Sherlock Holmes Baffled
Sherlock Holmes Baffled is an American short silent film created in 1900 with cinematography by Arthur Marvin. It is the earliest known film to feature Arthur Conan Doyle's detective character Sherlock Holmes, albeit in a form unlike that of later screen incarnations. In the film, a thief who can appear and disappear at will steals a sack of items from Sherlock Holmes. At each point, Holmes's attempts to thwart the intruder end in failure.
| Sherlock Holmes Baffled | |
|---|---|
Complete 30-second Mutoscope film of Sherlock Holmes Baffled. | |
| Directed by | Arthur Marvin |
| Cinematography | Arthur Marvin |
| Distributed by | American Mutoscope and Biograph Company |
Running time | 30 seconds |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent |
Originally shown in Mutoscope machines in arcades, Sherlock Holmes Baffled has a running time of 30 seconds. Although produced in 1900, it was only registered in 1903, and a copyright notice stating this is seen on some prints. The identities of the actors playing the first screen Holmes and his assailant are not recorded. Assumed to be lost for many years, the film was rediscovered in 1968 as a paper print in the Library of Congress.