福尔摩斯和蜘蛛女

Withaninvolved, detailedmysteryandanelegantadversaryplayedbyGaleSondergaard, thisisoneofthemostentertainingfeaturesintheSherlockHolmesseriesofmoviesstarringBasilRathboneandNigelBruce.Thestorygetsalittlefar-fetched, butitisquiteinteresting.ItisloadedwithplotdevicespulledfromseveraldifferentArthurConanDoylestories, andit’sinterestingtoseehowmanyyoucancatch.ItalsofeaturestheusualpleasantcamaraderiebetweenRathboneandBruce, plusDennisHoeyasInspectorLestrade.As"TheSpiderWoman", SondergaardcreatesamemorableopponentforHolmes.Theslightlyexaggeratedrolecannothavebeenmuchofachallengeforsuchafineactress, butsheputsherheartintoit, andlooksasifsheisenjoyingherself-ashercharactercertainlyis.Bycreatingsuchadynamiccharacter, shealsohelpsmakethecomplicatedstoryseemmoreplausible, anditcreatesaworthychallengeforHolmes.Themoviealsocontainstheamusingbitsofdialogueanddetailthatcharacterizedsomanyofthemoviesintheseries.Theclimacticsequence, inparticular, isaverygoodcombinationofsuspenseandwit.Itisafittingwaytocapoffanenjoyableentryinthepopularseries.