The Hound of the Baskervilles

1959 "The Most Horror-Dripping TALE EVER WRITTEN!"
6.9| 1h27m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 03 July 1959 Released
Producted By: Hammer Film Productions
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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When a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.

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Director

Terence Fisher

Production Companies

Hammer Film Productions

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The Hound of the Baskervilles Audience Reviews

Cortechba Overrated
TaryBiggBall It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.
Dalbert Pringle (*Sir Hugo Baskerville quote*) - "May the Hounds of Hell take me if I can't hunt her down!"Considering that this decidedly tame and restrained "horror" film was originally released in 1959 - Its story of escalating terror (that surrounded the Baskerville curse) was still quite eerie and effective, in the long run.Filmed in rich Technicolour tones - This "Hammer Studio" presentation (which was based on a "Sherlock Holmes" story originally written by Arthur Conan Doyle) - Clearly had very high production-values, as well as plenty of clever dialogue to keep the viewer pleasantly entertained.Anyway - I'd say that actor, Peter Cushing made for a very believable Sherlock Holmes - And, yes - Christopher Lee was equally convincing as Sir Henry Baskerville, too.
Hitchcoc "The Hound of the Baskerville" is such a great story. Why do the producers of the several remakes of the story mess around with the plot. The Basil Rathbone one has seances and other silliness; even the Jeremy Brett one, which for other episodes remains true to the story plots, messes around with the conclusion. It isn't that this isn't somewhat enjoyable. It's just not "The Hound of the Baskerville." One thing I noted was that the character of Watson is treated with some respect. Nigel Bruce is a ding dong, incapable of writing his own name, let alone performing as a published author. There is good atmosphere and the usual Hammer film panache, so stay with it and enjoy it for what it is.
Shawn Watson Hound of the Baskervilles is probably the most filmed adaptation of Conan-Doyle's Sherlock Holmes lore. There are literally dozens of HOTB adaptations across movies, TV, plays, mini-series, and even video games. There's not much one can do with the material to keep it interesting and fresh, but Terence Fisher mixes up a few of the elements as best as he can, which might have some Holmes purists crying foul.Holmes and Watson are called away to the gloomy moors of Dartmoor where a giant hellhound has been tormenting the dwindling numbers of the Baskerville family. Sir Henry has recently moved in after a number of years living in Africa and his weak heart is about to pack in as the rumors intensify.Watson takes over for the beginning of the case as Holmes vanishes to sleuth on his own. For anyone who has read the novel or seen any of the previous movies all of this will be so far so familiar, as are the next two acts. What this Hammer production does offer is some nice production design and a few striking shots. Peter Cushing is good as Holmes while Andre Morell, displeased with Nigel Bruce's interpretation of Watson, brings a serious edge to the character.As the first Sherlock Holmes movie made in color it does look very slick and it's never boring. It just fails to bring anything truly new to the table. Though I would have like to see Hammer take this series further. Sadly, the movie underperformed and they did not.
jonfrum2000 I see the glowing reviews here, and I wonder if I saw the same movie. First of all, Hammer was not known for their quality productions. Their products are seen more as camp now than as quality drama by all but the fanboys. Let's see where to begin. This movie assumes you already know the story down cold. If not, you'd be puzzled by the parts of the story that are left out. Actors suddenly appear at locations without explanation - but of course we know why they are there, because we've read the book and seen Basil Rathbone's version. Now I happen to favor movie-makers making changes to book plots rather than following them slavishly, but there are some strange changes here that seem to have been made for the sake of change. For instance, Sir Henry comes from South Africa, rather than Canada - what's up with that? It didn't change anything or add anything to the plot. The pathos of the Selden/Mrs Barrymore plot line is really lost here, and the love interest for Sir Henry is kicked senseless. Worst of all, Cushing is a wooden Holmes. Cushing worked for Hammer for a reason - he was a 'B' actor at best, and he's not even at his best here. His Holmes is totally without charm. There is no warmth, no humor no wit. And Andre Morell as Watson is so entirely forgettable that I had to look up his name just now, and I have no memory of what he looked like. So let's see - the acting was weak, the characters were uninteresting, and the changes to the story made it much worse. Other than that, it was fine.