Sherlock Holmes (1916 film)
Encyclopedia
Sherlock Holmes, was a 1916
silent film
made by Essanay Studios
and was one of the earliest American film adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle
's Sherlock Holmes
. It starred William Gillette
as Holmes, based on his 1899 stage play, which is based on not one case, but takes inspiration from "A Scandal in Bohemia
," "The Final Problem" "The Copper Beeches" and "A Study in Scarlet
". No known copy of the film exist today, but several photographic stills are extant.
In the film Sherlock Holmes is consulted by a man who is in connection with the royal family, to retrieve letters he wrote to Alice Faulkner's sister. Alice intendes to use the letters to blackmail him, and Alice is being held captive by a couple in the power of Professor Moriarty
.
1916 in film
The year 1916 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 17 - release of A Daughter of the Gods, the first US production with a million dollar budget, with the first nude scene by a major star....
silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
made by Essanay Studios
Essanay Studios
The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an American motion picture studio. It is best known today for its series of Charlie Chaplin comedies of 1915.-Founding:...
and was one of the earliest American film adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
. It starred William Gillette
William Gillette
William Hooker Gillette was an American actor, playwright and stage-manager in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who is best remembered today for portraying Sherlock Holmes....
as Holmes, based on his 1899 stage play, which is based on not one case, but takes inspiration from "A Scandal in Bohemia
A Scandal in Bohemia
"A Scandal in Bohemia" was the first of Arthur Conan Doyle's 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories to be published in The Strand Magazine and the first Sherlock Holmes story illustrated by Sidney Paget....
," "The Final Problem" "The Copper Beeches" and "A Study in Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet is a detective mystery novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, introducing his new character of Sherlock Holmes, who later became one of the most famous literary detective characters. He wrote the story in 1886, and it was published the next year...
". No known copy of the film exist today, but several photographic stills are extant.
In the film Sherlock Holmes is consulted by a man who is in connection with the royal family, to retrieve letters he wrote to Alice Faulkner's sister. Alice intendes to use the letters to blackmail him, and Alice is being held captive by a couple in the power of Professor Moriarty
Professor Moriarty
Professor James Moriarty is a fictional character and the archenemy of the detective Sherlock Holmes in the fiction of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Moriarty is a criminal mastermind, described by Holmes as the "Napoleon of Crime". Doyle lifted the phrase from a real Scotland Yard inspector who was...
.
Cast
- William GilletteWilliam GilletteWilliam Hooker Gillette was an American actor, playwright and stage-manager in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who is best remembered today for portraying Sherlock Holmes....
... Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve... - Marjorie Kay ... Alice Faulkner
- Ernest Maupain ... Professor MoriartyProfessor MoriartyProfessor James Moriarty is a fictional character and the archenemy of the detective Sherlock Holmes in the fiction of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Moriarty is a criminal mastermind, described by Holmes as the "Napoleon of Crime". Doyle lifted the phrase from a real Scotland Yard inspector who was...
- Edward Fielding ... Dr. Watson
- Stewart Robbins ... Benjamin Forman
- Hugh Thompson ... Sir Edward Leighton
External links
- still portrait from the lost 1916 film Sherlock Holmes(*click and scroll to enlarge picture)