers put a lot of effort into the props, costumes, stages and buildings. The whole thing is pretty brilliant, and very funny, too.
I'm only halfway through the movie, I'll watch the rest tomorrow or so. I haven't gotten around to the bit with the tub. But I'll be sure to inform you when I've seen it. Meanwhile... I think I've just been fucked in the ear, so I'll just sit here and drool a little.
I just found this old VHS tape in a used bookstore - a Sherlock Holmes movie I didn't know about!
At first I was like "Huh? Hans Albers and Heinz Rühmann... singing a duet in the bathtub... aha." And I put it back.
And then I was like: "FUCK what?! Heinz Rühmann and Hans "auf-der-Reeperbahn-nachts-um-halb-eins" Albers? Singing in the tub? You fucking WHAT?!" And I bought it.
Okay, just a little illustration on the side: This movie was made in Germany in 1937. Yep, that's right. It's the Nazi version. (The good news about this is that, unlike the Rathbone movies, this one definitely won't kick Holmes into the future so he can fight the Nazis in WWII.) Oh. And Doyle's family gave consent to making this movie! Remember that next time they bitch about slashy undertones :)
There are actually quite a few movies that were made in Nazi Germany that are still being shown and sold. The reason being: they're free from political propaganda, and largely PC. This is one of them.
Heinz Rühmann (Watson, or rather, Mackie who pretends to be Watson) is one of the most famous German actors of the 1930s to 1960s. If you crossbred Martin Freemann with a tiny little wide-eyed frog, Rühmann is what you would get.
Hans Albers is sort of the blond-and-blue-eyed version of Basil Rathbone, so of course he plays Holmes (or rather, Maurice who pretends to be Holmes). He's famous for his wackier movies, and for crooning.
The plot is vaguely this: Maurice and his docile friend Mackie pretend to be Holmes and Watson in order to score free meals, or a place to sleep. The shit hits the fan when they come to London and Maurice drags Mackie into an expensive hotel. Where, coincidentally, there are also some gangsters whose plans are messed up by the arrival of (apparently) Sherlock Holmes.
The real twist? Maurice and Mackie ARE basically Holmes and Watson, except that they have the wrong names in their passports. Maurice is really brilliant at concluding stuff about people - he uses it to pull off his role. Mackie is really his assistant who keeps people off Maurice's back. You can see where this plot is going. Not terribly original, but still better than the plot of "Without a clue".
The only surprising thing about this movie is: It works. Albers makes the most spot-on Holmes I've ever seen (damn, what the hell did I just watch?!). Rühmann, adorable as always, makes a perfect counterpart. Their ping-pong conversations could just come from the book. It's... I can't believe I'm saying this... it's very good acting, too. And also, the movie makers put a lot of effort into the props, costumes, stages and buildings. The whole thing is pretty brilliant, and very funny, too.
I'm only halfway through the movie, I'll watch the rest tomorrow or so. I haven't gotten around to the bit with the tub. But I'll be sure to inform you when I've seen it. Meanwhile... I think I've just been fucked in the ear, so I'll just sit here and drool a little.