About

Known credits:
28
Birthday:
1875-01-21
Place of birth:
London, England, UK
Website:
N/A

Arthur Wontner

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arthur Wontner (21 January 1875 – 10 July 1960) was a British actor best known for playing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's master detective Sherlock Holmes in five films from 1931 to 1937. These films are:

    The Sleeping Cardinal (1931) (US title: Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour) based on Doyle's two stories, "The Adventure of the Empty House" and "The Final Problem"

    The Missing Rembrandt (1932) (still considered lost) based on "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton"

    The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case (1932)

    The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes (1935) based on The Valley of Fear

    Silver Blaze (1937) (US title:Murder at the Baskervilles, release 1941) based on "Silver Blaze"

Reportedly, Wontner landed the role of Sherlock Holmes thanks to his performance of Holmes imitation Sexton Blake in a 1930 stage production.

Of all Wontner's films as Sherlock Holmes, The Missing Rembrandt is no longer available. It is officially a lost film. It is possible to obtain all of the others.

Silver Blaze was renamed Murder at the Baskervilles on its US release in order to make the most of the publicity which had been generated by Basil Rathbone's version of The Hound of the Baskervilles. In many respects Wontner's film can be seen as a sequel as it is set twenty years after the events of the more famous story.

Wontner's son became the well-known hotelier and Lord Mayor of London Sir Hugh Wontner.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Arthur Wontner,licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Acting
1985 The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes Actor Sherlock Holmes (archive footage) 59
Average
1953 Genevieve Actor Old Gentleman 59
Average
1953 Sea Devils Actor Baron de Baudrec 58
Average
1952 Brandy for the Parson Actor Major Glockleigh 59
Average
1950 The Elusive Pimpernel Actor Lord Grenville 58
Average
1949 Ten Little Indians Actor General Mackenzie N/A
N/A
1948 Blanche Fury Actor Lord Rudford 59
Average
1948 Pygmalion Actor Colonel Pickering N/A
N/A
1943 The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Actor Embassy Counsellor 64
Fair
1938 The Live Wire Actor Montell N/A
N/A
1938 The Terror Actor Colonel Redmayne 58
Average
1938 Kate Plus Ten Actor Colonel Westhanger N/A
N/A
1937 Silver Blaze Actor Sherlock Holmes 58
Average
1937 Thunder in the City Actor Sir Peter 58
Average
1937 Storm in a Teacup Actor Fiscal 59
Average
1936 Dishonour Bright Actor Judge N/A
N/A
1935 The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes Actor Sherlock Holmes 58
Average
1932 The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes' Greatest Case Actor Sherlock Holmes 58
Average
1932 The Missing Rembrandt Actor Sherlock Holmes N/A
N/A
1932 Condemned to Death Actor Sir Charles Wallington N/A
N/A
1931 A Gentleman of Paris Actor Judge Le Fevre 58
Average
1931 The Sleeping Cardinal Actor Sherlock Holmes 58
Average
1924 The Diamond Man Actor Lady Marshalt N/A
N/A
1924 Eugene Aram Actor Eugene Aram N/A
N/A
1923 Bonnie Prince Charlie Actor Lord Kingsburgh N/A
N/A
1916 The Bigamist Actor Tony Henderson N/A
N/A
1916 Lady Windermere's Fan Actor Lord Darlington N/A
N/A
Temptation's Hour Actor N/A
N/A