THE TRIUMPH OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

UK, 1935, 84 minutes, Black and white.
Arthur Wontner, Lyn Harding, Leslie Perrins, Jane Carr, Ian Fleming, Charles Mortimer.
Directed by Leslie S. Hiscott.

The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes is the fourth Sherlock Holmes film which starred Arthur Wontner as Sherlock Holmes. Critics since these films have been high in the praise of Wontner’s interpretation of Holmes. He preceded Basil Rathbone who, for many decades, was the film audience’s image of Holmes. Since then, of course, there have been many Sherlock Holmes including Robert Stephens and, especially, Ian Richardson. More recent Sherlock Holmes including Robert Downey Jr and Benedict Cumberbatch.

This film is based on a story, Valley of Fear, with some American settings. However, of particular interest is the presence of Professor Moriarty (played by Lyn Harding), his confrontation with Sherlock Holmes who has retired to the country and his plan for the murder of an American policeman. There is a final confrontation with Moriarty.

Ian Fleming, who had been in the four films with Arthur Wontner, plays a typical Doctor Watson. Charles Mortimer is a restrained Inspector Lestrade.

The film captures the atmosphere of Conan Doyle’s stories, has Holmes deducing what happened using the clues which Dr Watson and Inspector Lestrade miss. While the style is rather dates, it is still an interesting and enjoyable Sherlock Holmes film.

1. The popularity of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson? Personality? Method? Detection, logic, clues? The popularity of the work of Conan Doyle?

2. The 1935 style of film-making, small-budget? London? The English countryside? The United States? The musical score?

3. Sherlock Holmes and his retirements, Dr Watson and his wife? Mrs Hudson and her packing up? Holmes and his lifestyle, his reputation, the decision to retire?

4. Holmes in the country, with Dr Watson? Their talk? Holmes’s deductions? About Dr Watson’s shaving mirror?

5. The messages for Holmes’s retirement? The visit from Moriarty? Moriarty’s personality, professor, cover for his masterminding crimes? The confrontation and challenge between the two?

6. The message in the country? The coded message, finding the meaning of the code? Holmes deciding to act on it?

7. The action taking place in one day? The murder of John Douglas? Holmes and Watson, Inspector Lestrade? The interview with Mr Barker, friendly, lies? With Mrs Douglas? The flashbacks and the story in the United States? The thugs and their attacks on miners? Their forming a society, the tattoo? John Douglas and his infiltration? With Mrs Douglas? The reaction of the men, the association? The hostility – and the plans against the police? His being exposed, the police, the arrest, the hanging sentences, the life sentence? The revenge and the killer coming to England)?

8. The killer going to see Moriarty, the plan? The map? The murder, the body?

9. Sherlock Holmes, ruminating, looking for the dumbbells, the questions about the candle? His working out that Douglas had not died? That it was the murderer who had been killed, the body put in the moat with the dumbbells? The candle being lit for longer? Mr Barker’s lies? Mrs Douglas’s lies? The meeting with Douglas?

10. Lestrade, Watson, their various theories?

11. Waiting for the arrival of Moriarty, his coming, wanting to pick up the killer? Meeting Holmes? The struggle in the castle, the stairs, the parapet?

12. The film based on Conan Doyle’s stories – and the development of Holmes’ character, Dr Watson, as well as Professor Moriarty?