Sherlock Holmes (1922)

Director:

Albert Parker

Writers:

Earle Browne
Arthur Conan Doyle (story)
(more)

Release Date:

7 March 1922 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Sherlock Holmes | Based On Play | Character Name In Title

Cast

John Barrymore	...	Sherlock Holmes
Roland Young	...	Dr. Watson
Carol Dempster	...	Alice Faulkner
Gustav von Seyffertitz	...	Prof. Moriarty
Louis Wolheim	...	Craigin
Percy Knight	...	Sid Jones
William Powell	...	Foreman Wells (as William H. Powell)
Hedda Hopper	...	Madge Larrabee
Peggy Bayfield	...	Rose Faulkner
Margaret Kemp	...	Therese
Anders Randolf	...	James Larrabee
Robert Schable	...	Alf Bassick
Reginald Denny	...	Prince Alexis
David Torrence	...	Count von Stalburg
Robert Fischer	...	Otto
Lumsden Hare	...	Dr. Leighton
Jerry Devine	...	Billy
John Willard	...	Inspector Gregson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Albert Bruning	...	Count Orlonieff

Directed by
Albert Parker

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Earle Browne
Arthur Conan Doyle		story
Marion Fairfax
William Gillette		play

Produced by
F.J. Godsol	....	producer
Samuel Goldwyn	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
J. Roy Hunt

Art Direction by
Charles L. Cadwallader

Production Companies

• Goldwyn Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Goldwyn Pictures Corporation (1922) (USA) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

85 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Goldwyn Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The restoration of this film began in 1970, when the George Eastman House discovered several cans of negative of the film, consisting of incomplete, out-of-order clips. Film historian Kevin Brownlow screened a print of these clips for the film's director, Albert Parker, and with the information Parker gave him began a decades-long process of reassembling the film from the bits and pieces that survived.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes (1985) (V)

Lucky to Have this long lost film

First off I'm not a Sherlock Holmes expert so I'll leave it at that and just comment on the film for what it is, not what it isn't. I have however watched episodes of the Jeremy Brett series on A&E and they're wonderful. For those who always say John Barrymore is a ham, this film counters that argument somewhat as he displays a terrific gamut of underplaying. Not boring but decidedly underplaying. Director Al Parker had to talk Barrymore into doing the picture so the film is more of Parker's labor-of-love than Barrymore's. No 1922 print of the movie survived through the decades as a release print would give evidence of a working continuity and of how this film unraveled to 1922 audiences. Only the actual camera negative survived of this film in a dismantled state. Kudos to Kevin Brownlow for doing a masterful job of re-assembling the negative to where it could be printed for viewing. What Brownlow has edited is 'probably' not too far off from the original release prints. The source for this film is similar, in procurring, the source for Barrymore's 1920 Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde in that the story comes from a great author, adapted to a stage play, then the play is used as a source for the film. Having seen three of Al Parker's films 'Eyes of Youth'(1919), 'Sherlock Holmes'(1922) & 'The Black Pirate'(1926), I can say that his directing style stays the same in all three pictures. Parker is only going to give the audience: closeup, medium shot & long shot. Sometimes faint moving camera ie the mock street fight, car leaving down the street. Parker is not going to do as King Vidor or Alan Crosland would do that is experiment in panning camera or tracking shot or zoom. That would've livened up this movie some what. This movie however follows the Griffith school of directing that is lots of stationery camera action in frame and title cards, much like other movies of 1922. J. Roy Hunt's photography is quite low like that of Milton Moore's in 'He Who Gets Slapped'(1924). Perhaps this was to signify the gloomy nature of the story. Original prints were probably tinted like many Goldwyn features of this period. This story should've been left in the 1890s and the movie a period piece rather than update the story to 1922. Both Carol Dempster & Hedda Hopper's characters wear contemporary clothing, Dempster the traditional patterned dresses that are in one quick sequence quite diaphanous. Hopper gets to dress fashionably, hats & all, 1922 style as one of her dresses is loose fitting & comfortable and looks like it was designed by Coco Chanel(parts of this film WERE made in Europe ie: Switzerland & England). William Powell & Roland Young(as Dr Watson) make their film debuts here. Powell later recalled that in 1936 when Barrymore was having trouble auditioning for MGM's 'Romeo & Juliet' and couldn't remember his lines, MGM tapped Powell to replace him. Powell countered that he did not have the heart to replace Barrymore as it was Barrymore who had given him his start in movies in 'Sherlock Holmes'. Louis Wolheim, Reginald Denny and David Torrence round out supporting roles.