The Hound of the Baskervilles
Movie, 1959, Victorian London, Set in Dartmoor
The Hound of the Baskervilles is #5 of 26 in release order and #11 of 26 in chronological order in the Sherlock Holmes.
The story
When a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.
The Hound of the Baskervilles recap
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) is Hammer Films' version of Conan Doyle's novel, directed by Terence Fisher, starring Peter Cushing as Holmes, André Morell as Watson and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville, and the first adaptation in colour. Dr. Mortimer asks Holmes to protect Sir Henry, newly arrived from South Africa to inherit Baskerville Hall after his uncle died of fright on the moor. A tarantula left in Sir Henry's hotel room convinces Holmes the threat is real, and he sends Watson to Dartmoor, where an escaped murderer is loose and one of two portraits of the wicked Sir Hugo has gone missing. Holmes arrives in secret, and the convict is killed by the unseen hound while wearing Sir Henry's clothes.
The Hound of the Baskervilles ending explained
The missing portrait showed that Sir Hugo had webbed fingers, like the farmer Stapleton, who is a hidden Baskerville heir. Stapleton's daughter Cecile lures Sir Henry onto the moor, where the hound attacks him until Holmes shoots it. Watson wounds Stapleton, the hound mauls him to death, and Holmes kills it, revealing an ordinary dog in a mask. Cecile flees and sinks in the Grimpen Mire.
Where to watch The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles is streaming on Kanopy, YouTube (free), Fawesome, and Tubi in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 95%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Scarlet Claw, before The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.
- Chronological order: after The Hound of the Baskervilles, before Sherlock Holmes.
What to watch before The Hound of the Baskervilles
Nothing. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) doesn't continue an earlier version, so it stands on its own.
Cast
- Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes
- André Morell as Doctor Watson
- Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville
- Marla Landi as Cecile Stapleton
- David Oxley as Sir Hugo Baskerville
- Francis de Wolff as Dr. Richard Mortimer
- Miles Malleson as Bishop Frankland
- Ewen Solon as Stapleton
- John Le Mesurier as Barrymore
- Helen Goss as Mrs. Barrymore
- Sam Kydd as Perkins
- Michael Hawkins as Lord Caphill
Directed by Terence Fisher.