For his inspiration in The Valley Of Fear, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle went across the pond to America for and the troubles with the coal miners in Pennsylvania. The Triumph Of Sherlock Holmes is based on that Conan Doyle story and stars the British team of Arthur Wontner and Ian Fleming as Holmes and Watson.
For a more accurate view of the source of Conan Doyle's story, I heartily recommend the Sean Connery/Richard Harris film, The Molly Maguires. They were an offshoot of the Ancient Order Of Hibernians and protected the coalminers trying to unionize in American back then. A Pinkerton agent named James McParland went undercover and got the goods on them and the leaders of the Molly Maguires were hung.
The Mollys are called the Scowlers here and they are a band of thugs who use terror tactics to intimidate decent law abiding citizens. A McParland like character infiltrates and gets the goods on them and unlike the real McParland, flees the country in fear of retaliation.
Holmes gets involved in the case when both his arch enemy Professor Moriarty visits him and congratulates him on an announced retirement and a woman played by Jane Carr asks for his help. In a lengthy flashback the story of her husband the police informant is told. Where Moriarty fits in is for the viewer to see.
Lyn Harding is a scowling and menacing Moriarty, but I like my Moriarty cold and calculating as Henry Daniell was against Basil Rathbone. As for Wontner and Fleming they are certainly the equal of Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
Character actor Ben Welden plays a surviving Scowler on the hunt for the guy who ratted his friends out. Welden was American, but was appearing in many British films at this time. He could be menacing as he is here, but is far better known as a goofy henchman type, a role he perfected on the old Superman series with George Reeves.
I think Baker Street aficionados would be pleased with this film.
For a more accurate view of the source of Conan Doyle's story, I heartily recommend the Sean Connery/Richard Harris film, The Molly Maguires. They were an offshoot of the Ancient Order Of Hibernians and protected the coalminers trying to unionize in American back then. A Pinkerton agent named James McParland went undercover and got the goods on them and the leaders of the Molly Maguires were hung.
The Mollys are called the Scowlers here and they are a band of thugs who use terror tactics to intimidate decent law abiding citizens. A McParland like character infiltrates and gets the goods on them and unlike the real McParland, flees the country in fear of retaliation.
Holmes gets involved in the case when both his arch enemy Professor Moriarty visits him and congratulates him on an announced retirement and a woman played by Jane Carr asks for his help. In a lengthy flashback the story of her husband the police informant is told. Where Moriarty fits in is for the viewer to see.
Lyn Harding is a scowling and menacing Moriarty, but I like my Moriarty cold and calculating as Henry Daniell was against Basil Rathbone. As for Wontner and Fleming they are certainly the equal of Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
Character actor Ben Welden plays a surviving Scowler on the hunt for the guy who ratted his friends out. Welden was American, but was appearing in many British films at this time. He could be menacing as he is here, but is far better known as a goofy henchman type, a role he perfected on the old Superman series with George Reeves.
I think Baker Street aficionados would be pleased with this film.