Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sobaka Baskerviley (1981)

Director:

Igor Maslennikov

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (novel), Igor Maslennikov,

Stars:

Vasili Livanov, Vitali Solomin, Rina Zelyonaya

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vasili Livanov	...	Sherlock Holmes
Vitali Solomin	...	Dr. Watson
Rina Zelyonaya	...	Mrs. Hudson
Irina Kupchenko	...	Beryl Stapleton
Nikita Mikhalkov	...	Sir Henry Baskerville
Alla Demidova	...	Laura Lyons
Svetlana Kryuchkova	...	Mrs. Barrymore
Aleksandr Adabashyan	...	Barrymore
Borislav Brondukov	...	Inspector Lestrade
Sergei Martinson	...	Mr. Frankland
Evgeniy Steblov	...	Dr. Mortimer
Oleg Yankovskiy	...	Stapleton
Oleg Belov	...	(as O. Belov)
Dmitri Bessonov	...	(as D. Bessonov)
Oleg Palmov	...	(as O. Palmov)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

haunting | marsh | doctor | englishman | love | 

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery

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Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Also Known As:

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Filming Locations:

St. Petersburg, Russia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gosteleradio, Lenfilm Studio

Technical Specs

Runtime:

154 min 154 min (2 parts)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1982)

User Reviews

My first Russian Holmes

Hard to find in the US, my DVD was a gift from my sister -- a Slavic Languages professor -- who knows how to find such things. Faithful to the original novel, this probably isn't the best introduction to the series, as Holmes is absent through much of it while Watson investigates alone. With so little Holmes/Watson interaction, some of the appeal must certainly be missing.

That said, I very much like how Watson seriously, diligently, and intelligently carries out his investigation, not unlike numerous other successful fictional detectives. Except when tipsy, he is rarely the stereotypically foolish Watson. If I had never heard of Sherlock Holmes I might even have expected Watson himself to solve the mystery. However, because he is so serious it makes his character a bit too dry through much of film; though that in turn makes his actual flashes of foolishness and his reunion with Holmes more effective illustrations of Watson's true character.

What was interesting about the supporting characters is that they definitely seem to have more than a little Russian in them, from the humorously extroverted Sir Henry Baskerville to the arch-slavic-tragedian portrayal of Beryl Stapleton. I found it a bit jarring at first, expecting more British reserve in the characters, but eventually just let them be themselves and let myself be entertained. Much of Dartmoor also looks far more Russian than English, but that's only to be expected and easily overlooked.

Overall, this is a well done 'Hound', true to the story and true to the characters of Holmes and Watson. I got some hint of Vasili Livanov and Vitali Solomin's vast appeal, but not enough for me to become a wildly enthusiastic myself. At least, not yet. Because that hint is more than enough for me to nag my sister into getting me the rest of the Livanov/Solomin Holmes series. And then we'll see....