The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Sidney Lanfield

Writers:

Ernest Pascal (screenplay)
Arthur Conan Doyle (novel)

Release Date:

31 March 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Sherlock Holmes ,aided by Dr Watson, investigates mysterious deaths apparently caused by a family curse.

Plot Keywords:

Curse | Dr Watson | Sherlock Holmes | Murder | Animal

Cast

Richard Greene	...	Sir Henry Baskerville
Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Wendy Barrie	...	Beryl Stapleton
Nigel Bruce	...	Dr. Watson
Lionel Atwill	...	James Mortimer, M.D.
John Carradine	...	Barryman
Barlowe Borland	...	Frankland
Beryl Mercer	...	Mrs. Jenifer Mortimer
Morton Lowry	...	John Stapleton
Ralph Forbes	...	Sir Hugo Baskerville
E.E. Clive	...	Cabby
Eily Malyon	...	Mrs. Barryman
Lionel Pape	...	Coroner
Nigel De Brulier	...	Convict (as Nigel de Brulier)
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Hudson

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG | Norway:16 | USA:Approved (certificate #5037) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The first Sherlock Holmes film of Basil Rathbone.

Goofs:

Continuity: The position of Dr. Watson's left hand as he his writing his first, second and fourth letters back to Sherlock Holmes.

Quotes:

Sherlock Holmes: Do you remember that missing boot, Watson? Why do you suppose the brown one, the one that had never been worn, was so mysteriously replaced and the black one taken?
Dr. Watson: Why?
Sherlock Holmes: Because the brown one would never have had the scent of the owner - and the black one had!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Around the World (1943)

Watson Plays It Straight In This Series Opener

Despite the famous title - perhaps the most famous of all the Sherlock Holmes stories - I found the movie to be just an average Holmes tale. It was entertaining and well-done but nothing spectacular. I am certain not knocking this film. I love these old Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce SH movies. An "average" Holmes film with these two guys still gets an 8-star rating!

This was the first pairing of the above-mentioned two actors and Bruce, as "Dr. Watson," was not the bumbling buffoon as he was in subsequent episodes. However, I prefer Watson in that role because he added a lot of humor and entertainment. In this movie, Watson is pictured as fairly intelligent, for a change!

I enjoyed the lighting in this story. It made for some superb cinematography. The stark black-and-white shots inside the Baskerville mansion were great, as were the many facial closeups in this movie. The gray of the moors outside were in stark contrast to the indoor shots.

Although the séance fizzled, the credence given the occult in the story put a frown on a my face. It's amazing how many ignorant, superstitious people there have been in the world who actually believe they can talk to dead people. The rest of the story was a lot more intelligent and credible.