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 faces terror and death on his greatest case

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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

Some music, composed by James Bernard, was also used in Horror of Dracula (1958).

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Goofs

In their discussion regarding the source of the tarantula used to attack Sir Henry, Watson asks Holmes how he knew the spider had not secreted itself with Sir Henry's luggage from South Africa and instead came from the collection of a local and eminent entomologist, Bishop Frankland. In classic form, Holmes says, "Elementary, my dear Watson, tarantulas are not from South Africa." He is wrong, as tarantulas, such as the baboon spider, are native to South Africa. A bit earlier in the film, Bishop Frankland asks if the tarantula in question had originated from one of the village. Here the expert was mistaken as tarantulas are not native to the countryside or villages of England. (To be fair, the good clergyman may have been trying to avoid admitting that a tarantula loaned to him by the London Zoo had gone missing.)

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Quotes

[of Sir Henry Baskerville]
Sherlock Holmes: I warned him! What could have possessed him to come out here alone?

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Connections

Referenced in Honest Trailers: Sherlock Holmes (BBC) (2016)

User Reviews

Cushing was born to play Holmes

Ah, you can't go wrong with Hammer. On the back of the DVD, Newsweek proudly proclaims "The Best of the Sherlocks!", and I have to agree. This is the role that Peter Cushing was born to play, it's a shame he didn't play it as often as he did Van Helsing. His mannerisms, his delivery, even his looks, everything about him is perfect Holmes. The rest of the cast are pretty good too, don't get me wrong, but Cushing puts them to shame. Though he is rather ominous in some scenes, it's nice to see Christopher Lee opposite Cushing as a good guy for a change. I really liked the classic plot, full of surprises, great characters, humor and lots of chances for Cushing to shine. The atmosphere is great, foggy and dark like many Hammer films. Perfect for horror. All in all this is a really fun film, though it does have a few pretty cheesy moments. Good film overall though.

7.5/10