The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1929 film)

The Return of Sherlock Holmes is a 1929 American Pre-Code mystery film directed by Basil Dean and written by Arthur Conan Doyle, Basil Dean and Garrett Fort. The film shares its title with the third volume of the Sherlock Holmes stories, The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. The film stars Clive Brook, H. Reeves-Smith, Betty Lawford, Charles Hay and Phillips Holmes. The film was released October 29, 1929, by Paramount Pictures. A copy is held at the Library of Congress.^[1] It was the first sound film to feature Sherlock Holmes. In 2025, the film entered the public domain in the United States.^[2]

The Return of Sherlock Holmes
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Basil Dean
Written by	Arthur Conan Doyle Basil Dean Garrett Fort
Produced by	Basil Dean
Starring	Clive Brook H. Reeves-Smith Betty Lawford Charles Hay Phillips Holmes
Cinematography	William O. Steiner
Edited by	Helene Turner
Production company	Paramount Pictures
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	October 29, 1929 (1929-10-29)
Running time	71 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

Cast

• Clive Brook as Sherlock Holmes
• H. Reeves-Smith as Dr. Watson
• Betty Lawford as Mary Watson
• Charles Hay as Captain Longmore
• Phillips Holmes as Roger Longmore
• Donald Crisp as Colonel Moran
• Harry T. Morey as Professor Moriarty
• Hubert Druce as Sergeant Gripper

Production

The Return of Sherlock Holmes was shot at the Astoria Studios in New York.^[3][4] A silent version of the film was also produced to accommodate theaters which did not feature sound.^[3]

See also

• List of early sound feature films (1926–1929)