The Hound of the Baskervilles

1939 1h 20m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 240

MysteryCrimeHorrorThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Richard Greene
Sir Henry Baskerville
Basil Rathbone
Sherlock Holmes
Wendy Barrie
Beryl Stapleton
Nigel Bruce
Doctor John H. Watson
Lionel Atwill
Dr. James Mortimer
John Carradine
Barryman
Barlowe Borland
Frankland
Beryl Mercer
Mrs. Jennifer Mortimer

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sidney Lanfield
Writers: Ernest Pascal
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

87 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Sidney Lanfield, shot by J. Peverell Marley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert L. Simpson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Richard Greene and Basil Rathbone and Wendy Barrie carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0031448 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sidney Lanfield directs. J. Peverell Marley behind the camera. Robert L. Simpson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
287 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Sidney Lanfield, shot by J. Peverell Marley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Robert L. Simpson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Richard Greene and Basil Rathbone and Wendy Barrie carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0031448 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 17 themes, including "based on novel or book", "sequel", "fugitive", "rural area".

The technical file

Cinematography: J. Peverell Marley
Editing: Robert L. Simpson
Costume design: Gwen Wakeling
Runtime: 80 min · 1h 20m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)

Part of

Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) Collection

A series of fourteen films based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories was released between 1939 and 1946; the British actors Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce played Holmes and Dr. John Watson, respectively. The first two films in the series were produced by 20th Century Fox and released in 1939. The studio stopped making the films after these, but Universal Pictures acquired the rights from the Doyle estate and produced a further twelve films. Although the films from 20th Century Fox had large budgets, high production values, and were set in the Victorian era, Universal updated the films to the contemporary era of the Second World War, and produced them as B pictures with lower budgets. Both Rathbone and Bruce continued their roles when the series changed studios, as did Mary Gordon, who played the recurring character, Mrs. Hudson.

Also by

Sidney Lanfield

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-06-22
★ 8/10
A lovely, suspenseful adaptation of Conan Doyle's story about a wealthy English landowner who comes into his inheritance thanks to the legend of a brutal hound that terrorises the Dartmoor countryside where the estate of Sir Henry Baskerville lies. Enter Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson (Basil Rathbone and his superbly played foil, Nigel Bruce) who get their first outing as the super-sleuth and his loyal, if somewhat dithery, companion. Richard Greene and Lionel Atwill feature prominently too, but this is essentially about the chemistry between the two main stars and it works a treat. The dialogue is a touch verbose, but the eeriness of the foggy moor and a strong supporting cast make for a superb 80 minutes of engrossing drama.

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