Sherlock Holmes Movie-TV-Radio Adaptations

[paranoid marvin]

The trailer for the new Holmes film put me right off. To be honest , and as others have already said , Jeremy Brett is THE quintessential Holmes , has never been and WILL never be surpassed. With a significant number of Doyle's adventures televised , there really is no need to look elsewhere for your sate of sleuthing.

 

[clovis-man]

My mistake. I'd misremembered the title of the film (senility increasing by the day here, I'm afraid ) - the one I liked with Robert Stephens was The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. I think I got them confused in my head because the title of the other is so much wittier and seemed more of a piece with the film. Sorry about that! (That will teach me to check my facts before writing.) I don't know if you've seen it - though I imagine that you'd have the same objections as it's most definitely played for laughs.

I think I must have had my "serious" hat on too tightly. I don't mind some comic relief in my Holmes, or even just comedy when it comes down to it. I'll check out the Stephens piece.

For some "serious comedy", I'd recommend Without A Clue. This one features Michael Caine as Holmes, Ben Kingsley as Watson and Jeffrey Jones as Inspector Lestrade (a great casting choice, BTW). The twist is that Holmes is a bumbling drunken actor and Watson is the real brains in the outfit.

Some pretty funny scenes, e.g.,

Without a Clue (1988) - Memorable quotes

Another "serious" film that intrigued me was the 1933 A Study In Scarlet with Reginald Owen as Holmes. It also featured Anna May Wong as the sinister villain Mrs. Pyke. I found it interesting that, in order to justify an on screen relationship between Ms. Wong and a caucasion actor playing the part of Captain Pyke, the filmmakers had to resort to explaining that she had only been "pretending" to be married to him. The film was just okay, but Anna May Wong was mesmerizing.

 

[blacknorth]

I think English actor Edward Petherbridge would have made the perfect Holmes - unfortunately he never had the opportunity to play the role on screen, but he did make a number of stories for radio which remain my favourite Holmes listening.

 

[The Judge]

Ah, but Petherbridge has already been the perfect Lord Peter Wimsey, so we can't let him monopolise English amateur detectives!

 

[paranoid marvin]

Pete Postlethwaite would make a brilliant Lestrade

 

[blacknorth]

Ah, but Petherbridge has already been the perfect Lord Peter Wimsey, so we can't let him monopolise English amateur detectives!

I'd forgotten all about that series.

How about this then - Harry H Corbett as Sherlock Holmes and Wilfred Brambell as Dr Watson.

You know it makes sense.

 

[The Judge]

They were both very fine actors, and actually Bramble in reali life was well-spoken and elegant, so I think he could well have brought something to the role of Watson.

Taking off thread for a moment, I heard the original Galt and Simpson 'Steptoe and Son' play on the radio some while back and I'd never realised before just how tragic it was, in the way Harold was trapped in this relationship and could never escape.

 

[manephelien]

I've seen lots of different Sherlock Holmes versions over the years, ironically not yet the two newest ones (Ritchie & Goldenberg's direct-to-tv version). However, to my mind, Sherlock doesn't get better than Jeremy Brett. PC be damned, this one had Sherlock sniffing coke as he did in the books.

 

[ravenus]

*sniffing*? I believe he used a syringe
The TV series also shows Holmes giving up cocaine (in The Devil's Foot episode. Apparently it was at Jeremy's request).

 

[Vladd67]

That was something that annoyed me about the last version of Hound of the Baskervilles. It showed Holmes, while working, shooting up in a station toilet. Now this may be a more accurate portrayal of a drug addict but the Holmes of the books never needed drugs while working, he only used cocaine when he was bored.