Ghosts in the castle

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Movie
German title Ghosts in the castle
Original title Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1943
length about 70 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Roy William Neill for Universal Studios
script Bertram Millhauser
production Roy William Neill
music Hans J. Salter
camera Charles van Enger
cut Fred R. Feitshans junior
occupation
chronology

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Ghosts in the Castle (alternatively: Sherlock Holmes looks death in the face ; The fatal ritual ) from 1943 is an American crime film directed by Roy William Neill . It is the sixth film in the famous Sherlock Holmes series with Basil Rathbone .

action

Northumberland , England during World War II : A station for mentally disturbed officers has been set up in the mansion of the venerable Musgrave family. Dr. Watson is replacing a colleague, but soon after his arrival there is an attack on chief physician Dr. Sexton instead, which this one just survived. To shed light on the matter, Watson calls on his friend Sherlock Holmes , the master detective, to help. But Holmes comes too late, because when he arrives, Geoffrey, head of the Musgraves family, is found murdered in the park. Geoffrey has endeavored to prevent his sister Sally's marriage to the American officer Vickery, as this is not considered worthy of rank. Captain Vickery is quickly arrested as the main suspect by the police under Inspector Lestrade .

However, Sally and Holmes believe in Vickery's innocence. During his investigation, Holmes interrogates the new head of the family, Philip Musgrave, the deceased's younger brother; the latter tells him in vague words that there is an ancient and deadly ritual of the family with which the new head of the family would be elected. Shortly afterwards, however, Philip Musgrave is also found murdered, making Sally head of the family. Inspector Lestrade wants to arrest Alfred, the old secretive butler of the family, as he was recently fired by Philip. But Alfred cannot be found, and his wife doesn't know where he is either. Meanwhile, Holmes and Watson manage to decipher the mysterious ritual of the Musgraves. A gigantic chess game set in the Musgraves hall gives Holmes and Watson access to the family's secret burial chamber. There you will find the murdered Alfred who is holding a document in his hands, which is an ancient, important deed of ownership that is worth millions.

Holmes lays a trap for the murderer who would come back to Alfred's body when everyone is asleep at night. Alfred had to die because he was present at the murder of Philip. The murderer actually appears: It is the chief physician, Dr. Sexton, who had only staged the initial attack on himself. After Sexton learned of the multi-million dollar title deed, he murdered the two Musgrave brothers in order to be able to marry the last heiress Sally. He also tried to accuse Captain Vickery of the murder so that he could not marry Sally. Sexton can first overpower Holmes and take his revolver, but this is unloaded. Watson and Lestrade rush to the aid of Holmes and overpower the killer. Vickery is freed from suspicion of murder, while Sally decides to destroy the old document despite its value, as it cost her brothers' lives.

backgrounds

"Ghosts in the Castle" is a loose film adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes short story The Musgrave Ritual ("The Musgrave Ritual") by Arthur Conan Doyle from 1893. The setting of a mansion and most of the characters were adopted from the novel The idea of ​​using a coded ritual poem as a route description also comes from the Musgrave short story. Unlike the previous films of the series, all of the propaganda of the Allies in World War II against Nazi Germany were determined that the war is in this film only reason why Confused are mentally placed on the Manor.

The then unknown Peter Lawford can be seen in the opening scene as a young sailor in the bar.

Ghosts in the Castle is available on DVD along with other films in the series .

synchronization

There are a total of three German dubbed versions for the film. Little is known about the first dubbed version. The second dubbed version was created in the DEFA studios in Weimar in the 1960s, the dialogue direction was done by Egon Sartorius, the dialogue book was written by Wolfgang Thal. The third dubbed version was created in 1980 in the DEFA studios in Leipzig, the dialogue book was written by Harald Thiemann, and Hasso Zorn was responsible for the dialogue direction .

role actor 2nd dubbed version (1960s) 3rd dubbed version (1980)
Sherlock Holmes Basil Rathbone Walter Niklaus Walter Niklaus
Dr. John Watson Nigel Bruce Alfred Bohl Hinrich Koehn
Inspector Lestrade Dennis Hoey Hans Gora Klaus Glowalla
Dr. Bob Sexton Arthur Margetson Wolfgang Dehler Günther Grabbert
Sally Musgrave Hillary Brooke Astrid Bless Ingrid Hille
Butler Alfred Brunton Halliwell Hobbes Heinz Kahnemann Wolfgang Anton
Housekeeper Mrs. Howells Minna Phillips Charlotte Kaltschmidt Eva Mayer
Phillip Musgrave Gavin Muir Dieter Leinhos Friedhelm Eberle
Captain Pat Vickery Milburn Stone ??? Paul-Dolf Neis
Major Langford Gerald Hamer Horst Kempe Fred-Arthur Geppert
Lieutenant Clavering Vernon Downing Wolfgang Thal Wolfgang Jakob
Captain McIntosh Olaf Hytten Victor Draeger Hans Gora
Geoffrey Musgrave Frederick Worlock Paul Jaster Fred Alexander

criticism

The lexicon of international films judged that Ghosts in the Castle is a “routinely staged detective film from the Universal Studio series.” The film reporter was only partially convinced: “The soldiers depicted are interesting: they are seen as human wrecks traumatized by the war shown. The thriller presents a new side of Sherlock Holmes. Spooky and superstition are used here as tension factors. The mix between mystery and rationality doesn't suit the legendary detective series. The signs of modernity that normally carry the Sherlock Holmes adventures are too blurred. "

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ghosts in the Castle on filmreporter.de. Retrieved August 23, 2013
  2. ↑ Second dubbed version at the German dubbing index
  3. ↑ Third dubbed version at the German dubbing index
  4. ↑ Ghosts in the Castle. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed July 9, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  5. ↑ Ghosts in the Castle on filmreporter.de. Retrieved August 23, 2013