I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

"A Certain Selection and Discretion" [IDEN]

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With the success of the recent Robert Downey Jr. Holmes film - and the speculation and anticipation for <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1515091/">Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</a></span>, it would be hard to believe that before now a theatrical film of Holmes with an atypical director would be successful in the marketplace.<br />
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After all, one only has to look to 1970's <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JKHF/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00005JKHF">The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00005JKHF&camp=217145&creative=399369" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span>, directed by Billy Wilder, as an unsuccessful example....which is a shame, because it is a very underrated gem in Sherlockian film canon, providing a fascinating postmodern look into the Great Detective. Here's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIyF0_B6Yyk&feature=player_embedded">a video of the trailer</a> with brief commentary from producer/director Dan Ireland:<br />
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In many ways, this version of Holmes is a more radical reinterpretation of the canon than the Downey film. In the first full scene, for example, Holmes (Robert Stephens) begins chiding Watson (Colin Blakely) for "exaggerating" certain things in his writing. (Yes, Wilder and writing partner I.A.L. Diamond are definitely playing "the Great Game.")<br />
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Although many critics and commentators have focused on the "subtext" of the Holmes/Watson relationship, what is so much more radical is that Stephens' Holmes seems much more...emotional. Lively. Possessing a certain depth and range of character that approaches a Jeremy Brett-style approach to the role.(Colin Blakely's Watson, however, tends more towards the buffoon-ish).  Although Wilder directs this in a more straightforward style than his other work, it only serves to highlight the emotional underpinnings of the film - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Private Life</span> not only contains gorgeous footage and a wonderful soundtrack, these bring the performances forward, and quite frankly, make this an underrated gem of a movie.<br />
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What's even more remarkable about this film is that it was originally conceived as a three hour movie consisting of four separate stories, one involving Holmes in his youth. Sadly, due to cuts the movie is only two hours long with two distinct stories - one focusing on a Russian ballerina; the other a more intricate plot involving brother Mycroft (played by Christopher Lee, the only actor to play both Mycroft and Sherlock), Inverness, and....well, that would be telling. Thankfully, <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JKHF/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00005JKHF">the DVD</a></b> release contains scripts, shots, and footage from the "lost" portions of the film as part of the 'Special Features' selection.<br />
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Admittedly, there was a certain selection and discretion in what Conan Doyle wrote about in his stories - after all, he lived in a much different time with different standards. Many films have attempted to fill in the gaps of what we knew about Holmes, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</span> does so in an entertaining and thoroughly engaging way.<br />
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This is a must-view for any Sherlockians. Very highly recommended.<br />
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<i>Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock  Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>.</i><br />
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--<br />
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"A Certain Selection and Discretion" [IDEN]

With the success of the recent Robert Downey Jr. Holmes film - and the speculation and anticipation for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows...

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by Scott Monty

"Where All Gossip Is Welcome" [VALL] - September 2011

<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN_PS7Fjc41uB79BLQ7V_9MUcAzaUgY50Pl3zfplavu2ka1sEl6c88Nqdhop4jZRNr14Y_J2iWvPbL6e264UwY5znxdMv2ReH3xVdaNSknlKuFqhchFncT8qv6Ws4NhZSlFFWvhmP2VPI/s1600/blackpeter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN_PS7Fjc41uB79BLQ7V_9MUcAzaUgY50Pl3zfplavu2ka1sEl6c88Nqdhop4jZRNr14Y_J2iWvPbL6e264UwY5znxdMv2ReH3xVdaNSknlKuFqhchFncT8qv6Ws4NhZSlFFWvhmP2VPI/s1600/blackpeter.jpg" /></a></div>This is the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, Peter Blau's ("Black Peter") monthly newsletter of Sherlockian or Doylean gossip, published in print form since 1971 and as <a href="http://members.cox.net/sherlock1/scuttle.htm">a text-only digital archive on Sherlocktron</a> since 1985. In agreement with Peter Blau, we've arranged to publish facsimiles of the print newsletter here, so online readers can see what the newsletter looks like. Below the scan you can find links to the sites mentioned in the text - in most cases, directly to the article, video or publication, to save you from having to search for the terms.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The following is the September 2011 issue; please feel free to share it via email, social network, or embed it on your own site.</div><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/66896710/Scuttlebutt-from-the-Spermaceti-Press-September-2011" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press September 2011 on Scribd">Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press September 2011</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_13970" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/66896710/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1bua20ek6eftl1if2sup" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(); </script> <br /><b>Links (in order of mention):</b><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icSNeG-kurE">Animated version of the Dancing Men</a> [video - embedded below]</li><li><a href="http://www.booktrack.com/">Booktrack</a></li><li><a href="http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/epicks/1209_landingpage.html">AudioFile Listeners' Guide to Sherlock Holmes</a></li><li><a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_19336_6-beloved-characters-that-had-undiagnosed-mental-illnesses.html">6 Beloved Characters That Had Undiagnosed Mental Illnesses</a></li><li><a href="http://www.carterjonas.co.uk/properties-for-sale/ulverston/cumbria/KEN110160.html">Town Head</a> - inspiration for "The Speckled Band"</li><li><a href="http://redscharlach.livejournal.com/226981.html">221B Badger Street</a> [cartoon]</li><li><a href="http://wirelesstheatrecompany.co.uk/index.php/component/jotloader?Itemid=15&cid=14&id=134">Sherlock Holmes Strikes Back!</a></li><li><a href="http://www.tagtheatre.com/">Theatre Arts Guild</a></li><li><a href="http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/history/2011/08/mrs-sherlock-holmes-takes-on-the-nypd/">Mrs. Sherlock Holmes Takes on the NYPD</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/09/sound-of-galloping-across-moor-houn.html">Jeremy Brett scholarship</a></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JUV0ZU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B005JUV0ZU">LEGO Minifigure Detective</a> [Amazon.com]</li><li><a href="https://www.sites.google.com/site/selenajonesmysteries/">Selena Jones Mysteries</a></li><li><a href="http://iwl.me/">I Write Like</a></li><li><a href="http://www.tonecartoons.co.uk/blog/archives/559">Darlock Holmes and Dalek Watson</a></li><li><a href="http://www.mxpublishing.com/page/Debate">The Great Sherlock Holmes Debate</a></li><li><a href="http://barefootonbakerstreet.wordpress.com/">Barefoot on Baker Street</a></li><li><a href="http://www.mysteryguild.com/pages/nm/product/productDetail.jsp?skuId=1073180983">A Study in Sherlock</a></li><li><a href="http://www.basilrathbone.net/radio/mp3/requestperf1945.mp3">Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce switch roles!</a> [mp3]</li><li><a href="http://rt.com/news/prime-time/sherlock-holmes-russian-adaptation-875/">Russian Sherlock Holmes series</a></li><li><a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2011/09/27/lessons-from-sherlock-holmes-dont-decide-before-you-decide/">Maria Konnikova's Sherlock Holmes blog series on ScientificAmerican.com</a></li><li><a href="http://www.avictorianvilla.com/">Sherlock Holmes dinner at the Victorian Villa Inn</a></li><li>Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol at <a href="http://www.artistsrep.org/">Artist Repertory Theatre</a></li></ul><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/icSNeG-kurE" width="420"></iframe></center><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><i>When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.</i><br />--<br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B005JUV0ZU" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

"Where All Gossip Is Welcome" [VALL] - September 2011

This is the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, Peter Blau's ("Black Peter") monthly newsletter of Sherlock...

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by Scott Monty

Early Conan Doyle Manuscript Published

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"Smith within my grasp" [DYIN]</h4>
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The notion of finding one of Dr. Watson's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393311538/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0393311538" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">lost</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393311198/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0393311198" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">manuscripts</a> has long been something akin to the search for the Holy Grail and something that has fueled more than its fair share of <a href="http://sherlock-holmes.es/database.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>pastiches</b></a>. [That link goes to a database of Sherlockian pastiches kept by Philip K. Jones; it is also one of the helpful links on our <b><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/resources.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Resources page</a></b>, which is at the top of the navigation of the site.]<br />
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Now we have something even better: a lost publication of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself. This isn't just any publication; this is his very first novel, written in 1883 when he was 23 years old and living in Portsmouth, trying to establish himself as a doctor and a writer. Unfortunately, his manuscript was lost in the mail on the way to the publisher, never to see the light of day.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to order</td></tr>
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Not to be outdone, Conan Doyle later rewrote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0712358412/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0712358412" rel="nofollow" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">The Narrative of John Smith</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0712358412&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> entirely from memory, but his novel was never published in his lifetime. Well, as an ardent believer in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritualism" target="_blank">spiritualism</a>, Conan Doyle must be among us today, smiling at the prolonged delay of his very first work as a novelist.<br />
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The book concerns John Smith, a fifty-year-old man confined to his room by an attack of gout. He explores a range of topics such as literature, science, religion, war, and education in a style that should be familiar to anyone who knows him through his later works - particularly the Sherlock Holmes stories.<br />
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We're intrigued with what this early work holds, and we'll look forward to presenting you with some additional views on it next month as <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose37" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere (Episode 37)</a> welcomes Jon Lellenberg and Daniel Stashower, two of the editors/annotators of the novel, to discuss their findings. You may recall Jon and Dan <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/11/episode-13-arthur-conan-doyle-life-in.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">joining Episode 13</a> of the show to discuss their other book <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004E3XE3Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B004E3XE3Y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004E3XE3Y&camp=217145&creative=399369" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />.</i></b><br />
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Will you read this new treasure?<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0712358412&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24029425@N06/6140452441/">Boston Public Library (Flickr)</a></i><br />
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Early Conan Doyle Manuscript Published

"Smith within my grasp" [DYIN] The notion of finding one of Dr. Watson's lost manuscripts has long been something akin...

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by Scott Monty

"A Sound of Galloping Across The Moor" [HOUN]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181734745/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="houn-04 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="houn-04" height="240" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2692/4181734745_f570868152_m.jpg" width="165" /></a>One of the strengths of the canon - and Conan Doyle's writing - is its ability to connote a vivid, memorable atmosphere. <b><a href="http://sherlockholmes.stanford.edu/readings3.html"><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></a></b> is the most frequently adapted - and most noted by both scholars and casual fans - of Conan Doyle's novels for its ability to immerse the reader in a moody, darkened setting.<br /><br />Thankfully, the <a href="http://venividitheatre.com/">Veni Vidi Theatre</a> company in London is producing a uniquely styled adaptation. From August 15th to August 20th, the Theater adapted <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles </i>as a radio drama - actors voicing the characters, and the production will be reminiscent of a pre-World War II audio production. (Think <a href="http://www.mercurytheatre.info/">Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater</a> as a comparison). Rather than do a scene-by-scene recreation onstage, the troupe appears to have gone one step further - providing an adaptation that attempts to engage the audience on both an immediate and more imaginative level. <br /><br />Thankfully, Veni Vidi has provided <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RUQpO_3uds&feature=player_embedded">some videos about the production</a>. You can check out the playlist below:<br /><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLE2EBFA5DD6FAFDB0&hl=en_US" width="560"></iframe></center><br /><div><br /></div><div><br />This production of <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i><b> </b>was adapted by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0931702/">Simon Williams</a>, and is directed by <a href="http://www.venividitheatre.com/natalie-anne-downs.html">Natalie Anne-Downs.</a> Veni Vidi's adaptation seems to be a uniquely distinctive approach to the canon, and a must-see for Sherlockians everywhere. <a href="http://www.remotegoat.co.uk/review_view.php?uid=7322">A review from remotegoat.co.uk</a> called it "a perfect homage to both radio theatre and to Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary work."<br /><br />If you were among those who were able to see the production, we'd love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://comicrelated.com/categories.php?column=TV%20Party">Comic Related</a>.</i></div><div><br />--</div>