The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)

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

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (based on the novel by) (as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), Peter Bryan (screenplay)

Stars:

Peter Cushing, André Morell, Christopher Lee

Cast

Complete credited 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
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

Storyline

Returning to his family's manor house on the lonely moors after his father dies under mysterious circumstances, Sir Henry Baskerville is confronted with the mystery of the supernatural hound that supposedly takes revenge upon the Baskerville family. The famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson are brought in to investigate.

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Plot Keywords:

killed by a dog | tricycle | cycle | horse | carriage | 

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Taglines:

Sherlock Holmes' Most Terrifying Adventure! [UK]

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

3 July 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Baskervilles hund

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min 64 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Baskerville Hall set is a redress of that used for Castle Dracula in Horror of Dracula (1958), in which Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing also starred.

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Goofs

The chessboard is set up incorrectly (the rightmost square on the first rank is supposed to be white, not black).

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Quotes

Sherlock Holmes: In a case such as this, everyone is suspect - even Sir Henry.

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Connections

Version of Der Hund von Baskerville (1929)

User Reviews

Hammer, Holmes, and the Hound

Director Terence Fisher, actors Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Andre Morrell, and the Hammer production crew bring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous story of the legendary hound of the Baskervilles into colour for the first time. In point of fact, this is the first Sherlock Holmes story filmed in glorious colour, and it does the story proud with its phospherescent glow on the dog, its swirling mists, and the natural tweed colours of Holmes and Watson. Though some argue that Cushing was miscast as Holmes, I argue most vehemently THAT he is perfectly cast as the great detective. His features cry out Doyle's character, and his obvious inner quest for perfection resonates strongly through the character as well. Cushing lends his class to the role and, in my opinion, gives us a fine Holmes, perhaps one of the screen's best. I always enjoy watching a Cushing performance as he was an actor that loved to play with props, and as Christopher Lee states in his autobiography, a man who could play with the prop and act to perfection, often making it look so very elementary. Watch his Holmes. Very few scenes go by where he isn't playing with something. Lee is good in his role, though the part is rather lacklustre. Andre Morrell is a fine Watson. He does not do the Nigel Bruce buffoon act, but rather he plays a man capable of having graduated from medical school. The rest of the cast is good with Francis DeWolff standing out as a doctor in love with himself and the sound of his voice and the ever affable Miles Malleson adding comic relief as a befuddled bishop. The story stays pretty close to the word according to Doyle. Fisher gives what you would expect: tight direction, lush cinematography, and loads of beautiful shots of the fog-ridden moors. The film has a clever prologue about the curse of the Baskervilles as an introduction, and it is wonderfully executed.