Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962)
"Sherlock Holmes und das Halsband des Todes" (original title)

Sherlock Holmes and Watson do battle with their nemesis, Professor Moriarity, over an ancient necklace attributed to Cleopatra.

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (novel), Curt Siodmak (screenplay)

Stars:

Christopher Lee, Hans Söhnker, Hans Nielsen

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Lee	...	Sherlock Holmes
Hans Söhnker	...	Prof. Moriarty
Hans Nielsen	...	Inspector Cooper
Senta Berger	...	Ellen Blackburn
Ivan Desny	...	Paul King
Wolfgang Lukschy	...	Peter Blackburn
Leon Askin	...	Charles
Edith Schultze-Westrum	...	Mrs. Hudson
Bruno W. Pantel	...	Auctioneer (as Bruno Panthel)
Heinrich Gies	...	Texas Buyer
Bernard La Jarrige	...	French Policeman (as Bernard Lajarrige)
Linda Sini	...	Light Girl
Roland Armontel	...	Doctor
Danielle Argence	...	Times Librarian
Franco Giacobini	...	Texas Collector

Storyline

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson try to solve the case of the stealing of Cleopatra's necklace, found by archaeologists in Egypt. They soon discover that the evil professor Moriarty is behind it all.

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Plot Keywords:

cleopatra | sherlock holmes | necklace | moriarty | ratskellar | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

France Italy West Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

3 May 1963 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace

Filming Locations:

CCC-Atelier, Spandau, Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Central Cinema Company Film (CCC), Criterion Productions, Incei Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Christopher Lee and Leon Askin were filming the scenes down the sewer seen near the end of the picture, they found the smell to be 'a bit stiff, even for a sewer'. After some inquiries, they found out the place had been used during World War II to make poison gas.

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Quotes

Dr. Watson: What do you suppose that is?
Sherlock Holmes: It looks remarkably like a grave.
Dr. Watson: A grave? But that's not large enough to burry a dog in.
Sherlock Holmes: Be careful, Watson, don't spoil the footprints. Leave that to the Inspector.
Dr. Watson: What could possibly be is buried there?
Sherlock Holmes: Clothes... very old clothes.

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Connections

Referenced in The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes (1985)

User Reviews

Dubbing? Rudimentary, my dear Watson

There are several criminal aspects to this sub-krimi German co-production, first among them being the fact that the filmmakers neglected to get Christopher Lee and Thorley Walters in to loop their own dialogue. It's somewhat jarring to watch an actor with so readily identifiable a voice as Mr Lee speaking, yet the words come out of his mouth spoken by what sounds like a Transatlantic drawl. Or an American dubbing artiste doing a poor Lee imitation.

If one can get past this surreal experience however there is fun to be had. Lee and Walters are ideally cast as Holmes and Watson, at times certain shots looked like Sidney Paget illustrations come to life. Hans Sohnker does a creditable job projecting a sinister air as Moriarty, despite the handicap of dubbing even more atrocious than that of the English-speaking cast. He's no Eric Porter or even George Zucco, but better than some lesser efforts. The direction, however, co-credited to the masterly Terence Fisher of many a Hammer classic fame, is somewhat workmanlike. Perhaps Fisher's heart wasn'tin it, or he was held back by his Teutonic cohort, but it's not in the same league as his and Lee's earlier essaying of "The Hound of the Baskervilles".

The supporting cast are more than adequate, with the lovely Senta Berger in an early role adding some class and beauty to a female cast of East End slatterns played by burly hausfraus. It really is a shame though that Lee's icily incisive portrayal of the great detective, perfect for the role in every way, was only seen in this film and a couple of early '90s productions. Still, there's always the consolation of being the only actor (so far as i know) to have played bot Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, as well as Sir Henry Baskerville. That's got to count for something.

By the way, i saw this under the title "Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace" (somewhat reminiscent of the Basil Rathbone series, the middling entries of which it is on a par). The alternate title of "The Valley of Fear" is somewhat misleading, as apart from characters such as Holmes, Watson and Professor Moriarty this film has very little in common with the Conan Doyle novel of the same name. However, for a Holmes fan wanting a diverting hour and a half on a rainy afternoon, this more than does the trick.