Sherlock Holmes (TV Series) The Boscombe Valley Mystery (1968) User Reviews

The Boscombe Valley Mystery

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 31 January 2010]

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are off the Boscombe Valley, hoping to solve the murder of a very much hated farmer, Bill McCarthy(Peter Madden, in suitably despicable form)who was found with his face crushed. Arrested for the crime is estranged son, James(Nich Tate)who was attempting to interpret what Bill meant by "Rat", spoken over and over at his dying breath. A local girl saw James holding Bill in his hands as he slipped away, ultimately implicating him, although this eyewitness testimony is circumstantial at best. Proclaiming his innocence, Bill will not divulge specific information about his father perhaps needed to help his case. Holmes has an idea as to whom might the real culprit be. James is in love with Alice(Heather Kyd), the tender-hearted daughter of the rich Turner(John Tate), dying and not at all fond of the McCarthys. Developing clues emerge including(a) a barmaid named Bella(Sally Sanders),(b) a possible suspect who limps, wears a plaid coat and hails from Ballarat, Austrailia(c)a certain kind of cigar ash, and (d) a notorious gold thief and multiple killer from Victoria, Australia named "Black Jack". Such juicy aspects as blackmail, adultery, bigamy, and revenge make their way into this tale. Important to the plot, Bill wishes for James to marry Alice, but her father Turner wants no part of it. Also, examined is how Turner and Bill became "acquainted" and how the McCarthy's were able to secure the farm without paying for it. Not a bad little episode, and allows Holmes & Watson a chance to get out of London and help a young man get out of trouble for a crime he wouldn't commit, no matter how sour his relationship with the foul Bill McCarthy was. Cushing is spry as always, excited about the idea of offering his deductive wonders to outsiders while Nigel Stock backs him up as the oft-startled Watson, amazed at the clues that surface. The only liability I found was John Tate, whose garbled voice made it hard to understand him sometimes, obviously the actor is portraying the Turner character as a weakened vessel with little energy to speak in a strong way, his heart barely keeping him from kicking the bucket.

"Props" Cushing in his element

[kevinolzak · 8/10 · 6 May 2009]

Broadcast Oct. 14, 1968 (completed Sept. 23), "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" is one of the strongest episodes, with Peter Madden as Bill McCarthy, the foul-tempered father bludgeoned to death in gruesome fashion, and Nick Tate as the son who is arrested as the prime suspect. Also in the cast is John Tate (real-life father of Nick) as the bed-ridden neighbor Turner, an old friend of McCarthy who may hold the key to solving the case. As his fellow performer Christopher Lee would often lament good-naturedly, Peter Cushing's facility to handle props was truly astonishing to see, and of the few entries available this one may be the most rewarding (although "The Sign of Four" allowed him to don a disguise). I would mention his role as Dr. John Rollason in 1957's "The Abominable Snowman" and his second go-round as the Baron in 1958's "The Revenge of Frankenstein" as my favorite examples of 'Props' Cushing (as he was nicknamed) at his best. In the latter film, 'Dr. Victor Stein' is identified by fellow doctor Francis Matthews as he calmly carves up a chicken with all the skill of a professional surgeon; as fine an actor as any other at Hammer Studios, Matthews fails to detract attention away from Cushing's mastery. Whether playing Holmes, Frankenstein, or Van Helsing, he was simply one of the finest actors to grace the screen, and genre buffs are grateful for his dedication to our favorite films.

True to Form

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 9 April 2021]

Well done effort in the Peter Cushing Sherlock Holmes series on television in and around 1968. Here a foul man is bludgeoned to death, his son found standing over him. It involves a romantic entanglement and a secret that must not be shared. Holmes and Watson, as is usually the case, look to nuances and avoid the obvious. I appreciate being able to see these Cushing efforts.

Incorrect credit given for actor

[brndshoun · 9/10 · 17 June 2018]

In the list of characters and their actors Nick Tate is credited as playing James McCarthy however I kept saying to myself that's a James Purefoy and sure enough at the end when they rolled the credits. Sure enough the part of James McCarthy was played by James Purefoy.