The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

1939
Approved
1h 25m

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

7.6K

YOUR RATING

Basil Rathbone, Ida Lupino, and Alan Marshal in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)

The master sleuth hunts his archenemy, Professor Moriarty, who is planning the crime of the century.

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Crime Mystery Thriller

The master sleuth hunts his archenemy, Professor Moriarty, who is planning the crime of the century.The master sleuth hunts his archenemy, Professor Moriarty, who is planning the crime of the century.The master sleuth hunts his archenemy, Professor Moriarty, who is planning the crime of the century.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.2/10

7.6K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 0:59

Trailer

Photos51

Storyline

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Trivia
The film was released on September 1, 1939, the same day as the German invasion of Poland.

Goofs
In the Tower of London, the British guards are shown wearing the uniforms of the King's / Queen's Foot Guards (i.e. Buckingham Palace ceremonial guards with the tall bear skin hats) rather than the Yeomen Warders (Beefeaters), who are the real guards of the Tower. The Yeomen Warders do not wear the tall bear skin hats, like the King's Guards do.

Quotes
Inquisitive Stranger: [Watson is lying in the street in order to reconstruct a murder - a stranger stops and stares] I say there, has something happened?
Doctor John H. Watson: Definitely. Would you mind moving back a few paces?
Inquisitive Stranger: Eh, not at all.
Doctor John H. Watson: Thank you.
Inquisitive Stranger: Perhaps I could find a doctor?
Doctor John H. Watson: I'm a doctor. What's the matter with you?
Inquisitive Stranger: I'm all right. I was thinking of you.
Doctor John H. Watson: Why?
Inquisitive Stranger: But... But, aren't you ill?
Doctor John H. Watson: Certainly not. I'm dead.
Inquisitive Stranger: Well. I'm afraid I must be getting off.
[He leaves, hurriedly]
Doctor John H. Watson: Don't let me detain you. Stupid fellow.

Crazy credits
Opening card: In all my life I have encountered only one man whom I can truthfully call the very Genius of Evil -- Professor Moriarty. For eleven years he has eluded me. All the rest who opposed him are dead. He is the most dangerous criminal England has ever known. Sherlock Holmes. 9 May 1894.

Alternate versions
When this movie aired on WPBS, the song that Basil Rathbone sings was changed from "By the Sea" to "I've got a Loverly Bunch of Cocoanuts."

Connections
Featured in The World's Best Known Dicks (1987)

Soundtracks
I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside
(uncredited)
Written and Composed by John Glover Kind
(1907)
Performed by Basil Rathbone

User reviews86

Review

Featured review

8/10

The Best Sherlock Holmes

The follow-up to the the very successful The Hound of the Baskervilles,is even better than its predecessor.Basil Rathbone gives a marvelous performance as the super-sleuth.His performance in disguise as a singer at a party is fantastic.He was totally unrecognizable.Nigel Bruce was as always good as Holmes 's sidekick Dr.Watson.But what elevates this entry in the Holmes-series was the portrayal of George Zucco's Dr.Moriarty,Holmes's nemesis. Moriarty's plot to break his enemy was rather clever.I enjoyed seeing Rathbone really getting in to the persona of Holmes in this one.The movie's short running-time was perhaps my only disappointment.