Sherlock Holmes in the Great Murder Mystery

Sherlock Holmes in the Great Murder Mystery is a 1908 American silent film produced by the Crescent Film Company of New York,^[3] and directed by early film pioneer, Fred J. Balshofer.^{[citation needed]} The film was released on 27 November 1908 and is an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's 1841 short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", which is considered the first detective story, though the plot was altered to include Arthur Conan Doyle's detective Sherlock Holmes instead of Poe's C. Auguste Dupin.^[4]

Holmes was played by veteran stage actor William Kolle, star of the Venetian Gardens Theater at Brooklyn's Prospect Hall.^{[citation needed]} This film featured the first cinematic appearance of Dr. Watson, who was portrayed by an unknown actor.^{[citation needed]}