The Scarlet Claw (1944)

Director:

Roy William Neill

Writers:

Edmund L. Hartmann (screenplay) and
Roy William Neill (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 May 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Holmes vs. Monster!

Plot:

When a gentlewoman is found dead with her throat torn out, the villagers blame a supernatural monster, but Sherlock Holmes, who gets drawn into the case from nearby Quebec, suspects a human murderer.

Plot Keywords:

Sherlock Holmes | Death | Killer | Murderer | Dead Woman

Cast

Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Doctor Watson
Gerald Hamer	...	Potts / Tanner / Ramson
Paul Cavanagh	...	Lord Penrose
Arthur Hohl	...	Emile Journet
Miles Mander	...	Judge Brisson
Kay Harding	...	Marie Journet
David Clyde	...	Police Sergeant Thompson
Ian Wolfe	...	Drake
Victoria Horne	...	Nora
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Allen	...	Bill Taylor (uncredited)
Gertrude Astor	...	Lady Lillian Gentry Penrose (uncredited)
Frank Austin	...	Villager in Pub with Dr. Watson (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Villager in Pub (uncredited)
Horace B. Carpenter	...	Villager in Pub (uncredited)
Bill Cartledge	...	Hotel Bellhop (uncredited)
William Desmond	...	Member of Royal Canadian Occult Society (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Clyde Fillmore	...	Inspector (uncredited)
Charles Francis	...	Sir John (uncredited)
Olaf Hytten	...	Hotel Day Desk Clerk (uncredited)
George Kirby	...	Father Pierre (uncredited)
Charles Knight	...	Assistant Police Inspector (uncredited)
Eric Mayne	...	Member of Royal Canadian Occult Society (uncredited)
Norbert Muller	...	Page-boy (uncredited)
Pietro Sosso	...	Andy Trent (uncredited)
Tony Travers	...	Musician (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Hotel Evening Desk Clerk (uncredited)

Directed by
Roy William Neill

Writing credits
Edmund L. Hartmann		(screenplay) and
Roy William Neill		(screenplay)
Paul Gangelin		(story) and
Brenda Weisberg		(story)
Arthur Conan Doyle		(characters) (as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Produced by
Roy William Neill	....	producer
Howard Benedict	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Paul Sawtell		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
George Robinson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Paul Landres

Art Direction by
Ralph M. DeLacy
John B. Goodman

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman
Ira Webb		(as Ira S. Webb)

Makeup Department
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound director
Robert Pritchard	....	sound technician

Visual Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photography

Music Department
Paul Sawtell	....	musical director
Charles Previn	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Hans J. Salter	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Frank Skinner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Stacy Keach Sr.	....	dialogue director (as Stacey Keach)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1944) (USA) (theatrical)
• Realart Pictures Inc. (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Associated Artists Productions (AAP) (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MPI Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MPI Home Video (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• MPI Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Key Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Sherlock Holmes and the Scarlet Claw" - USA (promotional title)

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #9988) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Basil Rathbone's last words, drowned out by the music, appear to be "God bless him" (in reference to Winston Churchill).

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The name of the village, La Mort Rouge, is misspelled (La Morte rouge) on the map which is visible in one scene.

Quotes:

Sherlock Holmes:Ramson has undoubtedly established another character for himself - perhaps several others - by now familiar to the people of La Morte Rouge and quite above suspicion. He could be almost anyone...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in La morte rouge (2006)

One of the best in the series

Although to some people this might be blasphemous, I am not at all a fan of the way Bruce interprets the Watson character. This is simply because I believe this is not the way ACD intended to portray the character and it's simply ridiculous. Movies being another art form though, one must certainly make allowances for alternative interpretations. Rathbone, as usual, excels himself here and in my personal Holmes actor ranking he's first just before Jeremy Brett.

At the outset, I had the slight impression that the story is a bit of a rip-off of the HOUND but very soon one realises that the storyline goes into quite another direction. But since The Hound Of The Baskervilles is my very favourite Holmes story that didn't undo the story for me.

What made me wonder a bit was that although set in francophone Canada the only French allusions are the use of the address 'monsieur' and the name of the village... Everything else sounds quite English.

Still, the movie is greatly entertaining and the eerie marshland atmosphere with a hint at the supernatural is cleverly caught.