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

The tenth of fourteen films based on Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional consulting detective Sherlock Holmes starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson.

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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 Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942)

User Reviews

Very good Sherlock story

"The House of Fear" is a highly enjoyable entry into the Sherlock Holmes series. It stars Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Paul Cavanagh and Dennis Hoey. Sherlock and Watson go to Scotland to investigate the murders of members of the "Good Comrades Club" - before they die, they receive an envelope containing orange pips (seeds); shortly afterward, they are brutally murdered beyond recognition.

There is a Sherlock Holmes story called "The Five Orange Pips," but this is only very loosely the Conan Doyle plot. Nevertheless, it has all the great mystery elements - a large, old dark house, rainstorms and things that go bump in the night.

One of the faults of this series was the casting of Nigel Bruce who was then directed to act like an idiot. Also, some of the scripts have Holmes being very condescending toward Watson or making fun of him. In "The House of Fear," neither of these things occur, at least as broadly. Holmes seems not only genuinely concerned about his friend but very fond of him as well.

Rathbone is one of the best actors to play Holmes and looks the part - for the most part, the whole series is enjoyable, and this one is a cut above average.