The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1929)
71 mins | Drama | 20 October 1929
Director:
Basil DeanWriters:
Basil Dean, Garrett FortCinematographer:
William Steiner Jr.Editor:
Helene TurnerProduction Company:
Paramount Famous Lasky Corp.The screenplay was suggested by the short stories, "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" and "His Last Bow," both written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and published respectively in the Dec 1913 and Sep 1917 issues of Strand magazine. The upcoming feature was announced in the 17 Jun 1929 Los Angeles Times as one of 200 planned “talkies and musical productions” for the 1928-1929 season from Paramount Famous Lasky Corp. An advertisement in the 19 Jun 1929 Variety included Evelyn Brent and Warner Oland among the cast, while the 3 Jul 1929 Los Angeles Times credited Monta Bell as producer, and Bartlett Cormack with writing the adaptation in collaboration with director Basil Dean. As noted in the 14 Jul 1929 New York Daily News and the 1 Nov 1929 Paramount Around the World, the producers set the picture on a contemporary trans-Atlantic ocean liner, requiring them to dispense with the title character’s signature “double-peaked checkered cap” and other Edwardian trappings. The recent start of principal photography at Paramount Studios in Astoria, Queens, NY, was reported in the 31 Jul 1929 [Brooklyn, NY] Daily Eagle.
The 17 Aug 1929 [Hartford, CT] Courant listed William Goodall, Charles Kraus, Rosemary Rees, Dulcie Clayton, J. B. Loughry, “The Great Kenny,” Stephen Bransgrove, Edward McSweeney, Jack Ryno, Speed Young, Winifred Salisbury, George Harcourt, I. Blanco, Bill Crane, Steve McNulty, and Jack Sullivan as additional cast members. Also featured were silent film veteran Harry T. Morey in his talkie debut (20 Aug 1929 Los Angeles Times), and radio announcer Alfred ...
The screenplay was suggested by the short stories, "The Adventure of the Dying Detective" and "His Last Bow," both written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and published respectively in the Dec 1913 and Sep 1917 issues of Strand magazine. The upcoming feature was announced in the 17 Jun 1929 Los Angeles Times as one of 200 planned “talkies and musical productions” for the 1928-1929 season from Paramount Famous Lasky Corp. An advertisement in the 19 Jun 1929 Variety included Evelyn Brent and Warner Oland among the cast, while the 3 Jul 1929 Los Angeles Times credited Monta Bell as producer, and Bartlett Cormack with writing the adaptation in collaboration with director Basil Dean. As noted in the 14 Jul 1929 New York Daily News and the 1 Nov 1929 Paramount Around the World, the producers set the picture on a contemporary trans-Atlantic ocean liner, requiring them to dispense with the title character’s signature “double-peaked checkered cap” and other Edwardian trappings. The recent start of principal photography at Paramount Studios in Astoria, Queens, NY, was reported in the 31 Jul 1929 [Brooklyn, NY] Daily Eagle.
The 17 Aug 1929 [Hartford, CT] Courant listed William Goodall, Charles Kraus, Rosemary Rees, Dulcie Clayton, J. B. Loughry, “The Great Kenny,” Stephen Bransgrove, Edward McSweeney, Jack Ryno, Speed Young, Winifred Salisbury, George Harcourt, I. Blanco, Bill Crane, Steve McNulty, and Jack Sullivan as additional cast members. Also featured were silent film veteran Harry T. Morey in his talkie debut (20 Aug 1929 Los Angeles Times), and radio announcer Alfred Hall (22 Aug 1929 [Brooklyn, NY] Times Union). The 29 Aug 1929 Film Daily credited George Dias as a member of the camera crew.
Location shooting took place on the Cunard Line cruise ship, RMS Berengaria, beginning on 23 Aug 1929, according to the previous day’s edition of the New York Daily News. The scenes were to include images of the ship docking at New York Harbor with the city skyline as background. Production closed on 27 Aug 1929, as stated in the next day’s issue of the Daily Eagle.
News items in the 12 Oct 1929 [Brooklyn, NY] Standard Union and the 16 Oct 1929 Film Daily reported that the film was previewed on 14 Oct 1929 at the Criterion Theatre in New York City, with Police Commissioner Grover Whalen and 200 of his detectives in attendance. A general release followed on 20 Oct 1929, preceded by an official New York City opening on or about 18 Oct 1929 at the Paramount Theatre. The picture opened at the Los Angeles, CA, Paramount Theatre on 24 Oct 1929.
The BFI Companion to Crime, published in 1997 by the British Film Institute, noted that The Return of Sherlock Holmes marked the first instance of the detective uttering the popular catch phrase, “Elementary, my dear Watson.”
According to the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) Treasures from the Film Archives database, this film is extant.
In England, Captain Longmore is found murdered, and police suspect that his son Roger is the killer. Roger is engaged to Mary Watson, daughter of Dr. Watson, the close associate of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. Dr. Watson, anxious to clear Roger's name, urges Holmes to leave retirement to track down the real killer. In truth, the evil Dr. Moran was hired by Holmes's nemesis, Professor Moriarity, to poison Longmore in order to keep the captain from confessing his past involvement with the professor. Holmes sneaks aboard Moran's New York-bound ocean liner, by disguising himself as am Hungarian violinist who performs sleight-of-hand tricks for the passengers. In this guise, he obtains a written confession from Moran but replaces it with a blank piece of paper. He then pretends to be a steward, which allows him to paint the bottom of Moran's shoes and trail him to the cabin in which Moriarty hides. There, he finds Roger being held captive, and when Moriarty discovers the detective, he attempts to poison Holmes with the same rigged cigarette case he used on Longmore. Although Holmes recognizes the weapon and wears a steel thumb cover to thwart it, he pretends to be dying in order to encourage Moriarty to confess his deeds. The confession is recorded by a dictaphone which leads into the captain's quarters. Before Moriarty can be arrested, however, the villain poisons himself with the cigarette case. Later, Holmes watches happily as Mary and Roger are ...
In England, Captain Longmore is found murdered, and police suspect that his son Roger is the killer. Roger is engaged to Mary Watson, daughter of Dr. Watson, the close associate of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. Dr. Watson, anxious to clear Roger's name, urges Holmes to leave retirement to track down the real killer. In truth, the evil Dr. Moran was hired by Holmes's nemesis, Professor Moriarity, to poison Longmore in order to keep the captain from confessing his past involvement with the professor. Holmes sneaks aboard Moran's New York-bound ocean liner, by disguising himself as am Hungarian violinist who performs sleight-of-hand tricks for the passengers. In this guise, he obtains a written confession from Moran but replaces it with a blank piece of paper. He then pretends to be a steward, which allows him to paint the bottom of Moran's shoes and trail him to the cabin in which Moriarty hides. There, he finds Roger being held captive, and when Moriarty discovers the detective, he attempts to poison Holmes with the same rigged cigarette case he used on Longmore. Although Holmes recognizes the weapon and wears a steel thumb cover to thwart it, he pretends to be dying in order to encourage Moriarty to confess his deeds. The confession is recorded by a dictaphone which leads into the captain's quarters. Before Moriarty can be arrested, however, the villain poisons himself with the cigarette case. Later, Holmes watches happily as Mary and Roger are wed.
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