The Sign of Four (1923 film)
Encyclopedia
The Sign of Four is a 1923 British
silent
mystery film
directed by Maurice Elvey
and starring Eille Norwood
, Isobel Elsom
and Fred Raynham
. It was based on the novel The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
. It was one of a series of Sherlock Holmes
films starring Norwood. 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.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
mystery film
Mystery film
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
directed by Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey was the most prolific film director in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year....
and starring Eille Norwood
Eille Norwood
Eille Norwood was a British actor who spent most of his screen career playing Sherlock Holmes. He was born Anthony Edward Brett in York, England. He apparently took his stage name from his lady friend Eileen and the town of Norwood...
, Isobel Elsom
Isobel Elsom
Isobel Elsom was an English screen, stage, and television actress.-Career:Born as Isobel Jeannette Reed in Cambridge, England, Elsom usually was cast as an aristocratic lady of the upper class. Over the course of three decades she appeared in 17 Broadway productions, beginning with The Ghost Train...
and Fred Raynham
Fred Raynham
-Selected filmography:* The Hound of the Baskervilles * The Passionate Friends * The Wandering Jew * The Presumption of Stanley Hay, MP * A Romance of Mayfair * Somebody's Darling...
. It was based on the novel The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
. It was one of a series of Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
films starring Norwood. Holmes and Watson are called in to investigate a strange murder in South London which appears to have its roots in events in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
some years before.
Cast
- Eille NorwoodEille NorwoodEille Norwood was a British actor who spent most of his screen career playing Sherlock Holmes. He was born Anthony Edward Brett in York, England. He apparently took his stage name from his lady friend Eileen and the town of Norwood...
- Sherlock Holmes - Isobel ElsomIsobel ElsomIsobel Elsom was an English screen, stage, and television actress.-Career:Born as Isobel Jeannette Reed in Cambridge, England, Elsom usually was cast as an aristocratic lady of the upper class. Over the course of three decades she appeared in 17 Broadway productions, beginning with The Ghost Train...
- Mary Morstan - Fred RaynhamFred Raynham-Selected filmography:* The Hound of the Baskervilles * The Passionate Friends * The Wandering Jew * The Presumption of Stanley Hay, MP * A Romance of Mayfair * Somebody's Darling...
- Prince Abdullah Khan - Arthur M. Cullin - Doctor John Watson
- Norman PageNorman PageNorman Page was a British actor. He is best known for his portrayal of David Lloyd George, Prime Minister during the First World War, in the 1918 film The Life Story of David Lloyd George which is believed to be the first ever feature length political biopic.-Selected filmography:* The Life Story...
- Jonathan Small - Humberston WrightHumberston WrightHumbertson Wright was a British film actor. He is sometimes credited as Humberstone Wright.-Selected filmography:* Thelma * God's Clay * The Garden of Resurrection * Henry, King of Navarre...
- Doctor Sholto - Henry WilsonHenry WilsonHenry Wilson was the 18th Vice President of the United States and a Senator from Massachusetts...
- Pygmy - Madame d'Esterre - Mrs Hudson
- Arthur Bell - Inspector Anthony Jones