The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (film) Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. John Watson, the final film produced by Fox, and the last in the Rathbone/Bruce series to be set in the original Victorian London period. The further twelve films produced by Universal Pictures and starring Rathbone/Bruce would take place in contemporaneous times (i.e. the 1940s). George Zucco stars as Holmes's nemesis Professor Moriarty. The picture follows famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Doctor Watson as they attempt to foil their archenemy Professor Moriarty who targets a wealthy family and plots the theft of the Crown Jewels. The film was supposedly based
Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes End actor Eille Norwood in the lead with Hubert Willis as Watson. John Barrymore played the role in a 1922 movie entitled "Sherlock Holmes", with Roland Young as Watson and William Powell in his first screen appearance. This Goldwyn film is the first Holmes movie made with high production values and a major star. Clive Brook played Sherlock Holmes three times: "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" (1929), as part of an anthology film, "Paramount on Parade" (1930), and "Sherlock Holmes" (1932). In 1931 Raymond Massey played Sherlock Holmes in his screen debut, "The Speckled Band", while Arthur Wontner played Holmes