Sherlock Holmes – The Woman in Green: Hats, Hypnotism and Old-School Vibes

So, I finally rewatched “Sherlock Holmes: The Woman in Green” (1945), which I first stumbled across during that weird, rainy week in Malmö back in ‘96. I’d rented it from the dodgy little video shop by Triangeln. It was sandwiched between a battered copy of “Blade Runner” (the Swedish sub version…) and something with Dolph Lundgren as a Viking or something – memory’s a bit fuzzy there.

Let’s be honest, this flick is very much a product of its time, but hey, isn’t that part of the charm? Basil Rathbone is back as Holmes, looking sharp as ever with his pipe and that hairstyle that’s just, I dunno, perfect for autumn in Stockholm. I always picture my old gymnasiet teacher when I see Rathbone, all strict and English, but probably dying for a schnapps at lunch. Nigel Bruce plays Watson, bumbling along as usual – it’s amazing how many times the man manages to look shocked. I think my own dad once pulled the exact same face when he realized he’d grilled the kräftor for too long.

What gets me is the whole hypnotism thing – Hillary Brooke as Lydia Marlowe just glides around, that eerie grace, like someone who’s spent one too many summers in Österlen, slightly detached from reality. I don’t totally buy her as the ultimate mastermind though. Her accent is suspiciously non-London if you ask me, but then again, many did worse in those days…

Directed by Roy William Neill, who, by the way, banged out a whole stack of Holmes films in a few years. The man must have lived at the studio, eating nothing but korv med bröd. The shadowy atmosphere, the fog, the sinister string section – gives you serious old Stockholm vibes at night, minus the tunnelbana.

Sure, it’s a bit hokey, dialogue clunks at times like a Volvo in reverse, but that’s half the fun! If you’re into quirky old mysteries or just fancy seeing Holmes in full-on cape mode chasing hypnotists instead of serial killers, give it a go. Next Friday, get your friends, some lukewarm folköl, and lose yourself a bit in the fog.

watch the full movie on CinemaOneMovies on YouTube

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