, ▁mostly ▁in ▁the ▁Corn ish ▁region ▁of ▁England . ▁ ▁Font aine ▁was ▁under ▁contract ▁to ▁independent ▁producer ▁to ▁David ▁O . ▁Sel zn ick , ▁who ▁produced ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁films ▁each ▁year . ▁Typ ically , ▁he ▁loan ed ▁out ▁his ▁contract ▁players ▁and ▁director ▁Alfred ▁H itch cock ▁( who ▁had ▁a ▁contract ▁with ▁Sel zn ick ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 7 ) ▁to ▁other ▁stud ios . ▁In ▁this ▁case , ▁Font aine ▁was ▁loan ed ▁to ▁Param ount ▁for ▁this ▁lav ish ▁production . ▁She ▁later ▁compla ined ▁about ▁her ▁work ▁with ▁director ▁Le isen ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁her ▁cost ars . ▁The ▁film ' s ▁budget ▁of ▁$ 3 . 6 ▁million ▁made ▁it ▁the ▁most ▁expensive ▁production ▁in ▁Param ount ▁history ▁up ▁to ▁that ▁time . ▁ ▁Cast ▁members ▁R ath bone ▁and ▁Bruce ▁were ▁well ▁known ▁for ▁appearing ▁together ▁as ▁Hol mes ▁and ▁Dr . ▁Watson , ▁respectively , ▁in ▁the ▁Sher lock ▁Hol mes ▁films ▁by ▁Universal ▁Studios . ▁French man ' s ▁Creek ▁was ▁their ▁only ▁on - screen ▁collaboration ▁besides ▁the ▁Hol mes ▁films . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁released ▁as ▁an ▁on ▁demand ▁DVD ▁August ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁( A ma zon ); ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁shown ▁on ▁American ▁Movie ▁Class ics ▁and ▁Turner ▁Classic ▁Mov ies . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁Set ▁in ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁Corn wall ▁and ▁London , ▁Joan ▁Font aine ▁stars