The master sleuth hunts his archenemy, Professor Moriarty, who is planning the crime of the century.
Linda Hamilton has come a long way with Sarah Connor, from the original film to Terminator: Dark Fate.
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Title: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Basil Rathbone | ... | Sherlock Holmes | |
| Nigel Bruce | ... | Dr. Watson | |
| Ida Lupino | ... | Ann Brandon | |
| Alan Marshal | ... | Jerrold Hunter | |
| Terry Kilburn | ... | Billy | |
| George Zucco | ... | Professor Moriarty | |
| Henry Stephenson | ... | Sir Ronald Ramsgate | |
| E.E. Clive | ... | Inspector Bristol | |
| Arthur Hohl | ... | Bassick | |
| May Beatty | ... | Mrs. Jameson | |
| Peter Willes | ... | Lloyd Brandon | |
| Mary Gordon | ... | Mrs. Hudson | |
| Holmes Herbert | ... | Justice | |
| George Regas | ... | Mateo | |
| Mary Forbes | ... | Lady Conyngham | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (144) »
Storyline
Professor Moriarity has a scheme for stealing the crown jewels from the Tower of London. To get Holmes involved, he persuades a gaucho flute player to murder a girl. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords:
jewel | tower of london | playing flute | chinchilla foot | albatross |Taglines:
The Struggle of Super-Minds in the Crime of the Century!Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
1 September 1939 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Sherlock Holmes See more »Filming Locations:
Stage 2, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Professor Moriarty: I'm away for a few weeks, Dawes, and I come back to find my anthurium magenta, my incomparable anthurium magenta, withered, ruined...
Dawes: I can't understand it, sir; I took good care of all the plants.
Professor Moriarty: Did you water them?
Dawes: Every day, sir - just as you told me, sir.
Professor Moriarty: Then how does it happen that I find a spider's web spun across the spout of the watering can?
Dawes: That can happen overnight, sir.
Professor Moriarty: Overnight, huh? Then you didn't water them today?
Dawes: There's been so much to do, sir, ...
[...]
See more »
(uncredited)
Written and Composed by John Glover Kind
Performed by Basil Rathbone
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Based on an 1899 stage play by William Gillette which--famously--was the stage debut of Charles Chaplin, playing the character of Billy. Terry Kilburn plays the character in the film. See more »Goofs
At c.10 minutes Holmes' left-hand fingers barely move and his right hand is equally immobile when he plays his violin, pizzicato, emphasizing that he is miming throughout. See more »Quotes
Dawes: You wanted to see me, sir?Professor Moriarty: I'm away for a few weeks, Dawes, and I come back to find my anthurium magenta, my incomparable anthurium magenta, withered, ruined...
Dawes: I can't understand it, sir; I took good care of all the plants.
Professor Moriarty: Did you water them?
Dawes: Every day, sir - just as you told me, sir.
Professor Moriarty: Then how does it happen that I find a spider's web spun across the spout of the watering can?
Dawes: That can happen overnight, sir.
Professor Moriarty: Overnight, huh? Then you didn't water them today?
Dawes: There's been so much to do, sir, ...
[...]
See more »
Crazy Credits
Opening card: In all my life I have encountered only one man whom I can truthfully call the very Genius of Evil -- Professor Moriarty. For eleven years he has eluded me. All the rest who opposed him are dead. He is the most dangerous criminal England has ever known. Sherlock Holmes. 9 May 1894. See more »Alternate Versions
When this movie aired on WPBS, the song that Basil Rathbone sings was changed from "By the Sea" to "I've got a Loverly Bunch of Cocoanuts." See more »Soundtracks
I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside(uncredited)
Written and Composed by John Glover Kind
Performed by Basil Rathbone
See more »
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The only other in-period Rathbone Holmes film, this is brim full of atmosphere and high production values, never mind about how good the acting and direction was too. The many long scenes were taken leisurely which enabled me to get a real feel for Victorian London with all the fog outside the Fox set windows. Sadly the one aspect slightly lacking was the story but only through the comparison to Hound, overall Adventures is easily the best of the rest and the best Holmes-Moriarty duel on film.
Rathbone and Zucco souped up the mental jousting and added something more to the legend, it really was a pity Zucco couldn't do the other two Moriarty outings at Universal. Although Atwill and Daniell were both excellent as well - maybe the part couldn't fail as Holmes' foil! Ida Lupino played her melodramatic part well, she could have smiled at least once though! Nigel Bruce as faithful Watson was perfect as usual, at one point even to lying down and rolling over in the gutter for his ... master.
All in all, a notch down from Hound but in quality a long drop down from this to the Universals, much as I love them too.