Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series) Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series) A series of fourteen films based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories were released between 1939 and 1946; the British actors Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce played Holmes and Dr. John Watson, respectively. The first two films in the series were produced by 20th Century Fox and released in 1939. The studio stopped making the films after these, but Universal Studios acquired the rights from the Doyle estate and produced a further twelve films. Although the films from 20th Century Fox had large budgets, high production values and were set in the Victorian
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