WELCOME TO 14 PLUS YEARS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES AND DR. WATSON ON THE MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION SCREENS!
On Sunday, January 26, 2025, the pilot episode for the television series, "WATSON", starring Morris Chestnut, was shown.
The pilot opens with "Dr. Watson" running through a forest near Switzerland's Reichenbach Falls, searching for, and calling out for his friend, "Sherlock Holmes". He reaches the falls, just as both "Holmes" and the "Napoleon of Crime", "Professor Moriarty", go over them. "Watson" jumps into the falls to hopefully rescue his friend.
Switch to a hospital, in which "Dr. John Watson" has spent the last six-months recuperating.
The pilot's opening is reminiscent of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "The Final Problem", published in December 1893, and set in 1891.
EXCEPT, those events happened in the "21st Century", and after his six-month recovery. "Dr. John Watson" is back at the "Holmes Clinic", in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This "John Watson" is a clinical geneticist and former London-based consulting detective. The clinic was created to treat patients with strange, or unidentifiable illnesses.
The actual first appearance of "Holmes" and "Watson" was in the 1887 issue of "Beeton's Christmas Annual".
"A Study in Scarlet" opens with "Dr. Watson's" words:
In the year 1878 I took my degree of Doctor of Medicine of the University of London and proceeded to Netley to go through the course prescribed for surgeons in the army. Having completed my studies there, I was duly attached to the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers as Assistant Surgeon.
Continue reading and one learns the history of "Dr. John H. Watson", and his first meeting with "Sherlock Holmes":
I was standing at the Criterion Bar, when someone taped me on the shoulder, and turning around I recognized young Stamford, who had been a dresser under me at Barts. The sight of a friendly face in the great wilderness of London is a pleasant thing for a lonely man.
A short while later, "Young Stamford" has taken "Dr. Watson", who is looking for a room to share with somebody, to the chemical lab of the hospital and another in the same situation.
There was only one student in the room, who was bending over a distant table absorbed in his work. At the sound of our steps he glanced around and sprang to his feet with a cry of pleasure."I've found it! I've found it," he shouted to my companion, running toward us with a test-tube in his hand, "I've found a re-agent which is precipitated by hemoglobin, and nothing else." Had he discovered a gold mine, greater delight could not have shone upon his features.
"Dr. Watson, Mr. Sherlock Holmes," said Stamford, introducing us.
With those words, "Young Stamford", makes the most important introduction in detective fiction and disappears, his work completed.
I am sure I missed a movie, or television show, or two.
However, as far as I have been able to research the movies made about "The Consulting Detective" and his "Boswell". The first on-screen appearance of "Sherlock Holmes" was in Denmark. Released on December 10, 1910, were 3-shorts. "Den Sort Hand (The Black Hand)", "Sherlock Holmes I Bondefangerkløer (Sherlock Holmes in Conman Claws)", and "Den Forklaedte Guvernante (The Bogus Governess)".
The first on-screen "Sherlock Holmes" was portrayed by Otto Louis Christian Lagoni.
Lagoni's 3-shorts apparently did not have the character of "Dr. Watson", if he did. The actor who portrayed him is not in the cast lists I was able to translate from Danish.
The first American "Sherlock Holmes" mystery was a comedy, "The $500 Reward". The actor portraying the "World's First Consulting Detective", in this April 12, 1911 silent short, was future director Mack Sennett, the creator of "The Keystone Cops" and other classic silent comedians. In the photo on Sennett's left is actor Fred Mace, the first "Dr. John H. Watson", holding his pistol. Fred Mace was Max Sennett's lead comic until he left the company and was replace by Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Fred died in 1917, at the age of 38. Between 1909 and 1916, Mace appeared in 185-comic shorts.
Considered the first serious productions came from a joint British and French series.
French actor George Treville, who also produced and directed the series, portrayed "Sherlock Holmes", seen below, in "The Speckled Band". Overseeing the filming in France was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, credited as writing the scenario's being filmed.
Indicated on the websites, "IMDb", "Wikipedia", and "The Sherlock Holmes Encyclopedia", and in my autographed copy of "Sherlock Holmes" historian, Ron DeWaal's, "The World Bibliography of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson", an actor billed as "Mr. Moyse", if that wasn't actor's stage name, portrayed "John H. Watson, M.D.", in this entire series.
My research indicates that "Mr. Moyse" didn't appear in all the shorts. In the three shorts that I have found and watched, "The Musgrave Ritual", "The Cooper Beeches", and "Silver Blaze". None has the character of "Dr. Watson" in them.
I also could not locate an identified photo of "Mr. Moyse", or a detailed biography. The following link, as of this writing, is to the English titled version of 1912's, "The Musgrave Ritual".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfQ0i86xQhw
Serialized in "The Strand Magazine", from August 1901 through April 1902, was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "The Hound of the Baskervilles". The first motion picture version of the novel was made in Germany, and released June 12, 1914, as “Der Hund von Baskerville (The Dog of the Baskervilles)”.The first actor to play "Sherlock Holmes" in a screen version of the story and was Alwin NeuB (Carl Alwin Heinrich Neuss) and "strangely", "Dr. John H. Watson", the real main character in the novel, was nowhere to be seen in this film.
There were two 1914 version's of "A Study in Scarlet", the first was made in the United Kingdom, released in October, but like the 1912 "Sherlock Holmes" shorts, did not have a "Dr. Watson". Actor James Bragington had the role of "Sherlock Holmes", solely because he looked very close to the illustrations by Sidney Pagnet in "The Strand Magazine".
The following about the American 1914, "A Study in Scarlet", comes from my article "FRANCIS FORD, Not John Ford: The Forgotten Older Brother" at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2023/07/francis-ford-not-john-ford-forgotten.html
A STUDY IN SCARLET released on December 29, 1914
Grace Cunard, an actress and screenplay writer that Francis Ford had worked with, see my article, adapted Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel into a 20-minute screenplay.
Francis Ford directed the "Universal Film Manufacturing Company" production and portrayed
"Sherlock Holmes".
John Ford billed as Jack Francis, portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.".
Grace Cunard and Harry Schumm appeared in the film, but it is considered a lost picture and what their roles where are unknown.
Above, the actor kneeling on the right is Francis Ford portraying "Sherlock Holmes", the two standing actors are not identified, but it is believed that is John Ford aka: Jack Francis,
speaking to his brother. Actor, John Ford, had an uncredited role as a "Klansman" in D. W. Griffith's, 1915, "Birth of the Nation". His first directing assignment wasn't until 1917's, "The Tornado".
WILLIAM GILLETTE'S "SHERLOCK HOLMES"
Back on October 23, 1899, at the "Star Theatre", in Buffalo, New York, a four-act play written by actor William Gillette premiered. His screenplay took portions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, 1887's, "A Study in Scarlet", 1891's, "A Scandal in Bohemia", and 1893's, "The Final Problem". It was Gillette who's credited with the change of look with the "Deerstalker Cap" to let the audience see his face in the balcony's back rows, and the curved meerschaum pipe, so he could speak his lines clearly with it in his mouth as "Sherlock Holmes". The actor-playwright also created a love interest for "Holmes", modeled after Conan Doyle's, "Irene Adler", named "Alice Faulkner".
The play was turned into a motion picture and was released on May 15, 1916.
Portraying "Dr. Watson", was portrayed by Edward Fielding. Fielding was a major Broadway leading stage actor since 1905, opposite the likes of Ethel Barrymore. "Sherlock Holmes" as his first of 86-feature films, including 1940's, "The Invisible Man Returns", "Abe Lincoln in Illinois", and director Alfred Hitchcock's, "Rebecca".
The following still come from "The Internet Firearms Data Base" at:
Above, "Sherlock Holmes", Gillette, pulls out a hand gun from a drawer to give to "Dr. Watson", Fielding. Below, "Watson" and others plan how to foil "Professor Moriarty", portrayed by Earnest Maupain, second picture below.
Below, Marjorie Kay portraying "Alice Faulkner", and William Gillette.
As of this writing, the following link will take my reader to William Gillette's, "Sherlock Holmes":
In May, 1916, the same British film company who had made "A Study in Scarlet", now released "The Valley of Fear". Although, James Bragington was considered a doppelgänger to Pagnet's drawings, the producer wanted a more solid actor and Harry Arthur Saintsbury was cast in the role. Portraying "Dr. Watson", was Arthur Cullin, but I could not locate any photos from this production. He did make a second "Sherlock Holmes" motion picture in 1923, and I will speak to it shortly. The information I could locate on Arthur Cullin is almost nonexistent, but he started his acting career on the British stage, and between 1914 and 1924, he also appeared in 31-motion pictures.
The British motion picture studio, "Stoll Films", produced 44-short "Sherlock Holmes" films, 1921 through 1923, starring actor Ellie Norwood (Anthony Edward Brett). Portraying "Dr. Watson" in this series was actor, Hubert Willis. Willis was the British stage actor who originated the roles of
"Captain Hook/Mr. Darling", in the original British play, "Peter Pan". In 1913, Willis appeared in the silent movie, "The House of Temperly", based upon the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel, "Rodney Stone".
Above left to right, Hubert Willis portraying "Dr. Watson", Ellie Norwood portraying "Sherlock Holmes", and Douglas Payne portraying "Peterson", in "The Blue Carbuncle".
It is noted, that "Stoll Films" edited the 44-shorts into two features under the titles of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes".
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES released on August 8, 1921
Hubert Willis and Ellie Norwood made the first British production, for "Stoll Films", of "The Hound of the Baskervilles". My article on the motion picture version's, is "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES on the Motion Picture and Television Screens 1914 - 2016" found at:
Above left to right, Rex McDougall portraying "Sir Henry Baskerville", Fred Raynham portraying "Barrymore the butler", Herbert Willis portraying "Dr. John H. Watson", and Ellie Norwood portraying "Sherlock Holmes".
Below left to right, Rex McDougall, Lewis Gilbert portraying "Roger Stapleton Baskerville", Catina Campbell portraying "Beryl Ducerne Stapleton", Herbert Willis, and Ellie Norwood.
In the United States it was time for "The Great Profile", John Barrymore, to portray "Sherlock Holmes".
SHERLOCK HOLMES released on May 1, 1922, in the United Kingdom, the motion picture was called, MORIARTY
As the above poster indicates, this was John Barrymore's version of William Gillette, from the adapted screenplay by Earl Browne and Marion Fairfax.
John Barrymore two-movies eaekier, had starred in Robert Louis Stevenson's, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", now he was "Sherlock Holmes".
Roland Young, in his first motion picture, portrayed "Dr. Watson". In 1936, Young had the title role in "The Man Who Could Work Miracles", one of only two screenplays written by Herbert George "H.G." Wells. The following year, Roland Young first portrayed the title role of "Topper", in 3rd-billing to Cary Grant and Constance Cummings, in the first of a very popular comedy series. It would be in 1953, when the actor starred in his 73rd and last movie role, the Mexican production, "Aquel hombre de tangier (That Man from Tangier)".
Above left is John Barrymore speaking to Roland Young.
Carol Dempster portrayed "Alice Faulkner", this was her 11th of 19-roles. This was also the 1st motion picture of actor William Powell portraying "Foreman Wells", and the 17th of 154 roles for actress and future gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper portraying "Madge Larabee".
Above, Powell and Hopper in "Sherlock Holmes".
The following link, at the time of this writing, will take my reader to John Barrymore's, "Sherlock Holmes":
Two previously mentioned actors were back, but for the first time together in:
THE SIGN OF THE FOUR released in June 1923
Ellie Norwood portrayed "Sherlock Holmes", in his last of 57-motion pictures. Norwood followed this feature film by his return to the London stage in, of course, in "The Return of Sherlock Holmes". Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy Officer, from 1900 through 1945, and legitimate stage actor, Captain Henry Hugh Gordon Stoker portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson" on the stage opposite Norwood.
Arthur Cullin portrayed "Dr. Watson". Cullin was given the role instead of Willis, because the producer thought Herbert Willis looked too old to be romantically tied to the character of "Mary Morstan". This film was made three-years before the actor's death in 1926, because of the conflicting date of birth information. It is not known, if he was 63, or 64, when he passed away.
Isobel Elsom, portrayed "Mary Morstan". The love interest and at the end of the novel, the wife of, "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D." Elsom's 1st on-screen role was in 1915's, "A Prehistoric Love Story", portraying "A Girl". Her last role was portraying "Mrs. Briggs", in the episode, "Tramp and the Prince", April 15, 1965, on television's "My Three Sons".
Note: Pertaining to
Hubert Willis looking too old for the
30-years-old, Isobel Elsom. According to the website "
IMDb", https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0932346/, he was born
1862. As for
Arthur Cullin, the same website lists his birth year,
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191569/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t4 as
1862. Which means, other than the month they were born in, both men were
61-years-old, or twice the age of
Elsom. I could not locate the real reason for the change of actor's portraying
"Dr. Watson", but it is known that
Ellie Norwood did not like
Hubert Willis's acting.
Above left to right is the dead "Dr. Sholto", portrayed by Humberston Wright, Arthur Cullin portraying "Dr. Watson", Ellie Norwood portraying "Sherlock Holmes", and Isobel Elsom portraying "Mary Morstan".
The search for the "Aga Treasure" and the disappearance of "Mary's" father leads to the involvement of "Holmes" and "Watson" and the murders of the "Shotos" by the "Pigmy", portrayed by Henry Wilson , working for "Jonathan Small", portrayed by Norman Page. With Conan Doyle's Thames River boat chase at the climax, overall this is a very fast paced movie for a silent film requiring title cards. While not completely faithful to Conan Doyle, it's probably the best of the Ellie Norwood films and as of this writing can be found at:
Ten-years before Rathbone and Bruce, long thought lost, but restored by the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and the Polish National Film Archive is:
DER HUND VON BASKERVILLE (THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES) released August 28, 1929
The motion picture was directed by the writer of the 1914 version, Richard Oswald.
The cast for the German feature film is very interesting, and was an example of why an actor, or actress didn't need their voice in a silent film. They just needed to be able to act in the role they were portraying.
Carlyle Blackwell portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". He was American actor, based at the time in the United Kingdom. The reason given to cast him as "Holmes" was that the German movie studio, "Erda-Film", wanted an actor who looked close to the "Nationality of Sherlock Holmes". Caryle had been an American matinee idol who moved to England, continued as a matinee idol among the British women, and had co-starred in the 1923, historical drama, "The Virgin Queen", and in 1925, British adventure author, H. Rider Haggard's, "SHE", among other international hits. However, in 1929, with the advent of sound, after this silent film, his career ended.
Below, Blackwell portraying "Sherlock Holmes".
George Serov portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson". Russian born Serov is shown on several sites with a incorrectly spelled last name of "Seroff". Which affects a search for information on the actor. He was the son of a major Russian painter of the 1880's. Valentin Serov, and the grandson of the composer credited with creating "Russian Modern", Alexander Serov. In 1925, George Serov was teaching acting and staging plays. Russian-American actor, director, and author Michael Chekov, considered George Serov his acting teacher in his youth. Chekov was nominated for the "Best Supporting Actor Academy Award" for director Alfred Hitchcock's, 1945's, "Spellbound".
Less than a month after the release of this motion picture, on September 24, 1929, George Serov had died.
Above left, George Seroff portraying "Watson", and Carlyle Blackwell portraying "Holmes". Below, the two on "Grimpen Mire".
Alexander Murski portrayed "Lord Charles Baskerville". Murski was also born in the Russian Empire and made all of his 61-films, 1915 through 1933, in Germany.
Livio Pavanrelli portrayed "Sir Henry Baskerville". Italian born Pavranelli made motion pictures in both Italy and Germany.
Betty Bird, born Hilde Elisabeth Ptack portrayed "Beryl". Bird was born in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and made her 42-films in Germany. Her father was the secretary to a film company's director, and she first married a cameraman, and then a director, but her last husband was a dentist.
Fritz Henrich Rasp portrayed "Stapleton". German born Rasp had been 4th-billed in director Fritz Lang's, 1927 science fiction classic, "Metropolis", and had 8th-billing in the 1931 version of, "The Threepeeny Opera", featuring Lotte Leyna, "Rosa Klepp" in 1963's "From Russia with Love", portraying "Jenny".
Above front, left to right, Betty Bird, Livio Pavanrelli, George Serov, and Carlyle Blackwell.
Below, Fritz Rasp portraying "Stapleton".
Above, Russian actor, Valy Arnheim, and British actress, Alma Taylor, portraying "Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore".
The following link, as of this writing, takes my reader to the "Trailer for the Restored Film" and give them a look at what is truly a classic version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles".
The same year as "Der Hund von Baskerville" was released in Germany, two-months later in the United States, the first sound "Sherlock Holmes" movie was released.
THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES on October 26, 1929
The screenplay was taken from two of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories, "The Adventure of the Dying Detective", published in "Collier's Magazine", November 22, 1913, and published in "The Strand Magazine", September 1917, was "His Last Bow: The War Service of Sherlock Holmes".
The screenplay was co-written by British actor turned writer, Basil Dean, his 2nd of 14. This was also the 1st of 16 motion picture's, Basil Dean directed.
Dean's co-writer was American screenplay writer Garret Fort, who among other screenplays, co-wrote both 1931's, "Dracula" and "Frankenstein", and both 1936's, "Dracula Daughter", and "The Devil Doll".
Clive Brook portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". London born Brook started on-screen in 1920, and in 1929, he also co-starred with Richard Arlen and Fay Wray, in the silent, "The Four Feathers". He would reprise the role of "Sherlock Holmes" in 1932, more shortly.
H. Reeves-Smith portrayed "Dr. Watson". The British stage actor only made 3-films and this was his third. He returned to the stage after this motion picture and his last legitimate stage role was a 1935, Broadway production of Johan Strauss's, "The Great Waltz".
Betty Lawford portrayed "Mary Watson", his daughter and not his wife of the same first name. Lawford was a cousin of actor Peter Lawford, and started on-screen acting in 1929, this was her 4th motion picture. Betty Lawford was mainly a stage actress and followed this motion picture with a Broadway production of playwright, William Shakespeare's, "Julius Caesar". Her stage debut was in Shakespeare's, "Henry IV", and her total film roles were 17.
Above left to right, H. Reeves-Smith, Betty Lawford, and Clive Brooks.
Donald Crisp portrayed "Colonel Sebastian Moran". Crisp had a varied career, he was "Ulysses S. Grant" in director D.W. Griffith's, 1915, "Birth of a Nation", he co-starred in both Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.'s, 1925, "Don Q: Son of Zorro", and 1926's, "The Black Pirate". Crisp had roles in the Clark Gable and Jean Harlow's, 1932, "Red Dust", the Clark Cable and Charles Laughton's, 1935, "Mutiny on the Bounty", the Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland's, 1936, "The Charge of the Light Brigade", and these films are all some of the beginnings of a 167-film roles.
Harry T. Morley portrayed "Professor Moriarty". Morley's film career began in 1907 and ended in 1934 with his 204th role. He had begun acting on stage in 1889, singing in the "Francis Wilson Opera Company". In 1909, he joined the "Vitagraph Film Company", making Harry T. Morley a founding member of the "Vitagraph" film company.
Phillips Holmes portrayed "Roger Longmore". Probably the most notice this Holmes received came not from his acting, but a 1933, drunk driving scandal involving actress Mae Clarke, "Elizabeth" in the 1931, "Frankenstein" and the same year half of a grapefruit in her face from James Cagney in "Pubic Enemy". The drunk actor crashed his car into a parked car and Clarke suffered a broken jaw and facial cuts. She sued him for $21,500, at the time of this writing equal to $518,794. The two settled for covering all her medical expenses. As a film actor, he was active for 20-years, from 1918 through 1938.
Above the above lobby card has Donald Crisp standing in a Navy officer's clothing, and Harry T. Morley finishing restraining Phillips Holmes. Below left to right, Phillip Holmes, Charles Hay portraying "Captain Longmore", Betty Lawford, and H. Reeves-Smith.
The screenplay lifts parts of both Conan Doyle stories, but weaves a completely new one. "Dr. Watson's" daughter, "Mary", is engaged to one time prisoner "Roger Longmore". Along with "Sherlock Holmes", the four are on a cruise ship, under the command of "Roger's" father, but also on the ship are "Professor Moriarty", and his hired killer, "Colonel Moran". Apparently, "Roger" may seem reformed, but he has kept a secret from his future wife, and her father. A secret that he had once worked for "Moriarty", "The Napoleon of Crime", and has documents and other papers he stole from the professor.
After the ship returns to England, "Roger Longmore" turns up dead, and it's up to "Sherlock Holmes" to find the murderer and solve the mystery of his friend's, daughter's, fiancé.
Above left to right,
Betty Lawford, Clive Brooks, the body of
"Rodger Longmore", H. Reeves-Smith, and
"Sergeant Gripper", portrayed by
Herbert Druce.
I now come to a sometimes overlooked actor portraying "Dr. Watson", IAN FLEMING! No, not "James Bond's", Ian Fleming. However, you can find him in my article "Ian Fleming's 'James Bond': "Casino Royle' Times Three" at:
THE SLEEPING CARDINAL premiered in London on February 27, 1931
and with a name change for the United States as:
SHERLOCK HOLMES' FATAL HOUR premiering in New York City on July 12, 1931
The screenplay is based upon "elements" from two Conan Doyle stories, "The Adventure of the Final Problem", first published in "The Strand Magazine", in December, 1893, and "The Adventure of the Empty House", first published in "Collier's Magazine", on September 26, 1903.
Arthur Wontner portrayed "Sherlock Holmes" and would appear as "Holmes" in 4-other feature films. Wontner started out on stage and made his first three motion picture's in 1916, and didn't return to films until 1923.
For the "Sherlock Holmes" trivia buffs:
On September 29, 1926, at the Empire Theatre, the Broadway, English language production of the French play, "La Prisonniere (The Captive)" opened. It would run for 160-performances, after first being shut down over the lesbian relationships in the play. The play starred Basil Rathbone and Helen Menken. The last member of the Broadway cast was Arthur Wontner. The trivia is that this was the only time two future "Sherlock Holmes" actor appeared together.
Above left is Arthur Wontner being confronted by Basil Rathbone.
Ian Fleming portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.". I look at all four films that Fleming portrayed "Watson" to Wontner's "Holmes", in my article "The Other Ian Fleming", at:
From my above linked article:
This article is about "The Other Ian Fleming", born Ian Macfarlane, on September 10, 1888,
in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
However, finding any information on his life is next to impossible and many on-line sites repeat the exact same information word for word. Even "The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia" leaves out one of the four, "Sherlock Holmes", feature films he portrayed "Dr. Watson" in, at:
https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php/Ian_Fleming
Looking under Fleming's birth name of "Ian Macfarlane", I found Australian Politician John Robert Macfarlan, born in 1881, who was also known as Ian Macfarlane. I found an Australian economist, Ian John McFarlane, born in 1946, and I found an Australian journalist born in 1959, named Ian Macfarlane, who wrote "The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop".
What I could not locate was anything more about the life of the subject of this article, or anything to tie the above Macfarlane's to each other, with the exception that they were all born in Australia.
Minnie Rayner portrayed "Landlady Mrs. Hudson" in all 4 of the motion pictures with Ian Fleming. The actress is known for portraying "Elizabeth" in the 1940 production of "Gaslight", starring Anton Walbrook, and Diana Wynyard.
The following comes from my linked
Ian Fleming article, and I removed my section of the three above actors:
The motion picture was directed by Leslie S. Hiscott, who specialized in murder mysteries. In
1928, Hiscott filmed authoress Agatha Christie's short story, "The Coming of Mr. Quin", as
"The Passing of Mr. Quin", in 1930, he filmed playwright A.E.W. Mason's, classic "The House of the Arrow", and followed this feature film with the Agatha Christie's novel, "The Murder of Richard Ackroyd", filmed as 1931's, "Alibi".
About the screenplay:
From the above opening title card, the screenplay was:
adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, THE FINAL PROBLEM and EMPTY HOUSE.
As I opened this article with, the basic story for the "The Final Problem", set in 1891, introduced "Professor James Moriarty", the arch enemy of "Sherlock Holmes", and "The Napoleon of Crime". The story ends with both "Holmes" and "Moriarty" falling over Switzerland's, Reichenbach Falls to their deaths.
The basic story for the "Empty House", opens exactly on March 30, 1894, three-years after the apparent death of "Sherlock Holmes". When the "Honorable Ronald Adair", the son of the colonial governor of Australia, the "Earl of Maynooth, is murdered in his locked-sitting-room in London. "Adair" was known to play the card game "Whist" with a partner, "Colonel Sebastian Moran", and had won 420 English Pounds.
Contrary to belief, "Sherlock Holmes" had won the fight at the Reichenbach Falls with "Professor James Moriarty" and now reunites with "Dr. Watson".
"Holmes" solves the murder of "Ronald Adair", committed by "Colonel Sebastian Moran", who used a specialized air gun that was modified to shoot revolver bullets. "Moran", "Professor Moriarty's" second in command, was the man, the reader now learns, who pushed rocks off the ground at the top of the Reichenbach Falls to kill "Holmes". After "Moriarty" has fallen to his death and believed the "Consulting Detective" had also fallen to his own death.
The two "Sherlock Holmes" short stories were adapted into a screenplay treatment by Cyril Twyford. He only adapted a combination of seven plays and short stories for the screen. They included the previously mentioned "The House of the Arrow", and other works, I will mention, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for two more "Sherlock Holmes" films.
The actual screenplay was co-written by director Leslie S. Hiscott and the uncredited, H. Fowler Mear. Mear had been writing scenarios since 1917, and would adopt authoress Marie Belloc Lowndes' novel, "The Lodger", into the first sound film version, 1932's, "The Lodger" aka: "The Phantom Fiend". That motion picture starred Ivor Novello in the same role he played in director Alfred Hitchcock's, 1927, "The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog".
The Cast:
Leslie Perrins portrayed "Ronald Adair". Perrins had appeared in two-short subjects before this feature, his first full length film. He would follow with another short subject and the 1931 mystery "The House of Unrest".
Jane Welsh portrayed
"Kathleen Adair". This was the actresses first motion picture and between it and her final on-screen appearance in
1958, her on-screen roles totaled
twenty-six.
Normal McKinnel portrayed "Colonel Henslowe". McKinnel's first on-screen appearance was in an 1899 short subject entitled, "King John". The Scottish stage actors total on-screen appearances totaled eighteen and ended in 1932.
Above, left sitting is Leslie Perrins, standing beside him is Jane Welsh, next to her seated appears to be Sydney King as "Tony Rutherford", standing on the right is Norman McKinnel, the actor seated on the far right is William Fazan portraying "Thomas Fisher".
Philip Hewland portrayed "Inspector Lestrade". Between 1915 and 1936, Hewland appeared on-screen 50 times, including one other "Sherlock Holmes" feature film and the
1928 production of
"Sweeney Todd".
The Basic Screenplay:
After a silent sequence of a man's silhouette within the Bank of England and a possible murder.
The film switches to four men playing bridge at a card table within the home of diplomatic attaché for the Foreign Office, "Ronald Adair". The butler,
"Marston", portrayed by
Gordon Begg, finds an ace of spades of the floor and hands it to the card players and its placed in the deck. However, one of the players finds he now has two-ace-of-spades and "Ronald Adair" takes the extra card from him, comments it must belong on the table with the other decks and places it there.
As his sister watches the card game, it seems to her, that "Ronnie" is winning too handsomely from "Colonel Henslowe"
and the other two players. What she doesn't realize is her brother is a "card shark", but he picked the wrong people to cheat. "Kathleen" also mentions in passing "Dr. Watson", and one of the card players, "Thomas Fisher", asked if she knows "Sherlock Holmes" also, but gets a negative reply.
"Kathleen Adair" excuses herself and goes through a door to another room with a waiting "Dr. John H. Watson". She thanks him for coming and tells the old family friend her concerns about her brother and "Watson" mentions that all of "Kathleen" and "Ronald's" finances were stolen by their parent's "Estate Trustee", but he will speak to "Sherlock Holmes" to look into things. She wants to meet "Holmes" herself and will on the following morning.
After the card game is over, "Ronald Adair" is called to a meeting at a painting called "The Sleeping Cardinal" to receive instructions. The voice he hears is actually that of "Professor Moriarty".
"Dr. Watson" now goes to his roommate, "Sherlock Holmes" with the details of "Kathleen Adair's" concerns.
What follows is "Sherlock Holmes" starting to uncover a worldwide counterfeiting ring.
"Ronald Adair", because of his gambling addiction is being blackmailed to transport the counterfeit money to different countries under his diplomatic credentials, but becomes a liability.
"Adair" is murdered in a locked room, no one heard the shot or shots fired, but because of their proximity should have.
"Sherlock Holmes" speaks to "Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade" about his theory as to whom is really behind the counterfeiting and the murder, but does not reveal his thoughts about the murder weapon.
"Sherlock Holmes" sets himself up as a target for the murderer and the attempt on his life, of course, fails. The murderer has been caught in the trap set by "Sherlock Holmes", the air gun is revealed, and the arrested murderer is first revealed to be "Colonel Henslowe", but "Holmes" follows by introducing everyone to "Professor Robert Moriarty".
The following link, at the time of this writing, will take my reader to the complete British version of "The Sleeping Cardinal".
Like the above film from my linked article, the reader will find a detailed look at the Wontner and Fleming, 1932, "The Missing Rembrandt". Which is actually missing, not the Rembrandt, but the motion picture, considered a "Lost Film". It is followed by 1935's, "The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes", and 1937's, "Silver Blaze", which I will speak about when I reach that year.
THE SPECKLED BAND premiering in London on March 5, 1931
The short story, "The Adventure of the Speckled Band", was first published in "The Strand Magazine", in February 1892. Additionally, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the play "The Speckled Band", first performed, in London, at the "Adelphi Theatre", on June 4, 1910. Both the short story and play were adapted into a screenplay by W. P. Lipscomb. Who in 1938, would be the co-"Best Screenplay Academy Award" winner for "Pygmalion", that starred Leslie Howard, and Wendy Hiller.
Raymond Hart Massey, with 2nd-billing, his first credited role, portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". The Canadian actor had started on the legitimate stage in Canada, and moved to England. Where he appeared on the London stage in 1922, in American playwright, Eugene O'Neil's, "In the Zone". "The Speckled Band" was only Massey's 3rd motion picture since 1929. The following year he appears in director James Whale's, "The Old Dark House", and in 1936, it was director Cameron Menzies, "Things to Come", from a screenplay by H. G. Wells.
Athole Chalmers Stewart, with 5th-billing, portrayed "Dr. Watson". He was a stage actor known for his precise diction, and the 1925, original London production, of playwright Noel Coward's, "Hay Fever", originating the role of "Richard Greatham". On both the stage and in films, he was known to for portraying aristocrats and military officers. Stewart was married to Ellen Frances Hatch, OBE, the daughter of William Sparkes Hatch. Who served in India, and ended his military career as an Army General.
Above, Athole Stewart and Raymond Massey
David Llewellyn Harding known professionally as Lyn Harding , with 1st billing, portrayed "Dr. Grimesby Rylott". The actor had appeared as "Jean Valjean", in a 1922 short in a British film series, "Tense Moments with Great Authors", from French author Victor Hugo's, "Les Misérables". Harding would return to "Sherlock Holmes" twice as the "Napoleon of Crime" against Arthur Wonton and found in my link to Ian Fleming's, "Dr. John H. Watson".
According to "The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia":
https://www.arthur-conan-doyle.com/index.php/Lyn_Harding
About his role as Dr. Grimesby Rylott, he told to The Stage (29 september 1910) :
« My study of Dr. Rylott was founded upon a man I knew years ago. A tremendous fellow he was — a perfect god of a man, as splendid mentally as he was in every other respect. I was fascinated by him. Then, as the result of fevers and other ailments from which he suffered in the colonies, his nerves began to break down. Partial paralysis set in, and the poor fellow became a wreck and died. Well, in my Dr. Rylott I copied that man to the life — every twitch of his muscles, every start and every shiver I reproduced but my conception of the part was entirely different from that of the author. »
Madeline Angela Clinton-Baddeley known professionally as Angela Baddeley portrayed "Helen Stoner". The actress may not know her for this motion picture, but fans of television's, "Upstairs, Downstairs", know her as "Mrs. Kate Bridges, the cook", from 1971 through 1975, for 53-episodes.
The film opens at an encampment of gypsies on the "Rylott" estate, suddenly a scream comes from the bedroom of, "Violet Stoner", portrayed by Joyce Moore, she exits, but collapses on the floor in the hallway. Her sister, "Helen" finds her and before dying, "Violet's" last words are:
the band, speckled
Just as their stepfather, "Dr. Grimsley Rylott" arrives.
An inquest is held cover the mysterious death of "Violet Stoner", and it is obvious to the audience that "Dr. Rylott" is plotting with his housekeeper, and an Indian servant named "Ali (Aline)", portrayed by Franklyn Bellamy. At the inquest is an old friend of the "Stoner Family" from India, "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.". Before leaving, he advises "Helen", if she feels she is in danger to contact "Sherlock Holmes" in Baker Street. "Watson" returns to 221-B and advises him of what has occurred.
Move one-year later, "Helen" is engaged to marry, and her fiancé is leaving for Rangoon, India, to a plantation for a year. She suggests that the two get married now, and go together to the plantation. This presents a problem for "Rylott". He will no longer have control of the "Stoner" fortune and "Helen", like "Violet" must meet a mysterious death. "Dr. Rylott" forces "Helen" to move to her sister room as part of his murder scheme. The day after changing rooms, she visits "Watson" and "Holmes", and "Mrs. Hudson" announces her.
"Helen" tells "Watson" and "Holmes" that now remembers that "Violet" was also engaged to be married and she heard strange music coming from her bedroom, before she found her sister in the hallway. Now, "Helen" is engaged, and she is hearing that same strange music in her room. "Holmes" asks "Helen" to leave from a difference entrance just before "Rylott" comes barging into the room and threatens the "Consulting Detective".
Later that day, "Dr. Watson" arrives at "Rylott's" to visit "Helen Stoner". Outside is a man working, "Holmes" in disguise, and with the doctor away, the two investigate his room. The clues that they find there, is a bowl of milk, a dog whip, and a mirror. In "Helen's" room, the clues are a bell-rope that doesn't ring, and a ventilator near the bed.
This movie is just under 50-minutes in length, and as of this writing may be found at:
https://archive.org/details/SpeckledBand
The following motion picture is incorrectly listed as released on April 10, 1932. That was the date of the delayed, "General Audience", release in the United Kingdom. The motion picture had its premiere in London, on July 28, 1931. Which was followed on December 11, 1931 by a "General Audience" release in Ireland.
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES exclusive showing in New York City on April 14, 1932
The name that should draw by readers attention on the above poster is not Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, or "Sherlock Holmes", but Edgar Wallace. Wallace was a prolific writer of 957 short stories, 170 novels, 18 stage plays, besides several other screenplays. "Gainsborough Pictures" had given him the job of turning "The Hound of the Baskervilles" into a screenplay for their film. This was the very first sound version of the story and the sound track was thought lost, but was located in 1991 by the "Rank Organization".
Unfortunately, Edgar Wallace, had passed away on February 10, 1932 at the age of 58. Before his death, Wallace had brought an original story treatment to American producer, Merian C. Cooper. That treatment became the basis for a motion picture, released March 2, 1933, in New York City. Edgar Wallace's title was "King Kong".
Robert Rendel portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Rendel was a British stage actor who since 1916, occasionally appeared in motion pictures. This was only his 4th on-screen appearance, in 1937, the actor appeared in the period story, "Storm Over England", starring Sir Laurence Olivier, Flora Robson, and Vivien Leigh.
Frederick Lloyd portrayed "Dr. Watson". Lloyd was a British stage actor remembered by Sir John Gielgud in an obituary four days after his death, in "The New York Times", November 28, 1949
the theatre has suffered a real loss in the death of Frederick Lloyd, his enthusiasm and charming joviality and his generous attitude toward the young actor-director — for I was a young man when I met him first — is something I shall remember with great affection and gratitude
Heather Angel portrayed "Beryl Stapleton". In 1931, Angel moved from the "Old Vic" to motion pictures, this was her third film. Her film career includes co-starring with Leslie Howard in the science fiction fantasy, 1933's, "Berkeley Square", co-starring with Claude Rains in the Charles Dickens mystery, 1935, "Mystery of Edwin Drood", director John Ford's, 1935, "The Informer", 1942's, "The Undying Monster", director Alfred Hitchcock's, 1944's, "Lifeboat", she would provide for Walt Disney, the voices of "Alice's Sister", and "Mrs. Darling". In 1962, she was directed by Rodger Corman in "The Premature Burial".
Reginald Bach portrayed "Stapleton". I could find very little about the British actor, he was a producer, and moved to New York City at the outbreak of the Second World War to get away from the German attacks on England, and appeared on stage there until his death on January 6, 1941.
Above, Reginald Bach fights his wife, Heather Angel
John Stuart portrayed "Sir Henry Baskerville". The Scottish actor was a popular leading man during the silent era. At the end of his careers his credits included 172 films (includes short subjects), 123 stage plays, and 103 television plays and series appearance.
Stills from the motion picture is very hard to find and the motion picture was only known for a silent print as the sound track was missing. However, in 1991 private print surfaced.
At the time of its release, the movie review publication, "Bioscope" wrote:
It is upon the dialogue of Edgar Wallace rather than sustained action that the producer relies to hold his audience, and the development becomes tedious in the attempt to piece together the various phases of the mystery.
I mentioned that Arthur Wontner portrayed "Sherlock Holmes" in five feature films. This was his 3rd, and the only one without Ian Fleming portraying "Dr. Watson".
THE SIGN OF THE FOUR premiered in London on May 12, 1932. Also known as "THE SIGN OF THE FOUR: SHERLOCK HOLMES' GREATEST CASE
Arthur Wontner portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Wontner had just been seen in 1932's, "Sherlock Holmes and the Missing Rembrandt", and followed this feature with 1935's, "The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes".
Ian Hunter portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson". Hunter had just been seen in the drama, 1932's, "The Water Gipsies", co-starring Ann Todd. He followed this motion picture with the 1932's, musical comedy, "Marry Me". In 1927, Ian Hunter co-starred in director Alfred Hitchcock's, "The Ring", in 1935, the actor co-starred with James Cagney and Dick Powell in director Max Reinhart's all-star production of William Shakespeare's, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and in 1938, he was "Richard the Lion-Hearted" in the Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, and Claude Rains, classic, "The Adventures of Robin Hood".
Isla Bevan portrayed "Mary Morstan". The was her 3rd of only 7 feature films. Other than she was a stage actress, I could not locate anything else about her.
Above left to right, Arthur Wontner, Island Bevan, and Ian Hunter
This motion picture wasn't made by "Twickenham Studios" as the other four in the Wontner series. The story was made by "Associated Talking Pictures", and according to Allen Eyles in his 1986, "Sherlock Holmes a Centenary Celebration", "ATP" and screenplay writer W. P. Lipscomb did a number on both the actors and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel.
Looking at the above still, it is obvious that Arthur Wontner was wearing a heavy toupee. This was allegedly to de-age the two leading characters. It was also the given reason that 44-years-old, Ian Fleming, was replaced by 32-years-old, Ian Hunter.
Other changes to the story by Lipscomb, was eliminating the flashback sequences of the novel to the start of the screenplay, creating a continuity in the story. Other changes included "Holmes" deducing a letter's writer was one-legged, by his handwriting alone.
However, the greatest change to Conan Doyle came with movie 221B Baker Street, to 22A.
At the time of this writing, the following link will take my reader to this motion picture:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFe9-7sVnak
The above wasn't the only "Sherlock Holmes" motion picture released in 1932, and I turn to another remake of William Gillette's play, on-screen, made in the United States and the first version with sound.
CONAN DOYLE'S MASTER DETECTIVE SHERLOCK HOLMES aka: SHERLOCK HOLMES
Clive Brook, in his 2nd-appearance, as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Consulting Detective". Brook's had just co-starred with Francis Dee and Charles "Charlie" Ruggles, the 1932 mystery, "The Night of June 13", and would follow this feature film with Diana Wynyard, and Una O'Connor, in the period drama, 1933's, "Cavalcade".
Miriam Jordan portrayed "Alice Faulkner". Jordan was a British stage actress that came to the United States to make this motion picture. This was her 2nd of 6 movies through 1934, Jordan made one more movie in 1949, and appeared that year of British television, and in 1983, appeared on German television. Otherwise her career was on the legitimate stage.
Above, Clive Brooks and Miriam Jordan.
Ernest Torrence portrayed "Professor James Moriarty". Torrence started on-screen acting in 1918, and portrayed "Clopin", in 1923's, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", starring Lon Chaney, he was "Captain Hook", in 1924's, "Peter Pan", and "Peter", in director Cecil B. DeMille's, 1927, "King of King's".
Above, Clive Brook and Ernest Torrence
John Reginald Owen portrayed "Dr. Watson". Reginald Owen starred in the classic 1938, version of British author Charles Dickens, "A Christmas Carol". The character actor had switch from stage to film in 1911, among his films are George Arliss', 1933, "Voltaire", both Greta Garbo's, 1933, "Queen Christina", and 1935, "Anna Karenina", Arliss, Loretta Young, and Boris Karloff's, 1934, "The House of Rothchild", Leslie Howard and Bette Davis', 1934, "Of Human Bondage", and Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon's, 1942, "Mrs. Miniver". Not to forget portraying "Admiral Boom", in Walt Disney's, "Mary Poppins".
Above, Clive Brook and Reginald Owen
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle just received credit for creating the characters, and William Gillette for writing the play. Which was turned into another screenplay by Bertram Millhauser. Who would work on five of the Rathbone and Bruce films.
Reginald Owen returned, but not as surgeon, "Dr. John H. Watson, late of the British India Army.
A STUDY IN SCARLET released in the United States on May 14, 1933
This was an American made motion picture and is described as "a pre-production code horror mystery thriller". The writing credits are of interest here, and the screenplay is shown as being "suggested by" a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle book.
The screenplay was written by Paris, France, born Robert Florey. Florey was one of the writers on the Boris Karloff, 1931, "Frankenstein", and the Bela Lugosi, 1932, "Murders in the Rue Morgue". He was the uncredited writer, who came up with the story for 1935's, "The Bride of Frankenstein".
Reginald Owen is fully credited for "dialogue", but I could not determine how much of it the actor wrote.
As biographer Brian Taves, in his 1987, "Robert Florey, the French Expressionist" mentions. Other than the character names of "Sherlock Holmes", "Dr. Watson", "Inspector Lestrade (spelled Lastrade)" and "Jabez Wilson". Don't look for one element of the original Conan Doyle novel. The screenplay seems more attributed to Agatha Christie's, "And Then There was None", rather than "A Study in Scarlet".
Reginald Owen portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Owen had just been seen in a George O'Brien and Maureen O'Sullivan, Zane Grey western, 1932's, "Robbers' Roost", and followed this feature film with a Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. drama, 1933's, "The Narrow Corner".
Anna May Wong portrayed "Mrs. Pyke". The following paragraph comes from my article, "Anna May Wong: The First Chinese-American Motion Picture Star and Activist" to be read at:
Anna May Wong portrayed "Mrs. Pyke". Even though the publicity for the motion picture and the posters make Wong the co-star of the "A Study in Scarlet". She was on-screen less than 10-minutes of the films 71-minute running time. Anna May Wong portrays the wife of "Captain Pyke", played by Wyndham Standing, who is shot by members of a mysterious society and this brings "Holmes" in on the case
Evelyn Charles Warburton Gamble portrayed "Dr. Watson". Gamble was a British stage actor and appeared on Broadway in three plays between 1905 and 1930. Between 1917 and 1940, Warburton Gamble appeared in both British and American motion pictures.
Above left to right in front, Warburton Gamble , Anna May Wong, J. M. Kerrigan portraying "Jabez Wilson", and Alan Mowbray portraying "Inspector Lasrtrade".
The next actual "Sherlock Holmes" entry came once more from Germany, and was the German cinema's favorite topic:
DE HUND VON BASKERVILLE released on January 12, 1937
For this motion picture, I have been using a German to English translator.
This version of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story ha is considered one of the better versions made, because of the overall look of the production. This was another film thought lost, but found decades later.
The screenplay was by Carla Margarethe Erna Theodora Adelhaid von Stackelberg. She had joined the German film industry four-years-earlier and this was her only screenplay. It is also the first German, "Sherlock Holmes", motion picture in sound and her dialogue was critical to the production. She makes one change in the character of "Beryl Stapleton" that actually makes her relationship with, in this screenplay, "Lord Henry Baskerville", more interesting.
The film is known for its look by cinematographer by Willy Winterstein, and the use of the "Neo-Gothic, Moyland Castle" as "Baskerville Hall". The sets were designed by Wilhelm Depenau and Karl Volbrecht.
Along with making "The Hound of Hell" really look hellish.
Above left to right are:
Fritz Odemar portraying "Dr. Watson". The German actor between 1927 and 1955, appeared in 153-roles.
Bruno Güttner portraying "Sherlock Holmes". This was the 3rd of his three on-screen appearances. I could only locate he served as a corporal in the German army during the Second World War and died in 1945.
Peter Vóß (Voss) portrayed "Lord Henry Baskerville". Voss's on-screen acting career was from 1925 into 1959, for a total of 45 feature films.
Below:
Alice Brandt portrayed "Lady Beryl Vendeleure", a distant relative of the "Baskerville's" staying at "Baskerville Castle". She had planned to sell her land to the late "Lord Charles Baskerville", before his alleged death from "The Hound" of the "Baskerville Legend". Now she is falling love with "Lord Henry". As I said a nice twist to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story, making it far easier for trapping "Lord Henry" by the "Stapleton" brother and sister.
Above right is once more, Fritz Rasp, portraying "Barrymore", speaking to Alice Brandt
Below left is Erich Ponto portraying "Stapleton", with Friedrich Kayssler portraying "Lord Charles Baskerville".
I mentioned earlier that I would get back to this motion picture at the proper time.
SILVER BLAZE premiered in London on June 30, 1937
Above is the original British title of the motion picture. When the feature came to the United States, 4-years and six-months later, that title had changed to:
MURDER AT THE BASKERVILLES released on January 15, 1941
The title change was to play off of a movie initially released one-year and nine-months earlier. Which I will speak to shortly.
As the following title card clearly shows, the website "IMDb", is incorrect in stating that H. Fowler Mear was "uncredited" for adapting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, short story, "Silver Blaze", published in "The Strand Magazine", December 1892, for the screenplay.
Arthur Wontner portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Wontner had just been seen in the Vivien Leigh and Rex Harrison, comical satire, 1937's, "Storm in a Teacup". He would follow this feature film with the 1937 comedy, "The Live Wire".
Lyn Harding portrayed "Professor Moriarty". Harding had just been seen in Sir Alexander Korda's period piece, 1937, "Knight Without Amour", starring Marlene Dietrich and Robert Donat. He followed this feature film with American author, Jack London's, 1937, "Mutiny of the Elsinore", co-starring with Paul Lukas.
Ian Fleming portrayed "Dr. Watson". Fleming had just been seen in the Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Valerie Hobson, 1937 comedy, "When Thief Meets Thief", and followed this picture with the 1937, sports comedy, "Racing Romance".
The slim plot has "Sherlock Holmes" taking a vacation, modern day, at the estate of his good friend "Sir Henry Baskerville", portrayed by Lawrence Grossmith. "Dr Watson" accompanies him, but there is no demonic hound to be found anywhere in this film. Besides "Sir Henry" there is a created family member "Diana Baskerville" portrayed by Judy Gunn.
Above left to right, Lawrence Grossmith, Judy Gunn, and Arthur Macrae portraying "Jack Trevor.
As the screenplay is very loosely based upon Conan Doyle's short story "Silver Blaze". We do have a friendly dog, so that "Holmes" can get in the famous quotation about "The dog in the night", but we have no Scotland Yard Detective named "Gregory", as Conan Doyle wrote it:
Gregory (Scotland Yard detective): “Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?”
Holmes: “To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”
Gregory: “The dog did nothing in the night-time.”
Holmes: “That was the curious incident.”
Above, Arthur Wontner shows John Turnbull portraying "Inspector Lestrade", a clue.
The plot for the film involves a double murder and the theft of the "Baskerville" race horse "Silver Blaze" by "Professor ROBERT Moriarty". According to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the "Moriarty's" first name was "JAMES"!
Above left to right, Arthur Goullet portraying "Colonel Sebastian Moran", Ian Fleming, Lyn Harding, and Ralph Truman portraying "Bert Prince".
The U.K. print of "Silver Blaze" runs 71-minutes in length, but the American print of "Murder at the Baskervilles" is six minutes shorter at 65-minutes. I could not locate what was edited out.
IF you had owned a television set in New York City, on November 27, 1937, you might have seen the first television broadcast of "Sherlock Holmes". With the permission of Lady Jean Conan Doyle, the "National Broadcasting Company (NBC)", ran the first LIVE television appearance of her husband's character in "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs". The approximately 37-minute teleplay was based upon a 1927 short story written by her late husband, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Actor Louis Hector, who had played both "Holmes" and "Professor Moriarty" on radio, starred. The role of "Dr. Watson" was portrayed by William Podmore.
There had been four-feature films already made from one story Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had been
pressured into writing. This was after he had killed off both "Sherlock Holmes" and "Professor Moriarty", in "The Final Problem", back in December 1893, for "The Strand Magazine". The doctor turned author had grown tired of "Sherlock Holmes", and wanted to stop having to write anymore about the "Consulting Detective". However, he had no idea of the power of the detective's fan base around the world. The new novel was written, but placing the events long before those of "The Final Problem", and making "Dr. Watson" the central character.
So, the idea of a 5th motion picture based upon that same novel, seemed right for "20th Century Fox", in Culver City, a suburb of Los Angeles.
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES premiering in New York City on March 24, 1939
The screenplay, by himself, was from Ernest Pascal. He was one of the writers on the 1938 version of Scottish author, Robert Lewis Steven's, "Kidnapped". The writer was uncredited for the 1939
historical story of "Stanley and Livingston".
Basil Rathbone portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". In his 1961 autobiography "In and Out of Character" pertaining to the role and his own popularity. According to the actor:
had I made but the one Holmes picture, my first, The Hound of the Baskervilles, I should probably not be as well known as I am today. But within myself, as an artist, I should have been well content. Of all the 'adventures' The Hound is my favorite story, and it was in this picture that I had the stimulating experience of creating, within my own limited framework, a character that has intrigued me as much as any I have ever played.
My article is "Basil Rathbone: From the Boer War to the Ghost in the Invisible Bikini" found at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2023/05/basil-rathbone-from-boer-war-to-ghost.html
Nigel Bruce portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D." In 1935, producer Merian C. Cooper, 1933's,"King Kong", released his motion picture version of another British author, H. Rider Haggard's novel "SHE". In this picture Nigel Bruce portrayed "Horace Holly", the companion of Randolph Scott's, "Leo Vincey". Watch this movie, from four years before "The Hound of the Baskervilles", and you'll realize, as I have, that Bruce's "Dr. John H. Watson" is his character of "Horace Holly" with a different name.
Richard Greene portrayed "Sir Henry Baskerville". My article is "Richard Greene: Shirley Temple, the Hound of Hell, and Robin of Loxley" to be read at:
Wendy Barrie portrayed "Beryl Stapleton". She had just co-starred with George Sanders in 1939's, "The Saint Strikes Back". After this motion picture, Wendy Barrie co-starred with Chester Morris and Lucille Ball, in one of her rare dramatic roles, in 1939's, outstanding, "Five Came Back", about a plane crashing in a jungle full of cannibals.
Lionel Atwill portrayed "James Mortimer, M.D.". My article is "Lionel Atwill: The Legitimate Stage, Classic and Not So Classic Horror, and 'Sherlock Holmes" available to read at:
John Carradine portrayed "Barryman". Carradine followed this feature film with an unusual American Western made by producer and director Hal Roach". The setting is New South Wales, Australia, and 1939's, "Captain Fury", starred British actor Brian Aherne and Victor MacLaglen.
On the above lobby card are Basil Rathbone, Eily Malyon portraying "Mrs. Barryman", John Carradine, and Richard Greene.
Mary Gordon portrayed "Mrs. Hudson". The forgotten character actress Mary Gordon would portray the landlady for "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Watson" throughout the Rathbone and Bruce films. She had started acting in 1925, and when she appeared in her last role on, the 1950's television series, "The Cisco Kid". Mary Gordon had 308 roles to her credit!
An overview of the motion picture's screenplay:
This version of Conan Doyle's story is considered to be
the first actually set in Victorian England, as in the novel. It opens with a scene straight out of the novel. When "Holmes" has "Watson" attempting to determine who their mysterious visitor is from his walking stick.
"Dr. Mortimer", the owner of the walking stick, has come to "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Watson", at 221-B Baker Street, to ask their assistance in protecting "Sir Henry Baskerville" from the family curse. A curse, that apparently has recently killed his uncle, "Sir Charles Baskerville", played by Ian MacLaren. "Mortimer" relates the legend of the demonic hound that first killed "Sir Hugo Baskerville", played by Ralph Forbes, several centuries before.
"Holmes" considers the legend of the demonic hound a fairy tale, but "Mortimer" ads that he found the body of "Sir Charles" in "Baskerville Hall's" garden with a look of pure terror upon his face, from something that caused a massive heart attack. "Dr. Mortimer" claims to have seen, at a distance from the body, the paw prints of a
"gigantic hound". "Sherlock Holmes" meets with "Sir Henry", but claims to have some unfinished business in London. "Holmes" will send "Dr. Watson" to escort "Sir Henry" and stay at "Baskerville Hall".
Above left to right, Lionel Atwill, actress Eily Malyon, John Carradine, Richard Greene, and Nigel Bruce.
"Sir Henry" meets his neighbor's "John Stapleton", played by Morton Lowry, it's "Jack" in the novel, and his stepsister, "Beryl", she turns out to be his wife in the novel. As the screenplay progresses, "Sir Henry" and "Beryl" start to fall in love.
Meanwhile, a homicidal manic named
"Selden", played by
Nigel de Brulier, has escaped from "Dartmoor Prison",
"Watson", "Beryl", and "Sir Henry" meet a strange man near the Grimpen Mire selling things. After he is finally made to leave them, the three wondered who he is?
That night, "Watson" and "Sir Henry" hear strange sounds coming from a room, enter, and find "Barryman' with a lamp. "Barryman" claims he's just going around checking that all the windows are closed and locked, as he does every night.
"Watson", believing he saw a light out on moor through the window, decides to investigate, only to discover the strange man, who turns out to be "Holmes". The howling of a large hound is heard, and a man resembling "Sir Henry", is seen being chased up some large rocks. The hound attacks, the man goes over the rock formation hitting the ground.
The dead man turns out to be "Selden" wearing "Sir Henry's" clothes. and the brother of "Mrs. Barryman".
Above, "Sir Henry" and "Sherlock Holmes" in front of a painting of "Sir Hugo Baskerville".
"Mrs. Mortimer" holds a séance attended by "Holmes", "Watson", "Sir Henry", and others. In an apparent trance state, "Mrs. Mortimer" asks what happened to "Sir Charles" that fateful night, and the howl of a hound is heard.
The hound is now let loose and goes for "Sir Henry", but "Holmes" and "Watson" arrive in time to kill it.
"Holmes" explains that "John Stapleton" is actually a cousin of "Sir Henry", from a branch of the "Baskerville" family long forgotten. He points to the painting of "Sir Hugo", and the commonality of his features to "Stapleton". Whose plan was to use the family curse as a means of cover, for the murders of those who stood in his way to the "Baskerville" fortune. "Stapleton" has escaped after pulling a gun on "Sherlock Holmes", but "Holmes" tells the group that he won't get far. All the roads are blocked by the police unless he decides to cross the Grimpen Mire.
Now comes the happy ending, that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle didn't write for "Beryl Stapleton". "Holmes" reveals that his investigation shows she is not related to "John Stapleton", and is free to marry "Sir Henry Baskerville".
The last line in the motion picture comes from Basil Rathbone and got around the "Hayes Office" censors. The came to power in 1934 with the "Motion Picture Production Code".
"Quick Watson, the needle!"
Referring to the "7 percent solution of cocaine" that helped "Holmes" to think clearly.
"20th Century Fox" decided to make a second "Sherlock Holmes" motion picture.
THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES released September 1, 1939
Note anything missing on the above poster? There is zero reference to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, except in the official credits for creating the characters. In fact, it is William Gillette's play that is referenced as the source material. Which is interesting, because the screenplay by Edwin Blum, 1935's, "The New Adventures of Tarzan", starring Bruce Bennett, and co-writer, William Absalom Drake, the 1939, swashbuckler musical comedy, "The Three Musketeers", starring Don Ameche, the Ritz Brothers, and Binnie Barnes, bears little resemblance to Gillette's work.
Basil Rathbone portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". He had just co-starred with Douglas Fairbanks Jr., in, 1939's, "The Sun Never Sets", and would follow this feature with RKO's, 1939, "Tower of London", as "Richard III". In what many critics considered a horror version of William Shakespeare and features Boris Karloff.
Nigel Bruce portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson". Bruce had just been seen in 1939's, "The Hound of the Baskervilles", and would follow this feature with, 1939's, "The Rains Came",
starring Myrna Loy, Tyrone Power, and George Brent.
Ida Lupino portrayed "Ann Brandon". My article is "IDA LUPINO: Singer, Actress, Screenplay Writer, and Director" a career to follow at:
George Zucco portrayed
"Professor James Moriarty". Zucco had just been seen in the
1939 version of author
Victor Hugo's, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", starring
Charles Laughton and
Maureen O'Hara. He would follow this picture with the
Richard Greene and
Ricard Dix drama,
1939's, "Here I Am a Stranger".
Above, Basil Rathbone, and, George Zucco.
A Very Basic Overview:
The story is set in 1894, and opens with "Sherlock Holmes" and "Professor Moriarty" in a verbal sparring match, after the Professor has been acquitted in a trial. Basically, the only real reference to the Gillette play.
After the trial, in an interesting twist, "Sherlock Holmes" and "Professor Moriarty" share a cab.
At
221-B Baker Street, "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Watson" are visited by "Ann Brandon". She explains the reason for her visit is the strange note her brother,
"Lloyd Brandon", played by
Peter Willes, received. It contains a picture of a man with an albatross around his neck, exactly like the one their father received before he was murdered ten years ago.
"Holmes" deduces the note is a warning, rushes to "Lloyd Brandon's", only to find him dead from strangulation with his head crushed in.
He now believes "Ann" is the next victim and appears at a garden party that she is going to attend. "Holmes" is disguised as a music hall entertainer and hears screams from a nearby park. He rescues "Ann" from "Gabriel Mateo", played by George Regas.
"Gabriel Mateo" is seeking revenge on the "Brandon family", because her father murdered "Gabriel's" father in a dispute over ownership of a South American mine.
Above, "Gabriel Mateo" tells his story and "Sherlock Holmes" realizes this is a distraction from a bigger crime to be performed by "Professor Moriarty". "Moriarty" plans to steal the "Crown Jewels" from the "Tower of London" dressed as one of the guards.
Of course, "Holmes" prevents this and the Professor falls, seemingly to his death, off the tower.
On the "World Stage", 2-days after "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" was released, September 3, 1939, "Great Britain" entered the Second World War. That was followed by the British expeditionary force landing in France. On May 26, 1940, the British started to evacuated their forces and members of the French army at Dunkirk. On December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the United States Navy and Army at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Eventually, "Sherlock Holmes" battled the "Axis Powers":
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR released September 18, 1942
The screenplay gives credit to Conan Doyle's "His Last Bow", first publish in September 1917, with the complete title of "His Last Bow: The War Services of Sherlock Holmes", and is not a real mystery, but a spy story.
That story was adapted as a screenplay by Robert Hardy Andrews using the name of
Robert D. Andrews. The actual screenplay was by Lynn Riggs and John Bright. However, they added some material based upon Nazi Germany radio propagandist "Lord Haw-Haw".
Who was actually New York City born William Brooke Joyce, below, and would broadcast into the United Kingdom. Joyce was captured on May 28, 1945, tried and executed on
January 3, 1946, age
39, by hanging.
The motion picture was directed by John Rawlins. This was his only "Sherlock Holmes" entry, but he did direct two of the "Dick Tracy" series starring Ralph Byrd.
The Cast on the Above Poster, Plus One:
Basil Rathbone portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Five of his next seven motion pictures were
"Sherlock Holmes" stories.
Nigel Bruce portrayed
"Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.". Nigel Bruce had just been in the cast of the
Robert Stack, Diana Barrymore, and
Jon Hall, 1942, "Eagle Squadron". Four of his next
seven motion pictures were
"Sherlock Holmes" stories.
Evelyn Ankers portrayed
"Kitty". She had just been in
1942's, "Pierre of the Plains",starring John Carroll, Ruth Hussey, and Bruce Cabot. Ankers would follow this feature film by co-starring with Ralph Bellamy, in 1942's, "The Great Impersonation". My article about
Reginald Denny portrayed
"Sir Evan Barham". Denny had just been seen in the
James Cagney, Dennis Morgan and
Brenda Marshall, 1942, "Captains of the Clouds". He would follow this feature film with the
Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, and
Donna Reed, crime film-noir,
1942's, "Eyes in the Night".
Thomas Gomez portrayed "R.F. Meade". This was New York City born actor Gomez's first on-screen appearance. Later in 1942, he was in the Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott, and
John Wayne, "Pittsburgh". His career would include the Boris Karloff and Susanna Foster, 1944, "The Climax", originally planned as the sequel to her 1943, "Phantom of the Opera".
Along with the
Tyrone Power, 1947, "Captain from Castile", the
Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, and
Lauren Bacall, 1948, "Key Largo", and
1970's, "Beneath the Planet of the Apes".
Henry Daniell portrayed
"Anthony Lloyd". Daniell was part of the cast of the
Sidney Toler "Charlie Chan" mystery
"Castle in the Desert", and after this film, the
Diana Barrymore, Brian Donlevy, crime film-noir,
1942's, "Nightmare".
Montague Love portrayed "General Jerome Lawford". Love had just portrayed "General George Washington" in 1942's, "The Remarkable Andrew", starring Brian Donlevy, William Holden, and Ellen Drew. Montague Love followed this movie portraying "Chief Supreme Court Justice Chase" in 1942's, "Tennessee Johnson", starring Van Heflin as
"President Johnson", Lionel Barrymore and
Ruth Hussey.
Mary Gordon portrayed
"Mrs. Hudson". She had just been in the
Gary Cooper version of the story of baseball legend
"Lou Gehrig", 1942's, "Pride of the Yankees". For those of my readers who are fans of director
James Whale, a piece of
Mary Gordon trivia. Look for the actress as the wife of
"Hans", in
1935's, "The Bride of Frankenstein".
The Screenplay opens with the following title card to explain why the film is not set in Victorian England. Also, it was cheaper for "Universal Pictures" to not make period films.
:
The title card is followed by "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Watson" leaving 221-B Baker Street, "Holmes" reaching for a
Deerstalker Hat, and "Watson" stopping him for a 1942 look, and the detective puts on a Fedora.
"Sherlock Holmes" is called into
"The Inner Circle" of British Intelligence by "Sir Evan Barham". British Intelligence wants the consulting detective's help is stopping Nazi saboteurs operating in Great Britain. Their activities are announced
in advance over radio by
"The Voice of Terror", the screenplays version of
"Lord Haw-Haw"."Gavin", portrayed by
Robert Barron, one of the detective's agents, is stabbed by a knife in his back, but before dying whispers the name "Christopher" to "Holmes". Accompanied by "Dr. Watson", the go into the Limehouse district of London, to meet with "Gavin's" wife "Kitty".
Next. "Holmes" meets once more with "The Inner Circle" and informs them that by using an oscilloscope, he determined the "Voice of Terror's" broadcasts are not live.
He believes an Englishman records the broadcast, a recording is sent to Germany, and is then broadcast back to the United Kingdom.
Following a tip by "Kitty", "Holmes" and "Watson" go to the old "Christopher Docks" being followed by council member, "Anthony Lloyd".
The three men are captured by a group of Nazi's led by a man named "R. F. Meade".
However, the dock workers attack "Meade" and his men, freeing "Holmes", "Watson", and "Lloyd", but "R. F. Meade" escapes through a trap door to a waiting speed boat. Next, "Kitty" pretends to be a thief, joins "Meade's" group, and finds out that the Nazi leader plans to go to "Sir Evan Barham's" country estate that night and informs "Sherlock Holmes".
At the estate, "Holmes" and "Sir Evan" hide, and observe a Nazi plane coming in for a landing. Suddenly, "Sir Evan" fires his gun at it the plane, causing it to fly away, as "Meade" watches from the shadows.
Another of the informants for "Sherlock Holmes" traces "Kitty" and "Meade" to an old church on the south coast, and informs him. "Holmes" goes to "The Inner Council", and forces the group to go with him and some soldiers to the church. There, they capture the Nazi's and "Meade".
Next, "Sherlock Holmes" reveals "The Voice of Terror" as being "Sir Evan Barnham".
However, he informs "The Inner Council" that the man before them is really German
"Henrich Von Block". The real "Sir Evan" was captured by the Germans during the First World War, executed, and replaced by "Von Block". Who had an uncanny resemblance to "Barnham". With a little plastic surgery, he replaced the other man some
24-years earlier. The give-away-clue for "Sherlock Holmes" was the scar on this "Sir Evan Barham's" hand, which he determined was only about
20-years-old.
"Holmes" now informs "Von Block" and "Meade" that the German invasion force has been destroyed and the United Kingdom is safe. "Meade" pulls out a hidden gun and fatally shoots "Kitty", but is himself killed. "The Inner Council" now stands around the body of "Kitty" and swears her death will not be in vain.
The next morning, the audience sees "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Watson" walking down Baker Street. The audience next hears a direct quote from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "His Last Bow". Whose propaganda for the First World War, referred to the coming American troops, is still fitting for the Second World War:
Watson: It's a lovely morning, Holmes.
Holmes: There's an east wind coming, Watson.
Watson: I don't think so. Looks like another warm day.
Holmes: Good old Watson. The one fixed point in a changing age. There's an east wind coming all the same. Such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind none the less. And a greener, better, stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm is cleared
"Universal Pictures" would make 11-more "Sherlock Holmes" feature films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, the last one released in May 1946. Some of those pictures I go into detail and others just mention,
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON premiered in Los Angeles on December 25, 1942
This entry was directed by Roy William Neill. Neill had just directed Constance Bennett in
1942's, "Madame Spy". Back in 1937, Roy William Neill directed George Arliss in the first version of British author Russell Thorndyke's tale about the dreaded pirate "Captain Clegg". Who is in reality the kind Vicar of Dymchurch, on the English coast, "Doctor Syn".
The character would be played later by both Peter Cushing and for Walt Disney, Patrick McGoohan.
There are two credited writers that adapted Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "The Dancing Men", into a story for a screenplay. However, the only thing taken from that story is the idea of the "Dancing Men Code". Those two writers were Edward T. Lowe, Jr, 1944's, "House of Frankenstein" and 1945's, "House of Dracula". and Scott Darling, 1942's, "The Ghost of Frankenstein". The third screenplay writer was Edmund L. Hartmann, 1940's, "Black Friday", co-starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.
The Cast Indicated on the Above Poster Plus One:
Basil Rathbone portrayed "Sherlock Holmes".
Nigel Bruce portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.". Bruce had just been in the Robert Young and Laraine Day, 1942, war drama romance, "Journey for Margaret", co-starring
Margaret O'Brien.
Lionel Atwill portrayed "Professor Moriarty ", misspelled in the screenplay as "Moriarity".
The character is not in "The Dancing Men". Lionel Atwill had just been in the horror crime drama, 1942's, "Night Monster" co-starring Bela Lugosi, and followed this feature film with
1943's, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man".
Kaaren Verne portrayed
"Charlotte Eberli". The Berlin, Germany, born actress had just been seen in
1942's, "The Great Impersonation", and followed this feature film with
Spencer Tracy's, 1944, "The Seventh Cross".
William Post, Jr. portrayed
"Dr. Franz Tobel". He should have been seen in
1942's, "Pierre of the Plains", before this picture, but his scenes were deleted. So, the comedy drama mystery,
1942's. "Pacific Rendezvous" moved up a position in his career. Post, Jr. followed this feature with seventh-billing in the
1943, version of author
John Steinbeck's "The Moon Is Down", starring
Sir Cedric Hardwicke.
Dennis Hoey portrayed "Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade". This was Hoey's first of six appearances as "Lestrade". "Universal Pictures" cast Dennis Hoey as a Scotland Yard Inspector exactly like "Lestrade", in 1943's, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man", and
1946's, "The She Wolf of London". Immediately prior to this motion picture, Hoey was
"Colonel Woodhue", in the comedy drama musical, 1942's, "Cairo", starring Jeanette McDonald, Robert Young, and Ethel Waters.
Mary Gordon portrayed "Mrs. Hudson". She had just been seen in the criminal mystery,
1942's, "The Boss of Big Town".
The Basic Screenplay:The story opens in Switzerland with a disguised "Sherlock Holmes" pretending to be a Nazi spy to get "Dr. Franz Tobel", a scientist who has invented a superior bombsight, out of the country, while under the eyes of the Nazi's.
Above left, the
uncredited Paul Fix portraying
"Mueller", Basil Rathbone, and the
uncredited Rudolph Anders portraying "Braun".
Paul Fix started on-screen acting in 1925, and was a friend of "B" Cowboy star, Harry Carey, Sr. Fix and Carey were drinking buddies of director John Ford. Paul Fix was also a member of the "John Ford Stock Company", but is known more for portraying "Marshal Micah Torrance" on televisions "The Rifleman", 1958-1963. My article is "PAUL FIX: The Character Actor Who Taught John Wayne To Walk", and may be read at:http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2018/02/paul-fix-character-actor-who-taught.html
Escaping from pursuing Gestapo, the two make it to the airport and fly out of Switzerland to England. There, "Sherlock Holmes" places "Franz" under the watchful eyes of "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D." at 221-Baker Street. However, against the instructions of "Holmes", "Franz" slips away to meet his fiancée "Charlotte Eberli" at her apartment and gives "Charlotte" a secret coded message to give to "Sherlock Holmes", should anything happen to him. As he leaves her apartment, German spies attempt to capture "Franz", but a passing London Bobby foils their attempt. Trivia:
The uncredited role of the London Bobby was portrayed by actor Whit Bissell in his second on-screen appearance. In 1954, character actor Bissell was in "The Creature from the Black Lagoon", "The Caine Mutiny", "Target Earth", and "The Atomic Kid". In 1956, he was in "The Framing Scenes" for "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", turned Michael Landon into the title role of 1957's, "I Was a Teenage Werewolf", and later that year was "Dr. Frankenstein" in "I Was a Teenage Frankenstein". While 1960, saw Whit Bissell in both the original "The Magnificent Seven" and producer George Pal's version of British author H. G. Wells' "The Time Machine"."Tobel" successfully demonstrates his bombsight to RAF bomber command and "Sir Reginald Bailey", portrayed by Holmes Herbert.
"Franz Tobel" is put under the protection of Scotland Yard and specifically "Inspector Lestrade". "Tobel" makes "Sir Reginald" understand that although he will produce his bombsight for the allies, he alone will oversee its manufacturing in a secret location. "Franz" separates the manufacturing of the bombsight between four-scientists, each unknown to the other, and only when the four parts are assembled, does the actual bombsight exist. However, shortly after the plan is put into effect, "Sherlock Holmes" receives a call from "Lestrade", "Franz Tobel" has disappeared! "Holmes" goes to "Charlotte Eberli's" flat and is given the envelope from "Tobel".
Instead of the coded message, inside is a message from "Professor Moriarty". Who is now working with the Nazi's. Disguising himself as one of the professor's old henchmen, "Ram Singh", "Sherlock Holmes" starts searching the Soho district for information. He finds two other of "Moriarty's" henchmen, "Peg Leg", portrayed by Harold De Becker, and "Jack Brady",
portrayed by Harry Cording, but is also captured by the professor.
"Sherlock Holmes" is placed into an empty sea chest with a false bottom, but is rescued by "Dr. Watson" and "Inspector Lestrade". After the two observe "Peg Leg" and "Jack Brady" struggling with what should be an easy lift and carry.
"Holmes" returns to "Charlotte's" flat and looking around, finally sees impressions left upon the notepad that "Franz" used to write the original message. He brings the message out, by first immersing the paper in fluorescent salts and then photographing the page using ultraviolet light. On the paper is a extremely clever substitution cipher, "The Dancing Men", and "Sherlock Holmes" is able to break the first three lines, the locations of three of the scientists, but not the fourth line.
Next, "Holmes" learns that the professor has murdered all three scientists and stolen their parts of the bombsight, but like "Sherlock Holmes", "Professor Moriarty" hasn't been able to break "Franz Tobel's" fourth line and find the location of the fourth scientist. "Moriarty" has captured the missing "Tobel" and is attempting to torture him for that information.
Working throughout the night, "Holmes" finally breaks the fourth line and discovers the name of the fourth scientist,
"Professor Frederick Hoffner", portrayed by
Henry Victor.Meanwhile, "Professor Moriarty" accidently discovers the change in the fourth lines cipher and sends his henchmen to bring "Professor Hoffner" to him.
Two things now occur, the first is "Dr. Watson" has attached dripping luminous paint to the henchmen's car after they arrived to capture "Professor Hoffner". The second is that when "Professor Moriarty" meets "Professor Hoffner", he is looking at "Sherlock Holmes" in disguise.
All leading to "Watson" and "Lestrade", following the luminous paint trail, to "Moriarty's" location.
To stall for time, "Sherlock Holmes" has let himself be captured, and tricks "Professor Moriarty" into bleeding him to death, drop by drop. "Watson" and "Lestrade" arrive with the police, the spies are captured, "Frank Tobel" rescued, and "Professor Moriarty" starts to escape by entering his secret passageway. Only, to fall sixty-feet to his death, as "Holmes" had already discovered the "Professor's" trap door, and left it open in the dark.
For their next entry in the series, the "World's First Consulting Detective" and "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.", crossed the pound to travel to Washington D.C., to prevent a secret document from falling into enemy hands, in:
SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON premiered on January 10, 1943, in London, England.
Next,
Basil Rathbone and
Nigel Bruce found themselves in a very thin and changed version of
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual", as:
SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH released on September 17,1943
"Dr. Watson" has volunteered to work at a convalescent home and someone is murdering the patients.
Although some of those patients are military, this is a straight murder mystery taking place at "Musgrave Hall" that has been turned into the convalescent home. The "Musgrave Ritual" of the original short story is incorporated into the screenplay, and you have co-star
Hillary Brooke portraying
"Sally Musgrave", her second of three appearances in the series
. In
1953, Brooke portrayed the mother in
"Invaders from Mars".
Gavin Muir portrayed "Phillip Musgrave", and Frederick Worlock portrayed "Geoffrey Musgrave", both murdered by a thirds party attempting to solve the secret of "The Musgrave Ritual" and find the hidden fortune. Could the murderer be "Sally"?
However, once the murder mystery is solved, as "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Watson" drive away from "Musgrave Hall, "Holmes" goes into a little Second World War speak:
There’s a new spirit abroad in the land. The old days of grab and greed are on their way out. We’re beginning to think of what we owe the other fellow, not just what we’re compelled to give him. The time’s coming, Watson, when we shan’t be able to fill our bellies in comfort while other folk go hungry, or sleep in warm beds while others shiver in the cold; when we shan’t be able to kneel and thank God for blessings before our shining altars while men anywhere are kneeling in either physical or spiritual subjection.... And God willing, we’ll live to see that day, Watson.
THE SPIDER WOMAN premiered in Seattle, Washington, on December 10, 1943
The above tag line:
BASED ON A STORY BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
Is seen on several poster variations for the feature film. However,
there is not just
"a story", by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, used for this screenplay
.The screenplay was written by
Bertham Miklhauser, who had come up with the stories for the previous two "Sherlock Holmes" entries. For this
hybrid screenplay,
"Sherlockian Milkhauser", combined sections of
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel
"The Sign of the Four", and his short stories "The Final Problem", "The Adventure of the Empty House", "The Adventure of the Speckled Band", and specifically, "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot".
This was director Roy William Neill's fourth outing with "Sherlock Holmes" and he would direct the following seven. Between the features "Sherlock Holmes in Washington" and
"Sherlock Holmes Faces Death". Roy William Neill directed 1943's, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man".
Four Familiar Names and a New One:
Basil Rathbone portrayed "Sherlock Holmes".
Nigel Bruce portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.".
Dennis Hoey portrayed
"Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade". Hoey had just portrayed the role in
1943's, "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death". He would follow this feature film by appearing in the
Errol Flynn and
Paul Lukas, 1944, "Uncertain Glory".
Gale Sondergaard portrayed
"Adrea Spedding". Her two roles preceding this motion picture were as
"Ann Huber", in
1943's, "The Strange Death of Adolph Hitler", and portraying herself,
Gale Sondergaard, in the
Ole Olsen and
Chic Johnson comedy,
1943's, "Crazy House".
Mary Gordon portrayed
"Mrs. Hudson". She just appeared in a musical comedy romance,
1943's, "You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith", co-starring singer
Allan Jones, Evelyn Ankers, and
Billie Burke, "Glinda, the Good Witch in 1939's, "The Wizard of Oz". Gordon followed this film with the crime trial drama,
1943's, "Smart Guy".
The Web of the Spider Woman:
The story opens with "Sherlock Holmes" faking his own death in Scotland, ---
--- and after returning to "Dr. Watson". Who believed in that death, as "Sherlock Holmes" wanted him too for appearances, "Watson" becomes the only person that knows the truth.
The consulting detective believes that a series of deaths of wealthy gamblers is the work of a "Female Moriarty". Disguising himself as wealthy gambler, "Rajini Singh", a distinguished Indian military officer, "Holmes" starts stalking the gambling clubs of London.
Shortly afterwards, "Rajini Singh", meets the lovely, but diabolical, "Adrea Spedding".
Investigating, "Sherlock Holmes" discovers that "Spedding" seeks out gamblers who are short on money. She next convinces them to pawn their life insurance policies through her accomplices and has them killed. "Holmes/Singh", now sets himself up to become one of "Spedding's" victims.
With further investigation, "Sherlock Holmes" discovers the "Spider Woman's" means of murder. She uses the deadly spider, "Lycosa Carnivora's" venom, which causes extreme pain, driving her victims to kill themselves to end it. However, "Holmes" is also a little confused, because at the site of the latest death, is the footprint of a child.
"Holmes" and "Watson" go to visit an eminent arachnologist "Matthew Ordway", being impersonated by one of the "Spider "Woman's" men, below, portrayed by Arthur Hohl. The real scientist is the possible source of the spiders for "Spedding", but they discover they're speaking to an imposter, who is able to run away.
Searching "Ordway's" residence, they find his body, but also his journals. Which mention someone, from Central Africa, who is immune to the spider venom. Additionally, the two find what "Sherlock Holmes" believes is the skeleton of a small child.
"Dr. Watson" examines the skeleton and advises "Holmes" that it is not of a child, but a full-grown man. "Ordway's" journal now speaks of Central African pigmy's.
"Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. John H. Watson" continue their investigation and bring "Inspector Lestrade" of Scotland Yard into them. The three visit the fairground that "The Spider Woman" uses as her base of operations. While "Watson" and "Lestrade" seem to enjoy the fair, "Holmes" manages to find "Spedding" and her gang, including a Central Africa
"Pigmy", portrayed by Nebraska born
Angelo Rossitto, and gets himself captured
.
"Sherlock Holmes" is placed behind the targets at a shooting gallery that ironically are being shot at by "Dr. Watson" and "Inspector Lestrade" with .22 caliber rifles.
"Holmes", of course, gets out of the situation, has "Lestrade" get more police, and with "Dr. Watson" they arrest the entire gang. Before "Inspector Lestrade" can handcuff "Adrea Spedding", "Holmes" ever the gentleman, asks him not to do it. Explaining "Spedding" will quietly accompany the Scotland Inspector to jail. "The Spider Woman", smiles at the consulting detective and says she appreciates his thought.
On
February 28, 1946, in Crystal City, Missouri, was the premiere of
Gale Sondergaard's "The Spider Woman Strikes Back". The film, except with playing off the above motion picture's title to draw in audiences, had nothing to do with
"Sherlock Holmes".Sondergaard's character in this
horror movie was named
"Zenobia Dollard", and she was feeding actress
Brenda Joyce's blood to her pet plant.
THE SCARLET CLAW premiering in New York City, on May 18, 1944
"The Scarlet Claw" was followed only 3-months later by:
THE PEARL OF DEATH premiered August 1, 1944
Once again, the motion picture was directed by
Roy William Neill, he had just directed
"The Scarlet Claw", and would follow this feature film with the
Maria Montez, Jon Hall, 1944, "Gypsy Wildcat".The screenplay was loosely based upon
Sir Conan Doyle's "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons", and
Bertram Millhauser wrote the screenplay.
The Cast on the Poster Plus One Main Actor:
Basil Rathbone portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Basil would take another break from the character and co-star with Joan Fontaine, and Mexican leading actor, Arthuro de Cordova, in British authoress Daphne Du Maurier's "Frenchman's Creek", released on September 20, 1944.
Nigel Bruce portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.". He followed this picture with a role in 1944's, "Gypsy Wildcat".
Dennis Hoey portrayed "Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade". Hoey followed this film with
1944's, "National Velvet", starring Mickey Rooney and featuring Donald Crisp and
Elizabeth Taylor.
Evelyn Ankers portrayed
"Naomi Drake". She had just co-starred with
Jon Hall and
Alan Curtis in
1944's, "The Invisible Man's Revenge", and would appear in the
Maria Montez, Jack Oakie, and
Susanna Foster, 1944, "Bowery to Broadway".
Miles Mander portrayed
"Giles Conover". Mander has just portrayed
"Judge Brisson" in
1944's, "The Scarlet Claw", and would follow this feature film portraying
"Charles Seagrave", in
1944's, "Enter Arsene Lupin".
Mary Gordon finally got recognition by the studio for portraying
"Mrs. Hudson" with her name on the poster
. She had just appeared in
1944's "Secret Command", starring
Pat O'Brien, Carole Landis, and
Chester Morris. Mary Gordon next was seen in the comedy musical,
1944's, "Ever Since Venus", starring
Ida Ray Hutton and
Hugh Herbert.
Rondo Hatton portrayed
"The Creeper". For those of my readers who only know of the disease "acromegaly" from the
1955 science fiction movie,
"Tarantula". Rondo Hatton was an actor who suffered from the disease and is basically remembered for
1946's, "House of Horrors", and the same years
"The Brute Man". Two of his overlooked feature films were the already mentioned
1946's, "The Spider Woman Strikes Back", and this feature. My article
"Rondo Hatton: The Tragic Life of "THE CREEPER", can be read at:
The Very Basic Screenplay:
The plot of the story has master criminal "Giles Conover" steal the famous "Borgia Pearl" from the "Royal Regent Museum" and "Holmes" and "Watson" going after him. When "Conover" is caught, the pearl is nowhere to be seen, and he is set free for lack of evidence.
"Giles Conover's" associate is the "Hoxton Creeper". An elderly colonel is found dead with his back broken and pieces of smashed Chinese pottery around the body. Almost immediately, there's another murder of an elderly lady, her back broken, and Chinese pottery smashed around the body, and then a third murder takes place. Holmes now deducts that the pearl was hidden in a Chinese pottery bust of Napoleon, one of six, sold to different people.
"The Creeper" arrives at the next person's home, but it is "Sherlock Holmes" in disguise he meets.
Overpowered by "The Hoxton Creeper", but talking to him all the time. "Sherlock Holmes" convinces the other that "Giles Conover" will double cross him. Letting go of the consulting detective, "The Hoxton Creeper" leaves, to confront "Conover".
"Holmes" and "Watson" arrive at "Conover's" in time to see "The Creeper"" kill him. When he turns toward the two arrivals, "Sherlock Holmes" fires his pistol and kills him. The story ends with the arrival of the police and "Holmes" breaking open the final bust of Napoleon to reveal the "Borgia Pearl".
"The Pearl of Death" was followed by four more "Sherlock Holmes" feature films in a row.
They were:
THE HOUSE OF FEAR released on March 16, 1945.
THE WOMAN IN GREEN premiered on June 15, 1945, in New York City.
PURSUIT TO ALGIERS released on October 26, 1945.
TERROR BY NIGHT released February 1, 1946
DRESSED TO KILL premiered in New York City, on May 24, 1946
Directing his 11th picture in the series was Roy William Neill. Neill followed this picture with his final film of a 110-film career, 1946's, "Black Angel", a crime film-noir starring Dan Duryea, June Vincent, and Peter Lorre.
The screenplay was adapted by Frank Gruber from two Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories. Once again, "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons" and "A Scandal in Bohemia". Gruber had written the screenplay for 1946's, "Terror By Night".
The actual screenplay writer who added the majority of the story to Gruber's adaptations was
Leonard Lee. Lee wrote the screenplay for 1945's, "Pursuit to Algiers", and between that film and this one. Leonard Lee was one of three writers on 1945's, "This Love Of Ours",
starring Merle Oberon, Charles Korvin, and Claude Rains.
Some of the Cast of Characters:
Basil Rathbone portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Rathbone followed this picture by teaming up with Walt Disney. The actor narrated the 1949 animated tales, "The Wind and the Willows", and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". Which were released as "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad".
Nigel Bruce portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.". Bruce, next, had4-billing behind
Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, and Alexis Smith, in 1947's, "The Two Mrs. Carrolls".
Mary Gordon portrayed "Mrs. Hudson". Mary Gordon had just appeared in 1946's, "The Hoodlum Saint", starring William Powell, Esther Williams, and Angela Lansbury. She followed this feature film by appearing in the latest "The Bowery Boys" movie, 1946's, "In Fast Company".
Patricia Morison portrayed "Mrs Hilda Courtney". She had been buried at eighth-billing in the Deanna Durbin comedy crime film-noir, 1945's, "Lady on a Train". Morison followed this motion picture with another third-billing in 1946's, "Danger Woman", co-starring with Don Porter and Brenda Joyce.
Edmund Breon as Edmond Breon portrayed "Julian 'Stinky' Emery". Breon had a role in the biography of the Bronte Sisters, 1946's, "Devotion", starring Ida Lupino as "Emily",
and Olivia de Havilland as "Charlotte". Edmond Breon followed this movie with 1946's, "The Imperfect Lady", starring Ray Milland, Teresa Wright, and Sir Cedric Hardwicke.
The Screenplay:
The story opens in Dartmoor Prison with convicted thief "John Davidson", portrayed by the uncredited Cyril Delevanti, placing a clue to the location of the extremely valuable printing plates stolen from the Bank of England by him. Clues are found in the melody notes of three different music boxes. Which play a subtly different version of the Australian tune, "The Swagman". Each box will be sold at auction to three different people.
An old classmate and friend of "Dr. Watson", "Julian 'Stinky' Emery", comes to 221-B Baker Street with a tale of a strange robbery attempt at his home the previous night. Someone attempted to steal a very plain looking wooden music box, similar to the one "Emery" bought at an auction. After knocking him out, the attempted robbery took place. What made this robbery attempt strange, was the fact that "Julian Emery" had several very expensive music boxes and none of them were taken, or apparently even touched. "Watson" and "Holmes" accompany "Emery" to his house to look at his music box collection and leave to consider the attempted robbery.
After they leave "Watson's" friend's home, "Julian Emery" is visited by a female acquaintance, "Mrs. Hilda Courtney".
She wants to see the music box "Emery" purchased at the auction, is shown it, and "Courtney" offers to purchase the box, but "Julian" declines. Later, a male friend of "Hilda Courtney", hiding in the house, kills "Emery", and takes the music box.
After "Julian Emery" was murdered, apparently over an plain-looking music box bought at an auction, "Sherlock Holmes" checks the auction records and discovers that two more plain-looking music boxes were also sold. He goes to the next name on the list and encounters a maid, acting strangely, just leaving the home to "go shopping". After she leaves, "Holmes" discovers a child locked in a closet and the music box stolen.
"Sherlock Holmes" is able to purchase the third music box and discovers that the variant notes correspond to letters of the alphabet. Scotland Yard fills him in on the stolen bank plates and "Holmes" deduces that you need all three music boxes to get the message.
Returning to 221-B, "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Watson" discover that their flat has been ransacked, but "Holmes" also finds a clue to who was there. Whomever it was, has made the mistake of leaving a cigarette made from a distinct type of tobacco and the detective starts to track down the buyer.
"Sherlock Holmes" tracks the tobacco to "Mrs. Hilda Courtney". "Sherlock Holmes" visits her, but is taken prisoner by her accomplices, taken to a warehouse, hung from a rafter as poison gas fills the warehouse.
While the above is going on and "Sherlock Holmes" is escaping, "Courtney" goes to 221-B Baker Street and "Dr. Watson". Where she proceeds to steal the music box, but shortly afterwards, "Sherlock Holmes" has made his way back to the flat. Speaking with him about the music box and "Hilda Courtney", "Watson" makes an off handed quote from 18th Century poet, playwright, and novelist, "Dr. Samuel Johnson". The quotation gets "Sherlock Holmes" thinking as to where the stolen plates may be.
Having stolen the three boxes and deciphering the message. "Mrs. Hilda Courtney" and her gang have joined a tour group at the home of "Dr. Samuel Johnson", now a museum, and she slips away from the tour with two of her gang. She goes to a bookshelf and locates and removes the Bank of England plates.
After doing this, "Sherlock Holmes" appears with Scotland Yard police officers and arrests the entire group.
Apparently it would be 13-years before "Holmes" and "Watson" were back on the motion picture screen, helping to build the representations of Rathbone and Bruce in the roles.
Then there was television:
According to "The Sherlock Holmes Society of London":
On April 5, 1949, the American comedy and variety show, "The Texaco Star Theater (The Milton Berle Show)", 8PM-9PM, on the "National Broadcasting Company (NBC)", had a parody of "Sherlock Holmes". The program's host, comedian Milton Berle portrayed "Holmes", and Victor Moore, portrayed "Watson". A special guest star was Basil Rathbone, portraying "Rathbone of Scotland Yard".
Above and below, Basil Rathbone with popular early television personalty "Dagmar" actually Virginia Ruth "Jennie" Lewis.
There was a short lived American Anthology television series,
"Your Show Time", September 1948 through
July 1949. On
March 25, 1949, Alan Napier, "Alfred" on television's
"Batman, 1966 - 1968", appeared as
"Sherlock Holmes", and
George Melville Cooper, "The Sherif of Nottingham, in 1939's, The Adventures of Robin Hood", appeared as "Watson", in a half-hour, live production, of "The Adventure of the Speckled Band".
A British short entitled "The Man Who Disappeared", was an unsold 1951 pilot for a "Sherlock Holmes" TV series in the U.K. The pilot starred John Longden portrayed "Sherlock Holmes" and Campbell Singer portrayed "Dr. Watson".Below, John Longden as "Holmes".
From October 20th through December 1, 1951, there was a BBC television series originally titled, "We Present Alan Wheatley as Sherlock Holmes in --- (Fill in the title of the six programs)" aka "Sherlock Holmes".
Above, Alan Wheatley on the left, Raymond Francis portraying "Dr. Watson" in the center, and Bill Owen on the right as "Inspector Lestrade".
"The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone" was turned into a production for the "BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation's)", "For the Children" in March, 1951, starring Andrew Osborn portraying "Holmes", and Philip King portraying "Watson". No stills, or footage appears to survive.
On May 26, 1953, on the American television anthology series, "Suspense", Basil Rathbone returned as "Sherlock Holmes", Martyn Green portrayed "Watson", in "The Adventure of the Black Baronet", not written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but his youngest son, Adrian Conan Doyle, and American "Sherlockian" mystery writer, John Dickson Carr. The production was a pilot for a television series, but was not picked up. The website "Wikipedia" erroneously lists British actor Jack Raine as "Dr. Watson".
From October 18, 1954 through October 17, 1955, "Sherlock Holmes", was an American television series shot in France by a French crew, produced by Sheldon Reynolds. The series starred Ronald Howard, the son of British actor Leslie Howard, "Ashley Wilkes" in 1939's, "Gone with the Wind", portraying "Holmes". English character actor, Howard Marion-Crawford, aka: H. Marion-Crawford, portrayed "Watson". The 39-programs were mostly newly written adventures.
On August 16, 1955, in West Germany, was a full-length television version of "Der Hund von Baskerville", starring Wolf Ackva portraying "Sherlock Holmes", and Arnulf Schröder portrayed "Dr. Watson".
"Sherlock Holmes" returned to the movie theater screens next from "Hammer Films", known worldwide for their Horror and Science Fiction motion pictures.
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES premiered in London on March 28, 1959
The posters for the film reflected a Gothic Horror movie and not a "Sherlock Holmes" mystery.
The screenplay, by Peter Bryan, centered upon the Horror elements of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story. Which most of the previous versions did not. Bryan would go on to write the screenplays for 1960's, 'Brides of Dracula", that has nothing to do with the Count, and he mostly overlooked, 1966's, "The Plague of the Zombies".
The motion picture was directed by Terence Fischer. Fisher became the dean of "Hammer Horror" with the studio's "Universal Picture's", remakes, 1957's, "Curse of Frankenstein", 1958', "Dracula" aka: "Horror of Dracula", 1959's, "The Mummy", 1961, "Curse of the Werwolf", and 1961's, "The Phantom of the Opera".
Peter Cushing portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Cushing had just portrayed "Dr. Victor Stein", in 1958's, "Revenge of Frankenstein", the direct sequel to the 1957 movie and also directed by Terence Fischer. He followed this motion picture with 1959's, "The Mummy".
Andre Morell portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson". He co-starred with Burt Lancaster in 1954's, "His Majesty O'Keefe", he co-starred with Alan Ladd in 1954's, "The Black Knight", Morell was in the 1954, BBC production of George Orwell's, "1984", starring Peter Cushing, he portrayed "Bernard Quatermass" in the 1958, BBC production of, "Quatermass and the Pit", and in 1959, co-starred in "Behemoth the Sea Monster" aka: "The Giant Behemoth".
Christopher Lee portrayed "Sir Henry Baskerville". In 1948, Sir Laurence Olivier released his version of William Shakespeare's, "Hamlet". In that movie, Lee was a "Palace Guard", and Cushing was "Osric". Christopher Lee is known for speaking several languages fluently and he spoke them in several foreign made movies. My article is "CHRISTOPHER LEE: Foreign Language Motion Pictures 1950 to 1970" at:
The Basic Screenplay:
The motion picture opens with "Dr. Mortimer", portrayed by Francis de Wolff, unseen, narrating the story of "Sir Hugo", portrayed by David Oxley. This sequence runs a full 8-minutes in length, at the appropriate moments, the music, some taken from Hammer's, 1958, "Dracula", increases the tension and terror.The sequence opens with a man pleading for his daughter as "Sir Hugo" forces him into a fireplace and his death. While, "Sir Hugo's" male guests watch, and in some cases, cheer him on.
During the above scene, there are cuts to the daughter, in her locked room. "Sir Hugo" makes a sexually implied wager about the girl, and then goes up a staircase to get her. He is followed by his guests, but she is gone, and this maddens him.
In his rage, "Sir Hugo" lets loose his hounds, mounts his horse, and goes after the girl. He follows her into the "Grimpen Mire", in turn being followed by his guests on their horses. The frightened girl is caught at what appears to be a "Druid Ruin" on the "Baskerville" estate, by "Sir Hugo" Where he pins the man's daughter down, takes out a knife, and murders her.
Suddenly, there is the horrific howl of a hound, "Sir Hugo" looks up, with obvious fear on his face, something attacks him. The knife he was holding, covered in Technicolor blood, is seen tossed away, letting the audience knows he has been killed - - -
- - -cut to seeing "Dr. Mortimer" finish telling the legend in the sitting room of 221-B Baker Street. As the doctor reads the line:The Hound of Hell! The Hound of the Baskervilles!In the sitting room is both "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D. and the audience sees "Holmes's" reaction to that last line. This opening sequence including Peter Cushing's reaction, is extremely effective and sets the mood for the audience.
After some questions from "Holmes" to "Dr. Mortimer", permitting the detective to obtain the true facts about the death of "Sir Charles". Which now includes one addition to the story, and that is that "Sir Charles" died on Friday, the 13th. A throw away line that adds to the Gothic Horror Theme throughout the screenplay. A slight change to Conan Doyle comes, when it is revealed that "Sir Henry" is coming from his home in Johannesburg, South Africa and not Toronto, Canada as in the novel and the 1939 production."Holmes" agrees to meet "Sir Henry" the next day at his hotel. There we have dialogue about "Sir Henry's" missing show, and another horror element added to the screenplay and not in the original novel. While holding his other shoe, a tarantula comes out of it, and moves up "Sir Henry's" sleeve. This is important as the audience already knows, from "Dr. Mortimer", also not in the novel, that the "Baskervilles" have an hereditary weak heart. 
After killing the tarantula, the scene leads to "Holmes" saying he has to finish work in London, but that "Dr. Watson" will accompany "Sir Henry" to "Baskerville Hall". On the way there, "Watson", "Sir Henry" and "Dr. Moritmer" are told of an escaped convict named "Seldon", portrayed by Michael Mulcaster, now somewhere on the "Grimpen Mire". Arriving at the Hall, "Watson" and "Sir Henry" are introduced to "Barrymore" portrayed by John le Mesurier, the family retainer.As the two are lead to their rooms, they notice that one of two portraits of "Sir Hugo" is missing, and "Barrymore" states it was stolen several months ago. On a walk the next morning, "Dr. Watson" meets "Stapleton" portrayed by Ewen Solon. Just before "Watson" was about to step on an animal trap set by the other man. "Stapleton" explains he must catch animals this way, as his Right Hand has Webbed Fingers. A point not in the actual Conan Doyle story."Stapleton" leaves, and "Watson" starts to walk along the road by the "Grimpen Mire". After being warned not to go off the road for his safety. As the doctor is enjoying his walk, he sees a girl sitting beside the road. She will turn out to be "Stapelton's Daughter Cecile" portrayed by Marla Landi. A name and relationship, changed from "Beryl" in the novel.
After seeing "Watson", "Cecile", who thinks he's "Sir Hendry", starts to run away, and "Watson" gives chase and gets himself caught in the mire. "Stapelton" appears, and tells "Cecile" to help him get the doctor out. She immediately appears confused by her father's words, but helps. It is then, that she finds out he is not "Sir Henry". The three return to Baskerville Hall in a cart driven by her father."Watson" and "Stapleton" enter the hall, but "Cecile" is told to remain with the cart. Shortly, "Sir Henry" appears on a horse and introduces himself. "Cecile" runs off, as she did with "Watson", and "Sir Henry" naturally follows, and catches up with her. "Cecile" impulsively kisses him, or it seems as such. She then goes back to the cart to leave with her father, coming after "Stapleton" has introduced himself to "Sir Henry".It is late evening, "Sir Henry" hears a noise, and goes to investigate. He is about to open a closed door with a light coming from under it. When "Watson" appears, and the two enter to find the room empty, but a candle burning on a window-seal. They look out the window and notice another far off light. They next leave Baskerville Hall for the mire to investigate.As the two walk toward where the light is still located. A strange man runs past them and the howling of the hound is heard. "Sir Henry" has a minor tension attack, from his heart, and "Watson" helps him back to the Hall. However, before the entered "Baskerville Hall". He had noticed a man silhouetted in the distance.Cut to "Watson' and "Dr. Mortimer" exiting "Sir Henry's" room. The other doctor was called for a second opinion. "Watson" wants to leave "Sir Henry" in "Mortimer's" care. While he goes in search of the silhouetted man.That man turns out to be "Holmes", and as the two are talking, the horrific howl of the hound is heard. Running towards the howling, they see a man attacked and killed. When the two reach the body, it is lying face down and from the clothing, "Holmes" deduces that "Sir Henry" has been killed. He tosses his coat over the body and tells "Watson" that he'll arrange for it to be picked up in the morning. Returning to "Baskerville Hall" they are surprised to find "Sir Henry" there, and "Holmes", to himself, realizes the hound has killed "Seldon".
As "Watson" takes "Sherlock Holmes" up to a room for the night. They stop at a portrait of "Sir Hugo", and "Holmes" asks the other about the missing picture? After which, the "Consulting Detective" makes a comment, that implies he expected the other portrait to be gone, and the two continue up the staircase.
Taking "Barrymore'" with them to get "Seldon's" body, the three discover it is missing, and has been moved to the "Druid Ruins" where "Sir Hugo" was killed. There they find that the body has been mutilated and beside it the original knife used by "Sir Hugo".
Upon returning to "Baskerville Hall", "Holmes" gets "Barrymore's" wife to reveal herself as the sister of the now dead convict. By asking a question not to "Mrs. Barrymore", but "Miss Seldon".After meeting "Bishop Frankland", portrayed by Miles Malleson. "Holmes" finds out about a stolen tarantula. Again, a slight change here, as the original character of "Frankland" was not a "Bishop", and this character isn't really the entomologist of Conan Doyle. He is more like the character of a snoop in the 1939 feature."Holmes", "Dr. Mortimer and "Stapleton" enter an old mine as "Watson" waits outside, if assistance is needed. The detective is working off a statement "Seldon" made to him about hearing the howling of the hound coming:From the Depths of Hell
and has deduced that it is being held underground. As the three work their way deep into the mine shaft. "Holmes" is asked what he's looking for and his reply is bones. Not referring to a human skeleton, but from meat left for the hound. Suddenly a mine cart comes at him taking down the supports and trapping the detective. The screenplay has been playing up the possibility that either "Dr. Mortimer", or "Stapleton" is the killer, and this scene gives the audience a further impressions of this idea. Which of course any reader of the novel would have known the difference.After digging to get "Holmes" out of the cave-in without any result. The men returning to their cart find "Sherlock Holmes" sitting there. He explains he would never enter a mine without knowing what escape routes it contained.
Later, "Sir Henry" visits the cottage home of the "Stapleton's", and finds "Cecile" alone there. She reveals herself to be a very angry young women, We learn she was born in Spain and her mother was Spanish. She was forced to come to England by her father. Who wanted to live in his homeland and not hers. Again, out of apparent passion for each other, the two kiss, as "Stapleton" enters. He invites "Sir Henry" and his guests to diner that night.In "Holmes'" room, "Sir Henry" tells both men about the dinner invitation. However, the detective makes an excuse that his injured leg, from the mine, will keep him at the hall, and besides "Sir Henry" didn't really want the two of them to come along. This is a dig "Holmes" purposely makes, because he wants to use "Sir Henry" as bait.After diner, "Cecile" takes "Sir Henry" to the "Druid Ruins". There, "Cecile" reveals to "Sir Henry", that she too is a "Baskerville", and was the one that lured "Sir Charles" to his death.Then the horrific howl of the hound is heard.
And "The Hound of Hell" appears in "Hammer" style.
"Holmes" and "Watson" come out of hiding and shoot the dog as it attacks "Sir Henry". "Stapleton" appears, attempts to stop them, is shot first by "Dr. Watson", and then mauled to death by the hound. In the novel, after being shot by "Watson", "Stapleton" disappears, and he is thought to have died in the "Grimpen Mire". Which is closer to the ending of the 1939 film version.
"Holmes" attempts to stop "Cecile", but she runs away towards the "Grimpen Mire". So, "Holmes" joins "Watson" in attending to "Sir Henry".
Next "Sir Henry" is made to face his fear of "The Hound of the Baskervilles". Which turns out to be a starved dog with a mask made by "Stapleton" to make it look more fearsome.It should be noted that neither the 1939 version, nor this film have the hound looking as written by Conan Doyle. In the novel, it is made to look ghost like by covering the dog's body with phosphorous.
As the three head back to "Baskerville Hall", they hear screams from "Cecil", as she has fallen into the mire and sinks beneath it.
In the novel, "Beryl Stapleton" does not die."Holmes" will explain that the reason the painting of "Sir Hugo" had been stolen, was that it showed his right hand to be webbed like "Stapleton". Cut to "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Watson" at breakfast back at 221-B. "Sir Henry" has sent "Holmes" the missing portrait of "Sir Hugo" for his famed crime collection. The closing line has nothing to do with a Seven Percent Solution. Instead ,"Holmes" in reply to "Watson's" inquiry about how he figured the mystery out. Says:ELEMENTARY DEAR WATSON, ELEMENTARY, HAVE A MUFFIN?
Did you ever have the right group together to make a feature film, but it comes out terrible?
Sherlock Holmes und das Halsband des Todes (Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace) premiered in West Germany on November 30, 1962
This was a West German, Italian, French, United Kingdom, co-production with a screenplay written by an American. As I mention above, the film was released in West Germany on November 30, 1962, Italy on May 3, 1963 and in France on May 20, 1964. The movie did not play in UK theaters until 1968. I saw it in December 1966, on the U.S. Navy base in Naples, Italy, and understand that it went directly to television in the United States around that time.
The story was based upon three characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The original screenplay was by American Curt Siodmak, among his screenplays are 1941's, "The Wolf Man", 1943's, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man", and directed by his film-noir brother, Robert, 1943's, "Son of Dracula", a throw back to German cinema's silent expressionist period. My article is "CURT AND ROBERT SIODMAK: Horror and Film Noir" for your enjoyment at:
The motion picture was directed by British director Terence Fisher. He had just directed Herbert Lom as 1962's, "The Phantom of the Opera", and followed this motion picture with 1964's, "The Gorgon", starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Barbara Shelley.
The Four Leading Actor's:
Christopher Lee portrayed "Sherlock Holmes", take a look at his nose in the following still. Lee made the decision to change his own to one resembling the Sidney Paget drawings based upon Conan Doyle's description of the detective . He had just been seen in the United Kingdom, West Germany, and Ireland co-production, 1962's "The Devil's Agent", and followed this feature with the Macdonald Carey and Barbara Shelley, 1963, "Stranglehold".
Lee spoke fluent German, but the West German producer, Artur Brauner, for some odd reason, wanted the film shot in English. Then he had a German language track made for the initial release and Christopher Lee's English language voice was dubbed into German by Harry Wustenhagen. Next, things get even weirder, because Brauner had the original English language track. However, he had Lee, and all the other actor's voices dubbed back into English. For the actor, it was by William Kiehl, who was an American and had a definite mid-Atlantic accent.
Thorley Walters portrayed "John H. Watson, M.D.". Walters was a British character actor who could handle quoting Shakespeare in one line and switch to "Monty Python" in the next. He had just been seen in 1962's, "The Phantom of the Opera", and followed this film with the Peter Sellers satire comedy, 1963's, "Heavens Above!". Thorley Walters would play "Watson" in two major comedies, 1969's, "The Best House in London", and Gene Wilder's, 1975's, "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother".
Walters said his lines in English and for the German original, his voice was dubbed by voice actor, Alexander Welbat. Who re-dubbed his English language lines, I could not locate.
Hans Sohnker portrayed "Professor Moriarty". Before this feature film, he had the uncredited role of a German Officer in producer Darryl F. Zanuck's, 1962 Second World War epic, "The Longest Day".
Senta Berger portrayed "Ellen Blackburn". The Vienna, Austria, born actress had just been seen in another "Dr. Mabuse" movie that went back. to a series started by director Fritz Lang during the silent film era in Germany, 1962's, "Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse" aka: "The Terror of Doctor Mabuse". She followed this motion picture with Walt Disney's, 1963, "The Waltz King".
In
1978, Christopher Lee and director
Terence Fisher were interviewed by
"Sherlock Holmes" scholar,
David Stuart Davies, for his book
"Holmes of the movies: the screen career of Sherlock Holmes" found on line at:
https://archive.org/details/holmesofmoviessc0000davi
From the book, Lee is quoted as saying to the interviewer:
I think it was a pity, this film, in more ways than one. We should never have made it in Germany with German actors, although we had a British art director and a British director. It was a hodge podge of stories put together by the German producers, who ruined it. My portrayal of Holmes is, I think, one of the best things I've ever done because I tried to play him really as he was written, as a very intolerant, argumentative, difficult man, and I looked extraordinarily like him with the make-up. Everyone who's seen it said I was as like Holmes as any actor they've ever seen both in appearance and interpretation.
Having written on the work of Curt Siodmak, and having seen many of his motion pictures, the line by Lee:
It was a hodge hodge of stories put together by the German producers,
Leads me to wonder what Curt's original screenplay about the theft of a necklace said to have been worn by "Queen Cleopatra" might have looked like? The plot, once the audience actually reaches it, is about "Professor Moriarty" stealing the necklace and "Sherlock Holmes" retrieving it.
The BBC made a pilot for a planned "Sherlock Holmes", television series. The pilot based upon "The Speckled Band", was aired on the television series "Detective", May 18, 1964. Portraying "Sherlock Holmes" was portrayed by Douglas Wilmer and "Dr. Watson" was portrayed by Nigel Stock. More after the next movie.
It was inevitable that someone would come up with a screenplay pitting "Holmes" and "Watson" against the one murderer that "Queen Victoria's" reign is forever remembered.
A STUDY IN TERROR was released in the United Kingdom in October 1965 Below is one of the original UK posters.
This motion picture came from "Sir Nigel FIlms". "Sir Nigel" was a 1905 novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film company was set up by his estate with the aim of exploiting his literary works for motion pictures and television and overseeing any stories containing his characters, especially "Sherlock Holmes". The chairman of the board was his son, Arthur Conan Doyle. At this time, the rights to make a film about "Holmes" was held by the "Mirisch Company", but their film was delayed. That meant another company's film with the character could go forward and "Sir Nigel" was given the go ahead. They needed monetary assistance and two others were brought on-board, "Britain's Compton Group", and American producer Herman Cohen, 1954's, "Target Earth", 1957's, "I Was a Teenage Werewolf", 1959's, 'Horrors of the Black Museum", and 1961's, "Konga".
The original story idea of having "Sherlock Holmes" solve the "Ripper murders", came from brother's Derek and Donald Ford, but writer Henry Craig was brought in, uncredited, to rework the Ford's screenplay.
Documentary film maker, James Hill was the director, and would follow this picture with 1966's, "Born Free".
John Neville portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Neville started on stage at the "Old Vic" and appeared with another young actor, Richard Burton. Neville ended his "Old Vic" career portraying "Hamlet" opposite a young actress name Judi Dench. He started appearing in dramatic television programs from the BBC and ITV in 1948. His first motion picture was 4th-billing in 1960's, "Oscar Wilde", starring Robert Morley, and Sir Ralph Richardson. John Neville had just starred in the excellent horror-science fiction, 1963's, "Unearthly Stranger". In 1988, he starred in Terry Gilliam's, "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen".
Donald Houston portrayed "Doctor Watson". His first motion picture was 1949's, "The Blue Lagoon", opposite Jean Simmons. Houston's later films included 1958's, "Room at the Top", Walt Disney's 1962, "The Prince and the Pauper", 1962's, "The 300 Spartans", and 1962's, "The Longest Day", and 1976, "Voyage of the Damned".
John Fraser portrayed "Lord Edward Carfax". Fraser was 5th-billed in 1960's, "Tunes of Glory", starring Sir Alec Guinness and Sir John Mills, he was 5th-billed portraying "Prince Alfonso", in 1961's, "El Cid", starring Charlton Heston and Sofia Loren, and just before this feature film, John Fraser co-starred with Catherine Deneuve and Ian Henry, in director Roman Polanski's, 1965, "Repulsion".
Dame Judi Dench portrayed "Sally Young". Judi Dench started on television in 1959, and her first motion picture wasn't until 1962. Among her films were several Shakespeare films, 1968's, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", 1979's, "Macbeth", 1989's, "Henry V", 1996's, "Macbeth", and starting in 1995, with "Goldeneye", Judi Dench became "M" in 7-James Bond feature films.
Sir Anthony Quayle portrayed "Doctor Murray". Among his varied motion pictures are Sir Laurence Olivier's, 1948, "Hamlet", director Alfred Hitchcock's, 1948, "The Wrong Man", starring Henry Fonda, 1961's, "The Guns of Navarone", 1962's, "Lawrence of Arabia", and 1964's, "The Fall of the Roman Empire".
Robert Morley portrays the first appearance of "Mycroft Holmes", "Sherlock's older brother". In 1938, Morley portrayed "King Louis XVI" in "Marie Antonette", starring Norma Shearer and Tyrone Power, he was Katharine Hepburn's brother in director John Huston's, 1951's, "The African Queen", he was Peterson in John Huston's, 1953, "Beat the Devil", co-starring with Humphrey Bogart, Jennifer Jones, and Gina Lollobrigida, and in 1960's, he was "Oscar Wilde".
Frank Finlay portrayed "Inspector Lestrade". Character actor Frank Finlay started his career on British television from 1956 into 1962, before his first motion pictures with uncredited roles in both "The Longest Day", and "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner". His character work includes "Iago", in Sir Laurence Olivier's, 1965, "Othello", "Jean Valjean" in a 10-part, 1967, television mini-series of French author Victor Hugo's, "Les Miserables", and "Professor Abraham von Helsing", in the 1977, British made for television production of Bram Stoker's, "Dracula", starring Louis Jourdan as the count.
Above left to right, Robert Morley, Donald Huston, John Neville, and Frank Finlay
The following are some stills from the motion picture, but I am not going to reveal who the "Ripper" is in "A Study in Terror". Instead, as of this writing, the following link takes my reader to the "Internet Archieve's" excellent print of the motion picture for you to follow "Holmes" and "Watson" as they solve "The White Chapel Murders"
https://archive.org/details/a-study-in-terror-1965-full-movies-hd
For those of my readers into "Jack the Ripper", may article is "JACK THE RIPPER: In Motion Pictures and Television" slashing "Ladies of the Night" at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/09/jack-ripper-in-motion-picture-and.html
SHERLOCK HOLMES on 1960's television
The BBC's pilot for a "Sherlock Holmes" television series, that was seen on "Detective", was picked up and became the BBC television series, "Sherlock Holmes", which ran from February 20, 1965 through May 8, 1965.
As with the pilot, Douglas Wilmer portrayed "Holmes". Wilmer's professional acting started in 1945 on the legitimate stage. His transition to television and feature films came in 1953, and his first feature film was in 1954's, "The Men of Sherwood Forest". Which he followed with a television appearance in an episode of 1955's, "The Adventures of Robin Hood", starring Richard Greene. In 1961, Wilmer appeared as "Moutamin"in director Anthony Mann's, "El Cid". In 1963 the actor appeared as "Decimus" in the Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Rex Harrison, "Cleopatra", and also as "Pelias", in stop motion animator Ray Harryhausen's, "Jason and the Argonauts". Douglas Wilmer was "Niger", in Anthony Mann's epic, 1964, "The Fall of the Roman Empire".
Nigel Stock was also back as "Dr. Watson". Stock's first role was as an uncredited "Office Boy", in 1936's, "The Man Who Could Work Miracles", one of only two screenplays written by H.G. Wells. He had 6th-billing in the classic British 1948 film-noir, "Brighton Rock", starring Sir Richard Attenborough, and the future 1st "Dr. Who", William Hartnell. Nigel Stock was in two classic British Second World War motion pictures, 1955's, "The Dam Busters", and 1956's, "The Pursuit of the Graf Spee". Staying with the Second World War, he was in the cast of 1963's, "The Great Escape", and the French picture, 1964's, "Weekend at Dunkirk".
There was a 3-year break in the television series and it returned with a new "Sherlock Holmes" and title. "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes" aka: "The Cases of Sherlock Holmes", and ran from September 9, 1968 through December 23, 1968.
Portraying "Sherlock Holmes" was Peter Cushing, but continuing as "Dr. Watson" was "Nigel Stock". Before the show was started, Cushing was seen in 1968's, "The Blood Beast Terror", and followed it in 1969's, "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed".
Nigel Stock had returned as "Dr. Watson". One month after the program rebooted, Stock was seen in 1968's, "The Lion in Winter", starring Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn. He followed this television show with the 1970 historical biography, "Cromwell", starring Richard Harris, and Sir Alec Guinness.
At the same time that the BBC was running their "Sherlock Holmes", Germany had one of their own. The 6-teleplays were adapted and slightly changed from episodes of the first series of British programs. They ran from August 28, 1967 through February 13, 1968.
Above left is Erich Schellow portraying "Sherlock Holmes", and Paul Edwin Roth portraying "Dr. Watson", in "Das Haus bei den Blutbuchen (The House of the Copper Beaches)" aka: "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches". Which was the last episode in the series.
While Germany was running its "Sherlock Holmes" series, in Italy was another television "Sherlock Holmes" program. In this case, it was two of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novels, "La valle della paura (The Valley of Fear)", ran as a 3-part mini-series, October 25 through November 8, 1968. The second program was "L'ultimo dei Baskerville (The Last of the Baskervilles)", aka: "The Hound of the Baskervilles", ran as a 3-part mini-series, November 15 through November 29, 1968.
Above right is Nando Gazzolo portraying "Sherlock Holmes", and portraying "Dr. Watson" is Gianni Bonagura.
Next the "World's First Consulting Detective" was back on the big screen in a controversial motion picture by a major American director.
THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES was released in both the United States and Sweden on October 29, 1970
The motion picture was directed by the motion picture primary producer and co-screenplay writer Billy Wilder. My article is "Director WILLIAM WYLER---Director BILLY WILDER: Clearing Some of the Confusion Among Classic Movie Lovers" at:
https://www.bewaretheblog.com/2021/09/director-william-wyler-director-billy.html
The other screenplay writer was I.A.L, Diamond, who worked with Wilder on 1959's, "Some Like It Hot", 1960's, "The Apartment", and 1963's, "Irma la Douce", among other films and was also a co-producer on this picture.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle received credit for creating the characters.
Robert Stephens portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". London stage actor, Stephens, was first seen in both television and motion pictures in 1956. His first movie role was as a "uncredited Russian Officer talking to Natasha", portrayed by Audrey Hepburn, in director King Vidor's version of Russian author Leo Tolstoy's, "War and Peace". In 1961, he co-starred with Rita Tushingham, in director Tony Richarson's, 1961, "A Touch of Honey". In 1963, Stephens portrayed "Germanicus", in the Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Rex Harrison, epic, "Cleopatra", and just before this feature film. He portrayed "Teddy Lloyd", co-starring with Dame Maggie Smith, in 1969's, "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie".
Colin Blakely portrayed "Dr. Watson". His first 5-roles were all in 1960 on British television. Blakely's first motion picture was a British western set in South Africa, 1961's, "The Hellions", starring Sir Richard Todd. He was seen in the Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts, 1963, "This Sporting Life", and the following year's, Vikings vs Moor's, "The Long Ships", starring Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, and Russ Tamblyn. Colin Blakely was also seen in Walt Disney's, 1965, "The Legend of Young Dick Turpin", in 1969, the historical drama, "Alfred the Great".
Genevieve Page portrayed "Gabrielle Valladon". The Paris, France born actress was first seen on-screen in 1950, and her first English language motion picture was 1956's, "Foreign Intrigue", co-starring with Robert Mitchum. In 1961, she portrayed the manipulative "Princess Urraca", in director Anthony Mann's, "El Cid". While in 1966. she portrayed "Monique Delvaux-Sarte" in "Gran Prix".
Christopher Lee portrayed the very thin "Mycroft Holmes". Originally, Billy Wilder offered it to the perfect actor, James Robertson Justice, but the actor refused the role. It meant shaving off his beard. Next, the role went to George Sanders, film started being shot, but Sanders medical condition became a problem and Christopher Lee took over the role. Lee was very happy, because he had a chance to do something other than horror. At the time, the picture prior to this movie was "Hammer's", 1970, "Taste the Blood of Dracula", and he would follow this feature with "Hammer's", 1970's, "Scars of Dracula".
Irene Handl portrayed "Mrs. Hudson". The British character actress on started on-screen as a "Chambermaid", in the 1937 comedy, "Missing, Believed Married". Her final and 185th-role was as a "Judge" on the British television series, "The Management", in 1988.
The Basic Plot:
What's seen on screen hints of what was edited out and what reminds are two separate stories, indicating there was to have been more of different lengths.
The first is the shortest, and has "Sherlock Holmes" being approached by a Russian man named "Ronozhin", portrayed by Clive Revill. "Ronozhin" informs "Holmes" that the famed Russian ballerina, "Madame Petrova", portrayed by Tamara Toumanova, has a request and would like to see "The Consulting Detective". She wants "Holmes" to be the father of her child. "Petrova's" thinking is that their baby would have her beauty and his brains. "Holmes" politely turns the offer down and suggests "Watson". It is in this sequence that it is implied that "Sherlock Holmes" may be a homosexual.
Above in the mirror is Robert Stephens, Tamara Toumanova is seated next to Clive Revill
The second story involves a Belgian woman, "Gabrielle Valladon". Who is fished out of the Thames River and taken to "Sherlock Holmes". She wants "Holmes" to find her missing engineer husband. The investigation takes "Gabrielle", "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Watson" to Scotland, and Loch Ness. On their way to the loch, the three see both a group of "Monk's" and another of "Dwarf's". Both seem to have something to do with a castle that canneries and sulfuric acid are being delivered too. "Holmes" makes the logical deduction that the canaries are to detect chlorine gas created by the sulfuric acid mixing with water. Also, "Watson" claims to have seen "Nessie".
The three go out on Loch Ness and are attacked by "The Loch Ness Monster".
Explanation comes from "Mycroft Holmes" at the secret British Navy base, aka: the castle.
The "Loch Ness Monster" is actually a pre-First World War submarine disguised to keep enemy spies away. The submarine was designed by the unseen, "Monsieur Valladon", and the "Dwarf's" were the British Navy crewmen, because of the interior size of the submarine.
As for the "Monk's", they're a German crew to man the British submarine after German spy, "Fraulein von Hoffmanstal" gets them access. Oh, one other thing, "Sherlock", you've been helping the unmarried German spy calling herself, "Gabrielle Valladon".
Above, "Queen Victoria", portrayed by Mollie Maureen, visits the submarine, note the "Loch Ness Monster's" head is hanging above the sub.
Once again it was:
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES but made for "American Broadcasting Company (ABC)" television on February 12, 1972
The teleplay for this 74-minute made for television movie, was written by television writer Robert E. Thompson. His total output between 1956 and 1991 were 76-teleplays, and as co-writer of the 1969 feature film, "They Shoot Horse Don't They?".
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was given credit for writing the novel.
The movie was directed by Barry Crane, whose total career as a television director, between 1968 and 1985, was 130-teleplays.
Stewart Granger portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Prior to this "made for television movie", Granger was a regular, portraying "Colonel Alan MacKenzie", in 24-episodes of the television series, "The Virginian". He followed this teleplay with 1978's, "The Wild Geese".
Bernard Fox portrayed "Dr. Watson". The Welsh character actor had just been seen on the television series, "Night Gallery", on November 17, 1971, "House with Ghost", but was also still appearing on television's "Bewitched", portraying the recurring role of "Dr. Bombay". Fox followed this movie with the pilot, September 17, 1972, for the television series, "Anna and the King", starring Yul Brynner.
I don't know if it was one of the three producers, the director, or the actor that came up with the casting of "Sir Hugo Baskerville", but they blow the whole mystery as to who's behind the hound.
William Shatner portrays not Conan Doyle's "Jack Stapleton", but "George Stapleton". The host of Canada's, "Howdy Doody" children's television program as "Ranger Bob", had just co-starred on the made for television science fiction motion picture, 1972's, "The People". He followed this made for television movie, with the episode, "Can a Deadman Strike from the Grave", February 26, 1972, on the horror television program, "The Sixth Sense".
Why I've mentioned somebody blowing up the mystery, is because William Shatner also portrayed "Sir Hugo Baskerville". Which might have sounded like a good idea, but even if you were unfamiliar with the idea of "Stapelton" being related to the "Baskerville family". Look at the following photo of William Shatner portraying "Sir Hugo", because if you knew the actor from "Star Trek", you knew the face. Let alone the voice!
Ian Ireland portrayed
"Sir Henry Baskerville". George Ian Kenneth Ireland was a Scottish television actor and his total roles from
1965 through
1992 were
26. However, for ten-years he was the director of the
"Royal Lyceum Theatre" in
Edinburgh.
Jane Merrow portrayed "Beryl Stapleton". Among the British actress's 92 film and mainly British television roles. Although for a short time she lived in the United. States and appeared on several American television shows.
Anthony Zerbe portrayed "Dr. Mortimer". The previous year he had portrayed "Matthias" in "The Omega Man", starring Charlton Heston and based upon writer Richard Matheson's, "I Am Legend". Otherwise at the time, the character actor was mainly appearing on television.
Another example of the teleplay changing character's was with:
Sally Ann Howes portraying not "Laura Lyons", but now "Laura Frankland". Which clearly made her the daughter of the now, "Arthur Frankland", portrayed by John Williams, leaving out much about both characters from the novel.
This cutdown version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the pilot for a proposed NBC classic detective series, but the "Los Angeles Times" for February 12, 1972, described the production as:
laborious, talky, often poorly staged and it suffers intermittently with show and tell direction
Needless to say, there never was a detective series.
While back in the United Kingdom, when "Sherlock Holmes" is away, "Watson" shall play.
DOCTOR WATSON AND THE DARKWATER HALL MYSTERY shown on the BBC, December 27, 1974
The teleplay was written by Sir Kingsley William Amis, an English comic-novelist, non-fiction writer, science fiction editor, poet, screenplay writer, critic of Ian Fleming's "James Bond" and wrote two major works on the subject, and teacher.
The teleplay references Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "A Study in Scarlet", "The Adventure of Black Peter", "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual", and "The Adventure of the Speckled Band".
James Cellan Jones was a television director and in 1966, he directed the 6-part version of French author Victor Hugo's, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". In 1967, Jones directed 6-episodes of the critically acclaimed, "The Forstye Saga", and just before this production. James Cellan Jones directed the 7-part, 1967, "Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill", starring American actress, Lee Remick.
Edward Fox portrayed "Doctor John H. Watson". Among his motion pictures roles, was as the original "Jackal", in 1973, still excellent, "The Day of the Jackal", "Lieutenant General Horrocks", in director Sir Richard Attenborough's version of Second World War writer, Cornelius Ryan's, 1977, "A Bridge to Far", and when Sean Connery returned as "James Bond" for his second time. In a movie title from what his wife told him about playing the character, 1983's, "Never Say Never Again", Edward Fox was "M".
While back in the United Kingdom, when "Sherlock Holmes" is away, "Watson" shall play.
DOCTOR WATSON AND THE DARKWATER HALL MYSTERY shown on the BBC, December 27, 1974
The teleplay was written by Sir Kingsley William Amis, an English comic-novelist, non-fiction writer, science fiction editor, poet, screenplay writer, critic of Ian Fleming's "James Bond" and wrote two major works on the subject, and teacher.
The teleplay references Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "A Study in Scarlet", "The Adventure of Black Peter", "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual", and "The Adventure of the Speckled Band".
James Cellan Jones was a television director and in 1966, he directed the 6-part version of French author Victor Hugo's, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". In 1967, Jones directed 6-episodes of the critically acclaimed, "The Forstye Saga", and just before this production. James Cellan Jones directed the 7-part, 1967, "Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill", starring American actress, Lee Remick.
Edward Fox portrayed "Doctor John H. Watson". Among his motion pictures roles, was as the original "Jackal", in 1973, still excellent, "The Day of the Jackal", "Lieutenant General Horrocks", in director Sir Richard Attenborough's version of Second World War writer, Cornelius Ryan's, 1977, "A Bridge to Far", and when Sean Connery returned as "James Bond" for his second time. In a movie title from what his wife told him about playing the character, 1983's, "Never Say Never Again", Edward Fox was "M".
"Sherlock Holmes" is away and "Watson" is alone in 221-B. When a lovely young woman comes for help and the doctor is off to "Darkwater Hall" to solve a mystery.
I looked at several reviews and no one seems to either understand what Kingsley Amis wrote, or why the killer is the obvious choice of "Paul 'Black' Paul", portrayed by Anthony Langdon, seen below with Edward Fox.
Then there's a little sex between "Dr. Watson" and the maid, "Dolores", portrayed by Carmen Gómez.
At the time of this writing, the following link will take my reader to this episode in "Dr. Watson's" life. Should they want to:
I looked at several reviews and no one seems to either understand what Kingsley Amis wrote, or why the killer is the obvious choice of "Paul 'Black' Paul", portrayed by Anthony Langdon, seen below with Edward Fox.
Then there's a little sex between "Dr. Watson" and the maid, "Dolores", portrayed by Carmen Gómez.
At the time of this writing, the following link will take my reader to this episode in "Dr. Watson's" life. Should they want to:
Possibly playing off the publicity for a major "Sherlock Holmes" motion picture that was to be released to movie theaters 6-days-later was:
SHERLOCK HOLMES IN NEW YORK was made for the "National Broadcasting Company (NBC)" first shown on the network October 18, 1976
The screenplay was by television writer Alvin Sapinsley, who had been writing television teleplays since 1949's, "The Front Page". Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was given credit for creating the characters.
The teleplay was directed by Boris Sagal, who has been directing teleplays since 1955's, "Christmas with Charles Laughton". His only feature film was 1971's, "The Omega Man".
Roger Moore was the very handsome "Sherlock Holmes". Moore had just co-starred with Lee Marvin, in 1976's, "Shot at the Devil", and followed this made-for-television movie with his 3rd-"James Bond" feature film, 1977's, "The Spy Who Loved Me".
John Huston portrayed "Professor Moriarty". As an actor, John Houston had just portrayed "John Hay" in 1975's, "The Wind and the Lion", starring Sean Connery and Candice Bergen. As a director he had just directed 1975's, "The Man Who Would Be King", starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine. My article is "JOHN HUSTON: 'Moby Dick' 1956, 'The Barbarian and the Geisha' 1958, 'Freud: The Secret Passion' 1962 and 'The List of Adrian Messenger' 1963"
Patrick Macnee portrayed "Dr. Watson". Macnee was "John Steed" for 161-episodes of the British television series, "The Avengers". He was currently being seen in the first episodes of 1976's "The New Avengers".
Charlotte Rampling portrayed "Irene Adler". She portrayed "Velma - Mrs. Grayle", in 1975's, "Farewell, My Lovely", starring Robert Mitchum portraying "Philip Marlowe". She followed this feature film with the adventure horror movie, co-starring Richard Harris, 1977's, "Orca".
Let's see, "James Bond", oops, "Sherlock Holmes",is living at 221-B Baker Street in London, and we know that because Marjorie Bennett is there as "Mrs. Hudson". After the teleplay has established that fact, "Holmes" travels to New York City, along with "Dr. Watson". Where "Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade", oops again, "New York Police Inspector Lafferty", portrayed by David Huddleston, needs his help to find out how, during the night, to an entire vault of gold bars in a New York City Bank seemingly disappeared.
It seems, that "Professor Moriarty" has also crossed the pond to New York City, and is behind the gold bar theft. Wait, so apparently, has "entertainer' "Irene Adler" traveled there, and "Moriarty" has kidnapped her illegitimate son. A son, "Irene" asks "Sherlock" to save. There is a hint that the boy may be "Sherlock's" son. Which isn't too far off, as he is played by Roger Moore's son, "Geoffrey Moore". Of course, the handsomest "Sherlock Holmes" in television and movies solved the mystery and saves the boy.
In comparison, the other "Sherlock Holmes" movie was nominated for the "Best Screenplay - Based upon material from another medium, Academy Award", the "Best Costume Academy Award", nominated for the "Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium, Writers Guild of American award", nominated for "Best Science Fiction Film, Saturn Award".
THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION premiered in New York City on October 24, 1976
In 1974, my fellow "Sherlockian", and a member of the Los Angeles chapter of "The Baker Street Irregulars", Nicolas Meyer, published his novel "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution", based upon characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In 1976, he wrote this screenplay, and the year before he had come up with the story and co-wrote the made-for-televison, "Night That Panicked America", about Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" broadcast. Nicolas would follow this feature film, both writing the screenplay and directing, 1979's, "Time After Time". Which has "Jack the Ripper" stealing H.G. Wells' actual Time Machine and Well's chasing him to 1979, San Francisco. Nicholas Meyer would follow that motion picture, by again writing the screenplay and directing, 1982's, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan".
The motion picture was directed by Herbert Ross. Ross directed Peter O'Toole and Petula Clark in the 1969 musical version of "Goodbye Mr. Chips", the Barbara Streisand and George Segal, 1970 comedy, "The Owl and the Pussycat", the Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, 1972, "Play It Again, Sam", and the Barbara Streisand, James Caan, and Omar Sharif, 1975, "Funny Lady".
Alan Arkin portrayed Sigmund Freud. Arkin was just seen in the comedy western, 1975's, "Hearts of the West", and followed this feature film with a February 16, 1977 episode of "Captain Kangaroo".
Vanessa Redgrave portrayed "Lola Deveraux". Redgrave had co-starred with Glenda Jackson and Patrick McGoohan, in 1971's, "Mary, Queen of Scots", in 1974, she was one of the suspects in Agatha Christie's, "Murder on the Orient Express", and in 1979, she starred as "Agatha".
Robert Duvall portrayed "Dr. Watson". Duvall had some interesting roles, including creating "Army Major Frank Burns", in director Robert Altman's, 1970, "M.A.S.H.", becoming director George Lucas's, 1971, "THX 1138", and "Tom Hagan", in director Francis Ford Coppola's, 1972's,
"Godfather", but most of all, loving the smell of napalm in the morning, in Coppola's, 1979, "Apocalypse Now".
Nicol Williamson portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Scottish actor Williamson had just been seen as "Little John", in 1976's, "Robin and Marion", starring Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, and Robert Shaw. He followed this picture with director Herbert Ross's version of playwright Neil Simon's, 1977, "The Goodbye Girl". Nicol Williamson was mesmerizing as "Merlin" director John Boorman's, "Excalibur".
Sir Laurence Olivier portrayed "Professor James Moriarty". Olivier had just portrayed the Nazi "Dr. Christian Szell" in 1976, "The Marathon Man". The actor followed this motion picture with a television version of playwright, Tennessee Williams's, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", portraying "Big Daddy".
Joel Grey portrayed "Lowenstein". In 1972, Grey was the "Master of Ceremonies", in the dark musical set in 1931, Berlin, Germany, "Willkommen". Just prior to this motion picture, Joel Grey, co-starred with Paul Newman and Kevin McCarthy in the 1976 comedy satire, "Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson".
Samantha Eggar portrayed "Mary Watson". Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar was in a must see thriller from director William Wyler, 1965's, "The Collector". Her performance earned the actress a "Best Actress Academy Award" nomination, the Best Actress Golden Globe, and a Cannes Film Festival Award. At the time she was guest appearing on American television.
Charles Gray portrayed "Mycroft Holmes". Gray was "General Allenby", in director David Lean's, 1962, "Lawrence of Arabia", technically it was Gray's voice that is heard in the role, because the actor doesn't appear on-screen. Charles Gray's first "James Bond" role was as "Henderson" in 1967's, "You Only Live Twice". His second was as "Blofeld", in 1971's, "Diamonds are Forever". In 1975, Charles Gray was "The Criminologist" doing "The Time Warp", in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show".
Georgia Brown portrayed "Mrs. Freud". Brown had just portrayed "Jenny Jones" in 1976's, "The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones", and followed this feature film with made for television movie about the early life of actor "Paul Muni", 1978's, "The Actor".
As to the story, I really suggest my reader watch the motion picture, or read, is that still permissible in our computerized world, the novel?
The basic story is set in 1891, which in chronological order, is between Sir Arthur Coan Doyle's, "The Final Problem", published in 1893, but also set in 1891, and "The Adventure of the Empty House", published in 1903, with the events starting on March 30th.
The title came from "Sherlock Holmes's" use of cocaine, acceptable in Victorian, England, and administered to him, sometimes, by "Dr. Watson" in a seven-per-cent-solution. There is that reference to his drug habit, without mentioning the specifics, with the last line of dialogue in the 1939, "The Hound of the Baskervilles". Otherwise the movies and television series stayed away from an addicted "Sherlock Holmes" manly because the censors wouldn't permit it on both sides of the pond.
The basic problem is that "Dr. Watson" believes his friend has been hallucinating from his cocaine usage to "improve his thinking". This is specifically related to the kind professor of mathematics, his actual profession according to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "Professor James Moriarty". Whom "Holmes's" hallucinations have turned the mathematician into "The Napoleon of Crime".
The basic solution, that "Dr. Watson" comes up with, is to get "Mycroft Holmes's" to help him trick "Sherlock" into visiting "Dr. Sigmund Freud", in Vienna, Austria, and then:
THE GAMES AFOOT!
When "Sherlock Holmes" gets "Dr. Freud", to play "Watson", and work a case with him. As author, screenplay writer, and director, Nicholas Meyer, takes the audience, or reader of his novel, into the non-motion picture and television version of "Sherlock Holmes". As the motion picture viewer enters the psyche of "The World's First Consulting Detective", to solve the case with "Freud" and prevent a European War.
Above, no that's not
"Count Dracula", but
Jeremy Kemp portraying the evil
"Baron von Leinsdorf".
For those of my readers who might be into radio programs. The following link takes them to a BBC, different cast, radio version of "The Seven-Per-Cent-Solution" novel from January, 1993.
Harlech Television (an ITV Franchise in both Wales and the West United Kingdom) and TVO (TVOntario, Canada) co-produced a series of half-hour television films under the umbrella of "Classics Dark and Dangerous".
SILVER BLAZE premiered on "Sunday Drama", January 20, 1977
The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle short story was adapted for a teleplay by English writer and screenplay writer Julian Bond. Be careful researching this name, because there are at least two on-line. "Wikipedia's" page specifically for this program took be to the American Civil Rights writer and activist.
The teleplay was directed by John Davies. He directed the 4-episode, "Dr. Who" program, "The Macra Terror", starring the 2nd-Doctor, Patrick Troughton. Davies also directed the 20-episode BBC mini-series of Russian author Leo Tolstoy's, "War and Peace", starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, 1972 into 1973,
Christopher Plummer portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Plummer had just portrayed "Herod Antipas" in the 1977, television mini-series, "Jesus of Nazareth", and followed this teleplay with the Swedish motion picture thriller, 1977's, "Uppdraget (The Assignment)".
Thorley Walters once again, portrayed "Dr. Watson". He followed this teleplay portraying "Norfolk", in the 1977 motion picture version of Edgar Rice Burrough's, "The People Who Time Forgot".
This was a 30-minute adaptation of the short story and fairly accurate compared to other productions. It was hope to start of a "Sherlock Holmes" mini-series with at least six, also accurate, stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. However, the production was shelved for 18-months before release and not such series was considered. One noted element in this teleplay was Christopher Plummer playing up on "Holmes's" cocaine addiction.
I now come to what should have been a great British comedic version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "The Hound of the Baskervilles".
The film starred Peter Cook portraying "Sherlock Holmes", Dudley Moore portraying "Dr. Watson"
and three other created characters including "Mrs. Ada Holmes". The cast also included, Denholm Elliot portraying "Stapleton", Joan Greenwood portraying "Beryl Stapleton", Terry-Thomas
portraying "Dr. Mortimer", Kenneth Williams portraying "Sir Henry Baskerville", and Hugh Griffith portraying "Frankland".
The motion picture premiered in West Germany, although this was an entirely British production, on July 21, 1978, Austria in August, and wasn't released in the United Kingdom until October 1978. The critics attacked the motion picture and it came, almost unnoticed, to the United States in November 1981, and disappeared.
SHERLOCK HOLMES on 1979 Foreign television
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND DOCTOR WATSON
Sheldon Reynolds, the creator and producer of the 1954 television series, made a new series of 24
original stories. His first series was filmed in France with a French film crew, this new series was filmed in Poland with a Polish film crew on a very low budget.
The series, as with his 1954 program, was based upon the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the teleplays were written by both Sheldon Reynolds and American television writers
Harold Jack Bloom, and Robin Bishop.
The director was Freddie Francis, 1963's, "Paranoiac", 1964's, "The Evil of Frankenstein", and 1965's, "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors".
Geoffrey Whitehead portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Whitehead was a British television dramatic actor, but did portray "Professor Moriarty" in a BBC 2, radio spoof of the detective, as part of his roles in, "The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes", between January and February, 1999.
Donald Pickering portrayed "Dr. Watson". Pickering also was mainly a British television actor.
This series is consider very obscure and before ITV was to show it, they dropped it, and it was only shown in Poland.
Приключения Шерлока Холмса и доктора Ватсона (THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES AND DR. WATSON)
This was a Russian television series, that between 1979 and 1986, produced several short stories and two novels as close to Sir Conan Doyle's writings as possible.
The entire series was directed by Igor Maslennikov.
Vasily Livanov portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". For his outstanding portrayal of "Sherlock Holmes", Livanov was presented with the "Order of the British Empire".
Vitaly Solomin portrayed "Dr. Watson".
These productions with same leading cast members were released in Russia as:
1979 - Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
1980 - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
1981 - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Hound of the Baskervilles
1983 - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Treasures of Agra (The Sign of the Four)
1986 - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The 20th Century Approaches
There is a statue, below, of the two actors that was made by a Russian sculptor and placed in front of the British Embassy.
It was time for "Sherlock Holmes" to once more track down "The White Chapel Murderer" with an all-star cast.
MURDER BY DECREE released first in Canada on February 1, 1979
The motion picture was directed by Bob Clark and the subject matter seems strange. When compared to his 1981, "Porky's", and 1983, "Porky's II: The Next Day".
The characters come from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but the source material is the non-fiction, "The Ripper File", written by Elwyn Jones and John Lloyd.
The screenplay was written by John Hopkins, the "James Bond" thriller, 1965's, "Thunderball", and the dark comedy, 1969's, "The Virgin Soldiers".
The Outstanding Cast:
Christopher Plummer once again, portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Plummer had just co-starred with Caroline Munro in the Italian science fiction, 1978's, "Starcrash". He followed this picture by co-starring with Harrison Ford and Lesley-Anne Down, in 1979's, "Hanover Street".
James Mason portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.". Mason had just co-starred with Gregory Peck and Sir Laurence Olivier, in 1978's, "The Boys from Brazil". He would follow this feature film by co-starring with Anthony Quinn, Malcolm McDowell, and Christopher Lee, in 1979's, "The Passage".
Except for the first character listed below, all the following are real people involved with the actual case:
David Hemmings portrayed the fictional "Inspector Foxborough". Hemmings just co-starred with David Bowie and Kim Novak in 1978, "Just as Gigolo". He followed this motion picture with the science fiction horror thriller, 1979, "Thirst".
Susan Clark portrayed "Mary Kelly". In 1976, Clark starred in the made-for-television's "Amelia Earhart", and followed this motion picture with the crime comedy, 1979's, "The North Avenue Irregulars".
Anthony Quayle portrayed "Sir Charles Warren". Quayle was just seen as "The Old Man" in "The Ice Age", May 17, 1978, on the BBC 2, "Play of the Week". He was next seen as "Sir John Falstaff", December 9, 1979, in a television production of Shakespeare's, "Henry IV, Part 1".
Sir John Gielgud portrayed "Prime Minister Lord Salisbury". Gielgud had just portrayed "Gillenormand" in a television production of Victor Hugo's, "Les Miserables", starring Richard Jordan and Anthony Perkins. He would follow this motion picture portraying "Nerva", in Malcom McDowell's, 1979, "Caligula".
Frank Finlay once again portrayed "Inspector Lestrade". Finlay was in director Clive Donner's 1978, "The Thief of Baghdad. He followed this motion picture with the Italian horror film, "Un'ombra nell 'ombra (Shadow in a shadow)" aka: "Ring of Darkness".
Donald Sutherland portrayed "Robert Lees". Sutherland was just in the science fiction 1978's, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", and followed this movie with the crime comedy, 1979's, "A Man, a Woman and a Bank".
Genevieve Bujold portrayed "Annie Crook". Bujold was just in Michael Crichton's, 1978, "Coma", and she followed this feature film with 1980's, "The Last Flight of Noah's Ark".
Vincent Canby, of the "New York Times",wrote in February 1979:
The film, directed by Bob Clark, based upon an original screenplay by John Hopkins, makes use not only of the theory that Jack the Ripper was actually the Duke of Clarence, son of Queen Victoria, but also of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who are apparently in the public domain, or at least available for assignments outside the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.
With Christopher Plummer as a charming, cultivated Holmes, a fellow who reveals himself to be a man of unexpected social and political conscience, and with James Mason as an especially fond and steadfast Watson, "Murder by Decree" is a good deal of uncomplicated fun, not in a class with Nicholas Meyer's "The Seven Percent Solution," but certainly miles ahead of many other current films that masquerade as popular entertainment.
The screenplay attempts to mix actual events in the case, with the rumored conspiracy of the Freemason's, every major male member of the British government seems to be a Freemason in the same lodge, protecting "Queen Victoria" and the government from scandal. The possible scandal is based upon the modern, never proven, rumors that "Jack the Ripper" was actually the Queen's grandson, not son, as Vincent Canby wrote, "Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale", nicknamed "Eddy", seen below.
.
The British government cannot find "The White Chapel" prostitute murderer, and they reluctantly call in "Sherlock Holmes". Which backfires upon them in several ways.
It is alleged by "Jack the Ripper" researcher Stephen Knight, in his 1976 work, "Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution", the "Eddy" secretly married a, "working class girl", sometimes referred to in other material as a prostitute, named "Annie Elizabeth Crook", and she had a baby girl from their marriage.
According to the website https://dykiegirl.com/2016/07/17/yours-truly-a-theatre-review/ The following, their source not mentioned, is an approximate 1886 photo of "Annie Crook".
In "Murder By Decree", it is implied that to keep the knowledge of the pregnant "Annie Crook" from the public. She was committed to an insane asylum and locked away. However, "Sherlock Holmes" discovers the truth, presenting those protecting "Queen Victoria" with a major problem. The truth, also leads to who is murdering all the prostitutes that know "Annie". Solely, to keep the knowledge of her marriage and baby by "Eddie" from the British public. When the last of her close "Lady Friend's" are dead, the murders suddenly stop.
It was now time for the 4th "Dr. Who" to meet the "Hound of Hell"!
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES BBC October 3, 1982
Alexander Baron adapted the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel and wrote the teleplay for the BBC. Baron was a teleplay writher for both the BBC and ITV. In 1968, he wrote two of the Peter Cushing television episodes, and worked on "The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes" series in 1973.
Television director, Peter Duguid directed the 4-part mini-series.
Tom Baker portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". In 1971, Baker was "Rasputin" in the epic, "Nicholas and Alexandra", in 1973, he was the evil magician, "Koura", in stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen's, "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad", and, of course, from 1974 through 1981, he was "Dr. Who".
Terence Rigby portray "Dr. John Watson, M.D.". Known primarily as a dramatic actor on both the BBC and ITV. He portrayed "Inspector Layton"in 1983's, "The Sign of the Four", and in one of his few motion picture portrayed "General Bukharin", the "James Bond" thriller, 1997's, "Tomorrow Never Dies", which he followed with 1998's, "Elizabeth", as "Bishop Gardiner".
The mini-series didn't do well with both the critics and viewers, if is wasn't for Tom Baker being the "4th-Doctor" the version of the novel would have completely disappeared.
The Australian "Sherlock Holmes" Animated Series
Starting with "Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of the Four", January 13, 1983, featuring the voice of Peter O'Toole as "Sherlock Holmes", and the voice of Earle Cross as "Dr. John H. Watson". The two voiced three other adventures, "Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear", January 14, 1983, "Sherlock Holmes and A Study in Scarlet", January 15, 1983, and "Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles", January 16, 1983.
THE BAKER STREET BOYS BBC television 8-episodes from March 8, 1983 to April 4, 1983
"Sherlock Holmes" is never seen, but his voice provided by
Rodger Ostime. However,
"Dr. Watson", portrayed by
Hubert Rees is on-hand, because "Holmes" is always away on a case, or some other excuse.
Pertaining to the following two feature films, according to "The Sherlock Holmes Society of London", actor Ian Richardson, gave an interview to "Scarlet Street Magazine", I could not find either the exact date of the interview, or date of the magazine, stating:
That was the fly in our ointment. Initially, an unseen fly. You see, when Sy Weintraub was planning the films, he was unaware that the copyright on the Holmes stories was about to expire in England and he had to go through a great deal of legal negotiations with the Conan Doyle estate in order to gain permission to use them. However, he was totally ignorant of Granada's plans to film a series with Jeremy Brett...Weintraub was furious, because he'd paid a lot of money to get permission from the estate and here was Granada saying, 'Thank you - but we're going to do it.' So Weintraub took them to court. He had a very good case, apparently; but eventually there was an out of court settlement for an extraordinary sum of money - something like two million pounds - which was enough for Weintraub to cover his costs on both The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles, and make a profit, too. And so he wrapped the project up.
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES aka: SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES released in Cannes, France on May 15, 1983
This version of Conan Doyle was written by Charles Edward Pogue and his first screenplay. Among his other screenplays were both 1986's, "Psycho III", and was one of three writers for "The Fly".
The motion picture was directed by Douglas Hickox. He was the director for the Vincent Price and Diana Rigg, 1973, "Theater of Blood", and the outstanding 1979, "Zulu Dawn".
Ian Richardson portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". The Scottish actor's career including portraying Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery in two major 1979, biographical television mini-series, "Ike: The War Years", and "Churchill and the Generals". He was in director Terry Gilliam's, 1985, "Brazil", the 1990 "The Phantom of the Opera", with Burt Lancaster as the father of "The Phantom", and Sir Charles Warren, in 2001's, "From Hell".
Donald Churchill portrayed "Dr. Watson". Basically a dramatic television actor, Churchill was in some interesting movies that included the true story of the sinking of the Titanic, 1958's, "A Night to Remember", 1960's, "Sink the Bismarck", and the low-budget, 1965's, "Spaceflight IC-1: Adventures in Space'
Denholm Elliott, left below, portrayed "Dr. Mortimer". Film critic Roger Ebert called Elliott "the most dependable of British character actors". He was "Marcus Brody" in "The Indiana Jones" motion picture series? Elliott co-starred with Jack Hawkins, in 1953's, "The Cruel Sea", he was in, 1957's, "The Lark", co-starring Boris Karloff and Eli Wallach, with Julie Harris portraying "Joan of Ark", he was in James Clavell's, 1965, "King Rat", and "Stapleton" in the unsuccessful comic 1978, "Hound of the Baskervilles".
Martin Shaw portrayed an interesting looking "Sir Henry Baskerville". Shaw portrayed "Banquo" in Roman Polanski's, 1971 version of William Shakespeare's, "Macbeth", and "Rachid" in stop-motion-animator Ray Harryhausen's, 1975, "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad". As a yung actor, Martin Shaw appeared on the London stage in Tennessee Williams's, "A Streetcar Names Desire", as "Stanley".
There are some changes to the original novel, for example, "Inspector Lestrade" arrests the convict "Sheldon", instead of the convict being killed. Apparently, "Lestrade" had originally captured him that sent "Seldon" to prison. In the motion picture "Laura Lyons" is killed, strangled by "Stapleton" to keep her from revealing him. During the film's climax, the audience actually sees "Stapleton's" death in the Grimpen Mire, which wasn't even in the novel.
THE SIGN OF THE FOUR aka: SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S THE SIGN OF THE FOUR first shown on "HBO" December 7, 1983
This motion picture was shot simultaneously with Sy Weintraub's , "The Hound of the Baskerville". Once again the adaptation and screenplay was by Charles Edward Pogue.
The motion picture was directed by camera operator turned director, Desmond Davis. Davis. As a camera operator he filmed director John Huston's, 1962, "Freud", and back in 1958, "The Trollenberg Terror" aka: "The Crawling Eye", and in 1959, director Eugene Lourie's, "Behemoth the Sea Monster"aka: "The Giant Behemoth". As a director, in 1981, Desmond Davis had directed stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen's, "Clash of the Titans"
Ian Richardson did double duty as "Sherlock Holmes".
David Healey was "Dr. John H. Watson" in this feature, because Donald Churchill had a previous comment. Healey had been appearing on television since 1963, but his motion picture appearances included the "James Bond" entry, 1967's, "You Only Live Twice", and 1971's, "Diamonds Are Forever".
Above, "Mary Morstan", portrayed by Cherie Lunghi, comes to "Holmes" and "Watson", and the "Games Afoot" to find the murderer and the "Agra Treasure".
Moving from actors to Japanese anime was:
名探偵ホームズ, (Famous Detective Holmes) aka: SHERLOCK HOUND November 6, 1984 to May 24, 1985
The series was dubbed into three languages, Japanese, Italian (Co-producers), and English.
The series American producer Sy Weintraub was unaware of from "Granada Television (an ITVfranchise)". There were four-separate titled series of stories, but under the umbrella title of:
SHERLOCK HOLMES
The individual titles of the separate series are very familiar to fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" stories:
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
The main cast and their years in the roles.
Jeremy Brett portrayed "Sherlock Holmes" in all four series, April 24, 1984 to April 11, 1994
David Burke portrayed "Dr. Watson", 1984 through 1985. He left the series to join the "Royal Shakespeare Company".
Edward Hardwicke portrayed "Dr. Watson", 1986 through 1994.
Rosalie Williams portrayed "Mrs. Hudson", 1984 through 1994
Colin Jeavons portrayed "Inspector Lestrade", 1985 through 1992, and portrayed "Professor Moriarty" in an episode of "The Baker Street Boys".
Charles Gray portrayed "Mycroft Holmes", in 1984, 1985, and 1988
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote 60 "Sherlock Holmes" stories, this series filmed 36-one-hour episodes and 5-feature-length films.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE MASKS OF DEATH released December 23, 1984
The executive producer was Kevin Francis, originally wanted to make another "The Hound of the Baskervilles", with the hound being stop-motion-animated by Ray Harryhausen. The plan was that teleplay would be the first of a new series of television "Sherlock Holmes" adventures starring Peter Cushing. Francis could not raise the required funding and instead made "Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death".
The credit for the story goes to "Hammer Films's" producer and writer, Anthony Hinds, also the son of the studio's founder, once again under the name of John Elder. The teleplay was co-written by him as Anthony Hinds, and his co-writer was television writer, N. J. Crisp.
The film was directed by Roy Ward Baker, 1958's, "A Nigh to Remember", 1967's, "Quartermass and the Pitt" aka: "Five Million Years to Earth", and both, 1970's, "The Vampire Lovers", featuring Peter Cushing, and "Scars of Dracula", starring Christopher Lee.
Peter Cushing portrayed "Sherlock Holmes" for the 3rd-time, Peter Haining, in his 1994, "The Television Sherlock Holmes", quotes Cushing as stating:
The trouble is that I'm 70, far too old to play Holmes as he appears in the stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Sir John Mills portrayed "Dr, Watson", he was 76-years-old.
Ray Milland, normally considered an American actor, was actually born in Whales, and was 77-years-old, and portrayed the "Home Secretary", on the right below.
Anne Baxter portrayed "Irene Adler", and as I'm stuck on age. The American actress was only 61-years-old.
The film had "Sherlock Holmes" coming out of retirement to solve three seemingly unrelated murders with the victims all having died with a look of terror on their faces. This would lead to the uncovering of a plot that could bring England and Germany into war. The teleplay wasn't a success and the project of another series was dropped.
I started this article by telling my reader how according to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D." first met. What follows is a rewriting of how they first met and solved their first case together.
YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES aka: YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE PYRAMID OF FEAR released in the United States on December 4, 1985, and in the United Kingdom on March 21, 1986
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is given credited for creating the characters, but it is Chris Columbus who created the story and screenplay. In 1984, Columbus wrote the screenplay for "Gremlins", and prior to this feature film in 1985, he wrote the screenplay for "The Goonies". Chris Columbus was the executive producer on the first two "Harry Potter" motion pictures, and the two "Percy Jackson and the Olympian" motion pictures, among others.
Barry Levinson directed the motion picture. Levinson immediately followed this feature film by directing both 1987's, "Tin Man", and "Good Morning Vietnam", and 1988's, "Rain Man".
Nicholas Rowe portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". This was only the actor's second motion picture, but Edinburgh, Scotland, born Rowe, attended Eton College, but also has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Hispanic Studies from "The University of Bristol".
Alan Cox portrayed "John Watson". Cox started acting in 1976, the actor is works basically in television dramas, but his voice is heard as different characters and at different times on "Dr. Who" Podcast's, between 2014 and 2024, and on "Sherlock Holmes" Podcasts, between 2011 and 2016, even portraying "Professor Moriarty".
Sophie Ward portrayed "Elizabeth Hardy". Ward had just been seen as "Mombi II", in the dark Walt Disney Company production of 1985's, "Return to Oz".
Anthony Higgins portrayed "Professor Rathe". Higgins started his film career using the name of "Anthony Corlan" from 1968 into 1976. Where he first used his birth name for a role in 1976's, "Voyage of the Damned". Just before this feature film, Higgins co-starred with Sting, and Jennifer Beal in 1985's, "The Bride".
The screenplay envisions that a young "John Watson" attends a boarding school and meets a young "Sherlock Holmes" and they immediately become best of friends. Long before there was an "Irene Adler", "Sherlock's" first love is another student, "Elizabeth Hardy". Who is the niece of "Sherlock's" mentor, a teach named "Rupert T. Waxflatter", portrayed by Nigel Stock.
"Holmes" and "Watson" investigate several murders caused by members of an ancient Egyptian cult, "Rame-Tep", led by someone called "Eh-Tar". At the climax, "Sherlock" discovers that "Eh-Tar" is really "Professor Rathe". He goes to a warehouse that is the cult's headquarters to rescue "Elizabeth". There he confronts "Rathe" and he attempts to shoot "Sherlock", but "Elizabeth" blocks the bullet and is mortally wounded. This leads to a duel between "Professor Rathe" and "Sherlock Holmes", and "Rathe" apparently killed, falls into the Thames River.
However, during the end credits, "Professor Rathe" is shown as being alive and checking into a hotel, and signing his name as "Moriarty".
THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE released July 2, 1986
There is a great so-called children's book by authoress and "Sherlockian" Eve Titus, entitled "Basil of Baker Street". Which is the first in a series of books.
"Basil" is a consulting mouse detective, who is voiced by Barrie Ingram, and lives in the basement of 221-B Baker Street.
His friend and associate is "Dawson", late of the "Queen's 66th Regiment in Afghanistan", voiced by Val Bettin.
The villain of the story is "Professor Ratigan", voiced by Vincent Price.
Occasionally, the human consulting detective, "Sherlock Holmes", is seen and he's voiced by Basil Rathbone, taken off a 1966 recording of "The Red-Headed League".
In 1897 London, young Scottish mouse, "Olivia Flaversham", voiced by Susanne Pollatschek, is celebrating her birthday. When two of "Professor Ratigan's" henchmen kidnap her father, a toymaker. She goes to find "Basil", gets lost, but "Dawson" finds her, and takes "Olivia" to the famous mouse detective. Leading to a search for her father, the question as to why "Professor Ratigan" needs a toymaker, and a plot against the Queen.
This was another of those interesting ideas, even if it wasn't suppose to be a "Buddy Comedy", but apparently, as it came to make it work. Those behind this motion picture were:
WITHOUT A CLUE the premiere was in Hollywood, on October 20, 1988
The screenplay was by two writers, Gary Murphy started out as a writer for "The Johnny Carson Show", Larry Strawther started out as a writer for the television series, "Laverne and Shirley".
Thom Eberhardt directed the motion picture, and his previous two films were 1984's, "Night of the Comet", and the Keanu Reeves and Lori Loughlin, 1988's, "The Night Before". He followed this feature with medical drama, 1989's, "Gross Anatomy", starring Matthew Modine and Daphne Zuniga.
Michael Caine portrayed "Sherlock Holmes (Reginald Kincaid)". Caine had just been seen in the television mini-series, 1988's, "Jack the Ripper". He followed this motion picture with the classic comedy, 1988's, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", co-starring with Steve Martin.
Ben Kingsley portrayed "Dr. John Watson, M.D.", Kingsley was just seen in the "period crime drama", 1988's, "Pascali's Island". He followed this feature with the war history, "Lenin: the Train", co-starring Leslie Caron and Dominique Sanda.
The Basic Idea Gone Wrong:
The real detective, "Dr. Watson", has written a series of detective fiction for "The Strand Magazine", about his fictional other self, he named "Sherlock Holmes". However, the reading public wants to meet the "Real Sherlock Holmes", which forced "Watson" to hire an actor, "Reginald Kincaid" to play "Sherlock Holmes" in public.
However, it takes time to get "Kincaid" to properly play "Holmes". Then a real case comes up, and the actor oversteps his boundaries making "Watson" his assistant. So, "Dr. Watson" fires "Reginald Kincaid" and writes a story killing off the fake detective.
"Dr. Watson" now writes a story with himself as the detective, calling his new character "The Crime Doctor". When the real brains of the duo, "Watson", attempts to investigate the actual arson of a warehouse, the public wants "Sherlock Holmes", and not a physician.
Above, "Dr. Watson" with the supportove "Mrs. Hudson", portrayed by Pat Keen, who portrayed the role in "The Baker Street Boys".
Enter a major case with "Professor Moriarty", portrayed by Paul Freeman, "Belloq" in 1981's, "Raiders of the Los Ark".
The lady in the case is portrayed by Lysette Anthony, "Lyssa"in 1983's "Krull", as "Leslie Giles", or is she?
What follows is "Dr. Watson" and "Reginald Kincaid" rejoining forces to stop "Moriarty".
Of trivia note, is the character of "Norman Greenhough", portrayed by Peter Cook. The real "Greenhough" was Herbert Greenhough Smith, the editor for "The Strand Magazine", who was the major reason that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character even appeared in the magazine and backed the writer to the owner George Newnes. The two writers were "Sherlockians" and apparently there were many references throughout their screenplay to Conan Doyle's stories, but most ended up on the editing floor.
On April 22, 1989, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", had a short story, "My Dear Watson", written by actress, producer, writer, Susan Woollen, the 8th of her 9-teleplays, starting in 1977, for an episode of "Quincy M.E.".
Brian Bedford portrayed "Sherlock Holmes", who reappears after going over the "Reichenbach Falls" with "Professor Moriarty".
Patrick Mockton portrayed "Dr. Watson", who informed "Holmes" that "Inspector Lestrade" felt the pressure over his part in "The Final Problem" and was in an asylum.
John Colicos portrayed "Inspector Lestrade". Who thanks to "Dr. Watson's" help has been cured and he joins the other two for a drink. Then "Watson" is kidnapped and "Lestrade" joins "Sherlock" on a search and rescue mission.
At the time of this writing, the following link takes you to the half-hour, "My Dear Watson":
Teleplay writer Charles Edward Pogue now wrote:
HANDS OF THE MURDERER first shown in the United States on May 16, 1990, on the "Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)"
The program was directed by Stuart Orme, he started out with 11-music-videos for the rock band, "Genesis", and 11-music-videos of lead singer, Phil Collins.
Edward Woodward portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". He portrayed "Mason", in the Peter Cushing and Nigel Stock, "Shoscombe Old Place", December 2, 1968, Woodward co-starred with Christopher Lee, in 1973's, "The Wicker Man", and in 1980, he starred as "Breaker Morant".
John Hillerman portrayed "Dr. Watson". Hillerman is probably best known for fans of American television's "Magnum P.M", starring Tom Selleck, as "John Quayle Higgins III, (V.C.)".
Anthony Andrews portrayed "Professor Moriarty". In 1981, Andrews won the "Best Actor Golden Globe", and the "BAFTA, and received a "Emmy" nomination, for portraying "Lord Sebastian Flyte", on 1981's, 'Brideshead Revisted".
The screenplay, like many others, lifts a little from this story, and a little from that one. "Professor Moriarty" is up to his usual criminal business, but with a little more class than most versions. The world is on the break of war, and it is up to "Sherlock Holmes" to figure out encrypted messages and stop those involved. As of this writing, my readers can find this overlooked entry that is mostly panned by critics and fans of the "Consulting Detective" at:
IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!
On March 21, 1991, the late night comedy series, SNL (Saturday Night Live), celebrated the birthday of "Sherlock Holmes", portrayed by Jeremy Irons, with Phil Hartman portraying "Dr. Watson".
Above, Jeremy Irons, below, Phil Hartman
Below the complete cast
Left to right, "Irene Adler" (Victoria Jackson), "Sir Reginald Musgrave" (Kevin Nelson), "Inspector Lestrade" (Mike Myers), "Dr. Watson" (Phil Hartman), "Mrs. Hudson" (Jan Hooks), and seated, "Sherlock Holmes" (Jeremy Irons)
Note:
"Sherlockians" celebrate the birthday of "Sherlock Holmes" on January 6th. How this month and date was chosen, starts with:
Christopher Morley, the founder of the worldwide fan group, "The Baker Street Irregulars", believed that "Sherlock Holmes" as born on "Twelfth Night", January 6th.
William S. Barring-Gould, author the major work, "The Annotated Sherlock Holmes", believed a clue to the birthday of "Sherlock Holmes" as found in the story, "The Valley of Fear". Which begins on January 7th, with "Holmes" hung-over from the night before. Barring-Gould believed the hung-over was from "Holmes" birthday celebration.
As the story of "His Last Bow", contains "Sherlock Holmes" mentioning that he was now a man of 60. As this story takes place in August 1914, "Holmes" would have been born in 1854.
THE CRUCIFER OF BLOOD on Turner Network Television November 4, 1991
The play was adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "The Sign of the Four", by Paul Giovanni. It opened on September 28, 1978, on Broadway, at the "Helen Hayes Theater", directed by the author. Giovanni also co-wrote this teleplay version.
Fraser C. Heston directed the film version and co-wrote the teleplay. He is the son of actor Charlton Heston. This was Fraser's 4th-writing credit of 5-films, the first four starred his father. As a director, Fraser Heston has directed 6-motion pictures, once again, the first four starred his father, but the 5th was Stephen King's, 1993, "Needful Things", starring Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, and Bonnie Bedelia.
Charlton Heston portrayed "Sherlock Holmes", he played the role at the Ahmanson Theatre, in Los Angeles, starting on December 18, 1980, portraying "Dr. Watson", was Jeremy Brett. Just before this production, Charlton Heston had the uncredited role of "God", in Paul Hogan's, 1990, "Almost an Angel". He followed this made-for-television-movie with another one, 1992's, "Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232", co-starring with James Colburn and Richard Thomas.
Richard Johnson portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.". Johnson was just been in the costume drama, 1991's, "Duel of Hearts", made in England for "Turner Network Television". He followed this teleplay with the British mini-series, "The Camomile Lawn", starring Claire Bloom.
The motion picture is a scene by scene recreation of the original play's script. I saw Charlton Heston at the "Ahmanson Theatre" in Los Angles, and I've watched this teleplay. Rather than explain basically the obvious story of "The Sign of the Four". As of this writing, the following link will take my reader to an excellent filmed production of the Paul Giovanni's play.
Above, Susannah Harker portraying "Irene St. Clair", starts the mystery.
"Sherlock Holmes in Caracas"is a foreign motion picture, made in Venezuela and is described on one website as a "Comedy Fantasy Horror". We know the film was made in 1991, not the month, or day. We know that motion picture resurfaced on March 13, 2009, at the Cartagenda, Columbia, film festival, but specific photos seem not to exist from it. We know the names of the cast, but no one seems to have any stills, or a poster for the motion picture.
The movie was made by actor turned director, Juan Fresan. This was his only film as a director, and screenplay writer. As an actor he was in 1975's, "Los gauchos judos (The Jewish Gaucho's)", with his name at 46th position on the official cast listing without indicating his role.
Juan Manuel Montesinos portrayed "Sherlock Holmes", seen below but not as "Holmes".
Gilbert Dacournan portrayed "Dr. Watson".
Carolina Luzardo portrayed "Miss Parker".
Maria Eugenia Cruz portrayed the "Ex-Miss Venezuela".
The following is from an article about "Sherlock Holmes in Caracas", from the Hollywood trade paper, "Variety", March 30, 2009:
Title is misleading since this deconstructed Holmes merely passes through Caracas on his way to Maracaibo to aid an old friend who is married to a former Miss Venezuela. Fantastic plot, which emerges late in the film, seems tacked on to give purpose to pic's constant mugging. While weird dealings point to a pagan-worshipping governess, Holmes discovers that the ex-Miss Venezuela is really a vampire who threatens the lives of her children.
THE GOLDEN YEARS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
The plan was to make eight one hour programs, financing was from, Harmony Gold Pictures, Banque et Caisse d'Épargne de l'éta and Banque Paribas Luxembourg Silvio Berlusconi Communications, but something went wrong and they ended up with two 3-hour movies with different famous people included in the story. Both would be cut down later to a 2-hour running time video release.
Both Film's Starred:
Christopher Lee portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". He had been in the Italian, United Kingdom, Japanese, United States, and South African, 1991, "Curse III: Blood Sacrifice".
Patrick Macnee portrayed "Dr. John H. Watson". He had just been seen in the made-for-television, 1991's, "The Gambler: The Luck of the Draw", starring Kenny Rogers and Reba McEntire.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE LEADING LADY released in Canada, Part One on December 6, 1991, Part Two on December 13, 1991
Selections of the added cast:
Morgan Fairchild portrayed "Irene Francis Adler". Fairchild had just appeared in the made-for-television thriller, 1991's, "Writer's Block", and followed this mini-series with another made-for-television feature, 1991's, "Even Angels Fall".
Jerome Willis portrayed "Mycroft Holmes". The British television actor made an occasional motion picture and in 1985, portrayed a "Pathologist", in director Tobe Hooper's, intergalactic vampire story, "Lifeforce".
The Basic Story:
The year is 1910, and both "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Watson" have gone their separate ways. "Mycroft" visited his brother and wants him to come out of retirement and go to Vienna, Austria, and locate the plans for a stolen "electromagnetic bomb detonator", before some Balkan terrorists use it to start a world war by assassinating "Emperor Franz Joseph", portrayed by Cyril Shaps, I could not locate a photo of the actor. Once in Vienna, he meets "Watson", who has been investigating the same terrorists and the two join forces to stop them. While, "Irene Adler", having returned to being an entertainer, just happens to be there to rekindle their love affair. In the feature, "Holmes" and "Watson" do prevent the initial assassination plot again the Emperor.
Two other historical figures, or one for sure, in the picture are:
"Dr. Sigmund Freud", portrayed by John Bennett,
"Elliot Ness", portrayed by Tom Laham. I could not discover if this is "The Untouchables", Elliot Ness, who at the time would have been 7-years-old. I also could not locate a photo of the character, or any information about the actor.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE INCIDENT AT VICTORIA FALLS released in Canada, Part One on January 12, 1992 and Part Two on January 13, 1992
Selections of added cast:
Jenny Seagrove portrayed "Lillie Langtry". Seagrove was just seen in the 1991 made-for-television thriller, "Some Other Spring". She followed this mini-series with the 1992 drama, "Miss Beatty's Children".
Joss Ackland portrayed "King Edward". Ackland was just seen in the Agatha Christie mystery television series, in 1991's, "Miss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors". He followed this mini-series portraying "The Narrator" on 10-episodes of the British television series, "Jackanory".
Sir Richard Todd portrayed "Lord Roberts". Todd had just been in an episode of televisions "Murder She Wrote", September 24, 1989, entitled "Appointment in Athens".
Claude Akins portrayed "Theodore Roosevelt". Atkins had just been in the 1991, horror movie, "Where Evil Lives", and followed this mini-series with the John Mellencamp, 1992, musical drama, "Falling from Grace".
The Basic Story:
This is very routine compared to the first entry, and could have been done with a much shorter teleplay. "Sherlock Holmes", who has retired to Sussex, to raise bees, is asked by "King Edward", to go to South Africa, retrieve the famed "Star of Africa Diamond", and return it to England. The journey to Cape Town, permits the teleplay to have "Holmes" meet several historical persons. He obtains the jewel, but it is stolen and the story turns into a series of murders over the diamond. As with "Watson", the two must get the diamond and solve the murders.
THE HOUND OF LONDON made-for-Canadian-television, shown in August 1993
The teleplay by Craig Bowlsby was based upon his own stage play, "The Hound of London", first performed in Canada at "James Cowan Theatre", September 16, 1987, in Burnaby, British Columbia.
The teleplay was directed by two directors, which parts each directed, I could not locate. Gil Letourneau was by profession a cinematographer and was also in that position for this production. This was his 2nd of 5-titles as a director. Peter Reynolds-Long only had 2-titles as a director, and the first was the same Canadian television series that Letourneau shows as his first directing position, 1988-1989, "Time Exposures".
Patrick Macnee portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". The actor was guest appearing on American television at this time. Among these was the Hulk Hogan, 1994, "Thunder in Paradise", that Macnee appeared as "Edward Whitaker", in all 22-episodes of the one-season show.
John-Scott Paget portrayed "Dr. Watson". This was his only on-screen appearance. I could not locate any other information on the actor.
Colin Skinner portrayed "Inspector Lestrade". This was the 3rd of his 4 on-screen appearances and his 4th wasn't until 1999. Once again I could not locate any other information on the actor.
Jack Macreath portrayed "Moriarty" aka: "Rex Londo ". Again this is his only on-screen appearance and I could not locate any other information on the actor.
Above, "Moriarty", below, "Rex London"
All I could find out about the plot is that a "Inspector Lestrade's" request. "Sherlock Holmes" is asked to investigate a double murderer at the "Royal Strange Theatre", in the London suburb of Westminster.
While looking at a Canadian made motion picture
2011, see
"Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow Watchers", I came upon mention of a
1997, "Sherlock Holmes" series starring
Anthony D. P. Mann. There is a list of cast members on the
"IMDb" website,
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34851880/?ref_=nm_flmg_job_1_cdt_t_13 , but mention of the actual series. I could not locate any other information and cannot confirm, if such a Canadian film, or series was ever made and shown. This might refer to an unsold pilot.
SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE 22ND CENTURY released in 1999
This series was a co-production of "ITV's" "CTV (British Children's Morning TV)", and United States, "FOX Kids". The second season both in the UK and United States was syndicated.
This is an excellent reimagined series set in the year 2103 in New London, England:
The opening episode was "The Fall and Rise of Sherlock Holmes", first shown in the United Kingdom on May 6, 1999, and in the United States on September 18, 1999.
It begins with "Inspector Beth Lestrade" of "New Scotland Yard", voiced by Akiko Morison, in pursuit of the grotesque looking French insane geneticist, "Martin Fenwick", voiced by Ian James Corlett.
When she discovers that "Fenwick's" companion is the 19th-Century, "Napoleon of Crime, Professor James Moriarty", voiced by Richard Newman, that get away from the inspector.
"Inspector Lestrade" finds out that she was pursuing a clone, created from the cells of "Moriarty's" corpse, buried by "Sherlock Holmes" in a Swiss ice cave in 1891. She knows that "Holmes" died many years later and that is body is in a glass case filled with honey in the basement of "New Scotland Yard". "Lestrade" knows there is only one person who can stop the cloned "Professor Moriarty", and takes the body of "Sherlock Holmes" to biologist "Sir Evan Hargreaves", I could not find out who voiced the character, but "Hargreaves" was drawn to look like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
"Sir Evan" has invented a process of cellular rejuvenation and it is used on the body of "Sherlock Holmes" to make it younger and bring the detective back to life, voiced by Jason Gray-Stanford.
Once he realizes when and where he is, "Sherlock Holmes" returns to his old 221-B Baker Street apartment, which was kept as a museum. Oh, there is also a "Watson", voiced by John Payne, a compudroid that was "Lestrade's" assistant, that changes its features, after reading the doctor's journal, into a replica of "Dr. John H. Watson, M.D.".
And then "The Games Afoot" - - -
THE HALLMARK CHANNEL'S FOUR "SHERLOCK HOLMES" TELEVISION FILMS
The 4-feature's were all shot in Canada, by Muse Entertainment", for the "Hallmark Channel", with a Canadian cast, to be shown on the "Canadian Television Network (CTV)".
The first was the most filmed and known story:
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES was actually released in United States television first, on October 21, 2000, and on Canadian television, October 28, 2000
The director for all four programs was cinematographer, turned writer, turned director, Rodney Gibbons.
The screenplay's for the first three teleplays came from "Hallmark" writer, Joe Wiesenfeld. This screenplay was based solely upon the novel, "The Hound of the Baskervilles".
Matt Frewer portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Frewer had been criticized over his portrayal of "Holmes", as being more interested in "Sir Henry", implying he was gay, not an original idea though, and, a reflection of the year this was released. More Jim Carrey's, "Ace Ventura", than Basil Rathbone's, "Sherlock Holmes". In his defense, Fewer responded in an issue of Canada's, "Globe and Mail", October 28, 2000:
I decided Holmes has these literal brainstorms. He can hardly keep up with his own ideas. His brain is working quickly but he's always got this calm reserve and demeanour. So that's exactly how I decided to play him.
Among the actor's films is 1983's, "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life", and portraying television's "Max Headroom", 1987 through 1988. Max Fewer is also a voice actor for animated series including Disney, was "Frank" in "Dawn of the Dead", and portrayed "Moloch" in 2009's, "The Watchman", among other roles.
Kenneth Welsh portrayed "Dr. Watson". Welsh started out on Canadian television portraying "Sir Thomas Grey" in a 1966 production of William Shakespeare's, "Henry V", followed by portraying "D'Artagnan" in a 1969 production of Alexander Dumas's, "The Three Musketeers".
This production owed as much to "Hammer Film Production's", 1959, "The Hound of the Baskervilles" as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As it played to the horror of the story and has one of the most horrific hounds in any other productions.
THE SIGN OF THE FOUR released in Canada on March 1, 2001, and the United States on March 23, 2001
Aside from the critic's coming down on Matt Frewer's "Sherlock Holmes". The motion has four-major changes to the novel.
1. "Sherlock Holmes" meets with a London chemist, who identifies the poison that killed "Bartholomew Shoto", portrayed by Marcel Jeannin.
2. "Holmes" kills "Tonga", portrayed by Fernando Chien, who is not a pigmy, but a man with facial tattoos with a poison dart.
3. There is no chase on the Thames.
4. There is no romance between "Dr. Watson" and "Mary Morstan", portrayed by Sophie Lorain.
Instead, at the film's ending, "Mary"goes to India with "Thaddeus Shoto", also portrayed by Marcel Jeannin.
THE ROYAL SCANDAL released in the United States on October 19, 2001 and in Canada on January 6, 2002
Roddy Gibbons's screenplay merges Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, 1891, "A Scandal in Bohemia", and 1908's, "Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans" into one story.
Joining Matt Brewer's "Sherlock Holmes", and Kennth Welch's "Dr. Watson" was Polish actress, Liliana Komorowska portraying "Irene Adler".
The basic plot has "Irene Adler" threatening to destroy the reputation of the "King of Bohemia", by using a photograph to expose their affair. The only way she will prevent a scandal that would bring down the King and his country is "Irene Adler" becoming the "Queen of Bohemia". However, the King has called upon "Holmes" to retrieve the photograph that "Irene" has of his indiscretion. The story turns into a cat and mouse game between "Irene" and "Sherlock", after he discovers what she is really up too.
The following link at the time of this writing will take my reader to Matt Frewer in 2001's, "A Royal Scandal".
The fourth and final feature of the "Hallmark Channel" series, was not based upon any story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but had Matt Frewer's "Sherlock Holmes", and Kennth Welsh's "Dr. Watson", in an original story by Rodney Gibbons, who also directed:
THE CASE OF THE WHITECHAPEL VAMPIRE shown on October 27, 2002
It appears that Rodney Gibbons didn't want to make another "Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper" story, so he moved it two-years beyond the last murder. However, he kept his story in London's, "Whitechapel" district, and appeared to just have read Bram Stoker's "Dracula".
There has been a series of murders and the locals believe that a vampire is the killer. It appears all the victims have two teeth marks on their jugular vein. "Watson" believes in the idea of a human vampire, "Holmes" does not, and this leads to a scene of the two debating the possibility. However, the two start an investigation revolving around a church run by monks. Where one has just returned from Guyana, did he accidentally bring the vampire back to Whitechapel, or is he the vampire? During their investigation, "Sherlock Holmes" meets a psychic, "Madame Karavsky", portrayed by Kathleen Fee. Who tells him, that he will be "saved by the church", my reader will need to see the film to find out what this means.
Also on the case, besides, "Inspector Lestrade", portrayed by Julian Casey, is the other Scotland Yard Detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "Inspector Attley Jones", portrayed by Michel Perron.
I mentioned "Dracula", and no he is not in this tale, but there are a couple of interesting names. The character of "Doctor Chagas", portrayed by Neville Edwards, lives at "4 RENFIELD PLACE". One of the monks, "Brother Marstoke", portrayed by Sean Lawrence, informs "Sherlock Holmes", that "Brother John", portrayed by Matthew Tiffin, was murdered by the vampire, in an alley across from "128 DEMETER STREET".
Above, "Holmes" infiltrating the monks.
This film is a lot better than it seems, and I won't reveal anything more.
Once more we return to a youthful "Sherlock Holmes" in:
SHERLOCK aka: SHERLOCK: CASE OF EVIL on the "USA Cable Network", October 25, 2002
Although this is considered an American production, those directly connected with the film are from the United Kingdom, except the actor portraying "The Napoleon of Crime".
The screenplay was by Piers Ashworth, this was his 3rd of 17. I could not locate any thing about him, except a list of his screenplays.
British director Graham Theakston directed this feature. He was one of the three -directors of the excellent 1984, British science fiction series, "The Tripods".
James D'Arcy portrayed a "20-something" "Sherlock Holmes". He may not recognize his name, but if you're a fan of the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" and especially the series "Agent Carter", D'Arcy is "Jarvis".
Roger Morlidge portrayed "Dr. Watson".
Vincent D'Onofrio, the Brooklyn born actor, portrayed "Professor Moriarty".
Gabrielle Anwar portrayed "Rebecca Doyle".
The Basic Story:
The story opens with the youthful "Sherlock Holmes" chasing "Moriarty", he shoots the professor and he falls into a sewer. His body cannot be located as his body was moved by the current. As a result of killing the "Napoleon of Crime", the young "Sherlock Holmes" gains notoriety and fame. He next meets "Dr. Watson", an early of practicing autopsies.
Together, "Holmes" and "Watson" start an investigation in the murders of several London crime lords and come to the conclusion that "Moriarty" is still alive consolidating his power base.
Instead of "Irene Adler", the story has actress "Rebecca Doyle" lure "Holmes" into both romance and into "Moriarty's" plotting. Instead of "Sherlock" having his "Seven-percent solution", we have his brother "Mycroft", portrayed by Richard E. Grant, as an ex-opium addict.
The story was panned by a large amount of reviewers.
For the 3rd-time, the BBC had specifically filmed for them:
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES the program was first shown in Canada, on November 18, 2002, and on the BBC, December 26, 2002
This changed adaption of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel was written by Allan Cubitt. Cubitt had just written for the BBC, a 4-part mini-series of Leo Tolstoy's, "Anna Karenina". He followed this as 1 of 15-writers for the documentary series, "Evolution".
David Attwood directed the mini-series, he had just directed a made-for-televison movie, 2002, "Fidel", a biography of "Fidel Castro". Attwood followed this production with a Diane Keaton made-for-television drama, 2003's, "On Thin Ice".
Richard Roxburgh portrayed "Sherlock Holmes", and was just seen in the comedy romance, 2002's, "The One and Only". Australian Roxburgh followed this motion picture portraying "M", in 2003's, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen".
Ian Hart portrayed "Dr. Watson", in 2001, the actor portrayed "Professor Quirrell" in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone".
I'm not going into the story, but the changes that were made to the story.
The novel was published on March 25, 1902, but the story is set in 1889. However, Allan Cubbitt sets his teleplay in 1902.
There is a scene in the production of a seance conducted by "Dr. Mortimer's" wife. No such scene takes place in the novel, but it was created for the 1939 version.
At this version's climax, "Sir Henry" is not involved in the entrapment of "Stapleton", "Stapleton" murder's his wife, and "Dr. Watson" killing "Stapleton". Who was about to kill "Holmes", because "Sherlock Holmes" was stuck in the Grimpen Mire.
The title hound was a combination of animatronics and computer generated images.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE SILK STOCKING premiered on BBC One on December 26, 2004
The original teleplay story was by Allan Cubitt as a sequel to the 2002, "The Hound of the Baskervilles".
The teleplay was directed by Simeon Cellan Jones.
Rupert Everett now portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Everett portrayed Christopher Marlowe, in 1998, in "Shakespeare in Love", portrayed the "Ornithologist" in 2016, "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children", and was "The Duke of Wellington", in director Ridley Scott's, 2023, "Napoleon".
Ian Hart was back as "Dr. Watson".
The Basic Plot:
It's November, 1903, and there has been a series of murder's, young upper class woman are being killed by stuffing a silk stocking down their throats. One woman was attacked, but not killed. "Holmes" deduces that because she has a club foot, the murderer left her alone, but she saw his face. The man is picked up, but "Inspector Lestrade", portrayed by Neil Dudgeon, lets him go, because his fingerprints do not match the one's taken at the scene. "Sherlock Holmes" comes to the conclusion, after some other clues, that there is an identical twin actually committing the murders.
Allan Cubitt does another switch on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the end of this story. "Dr. Watson" does get married, but his bride is not "Mary Marstan" of "The Sign of the Four", but widow, psychoanalyst, "Jenny Valdeleur", portrayed by Helen McCrory.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS first shown on the BBC on March 25, 2007
Jonathan Pryce portrayed Sherlock Holmes. In 1982, he portrayed "Mr. Dark", in the excellent Disney version of Ray Bradbury's, "Something Wicked This Way Comes", in 1985, Pryce starred in director Terry Gilliam's, "Brazil", and in 1997, he was "Elliot Carver", in the "James Bond", "Tomorrow Never Dies".
Bill Paterson portrayed "Dr. Watson". Paterson had just been seen in 2006's, "Miss Potter", starring Renee Zellweger as authoress, "Beatrix Potter".
Anna Chancellor portrayed "Irene Adler". Chancellor portrayed "Questular Rontak" in 2005's, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".
I'm not sure of the actual running time of the program, one source lists it at 57-minutes, another at 114-minutes, but the story has "Sherlock Holmes" facing a personal crisis in his life. "The Baker Street Irregulars" try to help him through it, while solving the disappearances of several of their own members.
Animation with "Sherlock Holmes" continued on the television series:
BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD
TRIALS OF THE DEMON first shown March 20, 2009
The portion of Season One, Episode Fifteen, that we're interested in, comes 3-minutes-and-16-seconds into the episode. After it has completed the "Flash" against "The Scarecrow" teaser. Now, "Batman", voiced by Diedrich Bader, is time traveled back to Victorian London, by his friend "Jason Blood" aka: "Etrigan the Demon", voiced by Dee Bradley Baker. Who is being framed for a serious of grizzly murders. The two must stop "Gentleman Jim Craddock", voiced by Greg Ellis, who is assisting a demon named "Asteroth", voiced by Tony Todd, taking souls in exchange for a promise of eternal life.
"Etrigan" reasons that to stop the evil duo, they need the help of the Victorian detective duo, "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. John H. Watson. "Batman", known as "The Detective" by "Ra's al Ghul", now meets "The World's First Consulting Detective".
After the shock wears off of "Sherlock Holmes", introductions are made and the four join forces to track down "Gentleman Jim Craddock" and "Asteroth". Before, "Craddock" becomes "The Gentleman Ghost", that "Batman" battles in his own time.
At the time of this writing, the following link takes my reader to the episode from
"Batman: The Brave and the Bold":
Next, it took 4-writers to bring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Consulting Detective" to the motion picture screen in another original production not based upon a direct story by the author.
SHERLOCK HOLMES released on December 25, 2009
Actor,
Michael Robert Johnson, wrote both the story, with credit to
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and co-wrote the screenplay. This was his
1st of only
5 screenplays.
Anthony Peckham co-wrote the screenplay. This was his 5th of only 7 screenplays.
Simon Kinberg co-wrote the screenplay. This was his 7th of 17 screenplays that included 2005, "XXX: State of the Unknown", 2006, "X-Men: The Last Stand", 2014, "X-Men: Days of Future Past", and "X-Men: Dark Phoenix".
Lionel Wigram co-wrote the screenplay. This is his 1st of only 3 screenplays.
The motion picture was directed by Guy Ritchie. Ritchie was directing music videos at this time, but his next motion picture was 2011's, "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows", more shortly.
Robert Downey, Jr. portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Downey, Jr. followed this feature with "Marvel Cinematic Universe's", 2010, "Iron Man 2".
Jude Law portrayed "Dr. John Watson". In 2004, Law starred in the retro-hero movie, "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow".
Rachel McAdams portrayed "Irene Adler". McAdams had just been seen in 2009's, "The Time Traveler's Wife".
Mark Strong portrayed "Sir Henry Blackwood". Strong portrayed "Godfry" in the following years, "Robin Hood", starring Russell Crowe, and directed by Ridley Scott.
The Basic Plot of the Action Adventure and Less of a Mystery:
Set in 1891 London, "Holmes" and "Watson" prevent a ritualistic murder by "Lord Henry Blackwood", who claims to have supernatural powers and has murdered five other women. "Inspector Lestrade", portrayed by Eddie Marstan, arrests "Blackwood". Two-months later, "Dr. Watson" is moving out of 221-B Baker Street, tired of the eccentricities of "Sherlock" and is engaged to "Mary Morstan", portrayed by Kelly Reilly. "Holmes" is asked to come to the jail by "Lord Blackwood", who prior to being hanged, tells the "Consulting Detective", that there will be three more murderers that he cannot stop. The Lord is hanged, "Dr. Watson", pronounces him dead. At 221-B, "Holmes" is visited by Irene Adler, who asks him to find a missing man named "Luke Reordan", portrayed by Oran Gurel". "Sherlock" follows "Irene" and sees "Adler" speaking to a man who seems to intimidate her, that "Holmes" deduces is a "Professor". You never get a clear look at the character and he is voiced only by dialogue coach Andrew Jack, who is not listed in the film's credits. This is actually a set-up for this film's sequel.
Next, "Sherlock Holmes", and the reunited "Dr. Watson", find "Blackwood's" tomb broken into and "Reordan's" body, not the Lord's. Following a series of clues found on "Reordan", the two are led to his laboratory and discover more clues that the dead man was attempting to merge science with magic.
The motion picture has been criticized for being an action thriller, the climax comes on top the incomplete "Tower Bridge", and not a true Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mystery. It is all a build up for that sequel film, as at its end, "Irene Adler" reveals to "Sherlock Holmes", that she works for someone called "Professor Moriarty".
Next, "Sherlock Holmes" found himself in "The Asylum":
SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S SHERLOCK HOLMES aka: SHERLOCK HOLMES released on January 26, 2010
This was a straight to video and streaming services from the production company, "The Asylum".
Based upon character's created by Sir Arthur Conan was the screenplay by Paul Bales. This was his 8th screenplay of 10. His other work include 2009's, "MegaFault", and 2012's, "Nazi's at the Center of the Earth".
The motion picture was directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg. Immediately before this movie was 2008's, "Sunday School Musical", she followed this feature with 2011's, "Princess and the Pony", and followed that with 5-shorts.
Ben Syder portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". This was his 1st film of 5 through 2016. There's a note on the website, "IMDB", that he was associated with another film in "Development", "Sherlock Holmes vs Frankenstein".
Gareth David-Lloyd portrayed "Dr. Watson". David-Lloyd is both an actor and front singer for the progressive metal band, "Blue Gillespie" aka: "A Breath of Blue Fire". He appeared as "Ianto Jones", in two-episodes of David Tenant's, "Dr. Who", in 2008's, "The Stolen Earth". Between 2006 through 2009, Gareth David-Lloyd portrayed the character 30-episodes of the series "Torchwood".
Above left, Gareth David-Lloyd, and Ben Syder
The Basic Screenplay:
On December 29, 1940, a very senior "Dr. Watson", portrayed by David Shackleton, tells his nurse about a case that started on May 18, 1892. When a royal treasury ship was sunk by a giant octopus. Next, in Whitechapel is not "Jack the Ripper", but a T-Rex that kills a young man.
The dinosaurs turned out to be mechanical created by the entirely fictional brother of "Sherlock Holmes", "Thorpe Holmes", portrayed by Dominic Keating, who had assumed the identity of "Spring-Healed Jack". He had been shot and crippled by a ricochet bullet fired by "Inspector Lestrade", portrayed by William Huw. His grand revenge plan was to assassinate "Queen Victoria", and force "Lestrade" to take the blame.
Between
"Middle Earth" and
"The Marvel Cinematic Universe" there was the
BBC One series:
SHERLOCK
If my reader goes by dates alone, the series ran from July 25, 2010 through January 15, 2017. However, that is misleading, because the series was actually four, three-episode programs, and a one-episode special, for a total of fourteen episodes shown between the above dates.
The series had ten-directors, and three-writers that worked from the original stories and novels of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. However, except for a special episode set in "Victorian England", the series takes place in modern London.
There were only three actors in all fourteen episodes:
Benedict Cumberbatch portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". In 2011, Cumberbatch was both "The Creature and Victor Frankenstein", in alternating television broadcasts of the "National Theatre Live: Frankenstein", in 2012, he voiced the "Necromancer", in director Peter Jackson's, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", he added the voice of "Smaug", in both, 2013's, "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug", and both voices in 2014's, "The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies". Back in 2013, Cumberbatch portrayed "Khan", in "Star Trek into the Darkness". While, in 2016, Benedict Cumberbatch first portrayed "Dr. Strange", and would continue in "The Marvel Cinematic Universe, that role for another six-times.
Martin Freeman portrayed "Dr. John Watson". Freeman was in the cast of the dark comedy, 2004's, "Shaun of the Dead", in 2005, he portrayed "Arthur Dent", in "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", and starting in 2012, he portrayed "Bilbo Baggins", in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, in 2013's, "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug", and 2014's, "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies". Martin Freeman also portrayed "Everett K. Ross" in the "Marvel Cinematic Universe's", 2016, "Captain America: Civil War".
Una Stubbs portrayed "Mrs. Hudson".
Four Other Important Roles:
Rupert Graves appeared in 13-episodes portraying "Inspector of Detectives (ID) Lestrade".
Mark Gatiss was one of the writers for the series and appeared in 10-episodes portraying "Mycroft Holmes".
Andrew Scott appeared in 8-episodes portraying "Jim Moriarty".
Amanda Abbington portrayed "Mary Marston".
Invalided home from the war in Afghanistan, Dr. John Watson becomes roommates with the world's only "consulting detective," Sherlock Holmes. Within a day their friendship is forged and several murders are solved.
The actual first episode is described as:
S1E1: A Study in Pink
War vet Dr. John Watson returns to London needing a place to stay. He meets Sherlock Holmes, a consulting detective, and the two soon find themselves digging into a string of serial "suicides".
TOM AND JERRY MEET SHERLOCK HOLMES direct to video on August 27, 2010
Spike Brandt voices "Tom Cat" and "Jerry Mouse".
Michael York voiced "Sherlock Holmes".
John Rhys-Davies voiced "Dr. Watson".
Malcom McDowell voiced "Professor Moriarty".
Grey Griffin billed as Grey DeLisle voiced "Red".
The Plot:
"Miss Red" is being blackmailed by "Professor Moriarty". When she asks "Sherlock Holmes" for help, "Holmes" connects her case to a series of jewelry robberies. He tells his assistant, "Jerry the Mouse" to work with "Red's" butler, "Tom the Cat" to solve the case.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SHADOW WATCHERS released in Canada on April 6, 2011
This almost horror entry was "Permitted by the Conan Doyle Estate". The original screenplay was written by the film's director, Anthony D. P. Mann. Who also portrayed "Sherlock Holmes", apparently for the second time, but in 1997, there seemed to be no release information as I've mentioned before.
I could not locate one positive review of this low, or as some state no-budget, entry. The plot is shown as "A madman, more vicious than "Jack the Ripper" is lose in London and only "Sherlock Holmes" can find and stop him.
Mann was known for several Canadian low-budget movies with titles like the video, 2008, "Canucula! (Dracula in Canada)", and 2012's, "Terror of Dracula", filmed in the Carpathian Mountains, of Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
On the left is Terry Wade portraying "Dr. Watson", and right and below, Anthony D. P. Mann portraying "Sherlock Holmes".
Director Guy Ritchie was back and so was "Professor Moritarty":
SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS released December 16, 2011
Now came a screenplay by a husband and wife team. Kieran Mulroney was a television actor turned screenplay writer. At this time, he had appeared mainly on television, in 38 out of his 40-roles. As a screenplay writer, this was his 4th out of 5-screenplays. His 1st 2-screenplays were for the children's television program, "Wishbone". His final screenplay was as one of the five writers on the 2017, "Power Rangers" motion picture.
Michele Mulrone co-wrote with her husband the same 2-episodes of the television series, "Wishbone". This was the 5th of her 6-screenplays, her last was the same "Power Rangers" motion picture.
Robert Downey, Jr. was back portraying "Sherlock Holmes".
Jude Law was back portraying "Dr. John Watson".
Noomi Rapace portrayed "Madame Simzon Heron". The Swedish actress is known for the three-film series, (English titles), 2009, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl Who Played with Fire", and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest". She followed this motion picture with director Ridley Scott's, 2012, "Prometheus".
Rachel McAdams was back portraying "Irene Adler".
Jared Harris portrayed "Professor James Moriarty".
Stephen Fry portrayed "Mycroft Holmes". Fry was both the "Narrator" and "Guide", in 2005's, "The Hitchhiker's Guides to the Galaxy".
Paul Anderson portrayed "Colonel Sebastian Moran".
Kelly Reilly was back portraying "Mary Marston".
The Basic Plot of the Sequel:
This screenplay starts very shortly after the events of the 2009 motion picture have ended.
"Irene Adler" delivers a package to a "Dr. Hoffmansthal", portrayed by Wolf Kahler, thanking him for the surgery he performed, as he hands her a letter.
The doctor opens the package, which triggers a bomb. "Sherlock Holmes", who was apparently watching, appears from out of hiding, takes the letter, places the bomb in a nearby sarcophagus to explode, while "Irene" and the doctor escape. However, "Hoffmansthal" is murdered, and "Professor Moriarty", considers "Adler" compromised, poisons her.
Next, "Holmes" tells "Dr. John Watson", that he has connected seemingly unrelated murders, terrorist attacks, and the acquisitions of seemingly unrelated businesses, to "Moriarty". At "Watson's" bachelor party, "Sherlock" discusses the events with "Mycroft". After which, he meets Romani fortune teller, "Madame Simza", "the whom" that the letter was actually addressed too, from her brother, "Rene Heron", portrayed by Laurentiu Piossa, and defeats the assassin sent by "Moriarty" to kill the fortune teller.
The wedding of "Mary Marston" to "Dr. John Watson" takes place.
After the wedding, "Sherlock Holmes" meets "Professor James Moriarty", who taunts the detective over the murder of "Irene Adler", and vows to kill "Dr. Watson" and his wife. At which point, "Holmes" vows to defeat the criminal master mind.
The newly weds leave on a train for their honeymoon in Brighton. When some of "Moriarty's" men attack them and "Holmes", who is apparently on the same train, watching the happy couple, throws "Mary" off of it, into the convenient river the train happens to be crossing and safety. Then, "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. John Watson" fight and defeat "Professor Moriaty's" men.
"Holmes" and "Watson" travel to Paris and meet "Madame Simza". Where "Sherlock" tells the fortune hunter that he believes she was targets, because her brother "Rene" is an agent of "Moriarty". "Madame Simza", believing what the consulting detective has told her. Now takes the two to a group of anarchists that "Simza" and "Rene" have been working with and forced to plant bombs for the professor. The detective deduces that a bomb, unknown to the group, has been planted in the Paris Opera House, but his deduction was wrong. The bomb goes off at a hotel and several business men are killed. The bomb was a decoy, by "Moriarty's" right-hand-man, "Colonel Sebastian Moran", for the assassination of "Alfred Meinhard", portrayed by Thorston Manderlay.
It now becomes clear that "Professor James Moriarty" has acquired factories that make weapons and he's been eliminating anyone that could point to him. Further, "Sherlock Holmes" correctly deduces that the professor plans to start a European War by murdering selected politician's and Royalty. With "Dr. Watson" that two men go after "Sebastian Moran" and "The Napoleon of Crime".
ELEMENTARY premiered on the United States "Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
This television series put a real twist to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. John H. Watson". The series would run for 154-episodes, from September 27, 2012 through August 15, 2019.
The Three Actors for the Series Entire Run:
Jonny Lee Miller portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". English actor Jonny aka: Johnny Lee Miller, was the rotating actor with Benedict Cumberbatch, portraying "Victor Frankenstein" and "The Creature", in the 2011 British television broadcasts of the "National Theatre Live: Frankenstein". He had just co-starred with Ewan McGregor in 2017's, "T2 Trainspotting".
Lucy Liu portrayed "Dr. Joan Watson". Liu started television acting with, 1991's, "Beverly Hills 90210", in 2000, she co-starred with Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, in the comedy western, "Shanghai Noon", and that year became one of the motion picture "Charlie's Angels". While in 2003, she portrayed "O-Ren Ishii", in director Quentin Tarantino's, "Kill Bill: Vol 1", and repeated her role in, 2004's, "Kill Bill: Vol 2". From 2008 through 2014, Lucy Liu provided the voice for "Silvermist" in the Disney animated television series and related features featuring, "Tinker Bell".
Aidan Quinn portrayed "Captain Thomas Gregson". "Gregon" was one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Scotland Yard Detectives", besides "Inspector Lestrade".
This modern day "Sherlock Holmes" was "Kicked Out of London", because of his drug usage. He leaves the United Kingdom for the United States and Manhattan Island, New York. Where his wealthy father forces him to live with a "Sober Companion". Basically defined as:
- - - a human services-related career path with the goal of helping the client maintain total abstinence or harm reduction from any addiction, and to establish healthy routines at home or after checking out of a residential treatment facility.
In "Sherlock's" case, his father hires "Joan".
Season One, Episode One, is described on the website "IMDb" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2191671/episodes/?ref_=tt_ov_epl as:
Sherlock Holmes, fresh out of rehab, is teamed with a sobriety partner, a former surgeon named Watson. They have to learn to work together even as they tackle their first case, the mysterious death of a doctor's wife.
Look up:
BATMAN vs SHERLOCK HOLMES on November 27, 2012
Peter Shukoff rapped "Batman (Bruce Wayne)"
Lloyd Ahlquist rappped "Robin"
Zach Sherwin rapped "Sherlock Holmes"
Kyle Mooney rapped "Dr. John Watson".
What was heard:
Nice hat, dork, you look like a duck
I had Alfred read your books, he told me they suck
I'll crush your British nuts until they're bangers and mash
I've seen better detective work in Tango & Cash
You chump, I kick punks like you off the streets
While you and Velma here are solving Scooby Doo mysteries
Nothing makes me laugh, but I bet your raps can
So bring it on, bitch, I'm Batman!
I once met a rich fellow who smelled of guano and pain
Holmes explain
I deduce this deuce stain as Bruce Wayne
The billionaire?
Yes, his wealth would allow this adversary of ours
To afford the toys his needs
Since he has no superpowers!
You want to battle, bat? Bring it then
I heard he has a British butler
Good! Then he'll be used to getting served by Englishmen!
You're a wack vigilante black pantied spud with no skill
My sidekick's a doctor
Because his flows are so ill!
Shut up, nerds, I serve justice, so eat it
My sidekick only comes around
When he's needed!
Boy wonder make you wonder how your ass got killed
Bite harder than those hounds down in Baskerville
I'll bust you with that bat-whack-rap repellant
Rappel a building, snatch a villain then by dinner be chilling
Gotta secret about your homegirl Irene Adler
Took her back to my nest, to bam pow kersplat her
I'll shatter that fiddle with a chop of the hand!
Holy Conan Doyle, let's get 'em! Aw god damn!
You're not smart, you're selfish, you endanger everyone's life
Why don't you let your boyfriend here go home to his wife?
Nobody likes you, not your brother, not your partner, not Scotland Yard!
You'll die alone with no friends except that needle in your arm!
This mustn't register on an emotional level...
First, exploit childhood tragedy... then gesture with pipe...
Watson finishes punchline... next, acknowledge compliment
Conclude with killer catchphrase...
I believe your parent's homicide is why you mask your face
You're shamed and traumatized and haunted by the vast disgrace
Of watching like a passive waste as momma died and daddy was dispatched with haste!
Holmes, you've cracked the case!
You're a bat shit crazy basket case!
Bloody good rhymes!
I've got tonnes!
Dissing these dynamic douchebags was elementary, my dear Watson
Шерлок Холмс (Sherlok Kholms) in Russia on the state television station Russia-1
This was an 8-episode Russian television, "Sherlock Holmes" series, that ran between November 8, 2013 through November 28, 2013
Igor Petrenko portrayed both "Sherlock Holmes", below, and "Mycroft Holmes".
Andrey Panin portrayed "Dr. Watson".
Mikhail Boyarskiy portrayed "Inspector Lestrade".
Lyanka Gryu portrayed "Irene Adler".
Ingeborga Dapkunaite portrayed "Mrs. Hudson".
Alexey Gorbunov portrayed "Professor James Moriarty"
Season One, Episode One, is described on the website "IMDb"
After suffering a contusion, medical officer John Watson was sent into retirement. He came to London with the intention of opening a private medical practice, but he even dreamed of becoming a writer. It is not known how the fate of the doctor would have been if he had not witnessed one incident that eyewitnesses considered to be an accident. And only one of the crowd said with confidence when the police arrived at the scene that this was a premeditated murder, and suggested that the doctor go to the station to testify. A new acquaintance introduced himself by Sherlock Holmes. This unpleasant meeting the same day turned out for Dr. Watson an unexpected adventure.
Season One, Episode Two:
One day a former comrade of Watson, Peter Small, comes to an apartment on Baker Street. He brings with him a trunk full of jewels. Small is wounded and dies in the arms of the doctor. Watson refuses to believe that Small is a murderer and robber. Holmes is taken to help get to the truth. The case is mysterious and dangerous. He assumes that a gang of cab-men is operating in the city. The bait should be a photograph, which depicts all of them - still young officers, graduates of a military school, along with one of their teachers. The next day, the beautiful Irene Adler appears in the Holmes apartment. After her visit, the photo disappears.
Below, some of the faces of "Sherlock Holmes":
We move from "Russia 1" television to "NHK 日本放送協会 (Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), the "Japan Broadcasting Corporation".
PUPPET ENTERTAINMENT SHERLOCK HOLMES
This is a Japanese series with Japanese actors from March 25, 2014 through September 24, 2015
The series was the creation of Japanese playwright 三谷 幸喜, Mitani Kōki (Kōki Mitani).
Kōki Mitani is a Japanese "Sherlockian" and based all his stories upon the "Sherlock Holmes Canon" as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The setting is a London Boarding school named "Beeton School", for the "Beeton's Christmas Annual" and the characters are all teenagers.
The main Japanese voice actors are in English pronouncing:
Koichi Yamadera portraying "Sherlock Holmes".
Wataru Takagi portraying "Dr. John H. Watson".
Keiko Horiuchi portrayed "Mrs. Hudson".
Massashi Ebara portrayed "James Moriarty".
Rie Miyazawa portrayed "Irene Adler".
Daisuke Kishio portrayed "Gordon Lestrade".
MR. HOLMES released on February 8, 2015 at the Berlin, Germany, International Film Festival
In April 2005, American author Mitch Cullin published his novel "A Slight Trick of the Mind". It is 1947, the retired "Sherlock Holmes", with diminishing memory and the need to walk with the use of two canes, lives in the English countryside with his housekeeper, "Mrs. Munro".
In July 2014, director Bill Condon, the director of 1998's, "God and Monsters", 2006's, "Dreamgirls", and 2013's, "The Fifth Estate", starring Benedict Cumberbatch portraying "Julian Assange", starting filming this feature film.
The feature was based without credit, on character's created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and with credit, Mitch Cullin's novel.
The screenplay was written by Jeffrey Hatcher, this was the 10th of his 11-screenplays.
Sir Ian McKellen portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". McKellen had just portrayed "Gandalf", in 2014's, "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies", and followed this feature film with the made-for-television, 2015, "The Dresser", co-starring Sir Anthony Hopkins.
Laura Linney portrayed "Mrs. Munro". She had just portrayed "Sarah Shaw", in 2013's, "The Fifth Estate". Linney followed this motion picture co-starring with Colin Firth, Jude Law, and Nicole Kidman, in 2016's, "Genius".
The Basic Plot:
This story would not have worked without 73-years-old Ian McKellen, portraying 93-years-old Sherlock Holmes. Who lives in retirement with the widowed, "Mrs. Munro", and her son, "Rodger", portrayed by Milo Parker.
"Sherlock Holmes" suffers from a fading memory, but fears that he failed somehow on a case. With the help of "Rodger", slowly memories start to return, as the case is shown in a series of flashbacks. Along with "The Consulting Detective" becoming more attached to the boy, as the missing father figure.
On May 21, 2015, the "Estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" filed copyright infringement charges for the unauthorized use of material about "Sherlock Holmes'" later life. An out of court agreement was reached.
Returning to Japan, on October 16, 2016, was the start of a 10-part mini-series, "IQ246: The Cases of a Royal Genius". Which on some sites and lists is indicated as a Japanese adaption of
"Sherlock Holmes", but in the description's of this series. There are no such characters, or a stated connection to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. "IMDb" has a program description at:
ミス・シャーロック/ MISS SHERLOCK a Japanese crime drama from "HBO Asia" in both Japanese and English from Canada
The series is in 8-episodes, April 27, 2018 through June 15, 2018, and had the distinction of being the first "Sherlock Holmes" production with an actress in the role. There were three directors, and five writers and full credit for Sir Arthur Conan for creating the character's.
Yûko Takeuchi portrayed "Sara 'Sherlock' Shelly Futaba".
Shihori Kanjiya portrayed "Dr. Wato ("Wato-san)" Tachibana".
Ken'ichi Takito portrayed "Inspector Gentaro Reimon". He is based upon "Scotland Yard Inspector Lestrade".
Yukiyoshi Ozawa portrayed "Kento Futabo, the Prime Minster's Secretary". He is "Sherlock's" older brother and is based upon "Mycroft Holmes".
Ran Ito portrayed "Kimi Hatano, a friend of "Sherlock" and the buildings landlady based upon "Mrs. Hudson".
Season One, Episode One:
Wato Tachibana has just returned to Japan from Syria. At the airport she meets her mentor and as they're talking his stomach explodes from a bomb he apparently ate? Consulting detective Miss Sherlock is put on the case and as they solve the mystery of the bomb, the two become close friends. Wato will move in with Miss Sherlock and their adventures will continue in modern Tokyo.
Once again, another failed attempt with comedy.
HOLMES AND WATSON released first in Chile on December 20, 1918
The motion picture wasn't previewed for film critics and after the first worldwide run, didn't make back the film's costs. Stars, Will Ferrell portraying "Sherlock Holmes", and John C. Reilly portraying "Dr. Watson". Should have cut and run after both 2006's, "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby", and 2008's, "Stepbrothers".
The plot has "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Watson", attempting to prevent the assassination of "Queen Victoria", portrayed by Pam Ferris, by "Professor James Moriarty", portrayed by Ralph Fiennes. "Holmes" claims the "Moriarty" is in the United States, therefore couldn't be behind the plot, and that the real villain is "Jacob Musgrave", also played by Fiennes.
The motion picture did get some recognition, winning "The Worst Picture", at the February 23, 2019, "Golden Raspberry Awards". Along with John C. Reilly winning "Worse Supporting Actor".
Once again it is the Japanese with another "Sherlock Holmes" based television series.
シャーロック アントールドストーリーズ, Shārokku: Antōrudo Sutōrīzu (SHERLOCK UNTOLD STORIES)
There are 12-cases, from October 7, 2019 through December 16, 2019.
The stories are based upon Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but it was writer Yumiko Inoue who suggested these stories be the "Untold" one's in the "Canon". The one's the Conan Doyle just mentioned as a case name, but not the story associated with it.
Dean Fujioka portrays, not "Sherlock Holmes", but "Shishio Homare". Who is a freelance criminal consultant and investigator.
Takanori Iwata portrays, not " Dr. John Watson", but "Junichi Wakamiya". Who is a psychiatrist at Tomasu Central Hospital. This character is based upon "John Watson" and has the same initials, "J.W".
Above left, Takanori Iwata, and on the right, Dean Fujioka.
Kuranosuke Sasaki portrays not "Inspector Lestrade", but "Chief Inspector Reiji Etō". Who is a unit head of the First Investigation Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
An example of the "Untold Stories" can be found in "The Adventures of the Six Napoleons". Which was first published in the American "Colliers Magazine", on April 30, 1904. Where we find "Sherlock Holmes" saying:
The affair seems absurdly trifling, and yet I dare call nothing trivial when I reflect that some of my most classic cases have had the least promising commencement. You will remember, Watson, how the dreadful business of the Abernetty family was first brought to my notice by the depth which the parsley had sunk into the butter upon a a hot day.
The following is the official description of the First-Episode of "Sherlock: Untold Stories":
Next, from Japanese anime is:
歌舞伎町シャーロック, Kabukichō Shaarokku(Case File nº221: Kabukicho)
This was a 24-episode series in both a Japanese language and English language release between October 11, 2019 and March 27, 2020. The series was released in 2-parts, the first part was from October 11, 2019 through December 27, 2019, the second part was from January 10, 2020 through March 27, 2020.
The overall plot is somewhat familiar, as a string of murders, similar to those of "Jack the Ripper" are taking place in the Kabukicho District, in Shinjuku, Tokyo, known for its entertainment more towards adults. A group of detectives can be hired through a intermediary found at the underground bar, "The Pipe Cat".
シャーロック・ホームズ, Shārokku Hōmuzu (Sherlock Holmes) who is described this way:
- Sherlock is an eccentric individual who once dreamed of becoming a rakugoka (the storyteller who sits on a raised platform and with only the use of paper, tells a complicated comedy story to his audience) but failed at that dream. So, he became a detective instead and is one of the detectives of detective row. He employs rakugo once he has deduced the answers to the case at hand.
"Sherlock" is voiced in Japanese by Katsuyuki Konishi, and in English by Ian Sinclair.
ジョン・H・ワトソン, Jon H. Watoson (John H. Watson) who is described this way:
- John is currently employed at a university hospital on the west side of Shinjuku but had to cross over to Kabukichou in order to get someone help him with an odd case. His search leads him to the Pipe Cat.
"Watson" is voiced in Japanese by Yuichi Nakamura, and in English by Josh Grelle.
Above, "Watson" and "Holmes" after their first meeting.
ジェームズ・モリアーティ, Jēmuzu Moriāti (James Moriarty) who is described this way:
- James is the acting leader of the Kabukicho Irregulars, a group of children who have made it their mission to steal from the rich and support the needy. It is later revealed that he is the son of the ward mayor and has stayed in Kabukicho to track and take revenge on the serial killer who killed his twin sister.
"Moriarty" is voiced in Japanese by Seiichiro Yamashita and in English by Justin Briner.
Like "James Moriarty", the detectives intermediary at "The Pipe Kat", ハドソン夫人Hadoson fujin (Mrs. Hudson) is a lot different than Conan Doyle imagined. She is voiced in Japanese by Junichi Suwabe and in English by David Wald.
メアリ・モーンスタン, Meari Mōnsutan (Mary Morstan) who is described this way:
- She is the younger of the Morstan siblings, who grew up with her older sister as her only companion. On the day she was taken up for adoption, she decided to run away to Kabukicho with Lucy.
She is voiced in Japanese by Nao Toyama and in English by Trina Marie Nishimura
ルーシー・モーンスタン, Rūshī Mōnsutan (Lucy Morstan) who is described this way:
- Lucy is the older of the Morstan siblings. When they were younger, she run away to the east side with Mary. She dresses as a man and is usually mistaken as such.
Back in 2006, young adults author, Nancy Springer, wrote the first "Enola Holmes" mystery, "The Case of the Missing Marquess".
ENOLA HOLMES was first shown on Netflix, September 23, 2020
British actress Millie Bobby Brown portrayed "Sherlock Holmes's" younger sister "Enola". In both 2019's, "Godzilla: King of the Monsters", and 2021's, "Godzilla vs Kong", she portrayed "Madison Russell".
Henry Cavill portrayed "Sherlock Holmes". Cavill portrayed "Clark Kent" aka: "Superman" in 2013's, "Man of Steel", 2016's, "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice", and again in 2017's, "Justice League".
Above is the "Holmes Family", left to right, "Sherlock", mother "Eudora Holmes" portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter, "Enola", and "Mycroft", portrayed by Sam Claflin
The Basic Plot:
Set in Victorian England, on her 16th-birthday, "Enola" awakes to find her mother missing and some gifts. A week later her brother's come to the house. "Sherlock" finds his younger sister extremely intelligent, but "Mycroft" find her troublesome and as her legal guardian. He plans to send her off to finishing school, but "Enola" discovers that there is more to those flower cards her mother left her. In fact they contain a secret message that leads "Eudora's" daughter to a large amount of money. "Enola" after getting the money, disguises herself as a boy, buys a train ticket and escapes from her older brother's plans. On the train meets young "Viscount Tewkesbury", portrayed by Louis Partridge, whom she thinks is a "nincompoop".
Things change for both the "Viscount" and "Enola", when she discovers there's a man named "Linthorn", portrayed by Burn Gorman, following him.
Not to forget the question of where's her mother?
憂国のモリアーティYūkoku no Moriāti (Moriarty the Patriot)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriarty_the_Patriot
This was a spin-off series from "Case File nº221: Kabukicho"ran from October 11, 2020 through June 27, 2021, with 24-episodes. There were 6-writers giving full created to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but completely reimagined "Professor James Moriarty" everything.
The Plot:
In the late 19th Century, Great Britain has become a global superior power. There is a strict class system and the average citizen has little chance of rising above his social status, where the nobility rules.
There are Three Moriarty Brothers:
Albert James Moriarty:
- The oldest of the Moriarty brothers. He is the only member of the original Moriarty family of the brothers. He adopted William and Louis after witnessing how broken his real family is and came to believe in William's dreams of remaking society. He serves as a lieutenant colonel in the British army before retiring to head M16 under Mycroft Holmes's watchful eye.
William James Moriarty:
- The middle Moriarty brother and a crime consultant. He possesses great intelligence and uses it to come up with perfect crimes in hopes of ending the class system and reforming society. He helps victims of class-influenced crimes get their revenge by setting up a crime scene where their victims do the killing without leaving any evidence of their involvement behind. William was originally raised in an orphanage before being adopted by Albert and assumed the identity of the real William after murdering him.
Albert Louis Moriarty:
- The middle Moriarty brother and a crime consultant. He possesses great intelligence and uses it to come up with perfect crimes in hopes of ending the class system and reforming society. He helps victims of class-influenced crimes get their revenge by setting up a crime scene where their victims do the killing without leaving any evidence of their involvement behind. William was originally raised in an orphanage before being adopted by Albert and assumed the identity of the real William after murdering him.
Above, Albert, William aka: James, and Louis
Then there was "Sherlock Holmes":
William's friend and rival. He works as a consulting detective who helps Scotland Yard and other clients with cases they cannot solve. William takes an interest in him after realizing Sherlock's brilliance during their first meeting and proceeds to "cast" him in the role of a hero in his plan to remake society, but Sherlock has no interest in being manipulated or left behind by the one person he feels understands him.
Above left, "Sherlock Holmes", and right "William" aka: James
Dr. John H. Watson:
- Watson is a veteran who was a combat medic in the First Anglo-Afghan War as well as Sherlock's flatmate who helps him solve cases and chronicles them with heavy fictionalizations to suit his and Sherlock's purposes.
"William" has put together an elaborate scheme to murder some members of the nobility, but it is stopped by "Sherlock Holmes". This causes "William" to realize that at last there is an opponent with an equal mind to his own. While "Sherlock", ponders how he seems to have been chosen by this "Lord of Crime" to play a part in his murders and "The Game is Afoot"!
There was no "Big Bird", or "Bert and Ernie", but "The Children's Television Workshop" and the BBC created:
GHOSTWRITER
THE CASE OF THE MISSING GHOST was in 3-parts, all shown on October 9, 2020
A ghost is haunting a neighborhood book store and starts releasing fictional characters into the real world. The neighborhood kids team up help the ghost solve the mystery of the ghost's unfinished business.
"The Ghostwriter" helps the kids solving their mystery of a secret manuscript. "Ghostwriter" provides the kids with the ghost of detective "Shirl 'SHERLOCK' Holmes", above far left portrayed by Camilla Arfwedson, and her friend from University, "Joan Watson", portrayed by Zoe Doyle, to her right. Who is morning the death of her friend.
Next, it was time for the Russian "Sherlock Holmes" to met "Jack the Ripper":
Ше́рлок в России Sherlok v Rossii (Sherlock: The Russian Chronicles)
The 8-episode series ran from October 22, 2020 through December 10, 2020.
Maksim Matveev portrayed "Sherlok Khoms".
Vladimir Mishukov portrayed "Doktor Kartsev".
Irina Starshenbaum portrayed "Sofya".
Andrey Feskov portrayed "Dr. Watson".
In London, "Jack the Ripper" is on a murder spree in the Whitechapel District. There is a confrontation between the "Ripper", "Sherlock Holmes", and "Dr. Watson", leaving "Watson" seriously injured. The "Ripper" murders had also stopped after the confrontation, leaving Scotland Yard with the mystery of "Jack the Ripper" was?
However, word reaches "Holmes" that similar ritualistic murders are now occurring in St. Petersburg, Russia. Leaving his friend and companion to recuperate at 221-B. "Sherlock Holmes" goes to Russia to follow "Jack the Ripper". There he teams up with "Doktor Kartsev", and falls in love with the beautiful "Sofya", as "Holmes"tracks down "The Ripper".
THE IRREGULARS
There are 8-episodes, made in the United Kingdom for "Netflix", that premiered on March 26, 2021, and was cancelled after the 8th-episode had been shown for lack of viewership.
Set in Victorian London, these "Baker Street Irregulars" were not the one's created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to assist "Sherlock Holmes". Instead, "Holmes" is missing, and is part of a search started by "The Sinister Dr. Watson", portrayed by Royce Pierreson. Who manipulates the group led by "Bea", portrayed by Theddea Graham.
The first episode of "The Irregulars" is about "Bea's" younger sister, "Jessie", portrayed by Darci Shaw, having growing more intense nightmares. This forces "Bea" to accept a job offer from "Watson", to have "The Irregulars" investigate the kidnapping of four babies, in exchange for help to stop "Jessie's" nightmares.
Above, Theddea Grahm and Darci Shaw
By now my reader must realize the Japanese fascination with Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes", and the following anime program combines him with French writer Maurice Leblanc's, 1905 creation, of gentleman thief and master of disguise, "Arsène Lupin".
ルパン三世 PART6 Rupan Sansei Pāto Shikkusu (Lupin the 3rd Part 6)
This anime is part of the "Lupin the Third" media franchise created by 加藤一彦 Katō Kazuhiko (Katō Kazuhiko). Who uses the pen name of "モンキー・パンチ, Monkī Panchi (Monkey Punch)". The series is about the grandson of the original "Arsène Lupin".
The series has 25-episodes starting on April 17, 2022, through March 27, 2022. However, "Sherlock Holmes" is in only seen in 6-episodes, 2, 3, 8, 9 12, and 13.
Below, "Lupin the Third".
Below "Sherlock Holmes":
Below, "Lily Watson".
Below, "Inspector Lestrade" and "Sherlock Holmes".
The Basic Plot:
Ten-years-ago, while interrogating a subject, a bomb exploded killing widower "Dr. John H. Watson". Witnessing the explosion was "Watson's" daughter, "Lily", and standing near her and his body was "Lupin the 3rd". Two events took place after the explosion. First, "Lily" forgot everything about her life prior to that moment. Secondly, "Holmes" was able to get a promise from "Lupin", who had no connection to the bomb, to stay away from London.
Now, "Lupin the 3rd" has been drawn back to London from Europe, and "Holmes" fears that if 14-years-old "Lily", who he is her guardian, sees him. She might remember the death of her father, that thankfully she has forgot.
Adding to the situation, is the return of a mysterious organization, "Raven", that the bomb was connected to all those years ago and "Lupin the 3rd" is after.
Then there was the return of "Sherlock Holmes's" fictional younger sister in:
ENOLA HOLMES 2 was first shown on Netflix, October 28, 2022
Millie Bobby Brown returns as "Enola Holmes".
Henry Cavill returns as her brother, "Sherlock",
Helena Bonham Carter returns as their mother, "Eudoria Holmes", but "Mycroft" is not in this story.Louis Partridge returns as "Tewkesburry", now a member of the "House of Lords".
The Basic Plot:
"Enola" is now a detective for hire and not finding much work, being over shadowed by "Sherlock". A match making factory girl named "Bessie Chapman", portrayed by Serrana Su-Ling Bliss, comes to "Enola", asking her to help find "Bessie's" sister "Sarah", portrayed by "Hannah Dodd". Unknown to both, "Sarah" uses another name, "Cicely". Which ties her to a case "Sherlock" is working without results. Meanwhile, at the factory the sisters were working at, "Enola" sees a suspicious employee named "Mae", portrayed by Abbie Hern. "Mae" leaves, and "Enola" follows her to the Paragon Theatre, where all three girls work as dancers. There she discovers a letter written by "Sarah" to her secret lover.
On her way home, "Enola" finds a drunken "Sherlock", and takes him to 221-B Baker Street. "Sherlock" is working on a case about government officials being blackmailed, but cannot figure out who is behind this. As the two cases converge, one name emerges, "Moriarty".
It's time to return to Japanese anime with a pure horror bent.
UNDEAD GIRL MURDER FARCE
A continuing novel series started on December 17, 2015, a continuing manga series started on June 25, 2016, but we are interested in the anime series from July 6, 2023 through September 23, 2023.
The story is set on an alternate timeline during the 19th Century's, "La Belle Époque (The Beautiful Era)". It is upon this alternate timeline that humans, vampires, and werewolves live together. Along with the Japanese "Oni", a form of "Yokai (Strange Apparition)" supernatural spirits in Japanese folklore.
For this specific article, I have edited some of the descriptions, which means some names are not explained, of the "Lucky 13-Episodes" for the anime series found on "Wikipedia" at
Episode One, Oni Slayer:In 1897, as modernization and westernization sweep through Japan, the country is in the process of exterminating oni's, ayakashi, and other monsters. Tsugaru Shinuchi, known as the "Oni Slayer", makes a living killing some of these monsters in cage fights as a circus act. One evening, Tsugaru is attacked by a woman in a French maid outfit. The pair are interrupted by woman's voice coming from the birdcage the maid was carrying. She is revealed to be the severed head of an immortal who introduces herself as Aya Rindo and her maid bodyguard as Shizuku Hasei. She requests that Tsugaru help find her body and offers Tsugaru a chance to extend his lifespan - - -
Episode Four: The Headliner Appears:
- - - As Raoul meets his end at Tsugaru's hands outside, the sun rises and Aya asks Godard about a man with an M on his cane. Godard replies that a few days earlier he was approached by a man calling himself "Professor" who offered to take him to London, but he declined.
Episode Five: The Immortal of London:
In 1899, Arsene Lupin recruits Erik, the Phantom of the Opera, to steal a diamond called the "Penultimate Night" from Phil's mansion in London. Meanwhile, Tsugaru and Aya try to obtain the name of the Professor from a London cane shop but are accosted by two men and picked up by London police who already have twin thieves in custody. The men turn out to be Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson, one of two detectives hired by Fogg to counter Lupin's threat: the other being the Cage User. Upon hearing this, the police transport the detectives straight to Fogg's mansion. Fogg shows off his security measures to the detectives, Inspector Lestrade and two members of the highly regarded Royce group. He also displays the diamond locked in a small puzzle safe made of silver. Fogg claims the diamond and the safe were both made by German dwarves who left a message behind for future generations. Both detectives try to think of how Lupin could infiltrate the chamber with the many layers of security - - - -
Episode Six: The Phantom Thief and the Detective:
Mycroft Holmes pays a visit to Holmes and Watson in their flat on Baker Street but quickly deduces that Holmes is a Lupin in disguise who is exposed when the real Holmes arrives. Lupin leaps out a window, promising to steal Fogg's treasure. Meanwhile, Tsugaru discovers that the cage with Aya's head was accidentally switched with one containing a parrot. Shizuku is nearly run over by Erik driving Lupin's getaway car, and Lupin offers help her find Aya. Mycroft warns Sherlock to beware of the Royce's agents, whom he suspects plan steal the diamond themselves and let Lupin take the fall. - - - -
Episode Seven: Free For All:
Sherlock quickly deduces that Lupin disguised himself as Inspector Ganimard and assisted Erik to pull the safe up through the broken vent. Sherlock hid the diamond in Watson's jacket but Lupin grabs the diamond and escapes with Erik in the confusion. They arrive at the greenhouse, only to find that Aya had been hiding inside the safe the whole time and she calls for Tsugaru. Shizuku and Tsugaru prepare to fight Lupin and Erik, but Royce's agent Reynold Stinghart arrives and takes the diamond. Suddenly, the access bridge is blown up and the Professor and his entourage arrive on the mansion grounds, slaughtering several guards in their search for the diamond. Lupin, Erik, Holmes, Watson, the Cage User group, the Royce's agents, the Professor's group, and the police detachment all engage in a battle across the mansion for the diamond.
Episode Eight: The Banquet:
As the battle rages on in the chapel, Camilla manages to subdue Shizuku, Erik confounds Fatima, and Lupin temporarily allies with Tsugaru to fight Reynold. Meanwhile, Holmes tries to think of a strategy to counter Aleister's poison darts. The fights are interrupted as Jack the Ripper bursts into the chapel, killing both Fatima and Reynold before taking the diamond. Lupin and Erik decide to flee, not wanting to risk fighting Jack. Meanwhile, the Professor himself appears before Holmes, Watson, and Aya, revealing that he is none other than James Moriarty. He admits he has Aya's body and that he injected the blood of an immortal mixed with that of an Oni into several subjects, but only Jack survived, making him powerful and nearly indestructible. He now wants to add the blood of a werewolf to make Jack even more powerful. Jack grabs the diamond, and while defeating Tsugaru, recognizes him as a survivor of Moriarty's oni experiment. Jack signals Moriarty's group, the "Banquet" organization, their mission is complete, and they leave. However, Tsugaru reveals that he swiped the diamond from Jack's pocket and Aya uses it to decipher the location of German werewolves.
At this point, "Sherlock Holmes" stops appearing in this anime series.
Several websites and writings place the following live musical performance under the heading of "Sherlock Holmes" television series:
BBC FOUR - INSIDE CLASSICAL, SERIES 1
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES on December 25, 2023
Above, Mark Gatiss reads the role of "Sherlock Holmes", and Sanjeev Bhaskar reads the role of "Dr. Watson". While the "BBC Symphony Orchestra" plays an original composition by Neil Brand.
I now return to where I started this article with:
WATSON technically the pilot episode premiered in Cannes, France, during the Marche International des Programmes de Communication (The International Market for Communication Programs) on October 20, 2024
Above standing left to right, Ritchie Coster portraying "Shinwell Johnson", Peter Mark Kendall portraying "Adam Croft", Morris Chestnut portraying "John Watson", Rochelle Aytes portraying "Mary Morstan", Eve Harlow portraying "Ingrid Derian".
Above, seated left is Inga Schlingmann portraying "Sasha Lubbock", seated right is Peter Mark Kendall portraying the serious twin, "Stephens Croft".
With the exception of "Shinwell Johnson", these characters are all doctors in different specialized areas of medicine. That work with "Dr. Watson" to solve the mystery illness of each episode's patient.
However, "Mary Morstan", if you know your Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, married "Dr. John H. Watson" in the 1890 "Sherlock Holmes" novel, "The Sign of the Four". Technically, "Mary" is "John's" estranged wife and his boss at the clinic.
As for 'Shinwell Johnson", he is an ex-London criminal and was a friend of both "Holmes" and "Watson". His position at the "Holmes Clinic" is administrative aide. However, as we found out in the pilot episode. "Johnson" is also a sometime agent of "Moriarty", portrayed by Randall Park, below.
In the second episode, the audience was introduced to "Moriarty's Agent", portrayed by Kacey Rohl, who gives "Shinwell" his instructions.
At the time of this writing, the audience has not met either "Inspector Lestrade", or "Irene Adler", but they're planned for other episodes of "Watson".
SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER
This show is supposed to run on both the "CW" and "Discovery +", sometime this year. At the time of this writing, eight episodes have already been filmed, but I could not locate what the episodes are about.
"Sherlock & Daughter"stars David Thewis portraying "Sherlock Holmes", and Blu Hunt, portraying Native American "Amelia Rojas".
As of this writing, the story is that "Amelia's" mother was murdered and she wants "Holmes" to find the murderer. However, there seems to be a twist, as it is "Moriarty", portrayed by Dougray Scott, that comes to "Amelia's" aide. The title comes from "Amelia Rojas's" belief that "Sherlock Holmes" is her real father and she is attempting to prove it.
Below left to right out of make-up, Dougray Scott, David Thewis, and Blu Hunt
In conclusion, 131-years-plus, after "Sherlock Holmes" first appeared in "Beeton's Christmas Annual". The character Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed in 1893, at Switzerland's Reichenbach Falls, remains one of, if not, the most prominent character in fiction.
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