The Speckled Band (1931)

After her sister dies under mysterious circumstances, a young heiress seeks Holmes' help when she feels threatened by her brutish stepfather.

Director:

Jack Raymond

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (story), W.P. Lipscomb (adaptation)

Stars:

Lyn Harding, Raymond Massey, Angela Baddeley

Cast

Cast overview:
Lyn Harding	...	Dr. Grimesby Rylott
Raymond Massey	...	Sherlock Holmes
Angela Baddeley	...	Helen Stonor
Nancy Price	...	Mrs. Staunton
Athole Stewart	...	Dr. John Watson

Storyline

Violet Stoner dies under mysterious circumstances in her bedroom at the gloomy mansion of her brutish stepfather, Dr. Grimesby Rylott. Because Violet had become engaged to be married, she stood to inherit a substantial annual allowance from her parents' estate but never survived to collect it. Her last words were "The Speckled Band!" Now, her sister Helen has become engaged, and the mercenary doctor views the event as money out of his pocket as she stands to get a yearly stipend too. When he orders her to start sleeping in her sister's bedroom, and she finds the bed bolted to the floor, she fears that a fate similar to Violet's will befall her. She turns to the residents of 221B Baker Street for help.

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Plot Keywords:

bedroom | doctor | heiress | public domain | old dark house | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 November 1931 (USA)

Filming Locations:

British and Dominions Studios, Elstree, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Herbert Wilcox Productions, British & Dominions Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 49 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Sherlock Holmes: From your clothes I would deduce - you're going to a wedding.
Dr. John Watson: [laughs heartily] At last I've got you. For once in your life you're wromg.
Sherlock Holmes: Wrong?
Dr. John Watson: I'm not going to a wedding! I'm coming from one!
Dr. John Watson: [Watson again enjoys a hearty laugh]
Sherlock Holmes: [sardonically] Give them my congratulations or perhaps condolences.
Dr. John Watson: Rubbish! We all come to it, my dear fellow.
Dr. John Watson: [he laughs again] We all come to it. Goodbye.
Sherlock Holmes: [alone, ironically and sadly, after Watson has left] Not all, my dear Watson... not all.

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Connections

Version of Sherlock Holmes: The Speckled Band (1964)

User Reviews

Massey's performance

The only print I've seen of this is pretty badly chopped up. They didn't make much of an effort to preserve these "b-movie" mysteries back then.

The film is directed in much the same manner as Browning directed the Lugosi "Dracula" around the same time - slow, stagy, with emphasis on atmosphere, and with all the young women given over to hysterics.

The film unnecessarily violates the Holmes canon when it shows us the bevy of young starlet secretaries Holmes has hired to aid in his investigations (?!), But most of the story, and its characterizations, are faithful to the original story.

The real surprise here is Raymond Massey - he is an absolute magnificent Holmes, every bit as good as the great Jeremy Brett of the Granada TV series; and, given the stodginess of the rest of the film, I suspect that he essentially directed himself - he moves quickly, easily, and directly, while the rest of the cast stands around waiting for their cues.

I can only recommend this to Holmes completists; but Massey's performance is not to be missed by anyone who admires the master sleuth of Baker Street.