The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 film)

Plot

Dr. Richard Mortimer (Francis de Wolff) asks Sherlock Holmes (Cushing) and Doctor Watson (Morell) to investigate the death of his friend Sir Charles Baskerville; he believes that Sir Charles was killed by a monstrous hound that, legend has it, killed his ancestor Sir Hugo Baskerville (David Oxley) centuries before. Intrigued, the pair go to meet the new owner of Baskerville Hall, Sir Henry (Lee). Holmes remembers that he is going to be away on another case, and leaves Watson to look after Sir Henry. A tarantula attacks Sir Henry briefly in London; Holmes suspects foul play. Before he leaves, Holmes reminds Watson not to let Sir Henry go out onto the nearby moor - where Hugo and Charles died - after dark.

On the way to Baskerville Hall, the coach driver, Perkins (Sam Kydd), warns that a convict named Selden (Michael Mulcaster) has escaped from nearby Dartmoor Prison two days ago. Watson remembers the case: Selden was convicted of murdering a number of street women; due to his being found insane, he was sentenced to life imprisonment instead of hanging. At Baskerville Hall, Watson and Sir Henry learn from the butler, Barrymore (John Le Mesurier), that one of the two paintings of Sir Hugo was stolen several months ago. Watson then questions Barrymore about further details of Sir Charles's death since Barrymore was the first to discover the body. Barrymore explains that he was on his way to warn Dr. Mortimer of Sir Charles's disappearance and then found the body by chance.

The next day, Sir Henry and Watson meet the friendly local pastor, Bishop Frankland (Miles Malleson), who is also a keen entomologist. After leaving instructions at the post office in town, Watson meets a man named Stapleton (Ewen Solon) and his daughter Cecille (Marla Landi), who save him from sinking into quicksand in the Grimpen Mire. Cecille seems to act strangely around both Sir Henry and Watson. At night, Watson sees a light shining upon the moor. He and Sir Henry investigate the mysterious light. While they are out on the moor, a strange man rushes by them. Watson and Sir Henry pursue him, but he gets away from them. The Baskerville hound howls, causing Sir Henry to suffer a minor heart problem. A figure is silhouetted on a hill in the distance. Watson helps Sir Henry back to Baskerville Hall.

Soon, Watson discovers that the silhouetted figure was Holmes; Holmes had arrived hours after Watson did. They find out that Selden, who is actually Barrymore's brother-in-law, was the one signaling with the light, and that Barrymore and his wife were the ones returning the signal. The hound has mistakenly killed Selden because Selden was wearing Sir Henry's clothes, given to him by his sister, Barrymore's wife (Helen Goss). Holmes then questions Bishop Frankland about a tarantula missing from the bishop's collection, and deduces that it may have been the same one encountered in London. Holmes is almost trapped inside the old tin mine while investigating.

By now, Holmes has solved the case: The Stapletons are illegitimate descendants of Sir Hugo and are next in line to inherit the Baskerville fortune and mansion if all of the Baskervilles perish. Holmes deduces this after questioning Barrymore about the missing portrait; it was stolen because it revealed the fingers on Sir Hugo's right hand were webbed just like Stapleton's. Cecile takes Sir Henry out onto the moor so that he may be killed by the hound. Holmes and Watson rush out just in time to hear Cecile reveal her intentions to a horrified Sir Henry. The dog attacks Sir Henry. Stapleton attacks Watson with the legendary curved dagger used by Sir Hugo, but Watson shoots and wounds him. Holmes shoots the dog; it then turns on Stapleton and mauls him to death. Cecille flees after Holmes kills the beast, revealing it to be a Great Dane wearing a hideous mask to make it look more terrifying. Cecile accidentally falls into the mire and sinks to her death. Holmes and Watson take a shocked Sir Henry back to Baskerville Hall.

Production

Filming took place on location at Chobham Common and Frensham Ponds, both in Surrey.

Background

Cushing would later reprise the role in the BBC Sherlock Holmes television series nine years later, filming sixteen episodes, two of which were a new interpretation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, this time with Nigel Stock as Watson.

Cushing was an aficionado of Sherlock Holmes and brought his knowledge to the project. It was Cushing's suggestion that the mantlepiece feature Holmes' correspondence transfixed to it with a jackknife as per the original stories.

Changes from the novel

There are several significant changes in plot details. Among them:

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, the Monthly Film Bulletin stated that "any freshly entertaining possibilities in this much-filmed story have here been lost in a welter of blood, love interest and mood music". The review also noted unimaginative staging and direction and "dull performances".

The Hound of the Baskervilles has been very well received by critics. The film currently holds a 100% approval rating on movie review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on eleven reviews.

Time Out called it "the best Sherlock Holmes film ever made, and one of Hammer's finest movies".

Peter Cushing's Holmes received mixed reviews at the time, with Films and Filming calling him an "impish, waspish, Wilde-ian Holmes", while The New York Herald Tribune stated "Peter Cushing is a forceful and eager Sherlock Holmes". André Morell's Watson has been praised as a far more accurate rendition of the character as envisioned by Arthur Conan Doyle, as opposed to the comical buffoon created by Nigel Bruce.