The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939 film)

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The Hound of the Baskervilles

DVD cover
Directed by Sidney Lanfield
Produced by Gene Markey
Written by A. Conan Doyle (novel)
Ernest Pascal
Starring Richard Greene
Basil Rathbone
Nigel Bruce
Music by David Buttolph
Charles Maxwell
Cyril J. Mockridge
David Raksin
Cinematography Peverell Marley
Editing by Robert Simpson
Distributed by Twentieth Century Fox
Release date(s) March 24, 1939
Running time 80 min.
Country Flag of the United States United States
Language English
Followed by The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1939 mystery film based on the novel of the same name by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and is directed by Sidney Lanfield and produced by 20th Century Fox.

It is the most well-known cinematic adaptation of the book, and is often regarded as one of the better, though very inaccurate, films.

The film stars Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson and Richard Greene as Henry Baskerville. Because the studio apparently had no idea that the film would be such a hit, and that Rathbone and Bruce would make many more Sherlock Holmes films and be forever linked with Holmes and Watson, top billing went to Richard Greene, who was the film's romantic lead, and a huge star at the time. Rathbone was billed second. Wendy Barrie, who played Beryl Stapleton, the woman with whom Greene falls in love, received third billing, and Nigel Bruce, the film's Dr. Watson, was billed fourth. In all other Holmes films, Rathbone and Bruce would receive first and second billing.

The Hound of the Baskervilles also marks the first of the fourteen Sherlock Holmes movies starring Rathbone and Bruce as the detective duo.

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Holmes and Watson receive a visit from Dr. James Mortimer, who wishes to consult them before meeting Sir Henry Baskerville, the last of the Baskervilles, and heir to the Baskerville estate in Devonshire. Dr. Mortimer tells them he is uneasy about letting Sir Henry go to Baskerville Hall, owing to a supposed family curse. He tells them the legend of the Hound of the Baskervilles, a demonic dog that first killed Sir Hugo Baskerville several hundred years ago, and is believed to kill all Baskervilles in the region of Devonshire. When Holmes dismisses it as a fairy tale, Mortimer narrates the events of the recent death of Sir Charles Baskerville, Henry's uncle. Although he was found dead in his garden without any trace of physical damage, his face was distorted as if he died in utter terror. Dr. Mortimer then reveals something that he had not mentioned at the official inquest. He alone had noticed footmarks at some distance from the body when it was found; the footmarks of a gigantic hound.

Holmes sends Watson to Baskerville Hall with the newly-arrived Sir Henry, claiming that he is too busy to attend in person, and awaits developments. Sir Henry develops a romantic interest in Beryl Stapleton, the sister of his neighbour, a local naturalist. Meanwhile, a homicidal maniac, escaped from Dartmoor Prison, lurks on the moor.

Holmes finally makes an appearance, having been hiding in the vicinity for some time making his own enquiries. An effective scene, not in the original book, occurs when Holmes, Watson and Sir Henry attend a seance held by Mrs. Mortimer. In a trance, she asks "What happened that night on the moor, Sir Charles?". The only reply is a lone howl out of the moors.

After some clever deception by Holmes,it is revealed that the true criminal is Stapleton, a long-lost cousin of the Baskervilles, who hopes to claim their vast fortune himself after removing all other members of the bloodline.

Stapleton kept a huge, half-starved, vicious dog, trained to attack individual members of the Baskervilles after prolonged exposure to their scent. In order to make it seem truly diabolical, he daubed its coat with a luminous, phosphorus-based paint. However, when the hound is finally sent to kill Sir Henry Baskerville, Holmes and Watson are waiting for it. They kill the hound, proving it is not a ghost, and Stapleton flees. Unlike the original novel, his fate is unknown in the film, but Holmes says ominously , "He won't get very far. I've posted constables along the roads and the only other way - is across the [deadly] Grimpen Mire".

[edit] Cast

[edit] Quotes

  • Holmes : "Let me hear you reconstruct him from his walking stick — by our usual methods of elementary observation."
  • Dr. Mortimer : "Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!"
  • Holmes : "Murder, my dear Watson — refined, cold-blooded murder."
  • Holmes : "Oh, Watson, the needle!" (final words)

[edit] External links

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