The House of Fear (1945)

Sherlock Holmes investigates a series of deaths at a castle with each foretold by the delivery of orange pips to the victims.

Director:

Roy William Neill

Writers:

Roy Chanslor (screenplay), Arthur Conan Doyle (story)

Stars:

Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Aubrey Mather

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Doctor John H. Watson
Aubrey Mather	...	Bruce Alastair
Dennis Hoey	...	Inspector Lestrade
Paul Cavanagh	...	Dr. Simon Merrivale
Holmes Herbert	...	Alan Cosgrave
Harry Cording	...	Captain John Simpson
Sally Shepherd	...	Mrs. Monteith
Gavin Muir	...	Chalmers
Florette Hillier	...	Alison MacGregor
David Clyde	...	Alex MacGregor

Storyline

Seven rich men retire to a Scottish castle and promptly begin to die in violent fashion. Each death is preceded by the delivery of orange pips to the next target. As all the likely victims are heaviliy insured, Sherlock Holmes is asked by the insurance companies to investigate.

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Plot Keywords:

sherlock holmes | envelope | death | insurance | scotland | 

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Taglines:

HORROR stalking its halls!

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 March 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sherlock Holmes: The House of Fear

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

References Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes short story The Five Orange Pips.

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Goofs

Lestrade receives an envelope. Holmes asks to examine it. As Lestrade hands it over, the flap is loose. Holmes takes the envelope and breaks the seal with a finger.

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Quotes

Sherlock Holmes: At the moment I suspect no one and everyone.

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Connections

Follows The Spider Woman (1944)

User Reviews

Another Spooky House For Holmes & Watson

Gathered in THE HOUSE OF FEAR, the members of a strange tontine begin to meet violent & mysterious deaths.

Once again, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's celebrated consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, tackles the problems pervading an Old Dark House. This time it's the Good Comrades Club and their rapidly dwindling membership, and Universal Studios supplies all the proper atmospherics to provide plenty of chills & suspense.

Basil Rathbone, as the cerebral sleuth, and Nigel Bruce, as his amiable sidekick, have already reached perfection in their roles. Rathbone, with his wonderful voice, always commands attention, and Bruce is especially good in the sequence where Watson finds himself alone in Drearcliff House, surrounded by unseen menace. Together, their film partnership has become screen legend.

Dennis Hoey returns in the role of Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard, always several steps behind Holmes in his use of deductive reasoning.

The seven Good Comrades are played by cherubic Aubrey Mather, gaunt Paul Cavanagh, Holmes Herbert, Harry Cording, and the unbilled Wilson Benge, Cyril Delevanti & Richard Alexander. Also appearing without credit is that most versatile of British character actresses, Doris Lloyd, playing a Scots innkeeper.

This film, which was very loosely based on Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips, followed THE PEARL OF DEATH (1944) and preceded THE WOMAN IN GREEN (1945).