The Sign of Four

On 14 January 1932 the Kinematograph Weekly reported that following the filming of ‘elaborate night scenes in the studio grounds…taken during last week-end’ that ‘locations at Wapping have been selected for riverside episodes in the Conan Doyle story.’ Unfortunately the ‘riverside episodes’ are extremely dark in the surviving print and are therefore totally devoid of any identifying characteristics. On 4 February the same publication noted that ‘Extensive night footage…was shot at the fun fair at the Marble Arch end of Oxford Street last week.’ This unnamed fun fair appears to be an otherwise unrecorded establishment. The report continued that ‘Bob Martin, cameraman, hugged his machine as the mob surged about it, dodging in between lights, bumping, cursing, laughing; hands in their pockets, stamping their feet to keep warm, getting in the way, swaying with and against one another. Four times scenes of Isla Bevan and Ian Hunter talking at the shooting range while the life of the fair went on and about them were photographed.’  The previous day, 3 February, The Era had reported that filming had taken place ‘last week’ at the Oxford Street fun fair ‘throughout the early hours [when] this crowd [of extras] disported itself in “dodge ’em” motor-cars or about hoopla stalls. On the second night the noise of the “dodge ’ems” was complained of by flat-occupants around, and the work was confined to stalls. Nevertheless, there were more complaints, police intervened, and now it will be necessary for Basil Dean to build a facsimile of the stalls at Ealing.’ While much is made of location film at the fun fair very little remains in the surviving print and the scenes showing Isla Bevan and Ian Hunter at the shooting range presumably ended up on the cutting room floor.