Wikipedia:Today's featured article/September 21, 2010

Sherlock Holmes Baffled is a very short silent film created between 1900 and 1903, with cinematography by Arthur Marvin. It is the earliest-known film to feature the character of Sherlock Holmes, albeit in a form unlike later screen incarnations of Conan Doyle's detective. The inclusion of the character also makes it the first recorded detective film. In the film, a thief who can appear and disappear at random steals a sack of items from Sherlock Holmes. At each point, Holmes' attempts to thwart the intruder end in failure. Originally intended to be shown on the Mutoscope, an early motion picture device which provided viewing to only one person at a time, Sherlock Holmes Baffled has a running time of 30 seconds. Although probably produced in April 1900, it was only registered in 1903, and a copyright notice stating this is seen on some prints. The identities of the first screen Holmes and his assailant are not recorded. Assumed to be lost for several years, the film was rediscovered in 1968 as a paper print in the Library of Congress. It is estimated that Sherlock Holmes has become the most prolific screen character in the history of cinema. (more...)

Recently featured: Australian Magpie – Terry Fox – If (magazine)