Sherlock Holmes On Screen

Posted by Kimberly Lindbergs on June 7, 2012

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s crime solving super sleuth has been the subject of numerous films and television shows over the years. How numerous? According to author Alan Barnes, Sherlock Holmes has appeared on big and small screens more times than any other fictional character. In his recently updated book, Sherlock Holmes On Screen, Barnes sets out to solidify that claim by compiling an alphabetical list of the detective’s numerous film and television appearances. But Barnes’ book isn’t merely a list of titles. Each film and television show receives its own write-up with detailed information about the production and its place in the ever-growing Sherlock Holmes’ canon.

Clocking in at 320 pages, Sherlock Holmes On Screen is an indispensable reference for anyone eager to delve into the rich film history surrounding one of the world’s most beloved literary figures. Recently there’s been somewhat of a Sherlock Holmes revival thanks to Guy Ritchie’s action packed film series starring Robert Downey Jr. and the popularity of the Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss BBC series SHERLOCK, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. Steven Moffat actually provides the book’s forward and in it he admits that Billy Wilder’s THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1970) is his “all-time favorite film” but don’t be fooled into thinking the book’s focus is limited to modern interpretations of the character. Beginning with early silent films and serials that Holmes appeared in and concluding with recent adaptations, author Alan Barnes takes readers on a lengthy journey through the character’s early development and highlights the numerous interpretations of the crime solving detective by a diverse cast of actors who have appeared in the role. It offers a scholarly and well-informed look at Sherlock’s cinematic past and present but it’s written with the casual viewer in mind so Sherlock Holmes novices like myself should appreciate its approach. All in all the book’s scope is commendable and I learned a lot while U was reading.

Top: William Gillette and Eille Norwood
Bottom: Basil Rathbone and Peter Cushing

Most classic film fans associate actor Basil Rathbone (1892 – 1967) with the character of Sherlock Holmes but Rathbone is just one of many actors who tackled the role and most of the movies that he appeared in weren’t actually based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories. The Rathbone films also distorted the literary description of Holmes sidekick, the noble Dr. Watson, and turned him into a bumbling idiot. Rathbone appeared in no less than 14 Sherlock Holmes films between 1939 and 1946. While Rathbone’s commendable characterization undoubtedly helped shape Holmes’ screen persona, there were many other actors who breathed life into Holmes before him.

One of the most notable interpretations of Holmes is credited to actor, writer and director William Gillette (1853 – 1937) who played Sherlock Holmes on stage and on screen. Unfortunately his 1916 film appearance as the violin-playing sleuth has been lost but we have many still photographs and reviews to draw from. For the last 95 years actors around the world have been using his portrayal of Holmes for inspiration. Gillette was the first actor to wear a deerstalker cap (based on an illustration of Holmes he saw in Strand Magazine) and his decision to smoke a curved Meerschaum pipe has become synonymous with Holmes. We can also thank Gillette for writing the timeless line, “Oh, this is elementary my dear Watson!” that never appeared in any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories. Gillette’s creative take on Holmes was so popular that it has endured for decades and continues to shape the way that modern actors and audiences view the character.

Another early performer worth noting is silent actor Eille Norwood (1861 – 1948) who starred in no less than 45 Sherlock Holmes feature films and shorts made between 1921 and 1923. Norwood holds the record for appearing in more Holmes films than any other actor and we undoubtedly have him to thank for helping to devise Holmes’ screen mystique. By all accounts, the Sherlock Holmes films that Norwood appeared in were hugely popular with audiences thanks to his indisputable likeness to the literary figure. Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a Norwood fan and reportedly said: “His wonderful impersonation of Holmes has amazed me.”

Top: John Neville and Christopher Plummer
Bottom: Robert Stephens and Jeremy Brett

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective stories never seem to grow old and they’ve been adapted so many times and in so many ways that they’ve become part of our popular mythology. From the comic or darkly humorous Holmes as played by Buster Keaton, Peter Cook, George C. Scott, Gene Wilder, Nicol Williamson and Michael Caine to the more serious portrayals by actors as diverse as John Barrymore, Clive Brooks, Peter Cushing, John Neville, Tom Baker and Jeremy Brett, the character of Sherlock Holmes has taken on a life of his own in the imaginations of countless film directors, screen writers and actors to the never-ending delight of audiences.

In conclusion, Sherlock Holmes On Screen is a wonderful compendium of information and opinion about the numerous screen appearances of everyone’s favorite British detective. My only complaint is that the book lacks an index and as an information junkie who uses her personal library for reference almost daily, I find the book difficult to navigate without it. Alan Barnes listed the films alphabetically in the book and by release date if there are duplicate titles, but if you want to instantly know what Sherlock Holmes films Christopher Lee appeared in you’ll find that task difficult and it shouldn’t be. I hope the publisher will rectify that and include an index in future additions of the book.

In the meantime you should be able to purchase Sherlock Holmes On Screen at your local bookstore or online at sources like Amazon.com as well as directly from the publisher, Titan Books.

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34 Responses Sherlock Holmes On Screen

Posted By Bookish Hobbit : June 7, 2012 2:03 pm

I want this book!

Posted By dukeroberts : June 7, 2012 2:08 pm

Thanks for the salute to Sherlock. I am a lifelong Holmes fan. I consider Basil Rathbone the quintessential Sherlock Holmes, but I do not consider many of his movies as quintessential. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Hound of the Baskervilles: Yes. Holmes fights Nazis? No.

I do not care for the Robert Downey Jr movies. I don’t care for the accent on action over investigation or the way that Watson seems to greatly resent Holmes. I feel they dumb down Sherlock Holmes for the masses. If they were about another detective I have never heard about from that era I might like them a little more, but not a whole lot more.

But Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock is great. Although, I think they do stress too much on him being antisocial. The literary Sherlock cared much more for people than Cumberbatch’s incarnation. Thanks for alerting us to this book.

Posted By dukeroberts : June 7, 2012 2:11 pm

I have every Sherlock story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in a hard cover, annotated collection that I confiscated from my father many years ago. Those two volumes are among my top 5 favorite books.

Posted By Jenni : June 7, 2012 2:45 pm

Another BBC Sherlock fan here! That book sounds fantastic! Thanks for the info on it. I did watch some of the Jeremy Brett versions when they aired on PBS’s Mystery! when I was in college, and he did a great job in the role. I recently heard a radio news report on new tv shows coming this Fall, and CBS has noticed how popular BBC’s Sherlock is, and they have greenlighted a pilot, set in NYC, and Watson will be played by Lucy Liu–not sure if I’ll tune in. My husband and son, big Sherlock fans, are pretty sure it will be a train wreck.

Posted By Kimberly Lindbergs : June 7, 2012 3:01 pm

The book’s been really useful in pointing me in the direction of new films and TV serials to watch so you’re if you’re craving more Sherlock it’s worth a look.

duke – THE HOUND OF BASKERVILLE is probably my favorite Rathbone Sherlock film just because I love the story and all its various interpretations but I’m also really fond of THE SCARLET CLAW. I don’t have a “quintessential” Holmes because I’ve enjoyed so many different actors in the role including Cumberbatch’s recent take but you’re right, he plays him as extremely antisocial with a real mean streak. I really appreciate & enjoy his interpretation though.

Jenni – I’m with you about the upcoming Sherlock series on US TV. The preview didn’t look very appealing but I do like the shows star (Johnny Lee Miller) although I’m unsure if he’ll make a good Sherlock.

Posted By dukeroberts : June 7, 2012 3:28 pm

The preview of Elementary, CBS’s Sherlock Holmes attempt, looks terrible. Being it’s on CBS, a network on which I watch nothing, it looking terrible is just another reason not to tune in to CBS.

Posted By Kimberly Lindbergs : June 7, 2012 3:41 pm

I can’t think of any shows I watch on CBS either duke but I don’t watch much US television besides some shows on AMC (MAD MEN, WALKING DEAD) and foodie shows. Most of the TV programs I enjoy are made by the BBC like SHERLOCK, DOWNTON ABBY, WHITECHAPEL and THE HOURS. I’m a BBC addict.

Posted By dukeroberts : June 7, 2012 4:08 pm

I watch Sherlock and Downton Abbey and I also watch Mad Men, The Walking Dead, The Killing and Breaking Bad on AMC. I do have some guilty pleasures though. I watch Castle on ABC and Psych on USA. Elementary will not be joining those guilty pleasures.

Posted By swac44 : June 7, 2012 4:13 pm

Big Sherlock fan over here too, I have all the Conan Doyle stories (including some very old editions), and a number of Holmes stories by other authors (including one by Stephen King in an anthology), and will watch any adaptation good or bad. My earliest memory of the character is from seeing Sherlock Hemlock on Sesame Street and then the parody character Armlock Hertz on Roger Ramjet.

Glad to see John Neville in the Holmes’ gallery, A Study in Terror deserves to be more widely seen, and somehow he has the perfect combination of cold calculation and sharp wit that marks my all-time favourite Holmes, Jeremy Brett. Basil Rathbone is the classic Holmes, although I agree that after his first two outings the films tended not to live up to his portrayal, but I wish his version had a bit more wit to it. I guess I could do with a reviewing of those first two, it’s been 20 years since I last saw them.

So many great Holmes actors only get a single stab at the character, I would have loved to see another Nicol Williamson portrayal after The Seven Per Cent Solution (it’s author wrote another Holmes novel, The West End Horror, about Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, but that territory had been covered by A Study in Terror and would be again in the excellent Murder By Decree with Christopher Plummer). Then again, after seeing the second Holmes outing with Robert Downey Jr. I can safely say that once was enough.

Posted By Juana Maria : June 7, 2012 4:15 pm

I have seen most the Sherlock Holmes that you mention. I have been a fan since I was quite young and used to watch the series with Jeremy Brett on PBS and later on A&E before that channel turned into garbage besides a couple of home decorating shows! I read “The Hound of the Baskervilles” in 8th grade. I purchased two Sherlock books as presents for my twin sister,one a paperbak and the other looks like a pocket Bible with gold leaf and a crimson ribbon. I have seen the Sherlock with John Neville and remember it well since it has Judi Dench and Jack the Ripper. I remember a made for TV movie titled “Sherlock” from 2002, it had James D’arcy as Sherlock Holmes,Richard E.Grant as Mycroft Holmes and Vincent D’onfrio as Moriarty–the drug pusher. It was quite intense and not what I was accustomed to from watching earlier versions of Homes whether that be Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett. I have seen the new TV series on PBS which is set in modern times,I didn’t like it at first,not that I hated it but it just took time for me to like it better. By the second season this year,I liked it much better and am in eager expection for the next season! I love this topic as you can tell! I feel a little like the character of John Watson on the new series because he keeps everybody informed on Holmes via a blog. I agree with Kimberly that I too enjoy a great deal of British programming that I watch on PBS. This article is great but by no means complete,there is also a cartoon version of Sherlock set in the future called “Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century” and I have watched it early in the morning on my local FOX station. I have never seen Peter Cook,Christopher Plummer,Robert Stevens,Christopher Lee, or Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes. However,I have been personally warned by a British lady I met that the Robert Downey Jr. movies are bad!! Speaking of Christopher Lee,he is in quite a lot of Sherlock movies,as Sherlock Holmes,Mycroft Holme(different films though),and as Henry Baskervile. Have I mentioned enough how much my twin sister and I love him? Well we do! We also both love Sherlock Holmes stories. She drew a sketch of Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes years ago and I still have it! Yes,there have been a great many men who have played Sherlock Holmes,but my personal favorite will always be Jeremy Brett. Thank you so much for this article on one of my very favorite literary characters!!

Posted By dukeroberts : June 7, 2012 4:17 pm

The Seven Percent Solution is interesting, but I wasn’t crazy about how they made Moriarty out to be how they made him.

Posted By swac44 : June 7, 2012 4:39 pm

It’s a different interpretation of Moriarty, to be sure, in line with a Freudian analysis of Holmes’s obsession with the man.

For a truly indepth look at Moriarty, I heartily recommend the two books by John Gardiner (the same author who picked up the James Bond series) with Moriarty as the central character. It’s a unique take on his empire of crime, and it’s quite detailed.

Posted By John Maddox Roberts : June 7, 2012 5:24 pm

The new BBC “Sherlock” contains one incredibly cool, priceless bit of irony: The new Watson is an Army doctor wounded in Afghanistan – just like the old Watson. Plus ca change.

Posted By AL : June 7, 2012 5:38 pm

The BBC SHERLOCK is outstanding. Robert Downey played him by playing himself, projecting his own annoying, smug, megalomaniacal delusions…

Posted By Jenni : June 7, 2012 5:44 pm

Duke-as a fellow conservative and morlocks fan, I have to point you to at least one CBS show you’d love, NCIS. Not the one in LA, but the one in Wash. D.C. Since my son is in the military, I feel it’s my patriotic duty to watch it, sorta. It’s a good guys vs. bad guys, military in the mix, and better than some of the drech on network tv. One episode had the Sec. of the Navy up to no good, so I jokingly warned my son not to trust the Sec. of the Navy; son is a marine, and since the navy takes them where they have to go, he appreciated the joke. BTW, your other viewing shows are almost a mirror of mine, Psych, Downton Abbey, Walking Dead, MadMen-which I haven’t gotten back into this season, maybe I’m getting tired of it? Idk…

Posted By Juana Maria : June 7, 2012 7:24 pm

My mom and I have enjoyed watching a TV series on Netflix which is quite good. It is simply called “Sherlock Holmes” and was made back in the 50′s. Check it out fellow Holmes fans!

Posted By Jane H : June 7, 2012 8:02 pm

I had heard of William Gillette but did not realize his contribution was so essential.

Indelible as Rathbone is in the part, I could never forgive that series for its treatment of Watson, and usually never watch them through to the end.

The trouble with most of the various other Holmes portrayals through the 60′s was that he didn’t seem to be that much smarter than your average smart movie detective. The series with Jeremy Brett was the first time, I felt, that Holmes’ essential genius commanded the screen. Brett’s Sherlock is just remarkable in every way, as complex and riveting a character as in the books. Perhaps some of that can be laid at the feet of the writers/adapters of the Brett series. Jeremy Brett is by far my favorite, and both his Watsons were fine also.

Cumberbatch also catches some of that unearthly intellect, and I appreciate the cleverness of “Sherlock”‘s transformation of canon details into modern equivalents. I have very much liked some episodes of “Sherlock”, heartily disliked one episode, and as far as I am concerned the potential is good but the jury is out.

And Downey – ugh!

Posted By Margaret Perry Movies : June 7, 2012 8:57 pm

I had no idea so many aspects of Holmes characterization came from an actors choices rather than the books! I never really thought about it while reading the stories, but now that you mention it, I don’t ever remember a meerschaum pipe or the silly hat OR “elementary, my dear Watson”! Holy cow! I have to say that MY all-time favorite Holmes is Jeremy Brett. I like the way he gestures. I like Basil Rathbone, naturally, but certainly not because he’s anything like Holmes. It’s just that those movies can be quite fun in their own right, though why they had to use the Holmes name is beyond me.

Posted By generasputinhole : June 7, 2012 10:01 pm

As I’m currently reading through all the original stories, I am continually surprised at how much the guy ritchie/robert downey take on holmes gets right, and am sort of disappointed with the snobbish reaction it gets in some circle. Even if one like another version better, say, the Cumberbatch reimagining, it seems that one ought to be able to like it on it’s own merits, and not for what it’s not; saying version X is lousy is a horrible way to tout version Y.

Posted By Margaret Perry Movies : June 7, 2012 10:17 pm

@generasputinhole: I hear you, man. I let myself enjoy the first Downey version of Holmes, but the second one really chaffed. I think the reason people get aggitated by those variations is that they tend to place Holmes in a genre that is, say, not as “respectable” as what one is used to, like a BBC production or something terribly terribly British. Do you see what I mean? There are some things I don’t want to see “Hollywoodized.” The second Downey Holmes movie really made me uncomfortable because it was all about the running, jumping, explosions, fast-talking/saying-nothing bit – all sensation and so little substance. It’s hard to fault the characterization, because it’s so clear they did their research, and yet, I can’t help understanding all the old people who watch that and think, “That’s not the Holmes I know. That’s not MY Sherlock Holmes.”
Here’s the review I wrote about “Game of Shadows” right after I saw it in theatres. Let me know what you think of my diagnosis:
http://margaretperrymovies.blogspot.com/2012/01/sherlock-holmes-game-of-shadows.html

Posted By dukeroberts : June 7, 2012 10:26 pm

Jenni- A fellow conservative. Awesome. I have to confess that I do not like NCIS though. I’ve watched it a few times and I do not care for it. My mom and sister love it and I do not.

And Mad Men has been great this season. You should catch up. The last two episodes have been fantastic and the season finale is this Sunday.

Posted By dukeroberts : June 7, 2012 10:27 pm

Juana- The 50′s TV series starred Ronald Howard and it is pretty good. I too grew up watching Jeremy Brett and he was pretty darn great as Holmes.

Posted By dukeroberts : June 7, 2012 10:32 pm

generasputinhole- I think the Guy Ritchie/RDJ movies are more style over substance. I like the way he visualizes things before he does them and the fact that they show that Sherlock can actually fight, but the accent on Bang! Pow! Boom! and the relationship between Watson and Holmes are what I don’t care for. As for Cumberbatch’s Holmes, I don’t like their Moriarty or Mycroft interpretations too much.

Posted By Susan Doll : June 8, 2012 12:14 am

I enjoy watching various actors interpret Holmes and Watson. I don’t mind expanding or experimenting with the characters, but I loathe the two Guy Ritchie films, particularly the second one. As Dukeroberts points out, the emphasis on fights, chases, etc. over investigation demeans the characters. And Ritchie’s montage-driven, chaotic direction is horrible in that Michael Bay kind of way.

Posted By Jenni : June 8, 2012 11:49 am

Duke, thanks for the heads up on MadMen, got what episodes that AMC is still airing and the finale set up for tivo. Juana Maria-now that Sherlock! on PBS is done for now, I’m going to check out the 1950 SH on netflix. I haven’t seen the Sherlock Holmes with Downey Jr., Ritchie directed,but some of my family has and they all liked it. I wonder with the generations of kids playing computer games, Wii games, if they are more coded to view fast action, fast cuts, fast edits, fast montages in order to keep their attention spans cued in to a movie, and thus some directors making their films to suit?

Posted By Juana Maria : June 8, 2012 1:41 pm

Jenni: Yes,there are directors who make movies and shows that are basically video games brought to the screen! Fast fast and faster as the zip around and make very little sense. They probably tell themselves:”Who cares? Let’s just show a bunch of kids with flawless skin,no imaginations, and no waistlines either!” Have you noticed how skinny the boys and girls are these days on TV? As for the point made about the Watson character,I don’t like how he is portrayed in the old films with Basil Rathbone and I don’t really care for them taking them out of the VIctorian England! I know I like the new series set in modern times,but it just isn’t the same as my beloved “Sherlock Holmes”series with my equally beloved Jeremy Brett! See,I do love more than just Western villians! Sometimes if they are exceptionally brillant! I too love the way Brett gestures,but then again I love everything he does on screen! (sigh) No other Sherlock has a place in my heart to the degree that Jeremy Brett always has and always will! Bye for now fellow Holmes fans!

Posted By Dr. Spyn : June 11, 2012 5:09 pm

Gillette first used a calabash pipe [rather than a meerschaum] on stage so it would be visible in the back of the theatre. A calabash is a large, curved pipe that has a gourd exterior and a meershaum lining.

Posted By Juana Maria : June 11, 2012 5:49 pm

Dr. Spyn:You impress me with your knowledge! Are you anything like Sherlock Holmes? Are you a genius too? You are clearly well educated which I like because I’m a teacher. Dr. Spyn which is your personal favorite Sherlock Holmes actor and movie or TV series?

Posted By Kimberly Lindbergs : June 11, 2012 6:40 pm

Thanks for keeping the conversation interesting, folks!

generasputinhole – I personally found some things to enjoy about the first Downey SHERLOCK film (I happen to like a few of Guy Ritchie’s directing choices) and my original post didn’t take any swipes at it. I think folks can dislike it without being “snobs” and I hope you won’t take any of the criticism personally. I haven’t seen Ritchie’s second SHERLOCK film but I’ll probably watch it on DVD soon since it comes out this week.

Dr Spyn – Thanks for sharing that bit of info! I don’t know anything about pipes myself and I was just quoting the book’s author, Alan Barnes. Hopefully Barnes will read this.

Posted By Juana Maria : June 12, 2012 9:58 pm

Kimberly:I hope the author of the book will read your fine article! I love the Sherlock Holmes stories so when I spotted this I was elated!! Thanks!!

Posted By swac44 : June 13, 2012 8:33 am

I actually enjoyed the first Downey Jr. Sherlock film, including the prickliness of the relationship between Holmes and Watson. I can imagine it’s not easy being the best friend of someone so convinced of their own brilliance, and I thought the first Ritchie film captured that (and considering Watson was a military doctor who served in Afghanistan, I prefer it when he’s portrayed as an intelligent man of action, as he would have to be to get out of that situation in once piece).

It’s too bad the second one was wholly consumed by the forward momentum of a plot that at some point in the course of the film I simply gave up caring about.

Posted By Margaret Perry Movies : June 13, 2012 10:29 am

@swac44 – that’s exactly how I felt about it! you took the words right out of my mouth!

Posted By Kimberly Lindbergs : June 13, 2012 12:59 pm

Thanks, Juana! I’m glad you enjoyed the post.

swac – I had a similar response. I do think there’s good stuff in the first film but the trailer for the second one didn’t provoke me to want to see it in a theater. As you pointed out, one of the best aspects was the way the relationship between Sherlock & Watson was handled. And I appreciated Jude Law’s take on Watson.

Margret – I enjoyed your review (posted above) of the second SHERLOCK film w/Downey & Law but I still need to see it. The trailer led me to believe it was a lot more action orientated than the first film and that didn’t appeal to me. It seems my assumptions were right.

Posted By Margaret Perry Movies : June 13, 2012 3:33 pm

@Kimberly Lindbergs – yes, it’s a lot more running and jumping and explosions. But it can be enjoyable if your just accept those parts for what they are and try to enjoy the dialogue. It’s not particularly deep, but very flashy. Thanks for reading my review!

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