| Der Hund von Baskerville | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Rudolf Meinert |
| Written by | Richard Oswald |
| Based on | The Hound of the Baskervilles 1902 novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle |
| Produced by | Jules Greenbaum |
| Starring | Alwin Neuß |
| Cinematography | Werner Brandes Karl Freund |
| Music by | Joachim Bärenz |
Release date |
|
Running time | Five reels[1] |
| Country | Germany |
| Languages | Silent German intertitles |
Der Hund von Baskerville is a 1914 German silent film adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's 1902 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, the first film adaptation of the work.[2] According to the website silentera.com, the film was considered lost, but has been rediscovered; the Russian Gosfilmofond film archive possesses a print, while the Filmmuseum München has a 35mm positive print.[1]
In 2019, the film received a wide home media release by Flicker Alley, along with the 1929 version.[3]
In 1907, Richard Oswald mounted a version of The Hound of the Baskervilles in Praterstraße based on Der Hund von Baskerville: Schauspiel in vier Aufzügen aus dem Schottischen Hochland. Frei nach Motiven aus Poes und Doyles Novellen[2] (The Hound of the Baskervilles: a play in four acts set in the Scottish Highlands. Freely adapted from the stories of Poe and Doyle) which was written by Ferdinand Bonn.[2]
By 1914, Oswald was working as a script supervisor at Union-Vitascope studios in the Weißensee Studios.[2] Films based on mystery novels were very successful in German cinema at the time[2] so Oswald found himself in the position to pen a film script based on The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Richard Oswald penned the tale which blended Doyle's original story and Der Hund von Baskerville[2] and Rudolf Meinert was tasked with the direction.[2][4]
Alwin Neuß was cast to portray Sherlock Holmes in Der Hund von Baskerville. Neuß had previously played the role in 1910's Das Milliontestament.[2]
Der Hund von Baskerville was so successful, it spawned five more films: Das einsame Haus, Das unheimliche Zimmer, Die Sage vom Hund von Baskerville, Dr. MacDonalds Sanatorium, and Das Haus ohne Fenster.[4] Neuß played Holmes in the first three sequels, but was replaced in the last two by Erich Kaiser-Titz.[5]
