A growing source of silent era film information. This listing is from The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett. Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

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	Georges Tréville. Frame enlargement: Silent Era image collection.

Cast: Georges Tréville [Sherlock Holmes]

Société Francaise des Filmes et Cinématographes Éclair and Franco-British Film Company production. / From the short story “The Copper Beeches” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / The film was produced under the personal supervision of Doyle. [?] The film was released in the USA by Union Features through Warner’s Features, Incorporated (existing film credits list both the Union Features ‘UF’ logomark and as released by Warners); and the film was © 4 November 1912 by Union Features in the USA.

Drama: Crime.

Synopsis: Rucastle, a vindictive father, refuses to sanction his daughter’s marriage to William and attempts to have her sign away the rights to her inheritance if she should marry. She refuses, and her father locks her in a shed. He then concocts a plan to use a look-alike governess to stand-in for his daughter to lure William to a spot where he can be shot. Miss Hunter, the governess, discovers someone locked in the shed, but is stopped by Rucastle. Certain that something is amiss, Hunter reports her suspicions to Sherlock Holmes. Holmes agrees to accompany the governess to Rucastle’s estate to investigate. Holmes discovers Rucastle’s intended weapon, hidden in a woodpile, and pieces together William’s letter and Rucastle’s plan. He coaxes Hunter to lay a trap for Rucastle by participating in his plan. William has been lured and is about to be shot, when Holmes intercepts Rucastle. His daughter is freed, and Rucastle is handed over to the bobbies.

Survival status: Prints exist in private film collections [16mm reduction positives].

Current rights holder: (unknown) [France]; (unknown) [United Kingdom]; Public domain [USA].

Keywords: Authors: Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) - Characters: Sherlock Holmes - Law: Enforcement: Police: Detectives - Weapons: Guns (Shotguns)

Listing updated: 19 December 2023.

References: Film credits, film viewing : Everson-Detective p. 7; Gifford-British nn. 03765, 03773; Pohle-Holmes pp. 45-46; Tarbox-Lost p. 103 : Website-IMDb.

Home video: DVD.