1182 replies to this topic

[DavidSomerset]

I read in some Ian Fleming novel (me thinks Thunderball) that Sherlock Holmes was the actual precursor of 007. Other than the babes and gadgets, Holmes deep down is something like 007. The Mooreian 007 had an IQ equivalent to Holmes and could quote identify flower genuses as Orchideae Negra and could correct Q that it is found in the area of the Tapirape River. The 007's later dumbed down and hence has to have people like Christmas Jones help him tackle villains. Tellie Watson - the Bond babe who is the perfect sidekick. Bond could end the movie with a LAME quip like :
M: 007, Watson..Watson...
007: Elementary dear M, She has nothing on..
Cue the canned laughter and end credits. Sorry for apeing the lame ending of TMWTGG.

BTW have you noticed that all people who have particiated in this post want Jackman as 007 !!!

Edited by DavidSomerset, 28 December 2004 - 09:24 AM.

[marktmurphy]

I read a number of damning reviews on the Hound of the Baskervilles production that said it failed to stand up to the numerous previous adaptations of the story. Give me the 1939 Rathbone edition or the two Peter Cushing versions (1950s and 1960s) anyday.

That was a couple of years ago- and although it was made by the same team and featured the same Watson this new one is an immense improvement. Everett actually managed to do something interesting with the part and although the story was just a fairly run-of-the-mill cop story, there's a lot of milage in this incarnation and the Edwardian setting and new storyline makes it feel fresh and nicely different fromthe Granada Brett series. I hope they make some more.
And it was re-titled 'Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking' for anyone trying to find more info.

And if you're interested in Everett as 007, it does feature a scene in which a dinner-suited Rupert leaps from a rooftop!

[Jim]

I read a number of damning reviews on the Hound of the Baskervilles production that said it failed to stand up to the numerous previous adaptations of the story. Give me the 1939 Rathbone edition or the two Peter Cushing versions (1950s and 1960s) anyday.

Everett actually managed to do something interesting with the part and although the story was just a fairly run-of-the-mill cop story, there's a lot of milage in this incarnation and the Edwardian setting and new storyline makes it feel fresh and nicely different fromthe Granada Brett series. I hope they make some more.
And it was re-titled 'Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking' for anyone trying to find more info.

And if you're interested in Everett as 007, it does feature a scene in which a dinner-suited Rupert leaps from a rooftop!

Agreed; Everett seemed to tune into the launguidness (launguidity? matters not) that the (sadly) increasingly manic Brett abandoned. He was fine; story wasn't up to much and was a bit of a cheat in how it was resolved - seemed terribly slight for the length of it - but they seemed to try something new with it and it wasn't a Rathbone/Brett impersonation, which was a relief.

Solid candidate for next Bond too; never really saw it before.

[marktmurphy]

I rather like the Radio Times decription of him: "he's suitably ascetic with a slightly unnerving sexuality". Rather good, don't you think?
Things I liked: Rupert (hugely watchable); Ian Hart (not as warm as you may want Watson, but captures his intelligence, his caring nature for Holmes and the script gives him plenty to do); the setting- Holmes can do Edwardian; Holmes' new pad complete with feature glass ceiling; the music was simply wonderful; great atmosphere etc.
Things I didn't like: the plot wasn't up to much, although certainly not unwatchable- just could have been better; Holmes in disguise- has this ever worked? It's not really an important part of the character so I think we can lose it now; and Holmes' bizarre new superhero-like 'Deduction Power' he uses when entering a crime scene.
All in all, a very good film although with plenty of aspects to be improved. A damn sight better than that other attempt to revive a previously-nailed detective: 'Agatha Christie's Marple'.

And can anyone believe they missed the chance for Holmes to say 'The game's a foot'? (See the film to get the gag!).

[Jim]

And can anyone believe they missed the chance for Holmes to say 'The game's a foot'? (See the film to get the gag!).

Splendid.

And that Radio Times quote is bang on. I'm not too sold on Ian Hart as Watson but, true, he did do a lot of running about and had more to be than simply the yes man and "oh, that's amazing Holmes". The Edwardian setting did work, although initially it did seem a little odd to have the telephone ringing away - again, a nice little difference.

[And, yes, the Miss Marple things are dire].

Given Mr Everett's admitted fondness for chasing the dragon in the past, the shooting up scenes were "fun" (and I'd wager it's as much his previous substance abuse as anything that puts him out of the running for Bond; although "Hello Darling, Are You Working?" is a crime against humanity).

[marktmurphy]

although "Hello Darling, Are You Working?" is a crime against humanity).

Maybe so, but don't I remember him gleefully saying he attemted putting a reviwer's quote of 'Atrocious' on the front cover (or somesuch one word review)? I think the publisher may have stopped him; but it's a cracking thing to do.

Talking of his fun ideas, I was wandering about the web trying to find out what Holmes fans thought about the Silk Stocking and was shocked to find one fan talking about a line Everett insisted that he got to say: "the 'Elementary, my dear Watson' line was put there to aggrevate Holmes purists, so I didn't watch it".
What a berk.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Seems we always have an active Sherlock thread going here on CBn. Here's something I discovered yesterday. A must have for the CBn Sherlockian (do I sense a new "society" coming on? )

Check it out: The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Short Stories

It seems that Sherlock is everywhere at the moment.

There’s a 1.5 column-length article in last Sunday’s Jakarta Post about that very publication.

[DLibrasnow]

It seems that Sherlock is everywhere at the moment.
.

Which is a very, very good thing.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Sherlock is afoot (has a foot?) in the 21st century!

[DavidSomerset]

Tellie Watson - the Bond babe who is the perfect sidekick.
M: 007, Watson..Watson...
007: Elementary dear M, She has nothing on..
James Bond will return in
The Octopussy of Baskervilles

[Max Zorin]

Just saw this the other night...not bad, though not particularly grand either. I thought Everett made a fine Holmes, and I also thought the Watson (forget his name, but he's a carry over from the Roxburgh production) and Lestrade were well cast. The mystery, unfortunately, was not worthy of the great Sherlock Holmes - but at least they had him in disguise for once.

[marktmurphy]

I don't know why they put him in disguise: it never ever works and looks silly. It's not as if it is one of the things people most remember about Holmes: he doesn't need it.

[DLibrasnow]

Who knew that the credits for the 1930s Sherlock Holmes movie "The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes" starred an actor named Ian Fleming in the role of Watson. I saw the show on US cable television tonight (thank you TivO for alerting me to it) and did a double take when I saw "Ian Fleming" in the credits.

Of course the person presenting it in his intro for the movie spoiled all the incredulity by announcing in his warm-up (ala Robert Osborne on TCM) that this was not the same person who wrote the James Bond novels.

Based on "The Valley of Fear" novel, did anyone else who saw it think those British imitation of American accents in the Pennsylvannia coal mine flashback were as corny and fake as I did?

[zencat]

Hey! My TiVo didn't alert me to this! And I have "Sherlock Holmes" as a wishlist. Grrrr...

That's okay, I have it on DVD.

I'm a fan of Wonter's Holmes so I enjoyed Triumph. Not crazy about Fleming's Watson.

[DLibrasnow]

No, his Watson did not really have much presence, though Wonter's Holmes I thought was quite good.

Strange your TiVo did not alert you to it. What did you think of the British attempts to fake an American accent?!

[mccartney007]

Hey! My TiVo didn't alert me to this! And I have "Sherlock Holmes" as a wishlist. Grrrr...

That's okay, I have it on DVD.

I'm a fan of Wonter's Holmes so I enjoyed Triumph. Not crazy about Fleming's Watson.

Are you the same John Cox that worked on THE THIRD MAN with Guy Hamilton, Orson Welles and Bernard Lee?

[zencat]

Hey! My TiVo didn't alert me to this! And I have "Sherlock Holmes" as a wishlist. Grrrr...

That's okay, I have it on DVD.

I'm a fan of Wonter's Holmes so I enjoyed Triumph. Not crazy about Fleming's Watson.

Are you the same John Cox that worked on THE THIRD MAN with Guy Hamilton, Orson Welles and Bernard Lee?

No. And unfortunetly I'm not the same John Cox who won an Academy Award for Babe (I sometimes wonder how many old teachers thought that was me up there). And, aparently, I'm not John Cox the screenwriter either. There is another John Cox, so the Writers Guild credits me as John C.Cox.

[Brett Sinclair]

I love Sherlock Holmes in New york,Roger and Patrick Macnee are both fantastic in this movie,as is John Houston.

I never tire of watching it,a great film for Moore and Holmes fans.

[DLibrasnow]

You ever notice the Maltese Falcon in-joke in that movie Brett - classic

[zencat]

I changed the title of this thread, made it a sticky, and I'll seek out some of our other Sherlock threads and merge them into this. I think it's high time CBn had an official Sherlock Holmes thread. The CBn Sherlockians!

It's elementary.

[Hitch]

Another great Holmes and Watson pairing was John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson. They starred in about a dozen radio adaptations of the tales during the 1950s. There is a real warmth between the two. A highlight of the series is The Final Problem where Moriarty is played by none other than Orson Welles.

Incidentally, shouldn't we change the name of this discussion to The Case of the Sherlockian Thread?

Edited by Hitch, 08 January 2005 - 09:07 PM.

[DLibrasnow]

Great idea zencat

Incidently I saw a new Sherlock Holmes movie (for me at least) on DVD yesterday that starred Ralph Richardson as Holmes - THE SIGN OF FOUR. It was okay even though Holmes really did not have a mystery to solve per se.

[Hitch]

Can we correct the spelling of the thread title, please? But I'd rather be a Sherlockain than a Sherlockain't.

[DLibrasnow]

Good catch Hitch

[zencat]

Whoops.

Good catch, Hitch. Changed. Thanks.

[Brett Sinclair]

I was just wondering if anyone has seen The hound of the Baskervilles starring former Doctor Who actor Tom Baker from 1982,and what it was like?

I've heard his performance as Holmes is very good.I have a Doctor Who dvd called The talons of Weng-Chiang where he travels back to Victorian London and combines the influences of Sherlock Holmes and the Fu Manchu films.He even wears a deerstalker cap!
His performance in that is excellent and im sure Holmes fans would get a kick out of it.

[JKD68]

Another great Holmes and Watson pairing was John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson. They starred in about a dozen radio adaptations of the tales during the 1950s. There is a real warmth between the two. A highlight of the series is The Final Problem where Moriarty is played by none other than Orson Welles.

I have a couple of episodes on audiotape. They really do make a great team. I think this series was as good or better than the Rathbone/Bruce radio series.

[Mister Asterix]

I was just wondering if anyone has seen The hound of the Baskervilles starring former Doctor Who actor Tom Baker from 1982,and what it was like?

I've heard his performance as Holmes is very good.I have a Doctor Who dvd called The talons of Weng-Chiang where he travels back to Victorian London and combines the influences of Sherlock Holmes and the Fu Manchu films.He even wears a deerstalker cap!
His performance in that is excellent and im sure Holmes fans would get a kick out of it.

[mra]I

[trs007]

QUOTE(Brett Sinclair @ 11 January 2005 - 18:09)
I was just wondering if anyone has seen The hound of the Baskervilles starring former Doctor Who actor Tom Baker from 1982,and what it was like?



I actually still have a copy of this. . . . ON BETA. Thats how long I've had it. Baker's performance I thought was fine, but perhaps not in the same footsteps as others who have played Holmes. Also, being a Dr. Who fan, it is difficult to take Baker too seriously as Holmes.

[Von Hammerstein]

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce! The quintessential Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson! I've got a couple of the old movies on video tape and they're just as cool now as when I used to stay up Saturdays nights as a kid and watch them on the Midnight Mystery Theatre!

"Watson! The game is afoot!"