Sherlock Holmes

[Phil H]

I was a great fan of Douglas Wilmer as Holmes when the series was first shown. (I never liked Cushing in the role). Hitherto I had been an adherent to Rathbone notwithstanding all the changes the later films made.

Wilmer is still alive, in his 90s I believe, and lives in East Anglia where he is now an artist.

He is also in the "Rivals of SH" series (available on dvd) as Van Dusen (the thinking machine) in which he is amazing.

He can also be seen in Oliviers Richard III, and the 60s epics, El Cid and Fall of the Roman Empire.

I don't question that the first two or three series with Brett are definitive. The last series, made when he was ill, are best forgotten.

I think future Holmes will find their place as Brett's fades in memory, a new generation emerges and TV itself changes in terms of the look and feel of programmes, so that the 1980s series looks dated.

I don't think Downey's Holmes is indicative of anything more than the impossibility of doing a "straight" Holmes while the memory of brett remains vivid.

Incientally, a favorite SH of mine is Robert Stephens (with Colin Blakely as Watson) in "The Private Life of SH" by Billy Wilder. Very funny, lots of cross-references to the books (especially the ones mentioned by never written) and some stunning one-liners.

Phil

[Robert]

Wilmer was good. I think Cushing himself admitted that he wasn't at his best as Holmes.

The music for the Wilmer programmes was excellent.

[Robert]

Incidentally, something odd happened during Cushing's run. They broadcast a rehearsal, I think. I remember sitting there watching "The Dancing Men." It got to the point where Abe Slaney comes through the door, only to walk into the arms of the police. Suddenly the screen went dark and someone said, "Take Two," or words to that effect.

[TomTomKent]

Incidentally, something odd happened during Cushing's run. They broadcast a rehearsal, I think. I remember sitting there watching "The Dancing Men." It got to the point where Abe Slaney comes through the door, only to walk into the arms of the police. Suddenly the screen went dark and someone said, "Take Two," or words to that effect.

Was Cushings series the feature length stories with the Captain from Dads Army as a rather too comedic Watson? I'm sorry but I wasn't born for most of this stuff...

As for the worst series? Ahem:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0218791/

WHY?

[Robert]

I think Cushing's series had Nigel Stock as Watson. Stock had been Wilmer's Watson, so he simply carried on where he left off. I don't recall Arthur Lowe in any Holmes production.

[TomTomKent]

I think Cushing's series had Nigel Stock as Watson. Stock had been Wilmer's Watson, so he simply carried on where he left off. I don't recall Arthur Lowe in any Holmes production.

Probably because I have become confused and muddled two distinct projects: The spoof television movies from the seventies where John Cleese played a victorian Holmes in the modern world being one ("The fate of the world as we know it") and the slightly later Ian Richardson films (Baskervilles and Sign of the Four). Not to be mistaken for Richardson as one of the real life inspirations of Holmes in Murder Rooms.

More recently I did enjoy Max Headroom, erm I mean Matt Frewer in adaptions of Hound of the Baskervilles, Sign of the Four and possibly a couple of others.

[Robert]

I think this is the definitive portrayal :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0igRKYQUfpg

[bigjon]

My favourite adaption:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=004282khD1E

[Captain Hook]

Perhaps Wilmer spread himself too thin. He also played Dennis Nayland-Smith in a couple of Fu Manchu movies with Christopher Lee, the Thinking Machine in The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes again in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes's Smarter Brother - who was not Mycroft but - gasp! Gene Wilder. Actually this film had a good cast: Leo McKern as Moriarty, Marty Feldman as a police inspector and Madeline Kahn on something or other.

Cheers
Eduardo

[Robert]

In the Peter Cushing Hammer film of the Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes is shown playing chess - this despite the fact that in The Retired Colourman, Holmes says something like "Always distrust a chess player, Watson - the mark of a scheming mind."

[Steven Russell]

This could have been a sly joke against himself on Holmes' part. It is inconceiveable that he would not have been a good chess player given his various qualities, interests, and abilities.

Best wishes,
Steve.

PS I think this thread was set up to discuss the Robert Downey jnr film. There is another thread called, from memory, "All things Conan Doyle and Holmes" which deals with - well, the clue's in the title.

[kensei]

Perhaps Wilmer spread himself too thin. He also played Dennis Nayland-Smith in a couple of Fu Manchu movies with Christopher Lee, the Thinking Machine in The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes again in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes's Smarter Brother - who was not Mycroft but - gasp! Gene Wilder. Actually this film had a good cast: Leo McKern as Moriarty, Marty Feldman as a police inspector and Madeline Kahn on something or other.

Cheers
Eduardo

The name Dennis Nayland Smith caught my eye. Did you know he was adapted as a character into a Marvel comic called "Master of Kung Fu" in which a Chinese martial arts master named Shang Chi (who is the son of Fu Manchu) works as an agent for British intelligence? I'm kind of a comic book geek, and also a martial arts one.

[kensei]

Have heard recently that the sequel to Robert Downey Jr's "Sherlock Holmes" is rapidly approaching. I must admit that I admire the man for having gone from serving time in jail for drug charges to sobering up and becoming both Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes. Way to go!

[Captain Hook]

Have heard recently that the sequel to Robert Downey Jr's "Sherlock Holmes" is rapidly approaching.

Hi Kensei,

Yes, you can already see the trailer on the internet. I don't know what to say - Downey/Holmes appears in drag. Not a pretty sight, although it's obviously done as comedy.

The son of Fu Manchu working for British intelligence? We-ell. Nayland-Smith wasn't really like Sherlock Holmes but rather like like Bulldog Drummond or a pre-Bond Bond minus the women and the booze. He had some non-descript job which gave him some sway over Scotland Yard and all intelligence forces as he fought the infamous doctor and his yellow hordes throughout 12 volumes, most of which I still have somewhere.

BTW, have you ever seen Blood of the Innocent - a four-issue comic book series in which Dracula battles Jack the Ripper? It came out many moons ago, but there was some talk recently about reviving it as a movie.

Cheers
Hook

[kensei]

Hi Kensei,


BTW, have you ever seen Blood of the Innocent - a four-issue comic book series in which Dracula battles Jack the Ripper? It came out many moons ago, but there was some talk recently about reviving it as a movie.

Cheers
Hook

Captain,
Have not seen Blood of the Innocent but I have read "Gotham by Gaslight" in which Batman battles the Ripper, and a novel called "Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula." There is also a short story entitled "Gentlemen of the Shade" by Harry Turtledove in which the Ripper is himself a vampire.