Sherlock Holmes (1916 film)
| Sherlock Holmes | |
|---|---|
 Ad in Moving Picture World (October 1916) | |
| Directed by |
Arthur Berthelet William Postance (assistant director) |
| Written by |
Arthur Conan Doyle (characters) William Gillette (play) H. S. Sheldon (scenario) |
| Starring |
William Gillette Edward Fielding Ernest Maupain |
| Distributed by | Essanay Studios |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 7 reels |
| Country | United States |
| Language |
Silent film English intertitles |
Sherlock Holmes is a 1916 American silent film directed by Arthur Berthelet, shot in Chicago and released by Essanay Studios.[1] The film was one of the earliest American film adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective Sherlock Holmes.
The film stars William Gillette as Holmes, based on his 1899 stage play, which is based on not one case, but takes inspiration from the short stories "A Scandal in Bohemia", "The Final Problem", and "The Copper Beeches" and the novel A Study in Scarlet. The film was produced at Essanay's studios in Chicago.[2]
Plot and outline
Sherlock Holmes is consulted by a man who is connected with the British royal family, to retrieve letters he wrote to Alice Faulkner's sister. Alice intends to use the letters to blackmail him, and Alice is being held captive by a couple in the power of Professor Moriarty.
Gillette performed Holmes 1,300 times on stage, and was responsible for much of the costume still associated with the character. Sherlock Holmes is believed to be the only filmed record of his iconic portrayal.[3][1]
Cast
- William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes
- Marjorie Kay as Alice Faulkner
- Ernest Maupain as Professor Moriarty
- Edward Fielding as Dr. Watson
- Stewart Robbins as Benjamin Forman
- Hugh Thompson as Sir Edward Leighton
- Ludwig Kreiss as Baron von Stalburg
- Mario Majeroni as James Larrabee
- William Postance as Sidney Prince
- Chester Beery as Craigin
- Frank Hamilton as Tim Leary
- Fred Malatesta as "Lightfoot" McTague
- Grace Reals as Madge Larrabee
- Miss Ball as Therese
- Burford Hampden as Billy
- Marian Skinner as A Suffragette (billed as Marion Skinner)
Preservation status
This film had been thought lost. On October 1, 2014, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and Cinematheque Francaise announced that a print of the film had been found in the Cinematheque's collection. The SFSFF and the Cinematheque will restore the film, with the European premiere to take place in January 2015, and the U.S. premiere in May 2015.[4]
The print found is a nitrate negative of the 90-minute film with French-language intertitles.[1] The film had been mixed up with other Holmes-related media at the Cinematheque and had been incorrectly labeled.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Andrew Pulver; Kim Willsher (2 October 2014). "'Holy grail' of Sherlock Holmes films discovered at Cinémathèque Française". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ↑ SilentEra entry
- ↑ "Lost Sherlock Holmes film found in France after 100 years". CBC News. October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ↑ San Francisco Silent Film Festival
- ↑ "Sherlock Holmes silent classic uncovered in Paris vault". BBC News. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sherlock Holmes (1916 film). |
- Sherlock Holmes at the Internet Movie Database
- Sherlock Holmes (1916) at SilentEra
- still portrait from the 1916 film Sherlock Holmes (*click and scroll to enlarge picture)