The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1983)

 

Created for the BBC by Granada, this disk contains several of the popular series adaptations of the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Although not an original fan of Jeremy Brett’s version of the Baker Street detective, this series won me over. There’s little content while the stories remain true to the original text. Lovers of good mysteries will appreciate these noteworthy attempts at recreating Holmes as much as the die-hard fans.

 

A Scandal in Bohemia

 

Only a woman ever outsmarted Sherlock Holmes. He felt distant and unimpressed by the female gender, distrusted their intellect, and regarded them as dangerous. But with Irene Adler, Holmes made an exception. Her story is told in A Scandal in Bohemia, one of the earliest and finest of the Sherlock Holmes adaptations. This initial episode introduces us to the eccentric, playful Holmes so well known by his thousands of literary fans, and provides us the opportunity to watch one of the more tantalizing canon stories unfold.

 

After a brief absence from Baker Street, Dr. Watson (David Burke) returns fearful of his findings. Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) is a constantly changing individual, sometimes in the height of his exuberance, at others wallowing in melancholy. On this occasion, he’s in high spirits, having received a mysterious letter from an unknown client. The German note requests his presence at home at the hour of eight that evening, and promises the price will be well worth his while. Insisting Watson remain to greet the newcomer, Holmes astounds their masked visitor by acknowledging him as the crowned king of Bohemia. The monarch had an indiscretion in his youth with Irene Adler. A woman of great beauty and repute, she has the singing voice of an angel and the personality of a queen.

 

The king requires Holmes to get a photograph Irene has of them together, taken in one of his rare moments of weakness. Irene has threatened to reveal it on the day of his formal engagement to a foreign princess, threatening the match and extracting her revenge. But Irene is clever. His Majesty has sent agents on four separate occasions to break in and search the house. He’s waylaid her luggage and offered to pay her a high price… but there’s never any sign of the photograph. Holmes has three days in which to find it. But this is one case where the hunter may become the hunted. Irene is no simpleton, however generous and sweet she turns out to be.

 

These complexities (in an almost direct-from-page-to-screen adaptation) make this sixty-minute episode one of the best in the series. I came into this episode disliking Jeremy Brett, who I saw in later and less impressive episodes as too ill to play Holmes. But after A Scandal in Bohemia, I realized why producers cast him as the eccentric occupant of the flat above Baker Street. Brett shines from beginning to end, opening with his humorous thoughts on a “seven percent solution” of cocaine (Watson believes he’s been indulging, which proves false), to the last shot of him playing his violin. He adopts fantastic disguises and alters his voice, expressions, walk, and even his smile to suit the role he’s playing… that of a surly redheaded Irish groom, or the well-meaning priest. The silent battle of wits that engages between him and Irene is splendid.

 

David Burke is exceptional as Watson. He’s excitable but not absurd. One accepts him as a physician and a writer. The supporting actors are proficient. The costuming and set design are beautiful, carrying a romantic but slightly threatening air. Overall, the production is worth viewing and lacks any problematic content except for a few mild abuses of deity. It hints at nothing scandalous in the flashbacks of romance between the King and Irene. Her reasons for keeping the photograph prove her intelligence. Holmes loses face but never resents it. He just admires her intellect. Being a fan of the original story, it made me happy to see it so faithfully recreated, right down to the dialogue. The cinematography in the early scenes is also stunning… a darkened Baker Street lit by candlelight.

   

The Dancing Men

 

A series of little stick figures in various positions appear on an outside bench on the Cubitt estate. Mr. Hilton Cubitt is curious about their presence, as well as the sinister influence they have over his wife, Elsie, a young American woman he met while in London for the local festival. Their marriage has been happy for months… until the appearance of a letter postmarked from the States. Elise burned it. She told her husband on the morning of their wedding that she was innocent of any past indiscretions, but also refused to tell him what she left behind in America. Ever since, she’s been melancholy… and now the dancing figures have sent her into inexplicable hysterics.

 

The case catches the attention of attention of Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street, who has made a conclusive study of cryptograms. The little figures are unlike anything he has ever seen and baffle Dr. Watson. Hilton believes his wife is running from something, but also protests her innocence. As Holmes attempts to piece together the fragile pieces of information he’s given, the landowner must contend with his wife’s unwillingness to divulge any useful information. They find more dancing men scratched onto door frames and painted on outside walls. The servants, while aware of something amiss, can offer no explanation. Their dog-cart keeps transporting the stable boy to the station with yet more copied cryptograms for Sherlock Holmes. But even when the great consulting detective cracks the code, he may be too late to prevent disaster.

 

The Dancing Men provides one of the best climaxes in the series of short stories revolving around Watson’s help to the brilliant detective. Holmes uses the villain’s own means to ensnare him, proving your sins will catch up to you. Elsie is a lovely young woman with a dark secret. Her husband is slightly jealous but convinced of her innocence in any “past deeds.” The third party, the originator of the mysterious dancing men, is a three-dimensional character. Ruthless, but compassionate. His confession is moving.

 

The early episodes are much better than the later ones, and this is another fine portrayal of Holmes. His abruptness of manner, the way he wholeheartedly throws himself into the task at hand, and his moody expression whenever deep in thought are the very picture generated by reading the canon. Content-wise, there is one profanity and a mild abuse of deity. In flashbacks, we witness the actual crime; a man tries to force a woman out of a window. Several shots get fired, resulting in a death. We hear of a suicide attempt. It’s not one of my favorite stories, but one worth viewing… just to see if you can decode the dancing men! 

 

The Naval Treaty

 

A man screaming in hysteria arrives home on a dark night. Eight weeks later, Sherlock Holmes is musing in Baker Street over a puzzling letter from someone seeking his help, but who declines to acknowledge the reason for needing his services. His friend and college, Dr. Watson, knows his name as an old schoolmate, a nervous fellow called Phelps, currently employed at the Foreign Office. He has lain up in his country estate from an illness brought on by severe shock. When our intrepid duo appears on the morning train, Phelps is none too happy to reveal the source of his pain… the theft of a priceless document from the department.

 

The agreement, which concerns security-sensitive information concerning “the position of Great Britain towards the Triple Alliance, and fore-shadowed the policy which this country would pursue in the event of the French fleet gaining a complete ascendancy over that of Italy in the Mediterranean,” fell into Phelps’ care by his uncle in order to copy the document. He had explicit instructions and followed them to the letter, returning to his office and remaining after the other clerks had gone home. Dutifully, he copied the article late into the night and rang for coffee. When it failed to come, concerned and irritated, he left the office momentarily to investigate. When he returned, the priceless legal document had disappeared without a single person in sight.

 

Holmes has been called to retrieve it at any cost and with great discretion. Phelps’ reputation lies on the line, as well as the political stance of England. Were the document to surface, their alliances would become enemies. But eight weeks have passed since the initial crime. The local police hold little hope of its recovery, and the trail has gone cold. In one of the “darkest and most complex” mysteries of his lengthy career, Holmes brings us to a shocking conclusion with a dramatic flair. The nature of the mystery is a puzzle, one of the few cases which dealt in intelligence rather than murder. Suspicious characters abound, from the sharp-tongued police inspector who gets put in his place, to Phelps’ kindly fiancé and her older brother, and the cleaner on duty that night.

 

Brett’s detective seems more tense than usual but also manages some moments of sardonic humor. The story incorporates several verbal attacks which prove interesting to the feel of the episode. The acting of the supporting cast is weak, but the flashbacks are intriguing. My only complaint lies in the climax, when we observe two men struggling in slow motion from strange camera angles. It failed to fit the tone and flow of the episode. There are no content issues other than a half dozen exclamations of “My God!” and a knife that cuts someone on the hand.

    

The Solitary Cyclist

 

Down a lonely road pedals a beautiful young woman. At a bend in the lane, another bicycle falls in behind her, keeping a lengthy distance. He follows for several miles and vanishes into the shrubbery at the side of the path. The young woman glances back, puzzled and disturbed. She takes her problem to Baker Street, where she tells her story despite Holmes’ protests of being exhausted. Miss Violet Hunters is a new musical teacher at the home of Mr. Caruthers in the English countryside. Her father recently died, leaving them with no money at all and forcing her to take employment. Several months after his death, news came from India concerning their only living relative, who succumbed to illness and died a pauper.

 

She finds the manor house rambling and old, but the company pleasant enough. Caruthers is a well-meaning gentleman with a charming daughter and good intentions. But his friend and former companion, Woodly, has made overtures to Violet of a questionable nature and attempted to force her into accepting his proposal of marriage. After Caruthers threw him out of the house, she has not seen him again… but fears he may still be in the neighborhood. None of this worried her until she met the solitary cyclist, a mysterious figure with a black beard who follows her for several miles past an old run-down manor house. If she tries to corner or follow him, he outpaces her. He’s always watchful but never forward.

 

Intrigued by this sinister occurrence, Holmes encourages her to be wary of her travels, and promises to come down as soon as possible. His investigations in the neighborhood lead to a brawl in the local tavern, and a shocking series of events. One of Doyle’s most inventive stories, because it has such a strong leading female in the position of damsel in distress, The Solitary Cyclist is excellent entertainment. The story plays out well on the screen and we’re given the opportunity to view incidents as they happen rather than in flashbacks. The conclusion is terrific and has a happy ending.

 

Some mild profanity intrudes, as well as a scuffle in a bar in which a man winds up knocked senseless and the other comes home with a shiner. (Observers clap and cheer over the loser’s well-deserved fate.) A man gets knocked unconscious, with blood coating the side of his face. Two people struggle when a man makes overtures to a woman. He passes his hand above her breast without touching it and tries to kiss her. Violet shows cleavage. A priest is involved in underhanded dealings. There’s no murder, very little violence, and some fun scenes between Violet and Holmes. But one thing perturbed me, and that’s how blunt and cruel Brett’s lethargic detective seemed. He’s mean to Watson after his return from the country, and doesn’t hesitate in engaging in fist cuffs with a local ruffian he knows to be a scoundrel. The Solitary Cyclist is an intriguing story with a surprising twist. Holmes solves the crime, but berates himself for not being more attentive. This episode closes on a humorous note the book fans will love.

 

The Crooked Man

 

From behind a locked door, a maid bearing a tea tray hears a man and woman shouting. Banging to be let in, she finds the door locked. Before she can go for help, the servants hear a blood-curdling scream followed by complete silence. The houseman climbs in the window and investigates. He finds the verandah door wide open, curtains fluttering in the wind, his mistress laying prone on the divan in a dead faint, and her husband sprawled out with his head on the grate, blood dripping down a face full of terror.

 

Because the murdered man was a military officer, the regiment wants the case cleared as soon as possible, with discretion. They invite Sherlock Holmes to look into the details and figure out what happened. Unwilling to tiptoe around their demand for secrecy, he demands the whole truth from the murdered man’s first lieutenant and close family friend. The couple were Colonel and Nancy Barclay, formerly of India. They married young, though Nancy had many suitors, and came to England only in recent years, where he took command of a local regiment and his wife took part in charity work in the London slums. Barclay was a jealous man who mistreated his wife. On the night in question, she came home in a dreadful mood and they quarreled. Unless Holmes can prove otherwise, once she recovers from her illness, brought on by shock and horror, she’ll go to the gallows for killing her husband.

 

His search leads him into a sinister labyrinth of the past involving former acquaintances and events in India, as well as a crippled man with a four-footed carnivorous companion. Though not as intriguing as many other short stories and their adaptations, The Crooked Man has peculiar twists and turns. Using flashbacks, it illustrates a vivid romance, a tragedy, an eventual betrayal, and justifies the ending. Holmes is clever in his findings while the military police stumble off on the wrong track. Fiona Shaw Harry Potter) shines as Nancy’s best friend and a strong link in explaining the chain of events. Though snappish in the first few scenes, Brett is an eccentric, likable detective.

 

As with other episodes, the worst flaw lies in mild violence and uses of God’s name. This episode also contains strong thematic elements, allusions to a scriptural parallel, and a belief in God’s justice. There’s passionate kissing between young couples, and allusions to verbal violence. A man and woman struggle; another speaks of having every bone in his body broken as natives mutilated him. Bloody bodies line the countryside in a flashback to the India wars. One of the more unique episodes, it’s a powerful reminder of the consequences of sin.

 

The Speckled Band

 

With trembling fingers, a woman lights a lamp as she hears an unearthly, terrible whistling sound from beyond her bedroom wall. Visibly shaking with fear, Helen Stoner releases the match as it burns down to her fingertips. She then boards the early train to London the following morning, intending to seek the help of the Baker Street detective. Holmes wakes Watson at her arrival and they entreat her to tell them her story. Helen has lived alone with her stepfather since the death of her sister two years ago. Dr. Roylott met and married her mother in India when she was young, and brought them to England.

 

After her mother’s unfortunate death in a train accident, he left the girls to themselves in the great old house in disrepair. At first, they were happy enough, but became less so as their stepfather proved harsh. His actions are inexplicable, such as allowing a band of gypsies to encamp on his property for months at a time, and keeping a leopard and baboon to wander the grounds at night. Her sister became engaged and set the date. A fortnight before her wedding, she spoke of a strange whistle in the night. A few days later, awoken from sleep by her sister’s screams, Helen ran into her room and found her dying. Her sister warned her to be “wary of the specked band.”

 

Since then, Helen has puzzled over her sister’s warning, wondering if delirium caused it. But because of changes being made to the structure of the house, her room is now unusable and she has moved her things into her sister’s room. The same eerie whistle awakened her in the middle of the night. This intrigues Holmes, particularly when Dr. Roylott pays him a call shortly after the young woman’s departure, and warns “the meddler and busybody” to stay away from his family affairs. Arranging a visit to Stock Moran, the family estate, in his absence that afternoon, the great detective draws shocking conclusions and engages Watson in a chilling night watch that endangers their lives.

 

This is one of my favorite short stories and I love how well they adapted it to the screen. The writers kept it true to the page, and the actors hit their stride in depicting the funnier aspects of the story, alongside its gothic horror. It’s an English setting blended with foreign inconveniences like exotic animals and pesky gypsies, as well as a damsel in distress. The brief interaction between Holmes and Roylott stands out as a classic moment, as the doctor accuses him of being a busybody. A wonderful smile twitches across Brett’s face.

 

The Speckled Band offers a few mild insults, an exchange of bows between Roylott and the local blacksmith, and an instance where he grabs his stepdaughter’s wrist. She bears a bruise the following morning. A figure wanders around in hysteria before dying in her sister’s arms. Holmes takes after something in the dark with a stick. We hear a scream and see a dead face set in a hideous expression. It’s not recommended for younger viewers, but older ones will find this one of the most intriguing of the cases documented by Dr. Watson.

 

The Blue Carbuncle

 

Over the centuries, many murders, robbers, and swindlers have tried to find the perfect gem. The blue carbuncle is rare and valued for its particular color and size. With a turbulent, bloody history, the diamond is now in the possession of the Countess of Morcar. Newly returned from a trip abroad, she opens the gem’s case and discovers it is missing. She informs the police, who interrogates the staff, and arrest a young plumber. Protesting his innocence does little to convince them, since he was the only stranger in the house that day and the other servants suspected him.

 

At Baker Street, Holmes languishes in boredom on a different and unrelated case: the finding of a goose by the local constable. On his way home, he stumbled upon a peculiar sight: an old drunk toting a goose. When the drunk met a gang of street ruffians, he dropped the prize in his attempts to protect himself, as well as his battered hat. In the scuffle, the constable ran in to help. But the old man took his efforts amiss and ran off, leaving the goose and his bowler hat behind. Wishing to return his things to him, the constable has asked for Holmes’ help.

 

With little else to occupy his time, Holmes takes a minor interest in the case. He suggests the man takes home the goose and eats it before it spoils; the copper can compensate the owner for its loss. He will keep the hat and investigate the wearer. Finding nothing extraordinary about the case, it dumbfounds Holmes and Watson when the constable returns an hour later. He found the missing blue carbuncle inside the goose! Suddenly the case is intriguing. How did it get there? And who so carelessly lost it?

 

The Blue Carbuncle is one of the few instances where Holmes lets compassion to overrule justice and shows a criminal mercy in the spirit of Christmas. It also involves other empathic and likable characters, such as the old sot who lost his goose in the street, and the tradesman responsible for marketing the birds. Holmes never fails to turn any situation to his advantage, even in prodding the truth out of an unwilling and unknowing accomplice. The criminal is more likable than the countess, a blunt, crabby old woman. The plot drags in the opening scenes but picks up once Holmes is on the case.

 

Violent acts reveal the carbuncle’s tragic history under the opening credits, where we see men stabbed, shot, and attacked for the jewel. A maid and a servant briefly kiss. A man forces a gem down a goose’s throat. The Christmas spirit runs heavily through the story from beginning to end and leaves one with a warm feeling, like a glass of eggnog on a cold winter’s night.

 

The Copper Beeches

 

In the absence of cases of interest, Sherlock Holmes turns quarrelsome. This time, he attacks “sentimentally” his friend attaches to the stories he has published in the Strand. Ruffling Watson’s feathers over his mistreatment of their cases, Holmes only settles down when Violet Hunter, a beautiful, redheaded young woman from the north of London, arrives. Having recently completed her education and seeking a position as a governess with a job-agency, Violet has had a particular offer and wishes to consult his advice on whether to accept the position with a couple in the country, and to care for their young son.

 

The pay is good, but several impediments stand in her way. One involves her agreeing to give in to the “whims” of her mistress, which involves wearing particular gowns on certain days, sitting where they want her to sit, and behaving in a manner they deem appropriate. But they also insist she cut her luxurious red hair short. Having initially refused, Violet received a letter the following afternoon begging her to take the position and offering a substantial increase in payment, but still insisting on the haircut. Holmes finds this intriguing, but tells her there’s no reason she should not accept the position, and agrees to come to her help later if necessary.

 

Once Violet reaches the Copper Beeches, she discovers the high wages and loss of her hair may not be worth it. Her employer, Rucastle, keeps a large, vicious dog who roams the grounds at night. They have locked up an entire wing of the house. The child she’s asked to care for kills birds for pleasure and commits other evil little deeds. And she finds a long curl of similar-colored hair to hers in her room. Frightened, she solicits Holmes to solve the mystery, and he unearths a devious plot, sinister intentions, and a shocking revelation concerning the Rucastles and their lavish country estate.

 

While the casting is brilliant, viewers will enjoy seeing an extremely young Natasha Richardson in her first role. Her Violet is lovely to look at, and expressive of her emotions. The climax involves a daring rescue, a break-in, and a showdown with the vicious family pet. Even the servants in the house aren’t what they seem. The Rucastles are both likable and frightening, particularly when her employer catches her wandering where she shouldn’t. There are no content concerns aside from brief mild language and a scene where a dog attacks and mauls a man. This episode has more excitement than usual and an intriguing premise. Holmes’ attempts to make up to Watson by praising his latest account of their adventures are touching.

 

The Greek Interpreter

 

As a non-English-speaking traveler disembarks from the train, a shadow melts forward to meet him, escorting him off the platform. Once out of sight of passerby, the young man gets clubbed over the head and dragged into a coach. Demurely lighting a cigarette, the mastermind smiles and follows him into the darkness. Holmes is unaware of this incident, instead attempting to sort through his case files. Watson has never heard him speak at length of his family and did not know Sherlock has an older, fatter brother named Mycroft, who works for the treasury department. Mycroft is intelligent but not ambitious and has never attempted to use his incredible mental powers for anything else, aside from armchair detective cases.

 

Whenever Mycroft comes across a problem singular enough to be of interest, but too demanding on his lack of enthusiasm for physical exertion, he passes it on to Holmes. He invites them to visit his club (where members may not talk to each other, but endure complete silence and anonymity) to hear the peculiar tale of Mr. Melas. A known interpreter of the Greek language, Melas has recently had an extraordinary and troubling adventure. Asked to interpret for an unknown individual, he got bundled into a cab with the blinds drawn, and driven for over two hours over uncharted roads. On reaching a sinister house, he had to interrogate and try to persuade a young man with sticking-plaster over half his face to sign some papers.

 

Melas did his best and, after being paid a handsome price, they dumped him in a London alley with a warning to tell no one of this, should he wish to remain healthy. Unable to live knowing someone from his homeland is being abused and held against his will, Melas sought his friend Mycroft for advice. Unwilling to leave the case entirely to Holmes, the armchair detective teams up with his brother to discern the history behind this affair, as well as the whereabouts of the foreign captive. It leads them on a hair-raising hunt through London, to the fast-churning wheels of a train departing for the coast.

 

It’s rare to see Mycroft and Sherlock on the same trail, and audiences will find them fascinating. What Holmes has in large quantities, Mycroft surpasses in terms of intellect. They meet in a scene full of banter, both attempting to point out to the other the working condition, martial situation, and nature of a random passerby on the street below. It astonishes Watson (and us) when Mycroft exerts himself. I found the climax thrilling… the speeding railway, the clicking of the tracks, the swaying of the train, and the cool resolve with which the brothers tackle a deadly opponent. The story ends differently than in previous episodes, a decisive choice by the director that holds the mood. There is some violence… we assume a man has died when he falls between moving trains. Poisonous gas fills a room. Complex and enthralling, The Greek Interpreter proves that one sleuth on a case endangers the success of the criminal class. When two get involved, there’s no question good will triumph in the end.

  

The Norwood Builder

 

Oblivious to that a fire and a murder in the country, Holmes complains of the lack of interesting cases in London. He has caught all the criminals; there is nothing left to him except missing kittens. While Watson protests this, a thunderous sound on the stairs, and the loud protests of their housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, bring a young man into the room, winded from his climb and with fear flushing his pale features. The fellow is the unhappy John Hector McFarlane, recently accused of a terrible crime. He’s a lawyer by trade, not long in the business, and begs Holmes to hear his story. He fears the police will demand his arrest and insists he has no part in the crime!

 

Eager for the details, Holmes encourages him to sit down and speak. Mr. Oldacre, a well-known builder in Norwood, had a large estate he wished to settle on a nonrelative. It shocked the lawyer to discover the great sum of money involved. Oldacre explained that in his youth, he’d known a woman and wanted to marry her, but she chose a better man. Now he wants to do something for her son, left penniless by his father’s passing. Entreating McFarlane to draw up the papers and visit him in the country, the old man signed the papers and left in high spirits.

 

That night, someone set the garden shed on fire. They found the lawyer’s bloodstained walking stick among Oldacre’s belongings, and the Norwood builder disappeared. Combing through the wreckage, the police discovered the remains of a body and hold the lawyer as the primary suspect. He’s bundled off to Scotland Yard by Inspector Lestrade, and Holmes sets off for Norwood, determined to find a clue to his innocence. But the evidence against his client seems insurmountable. Has a guilty man hired Holmes? Or is there something sinister at work in the old house?

 

This is one of Doyle’s most brilliant stories. The Norwood Builder carries you along and throws the truth on you like a bucket of icy water… which also plays a significant role in the solution. Involving arson, supposed murder, forgery, and red herrings, it has a surprising twist. The acting and pacing of this episode are both exceptional. It moves fast but also gives us all the clues. If you’re quick, you may pick up on the evidence Holmes gathers and foresee the ending. It’s a splendid adaptation of an excellent mystery, and my favorite episode.