Lizzie Borden Society Forum

It looks like there is some kind of Sherlock Holmes Marathon tonight (now) on TCM.

Thank you, Kat. Unfortunately I missed it. I love the Jeremy Brett version/series. He is the best Sherlock. I love the "spookiness" of "The Hound of The Baskervilles." Anything with dark fog-shrouded nights on the boggy moors gets my vote.

Have you ever noticed how many "The Complete Sherlock Holmes" books there are out there that are not complete? There are always stories missing. Bugs me. I recently found a book that is complete with every story in it.

-1bigsteve (o:

Arthur Conan Doyle died in the 1930s. His copyright to the Sherlock Holmes stories ended 40 years later. Anyone can use "Sherlock Holmes" character for better or worse (and they have).

Reprints are a money making scheme. Maybe they cut back a little to save or make money?

In any event those 1940s B&W movies are Hollywood dramas, made for their times and loosely based on the actual stories.
Read the book, ignore the films.

(I have to follow this advice in a few months.)

I don't Ray, I kind of like those old black & white films with Basil Rathbone.

I love Basil Rathbone- he is my Sherlock. I think those old movies are way better than Doyle's stories!

I don't now who cast him but I think Basil Rathbone was just perfect for the part. I saw Frank Langella play Sherlock once but there was just something about the way Mr. Rathbone carried himself. I love watching those old movies. Does anyone remember the name of the movie with Barbara Stanwyck where she plays an invalid and her husband plots her murder. Her acting when she's talking on the phone was unbelievable.

Nadzieja @ Sun Apr 01, 2007 4:14 am wrote:I don't now who cast him but I think Basil Rathbone was just perfect for the part. I saw Frank Langella play Sherlock once but there was just something about the way Mr. Rathbone carried himself. I love watching those old movies. Does anyone remember the name of the movie with Barbara Stanwyck where she plays an invalid and her husband plots her murder. Her acting when she's talking on the phone was unbelievable.

"Sorry, Wrong Number." That was a good film. Her best I think.

-1bigsteve (o:

And don't forget Nigel Bruce as the bumbling Dr. Watson.

Harry:

As an old, and I use the word advisedly, Sherlockian collector I have all of the Rathbone Holmes pictures on VHS.
I was always amused by the "bumbling Dr. Watson" portrayed by Nigel Bruce. Some purists didn't feel this reflected the Dr. Watson of the literature, but I always enjoyed Bruce's interpretation of the part.

Brett was a fine Holmes, at least until the final episodes when he became ill, but I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Rathbone and Bruce.

William, I was wondering that very thing when typing my message - What the purists thought of Bruce's portrayal. I thought probably sort of what we Borden purists think of the Legend movie. Happy to have it, flaws and all.

He was a perfect balance to the serious Holmes and in explaining things to Watson he was also explaining things to the audience.

William, Hello! I've only watched the Rathbone movies on TCM. Can you tell me how many actually came out on tape? And if possible the span of years? I'm considering taping them as they play on TCM but would like to know how many tapes I'm actually looking at buying to record them.

Hi Nadzieja:

There were fourteen movies of Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, from 1939 to 1946.

There is a great book "The Films of Sherlock Holmes," which describes each film in detail with lots of photographs. Check Bookfinder.com. You can get this book for about five or six dollars.

Amazon.com, Buy.com and Half.com offer the episodes on VHS and DVD if you are impatient and con't want to wait for them on TCM.

I will discuss this in depth with you and answer any questions you may have if you want to send a private message or email

Harry @ Sun Apr 01, 2007 9:04 am wrote:And don't forget Nigel Bruce as the bumbling Dr. Watson.

He also played a doctor in "The Two Mrs. Carrolls". "Its just nerves."

If you ever saw pictures of A Conan Doyle, you would know that the character has a strong resemblance to Doyle.

Didn't he also play "Colonel Blimp" in the 1940s picture of the same name?

I just bought for $1 each, 2 episodes of Sherlock Holmes, at an estate sale.
"Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" (1942) and "The Spider Woman" (1944).

Both starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.
Yay!

Congratulations on your lucky find. Don't you just love it when those little things happen when you least expect it. I'm glad for you, I love Basil Rathbone as Sherlock.

I also bought a measuring tape for 50 cents and I used it to measure the Borden House on our visit there!