Droske 519

From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia
Poul Bang (Elith Plio) threatened by Pabst (Gustav Lund) while Sherlock Holmes (Viggo Larsen) listens at the wall

Droske 519 (Cab No. 519) is a Danish silent movie released on 30 april 1909, produced by Nordisk Film Co., starring Viggo Larsen as Sherlock Holmes. 343 meters. Black & White.

The 5th sherlockian movie by the Nordisk Film Company of Denmark.

Other titles:

  • Sherlock Holmes V
  • The Legacy Robbery
  • Cab No. 519 / Cab 519 (USA) 2 june 1909

Survival status: presumed lost.



Cast

  • Sherlock Holmes : Viggo Larsen
  • Poul Bang, the heir : Elith Plio
  • Holst : August Blom (?)
  • Pabst : Gustav Lund



Photos


Titles

  • 1. Cab No. 519
  • 2. A fortunate heir
  • 3. Letter: As executor of your late uncle's will I beg to inform you, that you are instituted heir general. The heritage amounts to 20.000. Please call at your earliest convenience, bringing the necessary certificate of identity. Yours truly, P.
  • 4. The false friend will pose as the heir and get the money
  • 5. A conspiracy
  • 6. "You must buy a new coffin"
  • 7. Cab No. 519
  • 8. Chloroformed
  • 9. Stealing the identification paper
  • 10. Sherlock Holmes
  • 11. He went off in cab No. 519
  • 12. In the trap
  • 13. The new cabman
  • 14. Saved
  • 15. At the solicitor's office. A surprise.


Plot summary

Danish film program (early 20th century)

Google translated from the danish version (see picture):

Poul Bang is alone with his friend Holst when he gets a letter, which shall inform him that his uncle's death and cardiovascular left him a fortune of 200,000 Kr. The good news makes the young man overwhelmingly happy, and his friend seem to participate in the joy. But in his own mind does he plan to take Bang's place where legacy must be raised.

Holst rush all secure a helper, the old Pabst, after the promise of a generous part of the spoil promise to provide Bang by road.

Poul Bang will travel the same evening, but Holst lures him to understand that buying a new suitcase, and when the young man is well placed in a leather-commerce rush Holst himself to his assistants and heaths them take affair.

As Bang coming out of the leather shop, running, just by chance, a cab slowly past. He cries the other, getting in and leans happy, back in the seat. Then he feels a sweet, numbing Smell and fall powerless together. The cab stops outside Pabst's House, Bang worn quick up, and a moment later Holst possession of the Identity papers, which he expects to make him owner of the great inheritance.

As Bang left the leather trade, he forgot his wallet on the counter. This circumstance will save his life; For Leather handler is remembered so quickly that he arrives in time to the street to see the number of the cab, Bang run away in. When he next morning will deliver wallet in Bangs Home and hear that he has not yet returned, he understands the existence of a crime and is directed immediately to a very clever Detective.

The only team point in case is cab No. 519; But this is also enough for the brilliant Detective. Within an hour the cab is found, the coachman lured into an ambush and detective disguised as a coachman on the box of the criminal carriage.

It will thus detective who, instead of the nefarious cab-driver pick Poul Bang and drive him to the steamer, where the young man brought unconscious on board.

Just as sailors need to pull gangway ashore, comes an automobile whistling, detective splinger out and rushes on board.

The ship is in the open sea, and the cold nights have driven passengers from the deck as Pabst that the table has given role as steward for a poor stupid young man, lists out of his cabin bearing on the still unconscious Poul Bang. But just as the raw criminal is going to throw the helpless young man overboard, he feels seized by two strong hands and thrown in the deck. Sailors get to and acting on its behalf Pabst during lock and key, while the detective himself bears Bang into his cabin.

Back is now only unveiling of the false friend, Holst. He caught and face his assistant and with his sacrifice, just as he was at the Advocate Office will be to include the many money. An attempt to evade his punishment by suicide prevented at the last minute to detective. Now walk across the plot thickened in Arrest, while Poul Bang of joy beaming thank the disinterested Detective.



The Moving Picture World, 5 june 1909, p. 755
  • The Moving Picture World, 5 june 1909, p. 755

Cab Number 519 - (Great Northern). A Strong Dramatic Story by Great Northern - "A well told detective story is always sure of success either in book form or as a play. We all love mystery; we all love plot; we all love to see how it is woven, and above all things, we all love to see mystery unraveled. Our appreciation of this kind of dramatic writing rises in proportion to the naturalness of the various incidents which make up the story. The famous Sherlock Holmes series of stories, that owe their origin to the brain of Sir A. Conan Doyle, are popular because Holmes, after all, is only a clever man of the world with highly developed reasoning powers. He is not a mere stage detective looking preternaturally wise and relying only upon time-worn expedients. No; he goes about his work in an ordinary matter-of-fact style, plus, of course, a little permissible exaggeration of acumen, and this is why the Sherlock Holmes stories are popular. In the film under review we are treated to a very melodramatic story, very skillfully worked out, which we think will be popular with all classes of audience. The picture is full of excitement from start to finish. A young man suddenly inherits a fortune. The man's friend decides to make himself master of that fortune, and so by the aid of an unscrupulous assistant he manages to kidnap his friend, to impersonate him, and to actually obtain the money. Now, to reach this point a bunch of startling adventures have to be gone through. The real owner of the fortune is lured into a cab, and is drugged in that vehicle. He is taken on a ship and placed in a cabin in charge of one of the villains of the piece. But Holmes has been busy. Early on in the game he got the number of the cab and traced it in its wanderings to the house which the unconscious victim was temporarily placed. Holmes runs the cabman to earth, binds his arms and renders him helpless. Then he starts in pursuit of the ship. He gets on board. He takes the cabin next to that in which the drugged victim lies, and just at the moment that the latter is to be thrown overboard by the man whose power he is Holmes appears, effects a rescue and knocks the villain down. The final scene of the play shows the impersonator taking possession of the money, when, just as he is handling it, the real owner appears. The impersonator, after denials and struggles, is arrested, and all ends happily, thanks to the skills of Sherlock Holmes. The story is handled clearly and explicitly throughout. It is told against a number of well chosen scenes and the excitement raises to its greatest height on the deck of the steamer, where the body of the unconscious victim is to be thrown overboard. The drugging in the cab is also an exciting moment. Indeed the play is dramatic throughout. The photographs are well executed and the acting all that is required in a piece of this kind. Melodrama such as "Cab Number 519" does not call for much subtlety of dramatic interpretation; plain, decisive and incisive. That is what we get in this story. The film is of the best of its kind. Holmes works on very slender materials; he also works rationally and naturally. There is no straining after effect, and so the impression on the minds of the audience is a logical series of incidents leading up to the conventional defeat of villainy and the triumph of virtue. And when a story worked out on these lines holds the interest of its audience from end to end, then be sure it will receive the stamp of popular approval.



The Moving Picture World, 5 june 1909, p. 769
  • The Moving Picture World, 5 june 1909, p. 769

Cab Number 519 - (Great Northern). From Sherlock Holmes' memoirs - Mr. B. is alone with his friend H. when he receives a letter which informs him his uncle is dead and has left him $200,000. he is very happy over this good news and his friend seems to take part in his joy, but he quietly makes up his mind to take his friend's place and get hold of the money in due course. H. makes haste to secure an assistant, and old John Smith promises to get B. out of the way for a considerable share of the spoil. B. wants to get off the same evening but H. persuades him to buy a new portmanteau before leaving, and as soon as B. has gone to a leather seller's shop, H. hurries to his assistants and begs them to act quickly. As B. comes out of the shop, a cab passes slowly by as if by accident. He calls to the driver, gets in, and leans back very joyfully, but immediately he feels a sweet smell and falls back unconscious. The cab stops in front of John Smith's house. B. is carried in and a moment later H. is in possession of the papers. When B. left the leather seller's shop he left his pocketbook on the counter by accident. This small circumstance is the cause of his life being saved. The leather seller finds the forgotten pocketbook takes it and runs out just in time to see B. drive away and notice the number of the cab 519. The next morning he takes the pocketbook to B's house and when he learns B has not yet come home he understands that a crime has been committed and goes at once to Sherlock Holmes. The only clue in the case is the number of the cab, but this is quite sufficient to the intelligent detective. In less than an hour the cab is found and Sherlock Holmes is on the box of the cab dressed as a driver. Thus the detective instead of the criminal cabman fetches B. and drives him to the steamer.where the young man is taken senseless on board. The ship is now in open sea, as Smith, who has played the part of warden to a poor young gentleman who is insane, comes out from his cabin, carrying B., who is still senseless; but as the criminal is almost to throw the helpless young man overboard, he is seized by two strong men and thrown down on the deck. The sailors appear and carry Smith away to put him under lock and key, while Sherlock Holmes himself carries B. into his cabin. Now Sherlock Holmes has yet to unveil the false friend. He is caught and confronted with his assistants and victim just as he is at the solicitor's office, about to receive all the money. He tries to escape punishment by killing himself, but he is at the last moment prevented by Sherlock Holmes, and committed to prison.




  • Titles credits : The Great Northern Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Bjarne Nielsen (Pinkerton, 1997)