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Mystery thriller

A Study in Scarlet (1933): Cast & Plot

A Study in Scarlet (1933) movie poster

A Study in Scarlet is a 1933 mystery thriller directed by Edwin L. Marin, starring Alan Dinehart as Merrydew, Doris Lloyd and Halliwell Hobbes. It runs 1 hour 12 minutes.

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A Study in Scarlet (1933) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 12m (72 min)
Director
Edwin L. Marin
Genres
Thriller , Mystery , Crime
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is A Study in Scarlet About?

The premise of A Study in Scarlet without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

In London, a secret society led by lawyer Thaddeus Merrydew takes the estates of deceased members and divides them among the living. As members start dying—James Murphy’s widow asks Holmes for help, Captain Pyke is shot, Malcolm Dearing and Mr. Baker are murdered—Holmes probes the shady Merrydew, the mysterious Chinese widow of Pyke, and a plot against newcomer Eileen Forrester. His sharp observations are put to the test.

A Study in Scarlet Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • sherlock holmes character
  • dr. john watson character
  • asian american
  • femme fatale
  • victoria station london
  • cockney accent
  • locked room murder
  • murder disguised as a suicide
  • chinese woman
  • hidden door
  • hidden staircase
  • shot through the heart
+38 more
  • poisoned
  • note from serial killer
  • poem
  • ten little indians scenario
  • coded message decoded
  • death of husband
  • asian woman
  • woman wears a black veil
  • mourning clothes
  • disguised as an old man
  • chinese man
  • woman bound and gagged
  • missing woman
  • woman wears a robe
  • trapdoor
  • character's point of view camera shot
  • man carries an unconscious woman
  • caught in the act
  • attempt to commit murder
  • faked death
  • criminal mastermind
  • arrested for murder
  • horse and cart
  • blackmai
  • cigar smoking
  • widow
  • lawyer
  • chinese
  • secret society
  • secret passageway
  • limehouse
  • victoria station
  • train
  • train conductor
  • servant
  • secret code
  • scotland yard
  • ring
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Cast & crew

A Study in Scarlet Cast & Characters

Alan Dinehart leads the cast as Merrydew, with Doris Lloyd as Mrs. Annabel Mary Murphy and Halliwell Hobbes as Malcolm Dearing. Directed by Edwin L. Marin; 13 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in A Study in Scarlet

· 9 more
From the director

More from Edwin L. Marin

More films directed by Edwin L. Marin, best-rated first: A Christmas Carol, Fort Worth, Raton Pass and Sugarfoot.

Full filmography
Plot

A Study in Scarlet Plot Summary

What happens in A Study in Scarlet from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The film opens in London in the present day, where the body of Mr. Murphy [Doris Lloyd] is found on a train, seemingly a suicide but in truth murder. A secret society gathers in Limehouse, chaired by lawyer Thaddeus Merrydew [Alan Dinehart], who explains that Murphy’s death will trigger a distribution of the club’s financial interests among the surviving members, leaving Murphy’s widow with nothing. Among the attendees is Daffy Dolly [Leila Bennett], a presence who hints at the variety of personalities within the group. The stakes grow as the plot unfolds around a looming inheritance and a scheme that has slept for years.

Full summary

The whole story of A Study in Scarlet, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know A Study in Scarlet?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actor portrayed Sherlock Holmes in the 1933 film?

Details

A Study in Scarlet Also Known As

11 alternative titles, including “En studie i rött” and “Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet”.

Also known as
  • En studie i rött
  • Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet
  • Sherlock Holmes ja tulipunainen kirjain
  • Estudio en rojo
  • Um Estudo Em Vermelho
  • Sherlock Holmes - Eine Studie in Rot
  • Eine Studie in Rot
  • Sherlock Holmes: Une étude en rouge
  • Sherlock Holmes - Une étude en rouge
  • 血字的研究
  • Этюд в багровых тонах

Seen A Study in Scarlet?

FAQ

A Study in Scarlet FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of A Study in Scarlet, each answered in a sentence.

How long is A Study in Scarlet?

A Study in Scarlet runs 1 hour 12 minutes (72 minutes).

When was A Study in Scarlet released?

A Study in Scarlet was released on May 14, 1933.

Who directed A Study in Scarlet?

A Study in Scarlet was directed by Edwin L. Marin.

More films by Edwin L. Marin

Who is in the cast of A Study in Scarlet?

A Study in Scarlet stars Alan Dinehart as Merrydew, Doris Lloyd as Mrs. Annabel Mary Murphy and Halliwell Hobbes as Malcolm Dearing, among 13 credited actors.

Does A Study in Scarlet have a post-credit scene?

No. A Study in Scarlet has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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