The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978 film)

1978 British film

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Film poster

Directed by| Paul Morrissey
Written by| Peter Cook, Dudley Moore & Paul Morrissey (screenplay)
Based on| The Hound of the Baskervilles
1902 novel
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Produced by| John Goldstone
Starring|

* Peter Cook
* Dudley Moore

Cinematography|

* Dick Bush
* John Wilcox

Edited by| Glenn Hyde
Richard Marden
Music by| Dudley Moore
Distributed by| Atlantic Releasing Corporation

Release date

| 21 July 1978 (West Germany)

Running time

| 85 minutes
Country| United Kingdom
Language| English

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1978 British comedy film spoofing the 1902 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It starred Peter Cook as Sherlock Holmes and Dudley Moore as Dr. Watson. A number of other well-known British comedy actors appeared in the film including Terry-Thomas, Kenneth Williams and Denholm Elliott.

## Plot[edit]

The film begins in a theatre, where a pianist (Moore) begins to play a piano accompaniment to the actual film being shown in the theater.

Holmes (Cook) has just restored a stolen artifact to three French nuns, and is later called on a case by Dr. Mortimer (Terry-Thomas) concerning Sir Henry Baskerville (Kenneth Williams) and a legendary hound that curses the Baskerville estate. Tired and worn out by so many cases, Holmes passes the case onto Dr. Watson (Moore), who is portrayed as a Welsh eccentric.

On their way from the station to the hall, Sir Henry, Dr. Mortimer, Watson and Perkins (their driver) are halted by a policeman (Spike Milligan), who warns them of a murderer stalking the moors, before sending the group on their way.

While out in the moor collecting specimens, Watson has a curious encounter in a hut with the raving Mr. Frankland (Hugh Griffith) and Frankland's exceedingly strong daughter, Mary (Dana Gillespie ).

In the next scene, we see Holmes still in London, visiting Ada, his mother (also played by Dudley Moore), who, as a bogus spiritualist aided by her housekeeper, Iris, scams older ladies of their money in false seances. Holmes' mother is concerned that "Watty" (Watson) may need help, and that "Sherl" (as she calls her son), should rush to his aid.

In next scene, Holmes interviews the one-legged Mr. Spiggot (also played by Dudley Moore) to act as a runner on the moor.

In the next scene, while wandering on the moors, Watson happens upon Mr. Stapleton (Denholm Elliott), who mistakes him for Sir Henry. Stapleton's sister (Joan Greenwood) describes dramatically her encounter with the Hound on the moor, suggesting that it ravished her, whereupon she attempts to force herself upon the reluctant Watson, with Miss Stapleton undergoing supernatural transformations reminiscent of The Exorcist.

The Barrymores (Max Wall and Irene Handl) at Baskerville Hall mistreat Sir Henry and Watson, feeding them only cheese and water and then throwing them into a small bedroom, ankle-deep in water. Watson then goes to the village to send a message to Holmes (who is during this time visiting his cranky mother), and meets Mr. Stapleton of Merripit Hall. Stapleton is carrying a chihuahua that proceeds to urinate in Watson's pocket and face.

Arriving at Merripit Hall, Watson meets the eccentric Mrs. Stapleton, who displays surreal symptoms suggesting demonic possession. Late at night, Sir Henry and Watson discover the Stapletoons and the escaped murderer, whom Watson recognizes as Mrs. Barrymore's brother Ethel Seldon (Roy Kinnear), having a family dinner. Oddly enough, neither of the men seems to panic at this.

Afterward, Holmes arrives and examines the case so far. An invitation arrives for Sir Henry, asking him to dinner at Merripit Hall. Suspecting a trap, Watson goes along with Sir Henry while Holmes observes carefully. Mrs. Stapleton resumes her bizarre acts and begins to vomit pale-blue liquid over Sir Henry, whilst Mr. Stapleton's chihuahua urinates in Watson's soup.

Ordered to leave in disgrace, the Stapletons, Dr. Mortimer, Mr. Frankland, and his daughter Mary follow Sir Henry and Watson to kill them, but become trapped in a quagmire. Holmes then proceeds to reveal that the Hound is no more than a large, rather friendly Irish wolfhound owned by the late Sir Charles Baskerville, whose excited barking was misinterpreted as a monstrous beast. He also states that the dog is the sole heir of Sir Charles. With the dog gone, the would-be murderers would have gained the Baskerville fortune and the estate.

The film ends on the pianist, who is then hit by vegetables from the audience.

## Cast[edit]

* Peter Cook - Sherlock Holmes
* Dudley Moore - Doctor Watson / Mr. Spiggot / Mrs. Ada Holmes / Piano Player
* Denholm Elliott - Stapleton
* Joan Greenwood - Beryl Stapleton
* Hugh Griffith - Frankland
* Irene Handl - Mrs. Barrymore
* Terry-Thomas - Dr. Mortimer
* Max Wall - Arthur Barrymore
* Kenneth Williams - Sir Henry Baskerville
* Roy Kinnear - Ethel Seldon
* Dana Gillespie - Mary Frankland
* Lucy Griffiths - Iris
* Penelope Keith - Massage-Parlour Receptionist
* Jessie Matthews - Mrs. Tinsdale
* Prunella Scales - Glynis
* Josephine Tewson - Nun
* Rita Webb - Elder Masseuse
* Henry Woolf - Shopkeeper
* Spike Milligan - Policeman

## Filming locations[edit]

The film was shot at Bray Studios and on location in neighbouring Oakley Court, as the manor house.

## Reception[edit]

The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews, being described variously as "a chore"[1] and "a ponderous shambles",[2] with much of the blame being laid at Morrissey's direction, especially given the substantial comedic talent involved. Virtually the entire cast consisted of comic actors who were well-known and respected in the UK and overseas. Perhaps because of this, it went unreleased until 1981 in the United States.

It has a 0% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[3]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978) - Paul Morrissey - Review - AllMovie". AllMovie.
2. ^ "'The Hound of The Baskervilles'" One for the Dogs". 10 February 1981 - via www.washingtonpost.com.
3. ^ "The Hound of the Baskervilles (1980)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 25 October 2019.

## External links[edit]

* The Hound of the Baskervilles at IMDb
* The Hound of the Baskervilles at AllMovie

* 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 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)
* Sherlock Holmes and the Great Escape (2019)

Television/
Streaming/
Direct-to-video|

| 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)

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)
* Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes (2010)

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)
* Code:Realize − Guardian of Rebirth (2017)
* 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)
* The Tale of the Outcasts (2023)
* Undead Girl Murder Farce (2023)

Actors by role|

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

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Paul Morrissey

* The Velvet Underground and Nico: A Symphony of Sound (1966)
* Chelsea Girls (1966)
* Flesh (1968)
* Trash (1970)
* Women in Revolt (1971)
* L'Amour (1973)
* Heat (1973)
* Flesh for Frankenstein (1973)
* Blood for Dracula (1974)
* The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978)
* Madame Wang's (1981)
* Forty Deuce (1982)
* Mixed Blood (1985)
* Beethoven's Nephew (1985)
* Spike of Bensonhurst (1988)

Authority control databases: National |

* United States

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