by 1932 and the california tiffany studio have be hard hit by the depression increase damper on the motion picture industry and and have most recently be take over by the troika of burt kelly and sam bischoff and william saal and produce under the achronym k. b. s. one of the talented individual attract to k. b. s. during this turbulent period be robert florey and who have direct the cocoanut and in which the marx brother make their film debut and and co author the script of frankenstein and then adapt and direct murder in the rue morgue . a study in scarlet be florey third project at tiffany and and he be again schedule to both write and direct his preferred mode of work . while producer bischoff have purchase the motion picture right to the title of sir arthur conan doyle novel for only a small sum and florey be tell to compose a new scenario to co star anna may wong opposite sherlock holmes . a cause for the alteration of the original plot be that producer may have felt the title exceed the worth of the actual story . conan doyle original and write in 1887 and be a vehicle for a denunciation of the contemporary mormon practice of polygamy and which for american movie maker may have arouse concern of censorship and regional distribution difficulty just the type of difficulty a small and independent company like k. b. s. could not afford to risk . a well and half the narrative consisted of a lengthy confession and with holmes only present in the prelude and which would have surely disappoint most filmgoers . while a study in scarlet be the first holmes mystery conan doyle write and it have be film only twice before and with an english feature and an american short both appear in 1914. not until 1968 be the subject tackle again and this time by the bbc in a fifty minute television presentation . give a week to come up with a narrative to fit the picture title and wong presence and florey collaborate with his friend reginald owen and who have be choose to portray holmes and and split the $ 1 and 000 script payment . they collaborate on the continuity in consultation with art director ralph delacy in order to utilize a many stand set a possible and economy always be especially important at a studio like tiffany and even on a significant a project a a study in scarlet . at this point florey leave and have receive the offer of a long term contract from warner bros. on condition that he leave immediately to direct their comedic mystery girl miss . bischoff allow florey to leave and with both agree that his replacement a director on a study in scarlet should be edwin l. marin . marin and age 33 and previously have helm only one movie on his own and a low budget item entitle the death kiss ( 1932 ) . at k. b. s. he have just finish assist florey on the man call back and those we love and wait for such a break . although the florey owen script contain no similarity to the novel and their plot do demonstrate a familiarity with the world conan doyle create for sherlock holmes . element be present from other holmes story and especially the sign of four and the red head league and the five orange pip . there be many of the typical clue and device and and mannerism . the title be incorporate to refer to a very exclusive organization call the scarlet ring and a group of eccentric and highly ambiguous character so suspicious of one another that they be afraid to even walk together . upon the death of any member and his property be divide among the remain survivor while suddenly they begin to die at an alarm pace under strange circumstance . this group of individual be personify by an unusual group of actor and include j. m. kerrigan and halliwell hobbes and wyndham standing and tetsu komai and and cecil reynolds . some critic have point out the movie similarity to and then there be none or ten little indian and with suspect kill one by one and their murder announce by a nursery rhyme . but if anything and the influence be the other way around and since agatha christie novel be not publish until 1939. the script of a study in scarlet be extremely polished and well construct and develop at just the right pace while carefully build the appropriate mood and environment . the movie breathe life into the classically eerie atmosphere of the british mystery and create a pervasive feeling of fear in the fog bound studio street of the limehouse section of london . strange gathering and arrange by secret code and take place in abandon and out of the way building while dark and oppressive dead end street be place of isolation and terror while fog and shadow hide murderer and their victim . suspense be heighten by a number of device . for instance and the killer be keep unseen and while at the same time menace be suggest by have the crime view through the murderer eye use a subjective camera . the silhouette of a giant shadow appear on a wall a the victim star at the audience and scream it can not be you and follow by a close up of a hand check off the name of one more member of the scarlet ring who have be kill . the climax of this technique come in a long take with the still unknown murderer visit the crooked lawyer play by alan dinehart represent the camera completely adopt the viewpoint of the killer a dinehart open the door and the unknown individual be offer a cigarette and puff of smoke ascend in front of the lens . the sense of locale be enhance by the use of a nearly all british cast and something unusual for a hollywood make sherlock holmes picture . reginald owen in particular be give the necessary latitude to offer a different interpretation of the holmes personality . owen portray a much more human and less remote man and more akin to the personification offer by william gillette in his stage play and to whom owen even bore a certain physical resemblance . by the time a study in scarlet be release and in mid 1933 and k. b. s. and world wide have fold and with fox handle the distribution . the picture open to an excellent critical reception .