Murder at the Baskervilles: Arthur Wontner's Holmes is still charming

Is it worth a watch?

Look, if you want a tight, high-budget thriller, look elsewhere. This is for the people who like their Sherlock Holmes movies a bit dusty, creaky, and filled with that specific 1930s British charm. If you need logic to hold up, you’re gonna hate it. If you like watching Arthur Wontner look smug while puffing on a pipe, you’ll probably have a decent time.

It’s a bit of a weird one, honestly. The title screams Hound of the Baskervilles, but the movie really doesn't care about that at all. It’s more of a mashup of random Doyle stories thrown into a blender. It feels like someone decided, 'Hey, let's just make a movie about a horse race and add Moriarty because why not?'

Arthur Wontner is the real reason to sit through this. He plays Holmes with this calm, almost sleepy confidence that makes you think he’s already solved the mystery before the opening credits even finish. He doesn't need to run around or scream. He just exists, and the clues basically fall into his lap. It’s very satisfying in a low-stakes sort of way.

The pacing is… well, it’s all over the place. One minute we’re at a country estate having tea, and the next we’re dealing with a missing racehorse named Silver Blaze. It feels less like a structured mystery and more like a series of sketches. Sometimes characters just show up in rooms without anyone explaining how they got there.

There is a moment where a character is explaining a plot point and I genuinely think they forgot what they were saying halfway through. The dialogue just sort of peters out into a shrug. It’s hilarious, really.

Bits and pieces

• The lighting in some of these interiors is so dim I think the cinematographer was just guessing.
• Syd Crossley is in this, which is always a nice surprise if you like The Suspect.
• Moriarty shows up and acts like he’s in a completely different, much angrier movie.
• The horse gets more screen time than some of the human suspects.

It’s not as polished as David Copperfield, and it definitely lacks the bite of some later adaptations. But there’s a warmth to it. It feels like a stage play that got lost on its way to the theater and ended up on a film set. You can practically hear the floorboards creaking.

If you're a completist for old detective flicks, add it to the list. Just don't go in expecting a masterclass in screenwriting. Sometimes a movie just needs to be a bit messy to feel real, right? 🕵️‍♂️🐎