Terence, Fisher has most certainly produced a fine Sherlock Holmes movie. Christopher Lee, seen by many as THE Sherlock Holmes does a fine bit of acting and Thorley Walters plays a bit bumbling but convincing Watson. (You would not know him, when you have seen him as Watson in THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES' SMARTER BROTHER) The music is brilliant and the atmosphere is very much what a Holmesian fan would be expecting. Unfortunatly the film has a few blunders as well. The most eyecatching would be the Deerstalker and Inverness which Holmes are wearing in the country. They would be most suitable for any comic Holmes where all the other costumes are very adequate, I must say. The idea of the police being of the opinion that Holmes has no right to investigate, as uttered by Inspector Cooper in the beginning is utter nonsense to anyone who has ever read the cannon. And last but not least - the time! The time warp has already been done in the Universal Series with Rathbone/Bruce and I do not like it there either. But here it is most silly. Watson is said to be driving a car in 1918 where Holes is supposed to be close on sixty! Lee does not look that old, does he. Still a very nice and old fashioned Sherlock Holmes movie. 7 out of 10.
