Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series) nitrate film. The UCLA Film and Television Archive restored the series, putting the films onto modern polyester film, in a process that was jointly paid for by UCLA, Warner Bros. and Hugh Hefner. In 1938 Basil Rathbone was cast as Sherlock Holmes for the 20th Century Fox adaptation of "The Hound of the Baskervilles"; Nigel Bruce was chosen to play Dr. John Watson. Darryl F. Zanuck, Gregory Ratoff and Gene Markey made the choice of Rathbone as Holmes during a conversation at a party in Hollywood. Filming began on 29 December 1938 under the direction of Sidney Lanfield and the
Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes Watson". William Rushton played Watson. In 1988, the animated series "Alvin and the Chipmunks" aired an episode entitled "Elementary, My Dear Simon", which stars Simon as Holmes, Theodore as Watson, Alvin as Professor Moriarty, and Dave as Inspector Seville. Also in 1988, in the animated series "BraveStarr", the two-part episode ""Sherlock Holmes in the 23rd Century"" had Holmes transported from Reichenbach Falls in 1893, to London in 2249. Holmes is joined by an alien, Dr. W't'sn (the 23rd century counterpart of Watson) & Inpsector Mycroft Holmes of Scotland Yard (a direct descendant & namesake of Holmes' brother Mycroft); the trio