“an old friend and school companion” [TWIS]
It is hard to believe that four decades have passed since we first saw a teenage Sherlock Holmes meet a bespectacled John Watson at Brompton Academy. Released on December 4, 1985, Young Sherlock Holmes celebrates its 40th anniversary today.
Originally known as Sherlock Holmes: The Pyramid of Fear in some markets, it was clearly an attempt by the studio, Amblin Entertainment, to capture the zeitgeist of films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. In some ways, it worked.
For many Sherlockians of a certain generation, this film was a gateway drug into the Canon. But to truly appreciate this curiosity, let's step back and look at the Sherlockian landscape of the era.
“the source and origin” [SIXN]
Personally, this was a time of wonder and discovery for me, as I discovered Sherlock Holmes the previous summer and selected Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the author I would highlight for a research paper for my English class.
Our school and town library didn't have much in the way of secondary material, so my teacher suggested I call Channel 3 in Hartford, as she had seen a fellow who ran a Sherlock Holmes society the night before on Evening Magazine. I dutifully followed the trail, and when Harold "Tyke" Niver, BSI ("The Man on the Tor") answered his phone with a jaunty "Baskerville Hall!" I knew I was in good hands.
The conversation took place in the fall of 1985, which was a golden age of Sherlock Holmes adaptations. Just months before Young Sherlock Holmes hit theaters, the second series of Granada Television’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes had concluded in the UK. Jeremy Brett was at the absolute height of his powers. In fact, "The Final Problem" had aired in September 1985, leaving audiences with the image of his Holmes tumbling over the Reichenbach Falls.
It wasn't just Brett, though. In 1982, American producer Sy Weintraub partnered with English producer Otto Plaschkes to make six television films of Sherlock Holmes stories. Only two were made, starring Ian Richardson: The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1983. Weintraub found out that Granada had been granted rights to make television films by the Conan Doyle estate, and cancelled production.
The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes aired in 1985 — a documentary hosted by Christopher Lee (who, of course, played both Holmes and Mycroft in his time), which celebrated the history of the character just as Paramount was trying to reinvent him. It was no coincidence, of course; it was a promotional tie-in with the film. The opening scene was the trailer for Young Sherlock Holmes.
The contrast could not have been more stark. On the small screen, we had the faithful, Victorian fidelity of the Granada series and Weintraub films; on the big screen, we were given a Hollywood blockbuster that treated the great detective with the same energy as The Goonies.
“Remarkable—most remarkable!” [DEVI]
The tagline in the trailer for Young Sherlock Holmes captured the moment perfectly:
"Before the lifetime of adventure, came the adventure of a lifetime."
When the film premiered, the reception was mixed. Directed by Barry Levinson and written by a young Chris Columbus (fresh off Gremlins), the film was an oddity. It was produced by Steven Spielberg, and it showed.
Critics at the time were divided. Roger Ebert was a fan, giving it three stars and praising the performances of Nicholas Rowe and Alan Cox. However, many purists balked. The script took massive liberties with the Canon — establishing that Holmes and Watson met as schoolboys rather than at St. Bartholomew's Hospital — and the plot, involving a murderous Egyptian cult in the heart of London, felt more like a Lucasfilm adventure than a Conan Doyle mystery.
Financially, it was a disappointment, grossing only about $19 million against an $18 million budget. It seemed too dark for children (it was one of the first films to push the boundaries of the PG-13 rating with its terrifying hallucinations) yet perhaps too whimsical for the adult mystery crowd.
“had grown steadily more impressed” [VALL]
However, 40 years later, Young Sherlock Holmes has aged into a significant piece of cinema history, primarily for two reasons.
1. The Stained Glass Knight
We cannot talk about this film without mentioning the "stained glass knight" sequence. Created by a division of Lucasfilm called The Graphics Group (which would later spin off to become Pixar), this 30-second sequence was the first fully computer-generated character in a feature film. It took the team four months to create that half minute of film.
If you enjoy the visual effects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe today, you can trace their lineage directly back to that church scene in Young Sherlock Holmes:
2. The Proto-Potter
Watching the film today, it is impossible not to see the blueprint for the Harry Potter franchise. You have a trio of friends (the hero, the loyal sidekick, and the smart girl) solving mysteries in a British boarding school, uncovering a dark teacher, and facing supernatural threats.
Chris Columbus wrote this film 16 years before he directed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ; in some ways, Young Sherlock Holmes feels like his dry run.
Nicholas Rowe eventually grew into the role quite literally, appearing as "Matinee Sherlock Holmes" in the 2015 film Mr. Holmes starring Ian McKellen. But his 1985 performance remains a touching portrait of the detective before the armor hardened — before he became the "calculating machine."
“the list of the prizes” [NOBL]
While the box office may have been unkind to the film, certain members of the crew were recognized for their efforts. The effects team of Dennis Muren, Kit West, John Ellis, and David Allen were nominated for an Oscar for Best Effects, Visual effects — because of that stained glass knight scene, as well as Watson's dessert nightmare, with cream puffs attacking.
The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films nominated Chris Columbus for a Saturn Award for Best Writing and the film itself notched a nomination for Best Fantasy Film. But it was composer Bruce Broughton who took home the film's sole award for Best Music.
While it may not be Canonical, Young Sherlock Holmes does succeed in capturing the spirit of friendship and adventure that keeps us coming back to Baker Street. It posits a heartbreaking origin for Holmes's emotional isolation and gives us a Watson who is loyal, brave, and deeply human.
So, tonight, pour a glass of wine (not Petri!) or make a hot cocoa, avoid any suspicious cream puffs, and celebrate four decades of a fun exploration of what an early Holmes and Watson might have done.
Here, though the world explode, these two survive. And it is always 1985.
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