A Study in Scarlet
Director: Edwin Marin
Year: 1933
Rating: 5.0
What is most remarkable about this version of Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study
in Scarlet is that it has absolutely nothing to do with the story of the
same name. Other than it of course has Holmes and Watson and the cigar brand
that is a clue in both. In fairness, in the opening credits it did say "Suggested"
by the story but a very faint suggestion it is.
A Study in Scarlet was Doyle's first foray into the world of Sherlock Holmes
- it was a novel - followed by another novel, The Sign of the Four, before
Doyle settled into his short story form. It introduces Holmes and Watson
to one another and they go off on their first case together. A dead man is
found with the word "Rache" painted on the wall and it turns out to have
a long backstory that goes all the way to America and the Mormons moving
west.
This film is about a group of thieves who have a large sum of money owed
to them and they have agreed that if one of them dies, then the others will
inherit his share (always a bad idea) - so they begin to be bumped off one
by one. The main reason to watch it is it that it co-stars the legendary
Anna May Wong. Holmes is played by Reginald Owen.
By the time of this film in 1933 Holmes had already been filmed many times
primarily in the silent era - but a few already in talkies - most of them
starring Arthur Wontner who was in five of them going up till 1937 before
Basil Rathbone took over the character for the next decade and who is still
the Sherlock Holmes most people think of.
