Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes in five British films from 1931 to 1937. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce played Holmes and Watson in "The Hound of the Baskervilles" which launched a 14-film series. Rathbone is regarded as the Holmes of his generation. Many other films have been comedies and parodies that poke fun at Holmes, Watson, their relationship and other characters. These have included Billy Wilder's "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" with Robert Stephens and Colin Blakely as Holmes and Watson. More serious, non-canonical films were "A Study in Terror" (with John Neville and Donald Houston) and "Murder by Decree" (with Christopher Plummer and
Sherlock Holmes (Stoll film series) I when he segued into film production. Beginning in 1919, Stoll opened a series of cinemas and purchased a disused aircraft factory to create the then-largest film studio in Britain. In 1920, Stoll purchased the rights to produce films based on Sherlock Holmes' tales from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Stoll embarked on the production of his first series of fifteen short films entitled "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" in 1921. The films were directed by Maurice Elvey and then 59-year-old actor Eille Norwood was chosen to portray Sherlock Holmes, with Hubert Willis cast as Dr Watson. Norwood was obsessed with