The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)

Director:

Alfred L. Werker

Writers:

Edwin Blum (screenplay) and
William A. Drake (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 September 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The Struggle of Super-Minds in the Crime of the Century!

Plot:

The master sleuth hunts his archenemy, Professor Moriarty, who is planning the crime of the century.

Plot Keywords:

Tower Of London | Crown Jewels | Murder | Jewel | Crown

Cast

Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Dr. Watson
Ida Lupino	...	Ann Brandon
Alan Marshal	...	Jerrold Hunter
Terry Kilburn	...	Billy
George Zucco	...	Prof. Moriarty
Henry Stephenson	...	Sir Ronald Ramsgate
E.E. Clive	...	Inspector Bristol
Arthur Hohl	...	Bassick
May Beatty	...	Mrs. Jameson
Peter Willes	...	Lloyd Brandon
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Hudson
Holmes Herbert	...	Justice of the Court
George Regas	...	Mateo
Mary Forbes	...	Lady Conyngham
Frank Dawson	...	Dawes
William Austin	...	Inquisitive Stranger
Anthony Kemble-Cooper	...	Tony Conyngham (as Anthony Kemble Cooper)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Baker	...	Tompkins (uncredited)
Frank Benson	...	Cockney (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Pub Customer (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Cragin (uncredited)
Robert Cory	...	Tower Sentry (uncredited)
Neil Fitzgerald	...	Clerk of the Court (uncredited)
Denis Green	...	Sergeant of the Guard (uncredited)
Gordon Hart	...	Guard (uncredited)
Ivo Henderson	...	Bobby (uncredited)
Keith Hitchcock	...	Constable (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Bobby (uncredited)
Boyd Irwin	...	Bobby (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Marine Sergeant (uncredited)
Leonard Mudie	...	Barrows - Moriarty's Attorney (uncredited)
Robert Nobel	...	Foreman of the Jury (uncredited)
Ivan F. Simpson	...	Gates - Trial Prosecutor (uncredited)
Robert R. Stephenson	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Conyngham Butler (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred L. Werker		(as Alfred Werker)

Writing credits
Edwin Blum		(screenplay) and
William A. Drake		(screenplay) (as William Drake)
William Gillette		(play "Sherlock Holmes")
Arthur Conan Doyle		characters (uncredited)

Produced by
Gene Markey	....	associate producer
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Robert Russell Bennett		(uncredited)
David Buttolph		(uncredited)
Cyril J. Mockridge		(uncredited)
David Raksin		(uncredited)
Walter Scharf		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert Bischoff

Art Direction by
Richard Day
Hans Peters

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Gwen Wakeling

Production Management
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Eckhardt	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Virgil Hart	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
W.D. Flick	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department
Cyril J. Mockridge	....	musical director

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• MPI Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MPI Home Video (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• MPI Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #5486)

Filming Locations:

Stage 2, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Although William Gillette's name appears in the credits, this film bears little or no resemblance to his 1899 play "Sherlock Holmes".

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The popular variety-hall song "I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside" is performed at Lady Conyngham's party. This was composed in 1907, fifteen years after the film's 1892 setting.

Quotes:

Dawes:You wanted to see me, sir?
Professor Moriarty:I'm away for a few weeks, Dawes, and I come back to find my anthurium magenta, my incomparable anthurium magenta, withered, ruined...
Dawes:I can't understand it, sir; I took good care of all the plants.
Professor Moriarty:Did you water them?
Dawes:Every day, sir - just as you told me, sir.
Professor Moriarty:Then how does it happen that I find a spider's web spun across the spout of the watering can?
Dawes:That can happen overnight, sir.
Professor Moriarty:Overnight, huh? Then you didn't water them today?
Dawes:There's been so much to do, sir, preparing for your coming back.
Professor Moriarty:Nothing is as important as the care of my flowers. Through your neglect, this flower has died. You've murdered a flower!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Doogie Howser, M.D.: The Adventures of Sherlock Howser (#4.16)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside

The Best Sherlock Holmes

The follow-up to the the very successful The Hound of the Baskervilles,is even better than its predecessor.Basil Rathbone gives a marvelous performance as the super-sleuth.His performance in disguise as a singer at a party is fantastic.He was totally unrecognizable.Nigel Bruce was as always good as Holmes 's sidekick Dr.Watson.But what elevates this entry in the Holmes-series was the portrayal of George Zucco's Dr.Moriarty,Holmes's nemesis. Moriarty's plot to break his enemy was rather clever.I enjoyed seeing Rathbone really getting in to the persona of Holmes in this one.The movie's short running-time was perhaps my only disappointment.