Tweet Der Hund von Baskervilles (1929)

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a German movie released in 1929 and produced by Erda-Film GmbH starring Carlyle Blackwell Sr. (Sherlock Holmes) and George Serov (Dr. Watson). 5 acts. 1415 meters.

Survival Status : Filmoteka Narodowa, Warsaw. Copy found in the basement of the Saint Andrew parish, belonging to Father Jerszy Barszcz deceased in Sosnowiec (south Poland) in 2004. It seems that the films were hidden as Pope Pius X had banned the showing and storage of films on church property in 1913 under threat of excommunication so this priest kept them hidden rather than throwing them away. They were found by chance when another priest smelled a strange odour coming from some metal containers in the cellar and when he opened them he found that they contained nitrate film reels. All together, 10 films were found along with a projector.

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Has there been any news about this film since its discovery more than 10 years ago? I couldn't find anything.

Was this listed at one time on Edition Filmmuseum's Forthcoming Releases?

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Was this listed at one time on Edition Filmmuseum's Forthcoming Releases?[/quote]

I believe that was the 1914 version.
Henry Nicolella

We had a very brief discussion of the (incomplete) surviving Polish print of this over at the Classic Horror Film Board last year; posts #6 onwards are the most illuminating, reproducing some correspondence with the Polish Filmothek.

http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/55667/Der-Hund-von-Baskerville-1929

We had a very brief discussion of the (incomplete) surviving Polish print of this over at the Classic Horror Film Board last year; posts #6 onwards are the most illuminating, reproducing some correspondence with the Polish Filmothek.

http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/55667/Der-Hund-von-Baskerville-1929

Thanks for posting the link. It sort of confirms that the archives often don't even know what they have. Apparently at the time of the discovery in 2003 no one knew the film might exist at the Russian archive. Aside from the Russian actor playing Watson, the film also boasts the American Carlyle Blackwell as Holmes (as noted) as well as British silent star Alma Taylor as Mrs. Barrymore. This was Blackwell's final silent film.

Interesting to note that there was a mini-exodus of British silent actors in German films at the close of the silent era. Brits like Taylor, Ivy Duke, Mabel Poulton, and Guy Newall were all in German productions (or productions co-produced with British companies) like A Knight in London, Ghost Train, The Wrecker, The Alley Cat. Blackwell had been working in British silents since 1922, his last American silent had been The Restless Sex in 1920.

The email I got from the San Francisco Silent Film Festival today says that they are in the process of restoring the German "Hound of the Baskervilles," and it will screen at the festival this year.

The email I got from the San Francisco Silent Film Festival today says that they are in the process of restoring the German "Hound of the Baskervilles," and it will screen at the festival this year.

Really? Are they working with LOC or other entity or are they doing this solo? I assume this is the print found in Poland years ago......

This is exciting from another viewpoint, possibly... Weren't they the venue for first showing the re-discovered 1916 "Sherlock Holmes", too? And didn't a DVD release result?...

Yes, SFSFF was involved in the restoration of the 1916 Sherlock Holmes and held the premiere.

Here's what SFSFF sent out on Saturday morning:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHERLOCK HOLMES
Today just happens to be the birthday of Arthur Conan Doyle's brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes, and it has put us in the mood to divulge an important clue about SFSFF 2018. Okay, so you know our methods... we'll just come out and spill the beans. SFSFF is in the process of restoring a recently unearthed German version of The Hound of the Baskervilles which will have its world premiere at SFSFF 2018. The BAKER STREET CIRCLE is convening. Join the festivities!

Yes, SFSFF was involved in the restoration of the 1916 Sherlock Holmes and held the premiere.

Here's what SFSFF sent out on Saturday morning:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHERLOCK HOLMES
Today just happens to be the birthday of Arthur Conan Doyle's brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes, and it has put us in the mood to divulge an important clue about SFSFF 2018. Okay, so you know our methods... we'll just come out and spill the beans. SFSFF is in the process of restoring a recently unearthed German version of The Hound of the Baskervilles which will have its world premiere at SFSFF 2018. The BAKER STREET CIRCLE is convening. Join the festivities!

If it's the Carlyle Blackwell film, it was unearthed quite a while ago.

Yes, but the rest of us have been waiting anxiously to see it! Some of us are also still waiting for the 1914 Der Hund von Baskervilles which was slated for release in the Edition Filmmuseum series, but got pulled at some point.

greta