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The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)
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Overview
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Release Date:
31 March 1939 (USA)
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Plot:
Sherlock Holmes ,aided by Dr Watson, investigates mysterious deaths apparently caused by a family curse. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Sherlock Holmes
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Dr Watson
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Curse
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Victorian Era
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Gothic
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NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Prime Stage Theatre Presents Our Town, 10/17 - 10/25
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 25 October 2009, 3:00 AM, PDT)
Prime Stage Theatre Presents Our Town, 10/17 - 10/25
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 17 October 2009, 3:00 AM, PDT)
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 25 October 2009, 3:00 AM, PDT)
Prime Stage Theatre Presents Our Town, 10/17 - 10/25
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 17 October 2009, 3:00 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Excellent debut for Rathbone as Holmes in a faithful and involving adaptation
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
80 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
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Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The first Sherlock Holmes film of Basil Rathbone.
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Goofs:
Continuity: The position of Dr. Watson's left hand as he his writing his first, second and fourth letters back to Sherlock Holmes.
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Quotes:
Sherlock Holmes:
The only way to nab our man is to catch him in the act - catch him so that there's no escape, no alibi. And that means gambling with Sir Henry's life.
Dr. Watson: [horrified] But ...
Sherlock Holmes: Gambling to save his life. But we've got to take that chance.
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Dr. Watson: [horrified] But ...
Sherlock Holmes: Gambling to save his life. But we've got to take that chance.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The New Scooby-Doo Movies: The Secret of Shark Island (#1.8)" (1972)
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This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (51 total)
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Familiarity with "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is always going to be an issue when it comes to the countless adaptations of it. It is probably the best-loved and best-known of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories (and one of his longest and best-developed tales). It helps that it's a story that is quite hard not to love, and one which never gets boring no matter how many times you read or watch it.
This 1939 film, the first film featuring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, is a particularly concise and tight adaptation that runs for only 80 minutes but still delivers all the essential aspects of the story, fine photography and atmosphere, tight direction, and superb performances from just about everyone involved. There remains the question of how someone as seemingly foolish as Bruce's Watson became a doctor, but you come to accept such things and appreciate his performance for what it is.
It's not quite the best version of the tale nor the best of the Rathbone films, but there is a great deal to enjoy here. My favorite adaptation is the glorious 1959 Hammer version with Peter Cushing and Andre Morell as Holmes and Watson. It was the first Sherlock Holmes film filmed in color, and while it is a liberal adaptation to say the least it is gloriously entertaining and has a superb script. If only Hammer had done a full Sherlock Holmes series, it could have matched the Rathbone series in both length and quality, perhaps it might have surpassed it.