''The Sign of Four'' is a 1923 British silent mystery film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Eille Norwood, Isobel Elsom and Fred Raynham.BFI Database entry
/ref> The film is based on the 1890 novel '' The Sign of the Four'' by

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

, and was one of a series of Sherlock Holmes films starring Norwood.

Premise

Holmes and Watson are called in to investigate a strange murder in South London which appears to have its roots in events in India some years before.

Production

Previous Watson performer

Hubert Willis Hubert Willis (1862 – 13 December 1933) was a British actor best known for his recurring role as Doctor Watson in a series of silent Sherlock Holmes films co-starring with Eille Norwood. Stage career Willis appeared in the copyright per ...

was replaced by

Arthur M. Cullin Arthur Cullin was a British actor of the silent era who was born in Kensington, London. He is often credited as Arthur M. Cullin. Selected filmography * '' The Answer'' (1916) * ''The Valley of Fear'' (1916) * '' Whoso Is Without Sin'' (1916) * ...

in the role as director Maurice Elvey felt that Willis was too old to woo the much younger Isobel Elsom as Mary Morstan. Norwood was unimpressed with Cullin in the role although Cullin brought previous experience having played Watson to H. A. Saintsbury's Holmes in '' The Valley of Fear''. The climactic chase on the Thames was shot on location.

Cast

* Eille Norwood -

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

* Isobel Elsom - Mary Morstan * Fred Raynham - Prince Abdullah Khan *

Doctor John Watson John H. Watson, known as Dr. Watson, is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Along with Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson first appeared in the novel ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1887). The last work by Doyle fe ...

* Norman Page - Jonathan Small * Humberston Wright - Doctor Sholto * Henry Wilson - Pygmy * Madame d'Esterre - Mrs Hudson * Arthur Bell -

Inspector Athelney Jones This article describes minor characters from the ''Sherlock Holmes'' stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and from non-canonical derived works. The list excludes the titular character as well as Dr. Watson, Professor Moriarty, Inspector Lestrade, My ...

References

External links

* 1923 films British silent feature films 1923 crime films 1920s English-language films Films directed by Maurice Elvey Sherlock Holmes films based on works by Arthur Conan Doyle British black-and-white films British crime films 1923 mystery films British mystery films 1920s British films Silent mystery films Silent thriller films {{mystery-film-stub

Premise

Production

Cast

See also

References

External links