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:

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

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:

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

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The last Sherlock Holmes film made at 20th Century Fox.

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:

Sherlock Holmes:Elementary, my dear Watson.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Mouth (2008)

Soundtrack:

I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside

Superb version of the stage play...excellent performances by Rathbone, Bruce and Lupino...

Having recently completed a film article due for publication in FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE on Ida Lupino, it's a pleasure to report that this is one of her best early performances. She plays a terrified young woman who seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes when she becomes concerned about her brother's safety. He soon determines that she too is being stalked by killers. Her brother is killed and the plot thickens with a sub-plot involving Professor Moriarty's plans to steal the Crown Jewels and the Star of Delhi. Holmes eventually solves the case and defeats the diabolical Moriarty with a plan of his own. Reviewers judged this film even superior to the earlier 'Hound of the Baskervilles'. Indeed, it's fully as atmospheric and suspenseful with handsomely staged scenes in gas-lit Victorian London. George Zucco makes an ideal villain and the main roles by Rathbone, Nigel Bruce and Ida Lupino are handled with their customary skill. Definitely worth seeing and far superior to the later Universal entries which updated all of the Holmes stories.