The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (film)

1939 film by Alfred L. Werker

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

1939 US theatrical poster

Directed by| Alfred L. Werker
Written by| Characters:
Arthur Conan Doyle
Play:
William Gillette
Screenplay:
Edwin Blum[1]
William A. Drake
Produced by| Darryl F. Zanuck
Starring| Basil Rathbone
Nigel Bruce
Ida Lupino
George Zucco
Alan Marshal
Cinematography| Leon Shamroy
Edited by| Robert Bischoff
Music by| Robert Russell Bennett
Cyril J. Mockridge
Distributed by| 20th Century Fox

Release date

* September 1, 1939 (1939-09-01)

Running time

| 81 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (released theatrically as Sherlock Holmes in the United Kingdom) is a 1939 American mystery adventure film[2] based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Although claiming to be an adaptation of the 1899 play Sherlock Holmes by William Gillette, the film bears little resemblance to the play.[3]

Released by 20th Century Fox, the film is the second of fourteen Sherlock Holmes films produced between 1939 and 1946, starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. John Watson. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is the final film in the series to be released by 20th Century Fox and the final to be set in the Victorian period of Doyle’s stories (all subsequent films would be released by Universal Pictures and set in contemporaneous times (i.e. the 1940s).

The film co-stars George Zucco as Holmes's nemesis, Professor Moriarty, and follows Holmes and Watson as they attempt to foil Moriarty’s plans to target a wealthy family and steal the Crown Jewels.[4]

## Background[edit]

The film was supposedly based on the stage play by William Gillette, though little of the play's original plot remains aside from the Holmes/Moriarty conflict.[5] The play featured a very young Charlie Chaplin in one of his very first acting roles during its first London production, playing the character of Billy,[6] who, in this movie, is played by Terry Kilburn.

## Plot[edit]

The film is set in 1894. The picture begins with Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes verbally sparring on the steps outside the Old Bailey, where Moriarty has just been acquitted on a charge of murder owing to lack of evidence. Holmes remarks, "You have a magnificent brain, Moriarty. I admire it. I admire it so much I'd like to present it, pickled in alcohol, to the London Medical Society." "It would make an impressive exhibit," replies Moriarty.

Holmes and Watson are visited at 221B Baker Street by Ann Brandon (Ida Lupino). She tells him that her brother Lloyd has received a strange note: a drawing of a man with an albatross hanging around his neck, identical to one received by her father just before his brutal murder ten years before. Holmes deduces that the note is a warning and rushes to find Lloyd Brandon. He is too late, as Lloyd has been murdered by being strangled and having his skull crushed.

Holmes, disguised as a music-hall entertainer, attends a garden party, where he correctly believes an attempt will be made on Ann's life. Hearing her cries from a nearby park, he captures her assailant, who turns out to be Gabriel Mateo, out for revenge on the Brandons for the murder of his father by Ann's father in a dispute over ownership of their South American mine. His murder weapon was a bola. Mateo also reveals that it was Moriarty who urged him to seek revenge.

Holmes realises that Moriarty is using the case as a distraction from his real crime, a crime that will stir the British Empire: an attempt to steal the Crown Jewels. Holmes rushes to the Tower of London, where, during a struggle, Moriarty falls, presumably to his death. In the end, Ann is married and Holmes tries to shoo a fly by playing the violin, only to have Watson swat it with his newspaper, remarking, "Elementary, my dear Holmes, elementary."[7]

## Cast[edit]

* Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes
* Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson
* Ida Lupino as Ann Brandon
* George Zucco as Professor Moriarty
* Alan Marshal as Jerrold Hunter
* Terry Kilburn as Billy
* Henry Stephenson as Sir Ronald Ramsgate
* E. E. Clive as Inspector Bristol
* Arthur Hohl as Bassick
* Mary Forbes as Lady Conyngham
* Peter Willes as Lloyd Brandon
* Mary Gordon as Mrs. Hudson
* Frank Dawson as Dawes
* George Regas as Matteo
* William Austin as Passerby
* Holmes Herbert as Justice of the Court

## Accolades[edit]

"Elementary, my dear Watson." was ranked 65th in the American Film Institute 2005 list AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes.[8]

## Influence[edit]

The quote "Elementary, my dear Watson" was made popular by this film. Although it was spoken in the 1929 talkie The Return of Sherlock Holmes starring Clive Brook and in the films featuring Arthur Wontner, it was never featured in a canonical Arthur Conan Doyle story, although once Holmes said, in the 1893 story "The Adventure of the Crooked Man", "Elementary".[9]

During the scene in which Holmes crashes the garden party dressed as a music hall performer, he sings "I Do Like To be Beside the Seaside". This is an anachronism, since the film is set in 1894, but the song was written in 1907.[10]

The scene in which Holmes experiments with the flies in the glass while playing the violin is recreated in the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes, in which Holmes is played by Robert Downey Jr.[11]

In the episode "The Reichenbach Fall" of the BBC/PBS series, Sherlock is heavily inspired by the film and other Rathbone-Bruce films (creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have named the films as the show's primary inspiration).

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Edwin Blum, 89, Writer for Stage And the Screen". The New York Times. May 6, 1995.
2. ^ "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)". AllMovie. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
3. ^ Thompson, Dave (2013). Sherlock Holmes FAQ. Applause. p. 203\. ISBN 978-1-4803-3149-5.
4. ^ S. Nugent, Frank (September 2, 1939). "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes". The New York Times.
5. ^ Barnes, Alan (2002). Sherlock Holmes on Screen. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. p. 17\. ISBN 1-903111-04-8.
6. ^ Eyles, Allen (1986). Sherlock Holmes: A Centenary Celebration. Harper & Row. pp. 39. ISBN 0-06-015620-1.
7. ^ Davies, David Stuart, Holmes of the Movies (New English Library, 1976) ISBN 0-450-03358-9
8. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes" (PDF). American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-07-29.
9. ^ Mikkelson, David (July 2, 2006). "Sherlock Holmes and 'Elementary, My Dear Watson'". Snopes.com. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
10. ^ "© I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside, English Music Hall Song, MIDI and Lyrics". December 19, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-12-19.
11. ^ Obrecht, Jas (October 6, 2011). "Sherlock Holmes' Favorite Music". The Jas Obrecht Music Archive. Retrieved November 22, 2018.

## External links[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (film).

* The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes at IMDb
* The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes at AllMovie
* The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes at the TCM Movie Database
* The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes at the American Film Institute Catalog
* The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

* v
* t
* e

Screen adaptations of Sherlock Holmes

Theatrical films|

| Silent|

* Sherlock Holmes Baffled (1900)
* Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; or, Held for Ransom (1905)
* Sherlock Holmes in the Great Murder Mystery (1908)
* Arsène Lupin contra Sherlock Holmes (1910)
* Éclair film series (1912–1913)
* Der Hund von Baskerville (1914)
* Detektiv Braun (1914)
* A Study in Scarlet (1914 British film)
* A Study in Scarlet (1914 US film)
* The Valley of Fear (1916)
* Sherlock Holmes (1916)
* Sherlock Holmes (1922)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1929)

| Stoll series|

* The Dying Detective (1921)
* The Devil's Foot (1921)
* The Man with the Twisted Lip (1921)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1921)
* The Sign of Four (1923)

|

Wontner series|

* The Sleeping Cardinal (1931)
* The Missing Rembrandt (1932)
* The Sign of Four (1932)
* The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes (1935)
* Silver Blaze (1937)

Rathbone–Bruce
series|

* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)
* The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
* Voice of Terror (1942)
* Secret Weapon (1942)
* Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)
* Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943)
* The Spider Woman (1943)
* The Scarlet Claw (1944)
* The Pearl of Death (1944)
* The House of Fear (1945)
* The Woman in Green (1945)
* Pursuit to Algiers (1945)
* Terror by Night (1946)
* Dressed to Kill (1946)

Downey Jr. series|

* Sherlock Holmes (2009)
* A Game of Shadows (2011)

Other films|

* The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1929)
* The Limejuice Mystery (1930)
* The Speckled Band (1931)
* Lelíček ve službách Sherlocka Holmese (1932)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1932)
* Sherlock Holmes (1932)
* A Study in Scarlet (1933)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1937)
* The Grey Lady (1937)
* The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes (1937)
* Deduce, You Say! (1956)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
* The Deadly Necklace (1962)
* A Study in Terror (1965)
* The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
* They Might Be Giants (1971)
* The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)
* The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978)
* Murder by Decree (1979)
* The Case of Marcel Duchamp (1984)
* Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
* The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
* Without a Clue (1988)
* Zero Effect (1998)
* A Samba for Sherlock (2001)
* Case Closed: The Phantom of Baker Street (2002)
* Holmes & Watson. Madrid Days (2012)
* Mr. Holmes (2015)
* The Empire of Corpses (2015)
* Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
* Holmes & Watson (2018)

Television/Streaming|

| Films|

| Ian Richardson|

* The Sign of Four (1983)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983)

|

Peter O'Toole
(animated)|

* Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet (1983)
* Sherlock Holmes and the Baskerville Curse (1983)
* Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four (1983)
* Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear (1983)

Vasily Livanov
series|

* Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (1979)
* The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (1980)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1981)
* The Treasures of Agra (1983)
* The Twentieth Century Approaches (1986)

Christopher Lee|

* The Leading Lady (1991)
* Incident at Victoria Falls (1992)

Matt Frewer|

* The Hound of the Baskervilles (2000)
* The Sign of Four (2001)
* The Royal Scandal (2001)
* The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire (2002)

Ian Hart
(as Watson)|

* The Hound of the Baskervilles (2002)
* The Case of the Silk Stocking (2004)

Henry Cavill|

* Enola Holmes (2020)
* Enola Holmes 2 (2022)

Other films|

* The Three Garridebs (1937)
* The Man Who Disappeared (1951)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1972)
* The Longing of Sherlock Holmes (1972)
* Doctor Watson and the Darkwater Hall Mystery (1974)
* The Return of the World's Greatest Detective (1976)
* Sherlock Holmes in New York (1976)
* Silver Blaze (1977)
* The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It (1977)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1982)
* The Masks of Death (1984)
* The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1987)
* Hands of a Murderer (1990)
* The Crucifer of Blood (1991)
* 1994 Baker Street: Sherlock Holmes Returns (1993)
* The Hound of London (1993)
* Sherlock: Case of Evil (2002)
* Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars (2007)
* Sherlock Holmes (2010) (DTV)

Television series|

* Sherlock Holmes (1951)
* Sherlock Holmes (1954)
* Sherlock Holmes (1965–1968)
* Sherlock Holmes (1967–1968)
* Sherlock Holmes (1968)
* Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson (1979–1980)
* Young Sherlock: The Mystery of the Manor House (1982)
* The Baker Street Boys (1983)
* Sherlock Hound (1984–1985)
* Sherlock Holmes (1984–1994)
* episodes
* The Adventures of Shirley Holmes (1997–2000)
* Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century (1999–2001)
* Sherlock (2010–2017)
* Tantei Opera Milky Holmes (2010–2016)
* Aria the Scarlet Ammo (2011)
* Elementary (2012–2019)
* Sherlock Holmes (2013)
* Sherlock Holmes (2014–2015)
* Miss Sherlock (2018)
* Sherlock: Untold Stories (2019)
* Case File nº221: Kabukicho (2019–2020)
* Moriarty the Patriot (2020–2021)
* Sherlock in Russia (2020)
* The Irregulars (2021)
* Lupin the 3rd Part 6 (2021–2022)

Actors by role|

* Sherlock Holmes
* Dr. Watson
* Inspector Lestrade
* Mycroft Holmes
* Mrs. Hudson
* Professor Moriarty

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Alfred L. Werker

* The Pioneer Scout (1928)
* The Sunset Legion (1928)
* Kit Carson (1928)
* Chasing Through Europe (1929)
* Blue Skies (1929)
* Double Cross Roads (1930)
* The Last of the Duanes (1930)
* Annabelle's Affairs (1931)
* Fair Warning (1931)
* Heartbreak (1931)
* The Gay Caballero (1932)
* Rackety Rax (1932)
* Hello, Sister! (1933)
* Advice to the Lovelorn (1933)
* It's Great to Be Alive (1933)
* Gallant Lady (1934)
* The House of Rothschild (1934)
* You Belong to Me (1934)
* Stolen Harmony (1935)
* Love in Exile (1936)
* Wild and Woolly (1937)
* Big Town Girl (1937)
* We Have Our Moments (1937)
* City Girl (1938)
* Kidnapped (1938)
* Gateway (1938)
* Up the River (1938)
* It Could Happen to You (1939)
* News Is Made at Night (1939)
* The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
* The Reluctant Dragon (1941)
* Moon Over Her Shoulder (1941)
* The Mad Martindales (1942)
* A-Haunting We Will Go (1942)
* Whispering Ghosts (1942)
* My Pal Wolf (1944)
* Shock (1946)
* Repeat Performance (1947)
* Pirates of Monterey (1947)
* He Walked by Night (1948)
* Lost Boundaries (1949)
* Sealed Cargo (1951)
* Walk East on Beacon (1952)
* The Last Posse (1953)
* Devil's Canyon (1953)
* Three Hours to Kill (1954)
* At Gunpoint (1955)
* Canyon Crossroads (1955)
* Rebel in Town (1956)
* The Young Don't Cry (1957)

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