{ "id": "ep9eq1rmp6", "slug": "the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959-film", "title": "The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 film)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form", "label": "Films by genre, form, and subject", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.adaptations", "label": "Adaptations of literature, stage, and other media", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.adaptations" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.adaptations.sherlock-holmes-films", "label": "Sherlock Holmes film adaptations", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.adaptations.sherlock-holmes-films" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.adaptations", "label": "Western Europe · 1946 to 2000: Adaptations of literature, stage, and other media", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.adaptations", "path": [ { "id": "geo.weu", "label": "Western Europe", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946", "label": "Western Europe · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form", "label": "Films by genre, form, and subject", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.adaptations", "label": "Adaptations of literature, stage, and other media", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.adaptations" } ] } ], "excerpt": "The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) is Hammer Film Productions' Technicolor Sherlock Holmes film, directed by Terence Fisher, starring Peter Cushing as Holmes, André Morell as Watson, and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry, the first color Holmes film.", "snippet": "The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) is Hammer Film Productions' Technicolor Sherlock Holmes film, directed by Terence Fisher, starring Peter Cushing as Holmes, André Morell as Watson, and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry, the first color Holmes film.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.adaptations.sherlock-holmes-films", "markdown": "# The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 film)\n\n*The Hound of the Baskervilles* is a 1959 British Gothic mystery film directed by Terence Fisher and produced by [Hammer Film Productions](https://www.edgepedia.org/hammer-film-productions), based on [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://www.edgepedia.org/arthur-conan-doyle)'s 1902 novel of the same name. It stars [Peter Cushing](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-cushing) as Sherlock Holmes, André Morell as Dr. Watson, and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville, and was the first Sherlock Holmes film to be shot in color.[1](https://www.wordandfilm.com/adaptation/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959/) • [2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/50437-THE-HOUND-OF-THE-BASKERVILLES?cxt=filmography)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Director / producer | Terence Fisher; produced by Anthony Hinds for Hammer Film Productions, released by United Artists[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/50437-THE-HOUND-OF-THE-BASKERVILLES?cxt=filmography) |\n| Screenplay | Peter Bryan, based on Conan Doyle's 1902 novel[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/50437-THE-HOUND-OF-THE-BASKERVILLES?cxt=filmography) |\n| Principal cast | Peter Cushing (Sherlock Holmes), Andre Morell (Dr. Watson), Christopher Lee (Sir Henry Baskerville), Marla Landi (Cecile), Ewen Solon (Stapleton)[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/50437-THE-HOUND-OF-THE-BASKERVILLES?cxt=filmography) |\n| Color milestone | The first of the Sherlock Holmes films to be shot in Technicolor[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/50437-THE-HOUND-OF-THE-BASKERVILLES?cxt=filmography) |\n| Running time | 84 minutes in the American release; 87–88 minutes in Britain[2](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/50437-THE-HOUND-OF-THE-BASKERVILLES?cxt=filmography) |\n| Production | Filmed 8 September to 11 November 1958 at Bray Studios, with moor exteriors near Frensham Ponds, Surrey[3](https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/cinema-releases-1950s/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles/) • [4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/421/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959) |\n| UK release | 4 May 1959[3](https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/cinema-releases-1950s/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles/) |\n| Reception | 95% Tomatometer from 20 critics and 73% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1010004-hound_of_the_baskervilles) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Story and deviations from the novel\n\nThe film opens with a flashback compressing the [Baskerville](https://www.edgepedia.org/baskerville) legend into a ten-minute sequence: the cruel Sir Hugo Baskerville murders a servant girl who has fled his mansion, and is immediately killed on the moors by an immense spectral hound, founding the family curse.[4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/421/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959) In the present, Dr. Mortimer tells Holmes and Watson that Sir Charles Baskerville has died in the same location, and that the heir, Sir Henry, may fall prey to the same curse; Holmes investigates.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1010004-hound_of_the_baskervilles)\n\nPeter Bryan's screenplay took substantial liberties with the 1902 novel, to the point that the Conan Doyle estate was outraged. Cushing's own adjustments to the dialogue were aimed at keeping his Holmes true to the spirit of the original, and Morell's Watson is a capable partner rather than the blundering sidekick [Nigel Bruce](https://www.edgepedia.org/nigel-bruce) had established on screen.[6](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-sherlock-holmes-films-tv-adaptations) Among the additions absent from the book are a bishop who is an entomologist, webbed hands on some of the Baskervilles, and a tarantula unleashed on Sir Henry.[7](https://madhulikaliddle.com/2022/07/24/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959/) The film also plays up the sexual element of the Sir Hugo legend more than earlier adaptations.[8](https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43900/1/D%20Gardner%20MRes%20Film%20and%20Television%20June%202017.pdf)\n\n## Production background\n\nHammer, a small British studio, was at the height of its success when it took on the project, having profited from the trend-setting horror films *The Curse of Frankenstein* (1957) and *Horror of Dracula* (1958). Producer Anthony Hinds and director Terence Fisher considered Peter Cushing, who had given definitive performances in both of those films, a natural [Sherlock Holmes](https://www.edgepedia.org/sherlock-holmes), and his casting generated considerable excitement in the British press.[4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/421/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959) [Christopher Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/christopher-lee), then known mainly for playing monsters and villains in the same Hammer films, took the sympathetic role of Sir Henry Baskerville and welcomed the chance to play the victim for a change.[4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/421/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959)\n\n**Cushing's preparation.** Cushing researched the role closely and incorporated Holmes's known morphine addiction into his physical appearance and behavior. He supplied his own costumes matching [Sidney Paget](https://www.edgepedia.org/sidney-paget)'s illustrations in *The Strand* magazine, down to the \"mouse-colored\" dressing gown, which he charred with cigarettes to reproduce the burns Holmes made during his experiments. He also insisted on the deerstalker while avoiding the oversized pipe and magnifying glass that he felt made Holmes a music-hall joke.[4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/421/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959)\n\nMost of the filming took place on the Bray studio set, with exterior sequences shot near Frensham Ponds, Surrey, standing in for Dartmoor. Animation was first considered for the hound, but cost factors ruled it out and the crew used a real dog.[4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/421/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959)\n\n## Style and reception\n\nProduction designer Bernard Robinson and cinematographer Jack Asher exploited Technicolor's luster, and the film's Gothic look, from Baskerville Hall to the moors, is frequently singled out by critics as a strength.[6](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-sherlock-holmes-films-tv-adaptations) • [9](https://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959/) The Harvard Film Archive notes that Fisher, widely regarded as the most striking of Hammer's directors, made the most of the story's supernatural aspects and the atmospheric moorland setting.[10](https://harvardfilmarchive.org/calendar/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-2009-07/3) On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 95% Tomatometer from 20 reviews and a 73% audience score; critics there have called Cushing one of the greatest screen interpreters of Holmes.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1010004-hound_of_the_baskervilles)\n\n**Box office.** The film was not successful enough at the box office to justify Hammer's plans to continue the series, despite Cushing's portrayal of Holmes. In the United States it was marketed as a creature feature rather than a murder mystery, since the Hammer name was more associated with horror there.[4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/421/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959) It was also never as popular as Hammer's first horrors.[6](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-sherlock-holmes-films-tv-adaptations)\n\n## Legacy\n\nCushing's performance led directly to further work as Holmes: he replaced Douglas Wilmer in the BBC television series *Sherlock Holmes* (1964 to 1968), returned to the role in the 1968 television version of the same story, and played Holmes again in *The Masks of Death* (1984).[6](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-sherlock-holmes-films-tv-adaptations) • [11](https://www.petercushing.co.uk/houndbaskerville.htm) Christopher Lee, who played Sir Henry here, later portrayed Holmes himself three times.[6](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-sherlock-holmes-films-tv-adaptations)\n\nThe story has been remade repeatedly since: Paul [Morrissey](https://www.edgepedia.org/morrissey) directed a 1978 parody starring [Dudley Moore](https://www.edgepedia.org/dudley-moore) and [Peter Cook](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-cook), and Douglas Hickox helmed a 1983 television version with Ian Richardson as Holmes.[4](https://www.tcm.com/articles/421/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959) Among the many screen versions of the story, the Hammer film is usually ranked below the 1939 Basil Rathbone version and the BBC's 1968 adaptation on lists of favorite Doyle adaptations, though it rates well.[12](https://www.dvdjournal.com/quickreviews/h/houndofbaskervilles59.q.shtml)\n\n## References\n\n1. [The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) – Which Book Is It Based On?, Word & Film](https://www.wordandfilm.com/adaptation/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959/)\n2. [The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), AFI Catalog of Feature Films](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/50437-THE-HOUND-OF-THE-BASKERVILLES?cxt=filmography)\n3. [The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Hammer Graveyard](https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/cinema-releases-1950s/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles/)\n4. [The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), Turner Classic Movies, by Jeff Stafford](https://www.tcm.com/articles/421/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959)\n5. [The Hound of the Baskervilles, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1010004-hound_of_the_baskervilles)\n6. [10 great Sherlock Holmes films and TV adaptations, BFI](https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-sherlock-holmes-films-tv-adaptations)\n7. [The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), Dustedoff](https://madhulikaliddle.com/2022/07/24/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959/)\n8. [D. Gardner, MRes Film and Television thesis, University of Nottingham](https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43900/1/D%20Gardner%20MRes%20Film%20and%20Television%20June%202017.pdf)\n9. [The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), Starburst Magazine](https://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959/)\n10. [The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939 & 1959), Harvard Film Archive](https://harvardfilmarchive.org/calendar/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-2009-07/3)\n11. [The Hound of the Baskervilles, petercushing.co.uk](https://www.petercushing.co.uk/houndbaskerville.htm)\n12. [The DVD Journal: Quick Reviews – The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)](https://www.dvdjournal.com/quickreviews/h/houndofbaskervilles59.q.shtml)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Films by genre, form, and subject › Adaptations of literature, stage, and other media › Sherlock Holmes film adaptations*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959-film", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959-film.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959-film. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 film)](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959-film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959-film](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959-film). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959 film)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-1959-film. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "The Hound of the Baskervilles is Hammer Film Productions' Technicolor Sherlock Holmes film, directed by Terence Fisher, starring Peter Cushing as Holmes, André Morell as Watson, and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry, the first color Holmes film." }