Hammer Studios’ 1959 attempt to reinvent Sherlock Holmes for the technicolor era

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before it became a cult classic, Hammer Studios’ 1959 adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles was intended to launch a sprawling Sherlock Holmes franchise. Starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, this gothic mystery was the first Holmes film shot in colour, forever changing the detective's visual legacy on screen.

Released in 1959, the film was a bold departure for Hammer Studios, which sought to revive Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective for a new generation. Peter Cushing, a dedicated aficionado of the source material, meticulously prepared for the role by re-reading the original stories and annotating his script. He insisted on maintaining iconic elements like the deerstalker cap and pipes, while also introducing authentic details, such as pinning correspondence to the mantelpiece with a dagger, to ground his performance in the literary canon.

The production also aimed to correct the public perception of Dr. Watson. André Morell, who played the detective’s companion, was determined to move away from the bumbling, comedic stereotype established by Nigel Bruce in earlier films. Instead, Morell portrayed Watson as a capable, intelligent partner, mirroring the character’s original depiction in the novels. This commitment to accuracy extended to the technical side, with the film being the first Holmes adaptation to utilize colour, capturing the eerie moors of Dartmoor through location shooting in Surrey.

Despite the high production values and the star power of Cushing and Christopher Lee—who played the heir Sir Henry Baskerville—the film failed to ignite the box office as intended. While it was envisioned as the start of a long-running franchise, the lack of commercial success derailed plans for sequels. Nevertheless, the 1959 version remains a significant entry in cinema history, celebrated for its gothic atmosphere, the powerful voice of David Oxley as the villainous Sir Hugo, and its attempt to restore the intellectual gravitas of the Holmes and Watson partnership.

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