Arthur Wontner
🎬 Movies featuring Arthur Wontner:
📘 Biography
Arthur Wontner was a British actor best known for portraying Sherlock Holmes in a series of films made in the early 1930s. His calm demeanor, intellectual presence, and resemblance to Sidney Paget’s famous illustrations of Holmes made him a fan-favorite among early screen adaptations of the detective.
Wontner began his acting career on the London stage and transitioned to film in the silent era, but it was his role as Holmes that defined his legacy. He appeared in five Sherlock Holmes films, starting with The Sleeping Cardinal (1931), and critics at the time praised his performance for its authenticity and subtlety.
Though his popularity faded with the rise of other Holmes actors like Basil Rathbone, Wontner’s portrayal is still regarded as one of the most faithful to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary vision.
📽️ Full Filmography
Notable films starring Arthur Wontner include:
- The Sleeping Cardinal (1931) – Also known as Sherlock Holmes’ Fatal Hour, his debut as the famous detective.
- The Missing Rembrandt (1932) – A lost film where he reprised the role of Sherlock Holmes.
- The Sign of Four (1932) – Adaptation of the classic Conan Doyle novel.
- The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes (1935) – Based on The Valley of Fear, praised for its depth and tone.
- Silver Blaze (1937) – His final appearance as Holmes, also known as Murder at the Baskervilles.
Note: For a full list of his works, visit Arthur Wontner on IMDb.