Main Cast: Richard Greene, Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Lionel Atwill, John Carradine, Wendy Barrie
Release Year: 1939
Country: US
Run Time: 80 minutes
Plot
Though it takes a few liberties with the Arthur Conan Doyle original -- not the least of which is turning Sherlock Holmes into the second lead -- The Hound of the Baskervilles ranks as one of the best screen versions of this oft-told tale. After learning the history of the Baskerville curse from the hirsute Dr. Mortimer (Lionel Atwill), Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) takes upon himself the responsibility of protecting sole heir Henry Baskerville (top-billed Richard Greene) from suffering the same fate as his ancestors: a horrible death at the fangs of the huge hound of Grimpen Moor. Unable to head to Baskerville mansion immediately, Holmes sends his colleague Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) to act as his surrogate. What Watson doesn't know is that Holmes, donning several clever disguises, is closely monitoring the activities of everyone in and around the estate. Meanwhile, young Henry falls in love with Beryl Stapleton (Wendy Barrie), sister of the effusively friendly John Stapleton (Morton Lowry). Holmes and Watson compare notes, a red herring character (John Carradine) is eliminated, Henry Baskerville is nearly torn to shreds by a huge hound, and the man behind the plot to kill Henry and claim the Baskerville riches for himself is revealed at the very last moment. The Hound of the Baskervilles "improves" upon the original with such embellishments as turning the villain's wife into his sister, and by interpolating a spooky séance sequence involving mystic Beryl Mercer. In other respects, it is doggedly (sorry!) faithful to Doyle, even allowing Holmes to bait the censor by asking Dr. Watson for "the needle" at fadeout time. A big hit in a year of big hits, The Hound of the Baskervilles firmly established Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as moviedom's definitive Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The first of the long and successful series of Basil RathboneSherlock Holmes films, The Hound of the Baskervilles is smashing good fun for Holmes enthusiasts and fans of the detective thriller genre. Set in the appropriately spooky moors, Hound is an engaging adaptation of the Arthur Conan Doyle original -- respectful but not slavish, and unafraid to make changes to make the film more interesting cinematically. True, it has some of the same flaws that are part and parcel of any Holmes film, the kind of things that drive some people up the wall -- such as how Holmes can so cavalierly play fast and loose with a man's life by withholding information from him. But most people are willing to accept these conventions as part of the genre and necessary to build the appropriate tension and suspense. Besides, director Sidney Lanfield keeps things moving at such a sprightly (yet never hurried) pace that there's little time to worry about such matters. Best of all, Hound gives the audience Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, who, though in their first outing as Holmes and Watson, are already in very fine form. Rathbone is cerebral yet playful, a Holmes who clearly relishes his job and is brought to life by the thrill of the chase but who also recognizes the stakes of the games he plays. Bruce manages to make Watson appropriately befuddled without becoming a subject fit for mockery; there is clearly a brain in him, it just can't compare with that of Holmes. There's also fine support from Richard Greene, Lionel Atwill, and Wendy Barrie, and a characteristically odd turn from John Carradine, all adding up to a very good time indeed. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Richard Day - Art Director, Hans Peters - Art Director, Gene Markey - Associate Producer, Gwen Wakeling - Costume Designer, Sidney Lanfield - Director, Robert L. Simpson - Editor, Cyril Mockridge - Musical Direction/Supervision, J. Peverell Marley - Cinematographer, Thomas K. Little - Set Designer, W.D. Flick - Sound/Sound Designer, Roger Heman - Sound/Sound Designer, Ernest Pascal - Screenwriter, Arthur Conan Doyle - Short Story Author
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. 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.
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. John Watson (Nigel Bruce) receive a visit from Dr. James Mortimer (Lionel Atwill), who wishes to consult them before meeting Sir Henry Baskerville (Richard Greene), 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 (Ralph Forbes) 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 his best friend, Sir Charles Baskerville, Sir 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 of heart failure. 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. He never dared report about he noticed because no one would have believed him.
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 (Wendy Barrie), the sister of his neighbour (Morton Lowry), a local naturalist. Meanwhile, a homicidal maniac (Nigel De Brulier), 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 (Beryl Mercer). 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 Grimpen Mire".
