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Arthur Wontner (21 January 1875 – 10 July 1960) was a British actor best known for playing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's master detective Sherlock Holmes in five films from 1931 to 1937. These films are:
The Sleeping Cardinal (1931) (US title: Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour) based on Doyle's two stories, "The Adventure of the Empty House" and "The Final Problem"
The Missing Rembrandt (1932) (still considered lost) based on "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton"
The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case (1932)
The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes (1935) based on The Valley of Fear
Silver Blaze (1937) (US title:Murder at the Baskervilles, release 1941) based on "Silver Blaze"
Reportedly, Wontner landed the role of Sherlock Holmes thanks to his performance of Holmes imitation Sexton Blake in a 1930 stage production.
Of all Wontner's films as Sherlock Holmes, The Missing Rembrandt is no longer available. It is officially a lost film. It is possible to obtain all of the others.
Silver Blaze was renamed Murder at the Baskervilles on its US release in order to make the most of the publicity which had been generated by Basil Rathbone's version of The Hound of the Baskervilles. In many respects Wontner's film can be seen as a sequel as it is set twenty years after the events of the more famous story.
Wontner's son became the well-known hotelier and Lord Mayor of London Sir Hugh Wontner.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Arthur Wontner,licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Born
Thursday, 21 January 1875
Died
Sunday, 10 July 1960
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
The Real Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes | 2012 |
Elementary My Dear Watson: The Man Behind Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes | 2009 |
Biography | Sherlock Holmes | 1987 |
The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes (archive footage) / Sherlock Holmes | 1985 |
In Search of... | Sherlock Holmes | 1977 |
Three Cases of Murder | Leader of the House (segment "Lord Mountdrago") | 1955 |
Sea Devils | Baron de Baudrec | 1953 |
Genevieve | Old Gentleman | 1953 |
Brandy for the Parson | Major Glockleigh | 1952 |
The Fighting Pimpernel | Lord Grenville | 1950 |
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
The Real Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes | 2012 |
Elementary My Dear Watson: The Man Behind Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes | 2009 |
Biography | Sherlock Holmes | 1987 |
The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes (archive footage) / Sherlock Holmes | 1985 |
In Search of... | Sherlock Holmes | 1977 |
Three Cases of Murder | Leader of the House (segment "Lord Mountdrago") | 1955 |
Sea Devils | Baron de Baudrec | 1953 |
Genevieve | Old Gentleman | 1953 |
Brandy for the Parson | Major Glockleigh | 1952 |
The Fighting Pimpernel | Lord Grenville | 1950 |
Ten Little Niggers | General Mackenzie | 1949 |
Blanche Fury | Lord Rudford | 1948 |
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp | Embassy Counsellor | 1943 |
Just Like a Woman | Escubar | 1939 |
Old Iron | Judge | 1939 |
Queen of Crime | Colonel Westhanger | 1938 |
The Live Wire | Montell | 1938 |
The Terror | Col. Redmayne / col. | 1938 |
13 Men and a Gun | Captain | 1938 |
Murder at the Baskervilles | Sherlock Holmes | 1937 |
Storm in a Teacup | Fiscal | 1937 |
Thunder in the City | Sir Peter | 1937 |
Dishonour Bright | Judge | 1936 |
Regal Cavalcade | Undetermined Minor Role | 1935 |
The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes | 1935 |
Line Engaged | Insp. Morland | 1935 |
The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case | Sherlock Holmes | 1932 |
Condemned to Death | Sir Charles Wallington | 1932 |
Sherlock Holmes and the Missing Rembrandt | Sherlock Holmes | 1932 |
A Gentleman of Paris | Judge Le Fevre | 1931 |
Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour | Sherlock Holmes | 1931 |
The Infamous Lady | The K.C. | 1929 |
The Diamond Man | Lady Marshalt | 1924 |
Bonnie Prince Charlie | Lord Kingsburgh | 1924 |
Eugene Aram | Eugene Aram | 1914 |
Eugene Aram | Eugene Aram | 1924 |
Lady Windermere's Fan | Lord Darlington | 1916 |
Temptation's Hour | 1916 | |
The Bigamist | Tony Henderson | 1916 |