Sherlock Holmes

[Celesta]

Grave One,

I must be the only SH fan around here who absolutely can't stand Brett.

I wouldn't go that far, but I'm nowhere as enamored of Brett's performances as are most. Partly for the reasons you gave, but even more because even when the series started Brett and Burke were rather old for the role.

Don.

Don, The main thing I didn't like about Jeremy was the flamboyance. It took seeing the episodes several times for me to stop complaining about it. I think that, esp. in the later episodes, Brett was trying to provide a bit of humor, knowing that Sherlock fans are well aware of Sherlock's little quirks. The flamboyance may have been one way he tried to express this. The time allotted for some of these episodes was just too brief and the story-lines took rather a hit, especially later on, with only the highlights depicted. I agree that Brett and David Burke were a tad too old. Still, it's now hard for me to visualize Holmes without hearing Brett's excellent voice and seeing his image.

It's not a girl thing for me. Although, I will admit that, after recently seeing some videos of his earlier career, I can see how women would find him attractive. That doesn't come into the Holmes productions for me.

I don't recall who played the PBS Holmes that followed the Brett productions, but I didn't care for him at all. He was like a machine and too somber for my tastes.

[belinda]

I'm sorry Belinda, you must be wrong, Tom Baker is Dr. Who!

It's true and I can prove it. I have it on tape.It was made after he left Doctor Who about 1984.

It was on Youtube but I have the first bit which I could probably re upload

Archaic I think you're right about it being a girl thing with Jeremy Brett

[The Grave Maurice]

Eduardo's comment about John Wood made me recall that one of the better stage portrayals of Holmes that I ever saw was Fritz Weaver's in the musical Baker Street. He was remarkably good, as were Inga Swenson (Irene Adler) and Martin Gabel (Moriarty). Watson was played by none other than Peter Sallis (Cleggy in Last of the Summer Wine) and he actually sang quite well, as did they all. Somewhere in my house I have the cast album and, tomorrow, I shall go in search of it.

[Archaic]

I love Jeremy Brett!!!

Maybe it's a girl thing... he's a chick magnet.

Best regards,
Archaic

[The Grave Maurice]

Hiya Don,

Listen, don't get me wrong. There is much about the Grenada productions that I admire, including the adherence (at least early on) to the original plots, the stage settings, and the photography. It's only Brett I objected to.

The last time I checked, most Sherlockians agreed that the Master was born in 1853, and Watson, probably, in 1851. Again, there is disagreement, but many scholars place A Study in Scarlet in 1881, so yes, they were both quite young men when they first moved into Baker Street.

[Supe]

Grave One,

I must be the only SH fan around here who absolutely can't stand Brett.

I wouldn't go that far, but I'm nowhere as enamored of Brett's performances as are most. Partly for the reasons you gave, but even more because even when the series started Brett and Burke were rather old for the role.

Okay, a Holmes birthday party was never mentioned in the Canon, but the consensus of the many learned Holmesians who have established chronologies is that both Sherlock and Watson were in their very early 30s when the partnership began, something that is never reflected in the many stage, film and TV presentations.

I think that what was particularly captivating in the early Granada shows was the absolute fidelity to the original stories. Alas, as the series wound on this became less and less so until, because of Brett's unfortunate illness, the shows became absolute travesties of the written word.

Don.

[Mycroft]

Tom Baker played Holmes in a 1984 version of The Hound Of The Baskervilles.
It's actually very good and I would rate him as my second favourite Holmes.

I'm sorry Belinda, you must be wrong, Tom Baker is Dr. Who!

[Celesta]

Doyle never described Holmes as wearing a deerstalker. The illustrator, Sidney Paget, is the man responsible for that image of the great detective. From memory, I think it was in "Silver Blaze" though I may be wrong on this. Holmes only ever wore his "ear flapped travelling cap" when venturing out into the country. He would never have worn it in town. Likewise the Inverness cape.

Regards,

Steve.

True, Steven. Sydney Paget first put a deerstalker on Holmes in The Boscombe Valley Mystery (1891), then The Adventure of Silver Blaze (1893) and later in The Return of Sherlock Holmes. There's even a picture of Paget wearing a deerstalker. Also, Frank Wiles did a portrait of Holmes for The Valley of Fear, and he depicts Holmes with a checkered cap with ear flaps, and walking staff.

[belinda]

Tom Baker played Holmes in a 1984 version of The Hound Of The Baskervilles.
It's actually very good and I would rate him as my second favourite Holmes.

[Captain Hook]

John Wood & al.

Hi all,

John Wood played an excellent Holmes on stage in the 1970s. I think they brought the production from the National Theatre in London to Broadway.

Another Sherlock Holmes I saw on stage in New York was called "The Crucifer of Blood". I remember nothing about it except that it started at the Red Fort in Delhi and was obviusly a bit of a rip-off of "The Sign of Four".

I'd have to do some research on this to be sure, but I seem to remember both Charlton Heston and Roger Moore trying out the role on American TV productions. I have no deerstalker recollection.

Cheers
Hook

[The Grave Maurice]

I must be the only SH fan around here who absolutely can't stand Brett. I found his performances mannered and affected, and his facial tics nearly drove me to distraction. The last performance of his that I liked was in My Fair Lady. On the other hand, I thought that both of the Grenada Watsons were excellent.

[Mycroft]

Dear Mycroft,
I agree completely with you that Jeremy Brett is the best Holmes ever to hit the screen. But I feel you are doing yourself a disservice by refusing to watch Peter Cushing or Basil Rathbone. Please do try the BBC audio recordings with Clive Merrison as Holmes and Michael Williams as Watson. They are every bit as good as Brett and Hardwicke, and that's GOOD.

Regards,

Steve.

Hi Steve,
I have watched Cushing's films , but although entertaining, I've never found him convincing and I am always waiting for the vampire,Frankenstein or a mummy to appear(especially if Lee is also in it), he is Hammer Horror films to me. I haven't heard the audio recordings you mention, but would, on your recommendation, be keen to have a listen. Do you have a link for them or do you have to buy them? To be honest though, my complete box set of Brett's Holmes is all I'll ever need, his portrayal to me is perfection, that will never be matched.Out of interest , did you know that Jeremy Brett went for the role of James Bond? Don't think it would of worked myself, but maybe.

[The Grave Maurice]

Perhaps. But I have a photo of what is believed to be his family's plot in Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. (Unfortunately the picture appears to be too large to upload to this site.) Anyway, maybe it's Georges.

[belinda]

I think it's George

[The Grave Maurice]

Here's a good 'un: anyone have any idea of Lestrade's christian name?

G. That's all we know.