Inheritance of property and title

Director Igor Maslennikov began shooting another film about Sherlock Holmes based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, following the wishes of the audience. The great detective unravels the circumstances behind the mysterious death of Charles Baskerville, linked to an ancient curse on the character’s family. The main legal conflict in “The Hound of the Baskervilles” revolves around the inheritance of Charles Baskerville’s estate—the owner of an aristocratic baronet title and estate in Devonshire.

Inheritance law during the Victorian era was regulated by the Wills Act 1837. According to this law, a legally competent individual over the age of 21 had the right to draft a will and appoint a "personal executor" (testamentary executor). Amendments in 1887 removed restrictions on testamentary freedom regarding inherited property. The main characters in the film are parties to the inheritance dispute: Dr. Mortimer (executor of the will), the Barrymores couple, and the heir to the title and estate—the testator’s nephew, Henry Baskerville. Jack Stapleton, who hides his family name, also seeks the inheritance.
The presented frame features Henry Baskerville, a role brilliantly portrayed by the renowned actor Nikita Mikhalkov.

The ancient curse of the Baskerville family is associated with the existence of the Baskerville hound, which dwells in the peat bogs. Initially, according to the plot, it was portrayed as a mythical creature that haunts the Baskerville family. Subsequently, Sherlock Holmes deduces that it is a real dog used by intruders as a tool and means of committing a crime.

Presumably, in Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, the Baskerville hound was depicted as a cross between a mastiff and a bloodhound. In the Soviet film adaptation, the role was played by a Great Dane. And while in the novel the dog’s muzzle was coated with phosphorescent paint, during the filming of the movie, director Igor Maslennikov decided to apply a special "glowing" mixture to the dog’s body that was safe for its health. The luminous substance was made from a combination of foamed soap and reflective powder used for road sign markings. To prevent the dog from licking it off, they fitted it with a muzzle, also coated in the same mixture.