The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988) (TV)

Director:

Brian Mills

Writers:

T.R. Bowen (teleplay) and
Arthur Conan Doyle (novel)

Release Date:

8 December 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery

Plot:

When latest heir to the Baskerville estate seems to be threatened by a family curse, only the master detective, Sherlock Holmes, can find out the truth.

Plot Keywords:

Sherlock Holmes | Moor | Hound | Detective | Legend

Cast

Jeremy Brett	...	Sherlock Holmes
Edward Hardwicke	...	Dr. John Watson
Kristoffer Tabori	...	Sir Henry Baskerville
Ronald Pickup	...	Barrymore
James Faulkner	...	Stapleton
Rosemary McHale	...	Mrs. Barrymore
Alastair Duncan	...	Dr. Mortimer (as Neil Duncan)
Raymond Adamson	...	Sir Charles Baskerville
Edward Romfourt	...	Purser
Philip Dettmer	...	Pageboy
Stephen Tomlin	...	Perkins
Fiona Gillies	...	Beryl Stapleton
Bernard Horsfall	...	Frankland
Don McKillop	...	Vicar of Grimpen (as Donald McKillop)
William Ilkley	...	Selden

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:Unrated | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Brimham Rocks, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Granada Television

Trivia:

In the Railway scene the "GWR" No.5 is actually former Lambton Collieries No.5, an 0-6-2 Tank Loco Built by Robert Stephenson & Co. Ltd at Darlington (Works No.3377 of 1909). The Lambton Hetton & Joicey Colliery system was part of the large colliery systems in the North East of England, a system so large it even ran its own passenger service.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the hound attacks Selden, during the struggle there are scenes in which the victim changes from Selden to Sir Henry Baskerville. Seldon's head is shaved, while in parts of this scene, the victim obviously has a full head of hair.

Quotes:

Sherlock Holmes: It may be that you are not yourself luminous but you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power for stimulating it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Shackles of Sherlock (2007) (TV)

Very enjoyable

Firstly, my opinion towards this endeavour is quite biased by the fact that I love Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Holmes in the Granada series. He - and the whole production - made for me the ideal shift in medium between literature and television. I love the books as books, and I love the small screen version as television. I think Conan Doyle's message in Hound has been carried faithfully forward in this production, or at least as much as is possible when going to television from literature.

Yes, the production is slow at times: so is the book. And therein lies this story's particular charm; it is to be savoured, like a fine cigar with cognac, not to be devoured like a Big Mac meal. Both have their own unique charm, and are to be appreciated in their own unique way. Hound is to be savoured, to be meditated upon, its taste becomes rich and appreciated only after examination. And it is in this vein that it must be appreciated. It is, admittedly, difficult to appreciate this sort of production in our society, but at least this production brings us back to a time when the viewer must interact and work along with the production to appreciate it fully. Which is not unlike the book itself; and it is an ingenious accomplishment to take not only the raw content of the book and film it, but to take the very underlying unspoken mystique of the book, and capture that on celluloid as well.

On these counts, this production succeeds magnificiently. I encourage everyone to watch this, but not just to watch, but involve yourself in it. Beyond the genius of the film mentioned above, Holmes and Watson are depicted magnificiently, and the sets are quite good; dismal, bleak and unappealing in the country, and (what I imagine is) Victorian England come alive again in the scenes from London.