The Devil's Foot (film)

The Devil's Foot is a 1921 British short film directed by Maurice Elvey starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock Holmes.

Following "The Dying Detective" (1921), the film is the second in the Stoll Pictures' short film series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Plot summary 
While on vacation, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson walk by the sea. Hoping to ask for directions back to their inn, they call upon a house but discover three dead people seated at a table and with no signs of violence. Initially, the victims' brother Tregennis is suspected, but when he is killed in a similar way, then the explorer Dr. Sterndale becomes a suspect.

Sterndale shows Holmes and Watson a note where Tregennis confesses to the murder of his siblings to acquire their property. The last third of the film is Sterndale's story told to the pair through a series of Flashbacks. Sterndale tells them that Tregennis had shown a great interest in Sterndale's exotic poisons and that Sterndale was in love with the sister and killed Tregennis in an act of revenge. The flashback shows Sterndale forcing Tregennis to write a confession at gunpoint. Holmes questions Sterndale for taking justice into his own hands, but when the police arrive, he tells them that Tregennis had committed suicide.

Differences from source material 
The beginning of the film differs from "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot".

Cast 
Eille Norwood as Sherlock Holmes
Hubert Willis as Dr. John Watson
Harvey Braban as Mortimer Tregennis
Hugh Buckler as Dr. Sterndale

Reception 
In a contemporary review in 2011, Christopher Campbell called it "quite verbal for a silent picture" (33 text cards in 27 minutes), a relatively faithful adaptation but also appreciated the liberty taken with the source material for the beginning of the film.

References

External links 
 
 The Devil's Foot at the British Film Institute

Category:1921 films
Category:British silent short films
Category:British crime drama films
Category:1920s mystery films
Category:English-language films
Category:British black-and-white films
Category:British films
Category:British mystery films
Category:1920s crime drama films