The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (novel)
Peter Bryan (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 July 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

Sherlock Holmes' Most Terrifying Adventure! [UK]

Plot:

When a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.

Plot Keywords:

Sherlock Holmes | Curse | Hound | Detective | Doctor

Cast

Peter Cushing	...	Sherlock Holmes
André Morell	...	Doctor Watson (as Andre Morell)
Christopher Lee	...	Sir Henry
Marla Landi	...	Cecile
David Oxley	...	Sir Hugo
Francis De Wolff	...	Doctor Mortimer (as Francis de Wolff also)
Miles Malleson	...	Bishop
Ewen Solon	...	Stapleton
John Le Mesurier	...	Barrymore
Helen Goss	...	Mrs. Barrymore
Sam Kydd	...	Perkins
Michael Hawkins	...	Lord Caphill
Judi Moyens	...	Servant Girl
Michael Mulcaster	...	Convict
David Birks	...	Servant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elizabeth Gott	...	Mrs. Goodlippe (uncredited)
Ian Hewitson	...	Lord Kingsblood (uncredited)

Directed by
Terence Fisher

Writing credits
Arthur Conan Doyle		(novel) (as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Peter Bryan		(screenplay)

Produced by
Michael Carreras	....	executive producer
Anthony Hinds	....	producer
Anthony Nelson Keys	....	associate producer
Kenneth Hyman	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
James Bernard

Cinematography by
Jack Asher		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Alfred Cox

Production Design by
Bernard Robinson

Makeup Department
Roy Ashton	....	makeup artist
Henry Montsash	....	hairstyles
Margaret Robinson	....	hound mask (uncredited)

Production Management
Don Weeks	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Peverall	....	assistant director
Hugh Harlow	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Banks	....	master plasterer (uncredited)
Charles Davis	....	master carpenter (uncredited)
Eric Hillier	....	props buyer (uncredited)
Mick Lyons	....	construction manager (uncredited)
Don Mingaye	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Tom Money	....	property master (uncredited)
Frank Pannicelli	....	model dog maker (uncredited)
Gilbert Wood	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Lawrence Wren	....	master painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jock May	....	sound recorder
Jim Perry	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects (as Sid Pearson)

Camera and Electrical Department
Len Harris	....	camera operator
Steve Birtles	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Teddy Catford	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Tom Edwards	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Harry Oakes	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Molly Arbuthnot	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
James Needs	....	supervising editor

Music Department
John Hollingsworth	....	conductor

Other crew
Shirley Barnes	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Hammer Film Productions (present) (as A Hammer Film Production also)

Distributors

• United Artists Corporation (1959) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• Nova Film (1959) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• C.B. Films (1960) (Spain) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1988) (UK) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (The Sherlock Holmes Collection)
• CBS/Fox (1987) (USA) (VHS) (for MGM/UA Home Entertainment [us])
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Magnetic Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• United Artists Video (UAV) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

87 min | Canada:64 min (Ontario)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG | Norway:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #19213) | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:14 (original rating) (1959) | Finland:K-16 | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | UK:PG (re-rating) (1988) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

For his role as Sherlock Holmes he of course had to have a pipe but as Peter Cushing didn't like the taste of the pipe, he kept a glass of milk always to hand to remove the taste.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the prologue, after Sir Hugo has stabbed the girl on the moor, there is no blood on the knife. But after he has been attacked by the hound and drops the knife, a close up reveals it to be covered in blood.

Quotes:

Sir Hugo Baskerville:Let loose the pack!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Trésor (2009)

Cushing and Lee...their the reason I watched this one.

I would normally not even attempt to watch a Sherlock movie, but seeing as how Peter Cushing was Sherlock and Lee was in it too I decided to give this one a try. Suffice to say I was not disappointed as both were very good in their respective roles as was the fellow who played Watson. This one has Sherlock investigating a curse that kills the head of a family named the Baskervilles. The next target is Lee's character after he inherits his uncle's house after his untimely death. The movie moves at a very brisk pace and is a bit predictable, but still executed very well (though they never explained the doctors part in the movie). There is also a scene at the end I found rather amusing as Sherlock and a couple of others are standing on a hill and this person is sinking in quicksand. They don't really make much of a movie to save the person even though they clearly could. All in all though this one is a well acted move that was interesting to watch.