A gorilla did it? 1908 cinema's wildest murder defense.
Our picture relates to a crime committed by a Gorilla who escapes from his cage and through circumstantial evidence a young man, whom we will call in our story Jim, is accused and is just about to be convicted. Can Sherlock Holmes free him in time? (Moving Picture World)
Practical Effects
Pre-CGI gorilla costume, absolutely unhinged.
Direction
Balshofer multitasks as director AND camera.
Director
Fred J. Balshofer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This is one of the earliest surviving Sherlock Holmes film adaptations—predating sound by two decades.
Gorilla-suspect narratives peaked in early cinema, reflecting anxieties about evolution and urban danger.
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