I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Episode 163: 221B Con

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“an event of extreme importance” [SIGN] </h4>
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What do two energetic and passionate Sherlock Holmes fans do when they're sparked by a new Sherlock Holmes manifestation? Why, they establish a major event!</div>
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That's exactly what Heather Holloway and Crystal Noll did, after discovering they each enjoyed Sherlock Holmes, albeit from two very different origins. Throw in the Canon, the BBC, Waffle House, and ground central for fan conventions, and you've got <a href="https://www.221bcon.com/">221B Con</a>.</div>
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As you'll hear, Heather and Crystal went about things all wrong. But they were successful beyond their wildest imagination, and now 221B Con is in its seventh year. Listen to how this fascinating and multifaceted event came together and what you can expect if you attend the next 221B Con in Atlanta from April 5-7, 2019.</div>
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We also have another installment of "As We Go to Press" with Mattias Boström, co-editor of the <a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/newspaper4.html"><i>Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers</i></a> series. We've received some listener voicemail, and of course we've got the latest <b>Canonical Couplet</b>. See if you can figure out the story we're referring to, and you might win a prize. It's much easier than the last episode.<br />
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Information on sponsors, links, and notes available below.</div>
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<b>Sponsors</b></h2>
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We're proud to feature <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a> as our lead sponsor. They've been with us for nearly the entire run. Please visit their site and let them know you found them via I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.</div>
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Would you care to become a sponsor? We'd love to include you in the show. You can find <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" target="_blank">more information here</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock163.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 32.5 MB, 1:10:55</h3>
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<b>Links</b></h2>
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<li>This episode: <a href="https://ihose.co/ihose163" target="_blank">ihose.co/ihose163</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.221bcon.com/">221B Con</a> (website)</li>
<li>221B Con social media: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/221bcon/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/221bcon">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/221bcon/">Instagram</a></li>
<li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihose54">Episode 54: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes</a></li>
<li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihose91">Episode 91: The Confidence Game</a></li>
<li><i><a href="https://ash-nyc.com/store/serpentine-muse-subscription">The Serpentine Muse</a></i></li>
<li><a href="http://talkaboutsherlock.libsyn.com/">Talk About Sherlock</a></li>
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Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard magazine at <a href="http://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">ihose.co/flipsherlock</a> as well as through our accounts on <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</div>
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Transcript</h3>
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We're still looking for your help to reach <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">our goal of $100 per episode level on Patreon</a> (we're currently at <b>$86 per episode</b>!). That will allow us to fund transcripts of every episode. <b><i>But we do need you to pitch in</i></b> — please consider supporting us via <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Patreon</a> or <a href="http://paypal.me/ihose" target="_blank">PayPal</a> for any amount to make this process sustainable!</div>
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Episode 163: 221B Con

“an event of extreme importance” [SIGN] What do two energetic and passionate Sherlock Holmes fans do when they're sparked...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes Brings Home Major Film Awards

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<b>"this enormously valuable prize" [SIXN]</b></h4>
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While most of the public was aware of or watched the 2019 Academy Awards last night, there was another Hollywood celebration of film happening. We of course refer to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Raspberry_Awards">Golden Raspberry Awards</a>, or the <b>Razzies</b>.<br />
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Recently, <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2019/01/doyles-detective-honored-again.html#.XHRbU-hKjb0">we reported on the nominees</a>, which included an usually large representation of Sherlock Holmes-related nominees. Well, the results are in, and fear not, fellow Sherlock Holmes fan — there's reason to celebrate!<br />
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However, before we move on to the Razzies, it's spending some time with the Oscars.<br />
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<b>The Academy Awards</b></h2>
The role of Sherlock Holmes is much more complex and nuanced than the public typically understands. This means that actors need to turn in more than a two-dimensional performance. While no actor has received an award for playing Sherlock Holmes, there are actors who have played Sherlock Holmes and separately have received Academy Award nominations and/or the Oscar itself for Best Actor or Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Here is the list:<br />
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<b>Basil Rathbone</b></h3>
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Played Sherlock Holmes in 14 films from 1939-1946<br />Nominated for <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> (1937) and <i>If I Were King</i> (1939)<br /><br /><br />
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<b>George C. Scott</b>  </h3>
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Played Justin Playfair, who thought he was Sherlock Holmes in <i>They Might Be Giants</i>. (1971)<br />Nominated for <i>Anatomy of a Murder</i> (1960), <i>The Hustler</i> (1962), and <i>The Hospital</i> (1972).<br />Won for <i>Patton </i>(1970).<br /><br /><br />
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<b>Christopher Plummer</b></h3>
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Played Sherlock Holmes in <i>Murder By Decree</i> (1979)<br />Nominated for <i>The Station</i> (2010) and <i>All the Money in the World</i> (2018)<br />Won for <i>Beginners</i> (2012)<br /><br />
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<b>Peter O'Toole</b></h3>
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Played Sherlock Holmes (voice only) in <i>Sherlock Holmes and A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes and The Sign of Four, Sherlock Holmes and The Baskerville Curse, </i>and <i>Sherlock Holmes and The Valley of Fear</i> (1983)<br />Nominated for <i>Lawrence of Arabia</i> (1963), <i>Becket</i> (1965), <i>The Lion in Winter</i> (1969), <i>Goodbye, Mr. Chips</i> (1970), <i>The Ruling Class</i> (1973), <i>The Stunt Man</i> (1981), <i>My Favorite Year </i>(1983), and <i>Venus </i>(2007).<br />Won an Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 2003. <br /><br />
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<b>Michael Caine</b></h3>
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Played Reginald Kincaid, an actor who was hired to play Sherlock Holmes in <i>Without a Clue</i> (1987)<br />Nominated for <i>Alfie</i> (1967), <i>Sleuth </i>(1973), <i>Educating Rita</i> (1984), and <i>The Quiet American</i> (2003).<br />Won for <i>Hannah and Her Sisters</i> (1987) and <i>The Cider House Rules</i> (2000).<br /><br />
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<b>Robert Downey, Jr.</b> </h3>
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Played Sherlock Holmes in <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> (2009) and <i>Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</i>. (2011)<br />Nominated for <i>Chaplin </i>(1993) and <i>Tropic Thunder</i> (2009)<br /><br />
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<b>Ian McKellen</b></h3>
Played Sherlock Holmes in <i>Mr. Holmes</i> (2015)<br />Nominated for <i>Gods and Monsters</i> (1999) and <i>The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring</i> (2002)<br /><br /><br />
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<b>Benedict Cumberbatch</b> </h3>
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Played Sherlock Holmes in four seasons of <i>Sherlock </i>on BBC (2010-2017)<br />Nominated for <i>The Imitation Game</i> (2015)<br /><br /><br />
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Johnny Depp</h3>
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Played Sherlock Gnomes in <i>Sherlock Gnome</i>s (2018)<br />Nominated for <i>Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl</i> (2003), <i>Finding Neverland</i> (2005), and <i>Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street</i> (2008)<br /><br />
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The Razzies</h2>
Okay, the reason you're here. The lips and tongue have spoken, and the Golden Raspberries for 2019 have brought four — count 'em, four — Razzies:<br />
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<b>Worst Picture: <i>Holmes & Watson</i></b></h4>
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<b>Worst Supporting Actor: John C. Reilly / <i>Holmes & Watson</i></b></h4>
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<b>Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel: <i>Holmes & Watson</i></b></h4>
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<b>Worst Director: Etan Cohen / <i>Holmes & Watson</i></b></h4>
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Congratulations to all who were nominated!</div>
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This is perhaps the time to remind everyone that with the Razzies, there are no winners; everyone's a loser.</div>
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Sherlock Holmes Brings Home Major Film Awards

"this enormously valuable prize" [SIXN] While most of the public was aware of or watched the 2019 Academy Awards last night, ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Baker Street Elementary — All's Well that Ends Wells

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“did you say you wished to travel?” [3GAB] </h4>
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 The genre of science fiction owes its beginnings to a handful of writers. Jules Verne (1828 – 1905) is perhaps one of the best known and the earliest. But H.G. Wells (1866 – 1946) was another, and he was a contemporary of Conan Doyle.<br />
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Naturally, there's an intersection between Wells and Sherlock Holmes, and it comes partly through the artifice of Manly Wade Wellman, BSI ("Wisteria Lodge") and his son. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly_Wade_Wellman">Manly Wade Wellman</a> (not wanly made) was a science fiction writer of note whose association with Sherlock Holmes goes back to the early days of the BSI.<br />
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Ellery Queen included one of Wellman's stories in <i>The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes</i>, which was published and celebrated at the famed Trilogy Dinner in March 1944. And later on, together with his son, Wellman birthed <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes%27_War_of_the_Worlds">Sherlock Holmes's War of the Worlds.</a></i><br />
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Here, Peter Blau, BSI ("Black Peter") remembers Wellman in Vol. 36, No. 3 of <i><a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/the-baker-street-journal/">The Baker Street Journal</a></i>:<br />
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Manly Wade Wellman, who died on April 1986, was a fine writer in the worlds of mystery, science fiction, and fantasy, and in ours. His 1941 pastiche “But Our Hero Was Not Dead” was chosen by Ellery Queen for reprinting in <i>The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes</i>, and his contributions to the <i>Journal </i>ranged from tales-in-verse to an article suggesting that Bertie Wooster’s valet Jeeves was Sherlock Holmes’s son. In 1975 he and his son Wade Wellman combined all of his enthusiasm in <i>Sherlock Holmes’s War of the Worlds</i>, pitting Holmes, Watson, and Challenger against the invading Martians. The loss of his varied talents is sad indeed.</blockquote>
Now let's take a <i>Time Machine</i> back to Baker Street Elementary...</div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Baker Street Elementary</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> follows the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they and their friends work through the issues of elementary school in Victorian London. An archive of all previous episodes can be viewed at </span><a href="http://www.bakerstreetelementary.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #006f85; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">www.bakerstreetelementary.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">.</span></div>
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Baker Street Elementary — All's Well that Ends Wells

“did you say you wished to travel?” [3GAB] The genre of science fiction owes its beginnings to a handful of writers. Jules Verne (...

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by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes: The Detective Who Will Never Die

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"That seems final, does it not?" [BRUC]</h4>
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In 1927, when <i>The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes</i> was published, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote in its preface that "Mr. Sherlock Holmes may become like one of those popular tenors who, having outlived their time, are still tempted to make repeated farewell bows to their indulgent audiences."<br />
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Outlived his time, never; but farewell bows, yes indeed, and frequently, in the 60 canonical tales created by Conan Doyle and John H. Watson over a 40-year period. Thus it is no surprise that in one of the later tales, "The Three Garridebs," Watson cheerfully remarks that this adventure "is not the first we have shared, Holmes. I hope it may not be the last."<br />
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Indeed it was not. But behold a list of the stories—no fewer than ten of them—that were, in their day, the "last" Sherlock Holmes story:<br />
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<b><i>A Study in Scarlet</i> (1887) </b></h3>
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The original published adventure of Sherlock Holmes, and with no hint that there might ever be a second one, it was last as well as first.<br />
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<b><i>The Sign of the Four</i> (1890) </b></h3>
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A more sophisticated novel than its predecessor, <i>The Sign of the Fou</i>r again appeared with no indication that a series was in prospect. Indeed, Watson tells Holmes as the adventure ends that "I fear that it may be the last investigation in which I shall have the chance of studying your methods."<br />
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<b>"The Final Problem" (1893) </b></h3>
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This came as the 24th short story in a quick succession following those two novels. Its title could hardly be clearer as an indication that it was meant to put a period (in British terms, a full stop) to the detective's career. Indeed, Watson describes it as "the last words in which I shall ever record the singular gifts by which my friend Mr. Sherlock Holmes was distinguished". <br />
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<b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> (1902) </b></h3>
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While this was definitely a new story, it was antedated to avoid the implication that Sherlock Holmes lived again. Doyle said that it was "a reminiscence, not a resurrection" of Holmes. It was definitely a one-off, the 27th story and, for a time, the last.<br />
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<b>"The Abbey Grange" (1904) </b></h3>
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This was one of the short stories that would soon be collected in <i>The Return of Sherlock Holmes</i>. Nothing in the tale itself suggests that it might become the last adventure, but in "The Second Stain,"  published just a month later (see below), Watson writes that he "had intended" "The Abbey Grange" to be the last "which I should ever communicate to the public."<br />
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<b>"The Second Stain" (1904) </b></h3>
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Coming at the end of <i>The Return</i>, this was a natural stopping-place for a reluctant author. And Conan Doyle prefaces it with an unusually long, and unusually dull, first paragraph in which he explains that Holmes has now retired and "notoriety has become hateful to him." As a result, he says, there will be no more: "this long series of episodes should culminate in the most important international case."<br />
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However, money talks, so there were more stories. </div>
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<b>"His Last Bow" (1917) </b></h3>
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"His Last Bow" is the story of Holmes's involvement in espionage before World War I, a later era than is reflected in any of the other canonical stories, and its title — subsequently borrowed for the entire collection in which it appears — strongly suggests that the hero detective would appear on the stage no more.<br />
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<b>"The Lion's Mane" (1926)</b> </h3>
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This tale one of the stories that would be collected in <i>The Case-Book of Sherlock Holme</i>s. Nothing in it actually says that there will be no further tales, but it is set in 1907, at or beyond the end of Holmes's career, and told in Holmes's own voice, rather than that of Watson, because it is set "after my withdrawal to my little Sussex home," when detective and doctor have almost lost contact. <br />
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<b>"Shoscombe Old Place" (1927) </b></h3>
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This was in fact the last of the Doyle/Watson tales ever to be published. It is very suitable for that position: a story of degeneration, death, and old bones, whose final words are "old age."<br />
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And yet when <i>The Case-Book</i> was compiled and published in 1927, to be followed by <i>The Complete Sherlock Holmes</i> in 1930, "Shoscombe Old Place" no longer stood last.<br />
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<b>"The Retired Colourman" (1926)</b></h3>
That honour of the last story, if it can be called such, eventually went to "The Retired Colourman," another 1926 story, and another story about the bleakness of old age. Perhaps the reference to retirement was the reason for placing it last, or perhaps it was the sentence that now stands at the very end of the volume for a reader who goes through the Canon in order: "Some day the true story may be told." <br />
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Until it is, <i>The Complete Sherlock Holmes</i> is, like Holmes's own monograph about the polyphonic motets of Lassus, "said by experts to be the last word upon the subject." One might also quote Holmes himself, from "The Norwood Builder":<br />
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"You said it was final; and so it was, in a very different sense." </blockquote>
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For the stories just keep coming. In 1948, "The Man Who Was Wanted" was published as the 61st canonical tale, and it took a considerable while before evidence surfaced that its author was neither ACD nor Watson but Arthur Whitaker. In 1978, Michael Dibdin wrote a pastiche under the title <i>The Last Sherlock Holmes Story</i>, and in 2004 Michael Chabon produced <i>The Final Solution: A Story of Detection</i>. <br />
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But neither book was the end, and the end is not yet in sight. We may hope that it never will be.<br />
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[<b><i>Editor's note</i></b>: <i>today, February 21 (or 2/21 in U.S. calendar format) would seem to be the perfect day to review <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/10/celebrate-national-poetry-day.html#.XG7BEOhKjb0">Vincent Starrett's iconic poem "221B,"</a> which contains the lines "Here dwell together still two men of note / Who never lived and so can never die"</i>]<br />
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Sherlock Holmes: The Detective Who Will Never Die

"That seems final, does it not?" [BRUC] In 1927, when The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes was published, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...

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by Chris Redmond

Episode 162: Deadly Harpoon

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“tucked like an umbrella underneath his arm” [BLAC] </h4>
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The BSI Press is busy again this year, adding another volume to the Manuscript Series. In this instance, the book is <i>Deadly Harpoon</i>, the manuscript of "The Adventure of Black Peter," with associated articles.</div>
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We spoke with the editor of this volume, Glen Miranker, BSI ("<i>The Origin of Tree Worship</i>"), who needs no introduction to regular listeners. In speaking with Glen, we discovered how broad and brooding this story is, and how Glen chose contributors. Add to that some talk about the latest restored silent film of Sherlock Holmes, cryptography, and three other manuscripts in Glen's possession, and we've got a full show.</div>
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We also have another installment of "As We Go to Press" with Mattias Boström, co-editor of the <a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/newspaper4.html"><i>Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers</i></a> series. We also finally got around to surfacing some of our listener voicemail, and of course the latest <b>Canonical Couplet</b>. See if you can figure out the story we're referring to, and you might win a prize.<br />
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<b>Sponsors</b></h2>
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<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock162.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 31.3 MB, 1:08:24</h3>
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<b>Links</b></h2>
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<li>This episode: <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose162" target="_blank">ihose.co/ihose162</a></li>
<li><i><a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/2018/12/30/deadly-harpoon/">Deadly Harpoon</a></i> (BSI Press)</li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose79">Episode 79: Collectors' Corner: Glen Miranker</a></li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose133">Episode 133: The Sherlock Holmes Collection of Dan Posnansky</a></li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/trifles28">Trifles Episode 28 - Harpoons: A Pointed Subject</a></li>
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Episode 162: Deadly Harpoon

“tucked like an umbrella underneath his arm” [BLAC] The BSI Press is busy again this year, adding another volume to the Manus...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Baker Street Elementary — Incorrigible

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
“I was able to follow the trend” [HOUN] </h4>
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There were a number of individuals in the Canon who we can easily call irredeemable. Merriam-Webster defines irredeemable as: "being beyond remedy: hopeless."<br />
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Certainly individuals like Grimesby Roylott, the evil stepfather in "The Speckled Band," the jovial, rotund, yet nefarious Jephro Rucastle in "The Copper Beeches," and the wicked, plotting Culverton Smith in "The Dying Detective."<br />
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But what about individuals who carried out some perfidy, yet were victims of their circumstances? People like Eugenia Ronder in "The Veiled Lodger," or Isadora Klein in "The Three Gables"? Probably not irredeemable, but horribly wronged in some way, forcing them to act in otherwise negative fashions.<br />
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What about those who might have been incorrigible? That is, "those incapable of being corrected or amended"? It's a lesser adjective than above, but still denotes a lack of some kind of judgement.<br />
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Again, the Rucastle family comes to mind, with little Edward and his cockroach-smacking slippers. What about others? Sherlock Holmes typically sees that punishment is meted out on those who deserve it, and mercy is granted to those who have mitigating circumstances. So it's difficult to think of anyone who was incorrigible.<br />
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Except for one servant, mentioned early on. She's called out in this singular use of the word in the Canon. It comes from Watson's mouth directly, as Holmes deduces the state of the Watson household in "A Scandal in Bohemia":<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“How do I know that you have been getting yourself very wet lately, and that you have a most clumsy and careless servant girl?”<br />“My dear Holmes,” said I, “this is too much. You would certainly have been burned, had you lived a few centuries ago. It is true that I had a country walk on Thursday and came home in a dreadful mess, but as I have changed my clothes I can’t imagine how you deduce it. As to Mary Jane, she is <b>incorrigible</b>, and my wife has given her notice.”</blockquote>
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Now Stamford is another case entirely at Baker Street Elementary...</div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Baker Street Elementary</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> follows the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they and their friends work through the issues of elementary school in Victorian London. An archive of all previous episodes can be viewed at </span><a href="http://www.bakerstreetelementary.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #006f85; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">www.bakerstreetelementary.org</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">.</span></div>
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Baker Street Elementary — Incorrigible

“I was able to follow the trend” [HOUN] There were a number of individuals in the Canon who we can easily call irredeemable. Merria...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes and Blackmail

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b>"a band of rascals who may blackmail" [3GAB]</b></h4>
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For anyone who's been paying attention to the news cycle in the last 12 hours, we've seen a barrage of coverage of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his salvo against the extortionate attempts of American Media, Inc. and David Pecker, owners of the tabloid <i>The National Enquirer</i> ("<a href="https://medium.com/@jeffreypbezos/no-thank-you-mr-pecker-146e3922310f">No thank you, Mr. Pecker</a>").<br />
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We don't intend to spend any time on those salacious details, but we did want to call out Bezos's mention of extortion and blackmail to consider all the times that blackmail played a part in the Sherlock Holmes stories.<br />
<br />
There are a number of examples of blackmail in the Canon, and they make the perfect case for bringing Sherlock Holmes into a situation. Typically, the victim would not wish to go to the police, nor do they prefer to capitulate to whatever demands there are, which would then leave them exposed. Who better than Sherlock Holmes to come to their aid?<br />
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<h3>
<b>“Your Majesty has indeed committed an indiscretion.”</b></h3>
The first mention of blackmail in the Canon is in "A Scandal in Bohemia." The King of Bohemia pays a visit on Sherlock Holmes to inform him of a difficult situation in which he finds himself with Irene Adler. The two carried on a relationship, and Holmes sums up the situation succinctly:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Your Majesty, as I understand, became entangled with this young person, wrote her some compromising letters, and is now desirous of getting those letters back.”</blockquote>
Holmes dismissed the notion that those letters would be considered authentic, bringing up forgery, stolen note-paper, an imitated seal, and a purchased photograph. It was only when His Majesty indicated that they were both in the photograph that Holmes knew he had to act.<br />
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<h3>
<b>“</b><b>His grip has been upon me for twenty years</b><b>”</b></h3>
While the word "blackmail" isn't mentioned in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery," it's the motive behind the death that Sherlock Holmes investigated. John Turner and James McCarthy met in Australia and became part of the Ballarat Gang, who were highway robbers. Turner moved back to England and eventually ran into his old partner in town:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“ ‘Here we are, Jack,’ says he, touching me on the arm; ‘we’ll be as good as a family to you. There’s two of us, me and my son, and you can have the keeping of us. If you don’t—it’s a fine, law-abiding country is England, and there’s always a policeman within hail.’ ”</blockquote>
Certainly a heavily implied form of blackmail. And it only got worse for Turner when the McCarthys moved out to Herefordshire:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Well, down they came to the west country, there was no shaking them off, and there they have lived rent free on my best land ever since. There was no rest for me, no peace, no forgetfulness; turn where I would, there was his cunning, grinning face at my elbow. It grew worse as Alice grew up, for he soon saw I was more afraid of her knowing my past than of the police. Whatever he wanted he must have, and whatever it was I gave him without question, land, money, houses, until at last he asked a thing which I could not give. He asked for Alice.”</blockquote>
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<h3>
<b>“ </b>‘Bless you, sir, I know where all my old friends are’ <b>”</b></h3>
Similarly, in "The <i>Gloria Scott</i>," we find another example of old criminals (in this case who were sentenced to transportation in Australia) who make a renewed acquaintance decades later. Hudson reappears and gives Victor Trevor, now a J.P., a fright, and implies that such a distinguished gentleman can't afford to have his past brought to light:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“ ‘Thank you, sir,’ said the seaman, touching his fore-lock. ‘I’m just off a two-yearer in an eight-knot tramp, short-handed at that, and I wants a rest. I thought I’d get it either with Mr. Beddoes or with you.’<br />“ ‘Ah!’ cried Trevor. ‘You know where Mr. Beddoes is?’<br />“ ‘Bless you, sir, I know where all my old friends are,’ said the fellow with a sinister smile.”</blockquote>
Things got worse in the Trevor household, as young Trevor described.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“ ‘My father made the fellow gardener,’ said my companion, ‘and then, as that did not satisfy him, he was promoted to be butler. The house seemed to be at his mercy, and he wandered about and did what he chose in it. The maids complained of his drunken habits and his vile language. The dad raised their wages all round to recompense them for the annoyance. The fellow would take the boat and my father’s best gun and treat himself to little shooting trips.’ ”</blockquote>
Finally, Trevor Sr. did exactly what Jeff Bezos did: he made a full confession to his son in a long document, before Hudson could expose him.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: 18.72px;">“</span><b>I kept my knowledge to myself and waited to see what would come of it.</b><b>”</b></h3>
Peter Cairns was a spare harpooner who joined the Sea Unicorn for a voyage when they picked up Neligan, who had escaped with some securities following the failure of Dawson and Neligan. He witnessed “the skipper tip up [Neligan's] heels and put him over the rail in the middle watch of a dark night.”<br />
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From there he shared his plan to blackmail Peter Carey:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I found out where he was through a sailor man that had met him in London, and down I went to squeeze him.”</blockquote>
But rather than squeezing him, Cairns ended up poking him—clear through the chest with harpoon.<br />
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<h3>
“He is the king of all the blackmailers.<b>”</b></h3>
Sherlock Holmes held a special place in his heart for blackmailers, and in particular for Charles Augustus Milverton, whom he called "the king of all the blackmailers."<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Do you feel a creeping, shrinking sensation, Watson, when you stand before the serpents in the Zoo and see the slithery, gliding, venomous creatures, with their deadly eyes and wicked, flattened faces? Well, that’s how Milverton impresses me. I’ve had to do with fifty murderers in my career, but the worst of them never gave me the repulsion which I have for this fellow.”</blockquote>
High praise, indeed. When Holmes went on to describe exactly what Milverton did and how he did it, Watson remarked that he had seldom heard Sherlock Holmes speak "with such intensity of feeling."<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“With a smiling face and a heart of marble he will squeeze and squeeze until he has drained them dry. The fellow is a genius in his way, and would have made his mark in some more savoury trade. His method is as follows: He allows it to be known that he is prepared to pay very high sums for letters which compromise people of wealth or position. He receives these wares not only from treacherous valets or maids, but frequently from genteel ruffians who have gained the confidence and affection of trusting women...Everything which is in the market goes to Milverton, and there are hundreds in this great city who turn white at his name. No one knows where his grip may fall, for he is far too rich and far too cunning to work from hand to mouth. He will hold a card back for years in order to play it at the moment when the stake is best worth winning. I have said that he is the worst man in London, and I would ask you how could one compare the ruffian who in hot blood bludgeons his mate with this man, who methodically and at his leisure tortures the soul and wrings the nerves in order to add to his already swollen money-bags?”</blockquote>
A visit to Baker Street by Milverton showed him to be prepared and shrewd in his dealings with Holmes and Watson, and must have frustrated Sherlock Holmes, given the latter's inability to effect a positive outcome for his client.<br />
<br />
A classic villain, Milverton managed to stay outside of the law by virtue of the embarrassing nature of the documents which he possessed.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“But surely,” said I, “the fellow must be within the grasp of the law?”<br />“Technically, no doubt, but practically not. What would it profit a woman, for example, to get him a few months’ imprisonment if her own ruin must immediately follow? His victims dare not hit back.”</blockquote>
And thus, Sherlock Holmes went to work.<br />
<br />
<br />
Back in present day, Mr. Pecker of AMI was like Milverton, holding onto sordid material, keeping it out of the public eye until such time that it profited him or his associates. His organization then threatened to release the materials related to Mr. Bezos's case.<br />
<br />
But this time, the victim dared to hit back.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

Sherlock Holmes and Blackmail

"a band of rascals who may blackmail" [3GAB] For anyone who's been paying attention to the news cycle in the last 12 hour...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Sherlock Gnomes: An Animated Bit of Fun

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"...scrambling over your garden wall." [EMPT]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gAGMrOux834k_EXuJMmER8lNeY-oDPNtkSC1JhnAh_-yT6IIST6u-zNr4ikjrC9YvyMNjemrMZivYd62ahezdiqmhkPPOS2qP57OJCeHq39OxudNkuiz3mvSzHQfwMtw5tav2gmmqHJZ/s1600/sherlock+gnomes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="970" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gAGMrOux834k_EXuJMmER8lNeY-oDPNtkSC1JhnAh_-yT6IIST6u-zNr4ikjrC9YvyMNjemrMZivYd62ahezdiqmhkPPOS2qP57OJCeHq39OxudNkuiz3mvSzHQfwMtw5tav2gmmqHJZ/s640/sherlock+gnomes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Several years ago (in 2011, to be exact), when my older
daughter was a lot smaller, we watched a fairly humorous children's film
adaptation of Shakespeare's <i>Romeo and Juliet</i>, entitled <i>Gnomeo
and Juliet</i>. I remember how, as a five year-old, she was entertained, and there
were enough tongue-in-cheek Shakespeare references to keep me interested as
well.<br />
<br />
As you can imagine, the “star-crossed lovers” do not take their own
lives at the end, as the target audience would likely find such a thing a bit
traumatic. Still, the animation was pretty good, the soundtrack was fun, and
there was a very entertaining bit with Patrick Stewart as a statue of the Bard
himself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In March 2018, a sequel to <i>Gnomeo and Juliet</i> was
released, this time a spoof on Sherlock Holmes: the title of this new gnomish
adventure was—you guessed it—<i>Sherlock Gnomes</i>. The film is part sequel,
involving the characters of Gnomeo and Juliet in new adventures, but it is also (of course) a
spoof of some of our favorite Sherlock Holmes characters. In fact, the film starts out with a funny
little bit where a few gnomes argue about which story they’ll tell next (“Game
of Gnomes! Or The Gnome Ranger!”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></div>
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Sherlock
Gnomes (voiced by Johnny Depp) is a garden gnome detective (that is, a
detective who happens to be a garden gnome), who is sworn to protect all of
London's garden gnomes. He finds himself pitted against his old archenemy,
Moriarty: a sort of "Bob's Big Boy" type of pie mascot (don't
ask). <br />
<br />
Sherlock is a kind of self-absorbed character, who doesn't treat
his sidekick Watson with the respect he deserves. Of course, this is a subject
that has been explored in other Holmes films and spoofs. (The Holmes/Watson relationship
in the Guy Ritchie films, or the spoof <i>Without a Clue</i>, both spring to my mind.)<br />
<br />
Their paths cross those of Gnomeo and Juliet, who are attempting to improve the
garden of the house they’ve just moved to, when their fellow garden gnomes are abducted
by the evil Moriarty. Or are they? Sherlock Gnomes hears of that abduction and
many more around London, and…the game is afoot!<br />
<br />
Honestly, I found the film pretty entertaining. Depp was not the best Holmes I've ever seen (well...heard), while Chiwetel Ejiofor voices Watson with great subtlety and dignity. There were all kinds of goofy
nods towards the Sherlock Holmes canon: Doyle's Doll Museum, Wisteria Lodge Florist
Shop, a grating with "221B" on it, while Sherlock and Juliet encounter a "fierce" pug dog, which Mr. Gnomes calls "the Hound owned by the Baskervilles."<br />
<br />
One character even delivers the entertaining line, “No ship, Sherlock!” And of course, there's the obligatory deerstalker cap, Inverness cape, and magnifying glass.<br />
<br />
In a little
homage to the BBC's <i>Sherlock</i>, perhaps, Mr. Gnomes occasionally
retreats into a "mind palace" of sorts, with a completely different
style of animation for those sequences (it looks like black and white cel
animation, although I suspect it is still done mostly with computers). One
little animation detail that I thought was odd: Sherlock Gnomes has a tiny
little white beard on the tip of his chin! I think this was probably the only
bearded Holmes I’ve ever seen on film. Not that a beard that small is really deserving of the name...</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The voice cast is a panoply of celebrities: James McAvoy
(Gnomeo), Emily Blunt (Juliet), Michael Caine
(Lord Redbrick), Maggie Smith (Lady Bluebury), Mary J. Blige (Irene), and many
more. Even Ozzy Osbourne has a brief role, as a somewhat befuddled ceramic
fawn.<br />
<br />
The animation is quite high quality, and the aforementioned "mind
palace" sequences were bizarre and fun. The story is packed with enough
action and silly humor to keep children entertained, while there are enough pop
culture references sprinkled throughout to keep adults from being completely
bored.<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, Sherlockians will no doubt be amused by canonical
references here and there. The plot as a few fun little twists, so the movie
isn’t as predictable as some animated feautres can be. As a Holmes fan, I found
it enjoyable enough, if not incredibly brilliant. The film only received a 28%
on film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, but I've seen much poorer films with
higher scores.<br />
<br />
If you have young children, you could do a lot worse. Or if you’d
simply like to indulge in 90 minutes of innocent fun, it’s worth a few laughs. Oh,
and did I mention that most of the soundtrack is made up of Elton John songs?
(One of the film companies that produced the film was founded by Elton John, so
it’s no surprise.)<br />
<br />
I would give the film 4 Calabash Pipes on a 5-Pipe scale.<br />
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