I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Canonical Connections in the The Captain of the Polestar

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"Though most of the facts were familiar to me, I had not
sufficiently appreciated their relative importance, nor their connection with
each other." [SILV]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6z7BR2ARZed2gNBeRdzJBWnRcf28AudLBZtpURI_lZn8I7GwyxpTxY7U5n1XqD0tYdUbx-l-LjiSBPZGA4qp26RAvQNDauyEx62_E2L893PsCT_9nZbaWh93EuAhDvMeXgu5sXunuWan/s1600/Amundsen+-+Pole+Star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Amundsen's Pole vault" border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6z7BR2ARZed2gNBeRdzJBWnRcf28AudLBZtpURI_lZn8I7GwyxpTxY7U5n1XqD0tYdUbx-l-LjiSBPZGA4qp26RAvQNDauyEx62_E2L893PsCT_9nZbaWh93EuAhDvMeXgu5sXunuWan/s1600/Amundsen+-+Pole+Star.jpg" title="Amundsen's trip to the North Pole" width="640" /></a></div>
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As readers of the Sherlock Holmes adventures know, Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle was a master of the short story. He wrote in many genres:
mystery, horror, science fiction, adventure, romance and humor.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Captain of the
Polestar</i> was published by Longman, Green and Co. in 1890. The version I
read was a public domain trade paperback printing by the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The+Captain+of+the+Polestar+Cambridge+Scholars+Publishing+Classic+Texts&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3AThe+Captain+of+the+Polestar+Cambridge+Scholars+Publishing+Classic+Texts">Cambridge Scholars Publishing Classic Texts</a>. I was struck by two broad themes that run through <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Polestar</i>: love in its many forms, for
good or ill, and the sea.<br />
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I realized how often <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2009/08/in-vaults-thor_21.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">those themes occur the Canon</a>. Cases such as "The <i>Gloria Scott</i>", "The Cardboard Box," "The Adventure of Black Peter," "The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips," "The Adventure of Abbey Grange" and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Sign of the Four</i> all have nautical elements as well as such untold tales as the
cutter <i>Alicia</i>, the British barque <i>Sophy Anderson</i>, the ship <i><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/04/case-of-matilda-briggs-suss_20.html#.VDHe_vldWSo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matilda Briggs</a></i> - which
was associated with <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/12/giant-rat-of-sumatra-suss_17.html#.VDHkmfldWSo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the giant rat of Sumatra</a>, and the story concerning the
politician, the lighthouse, and the trained cormorant.<br />
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Many lovers abound as
well: Irene Adler and Godfrey Norton, Jefferson Hope and Lucy Ferrier, Birdy
Edwards and Ettie Shafter; of course John Watson and Mary Morstan. There are
also the ill-suited suitors like Violet Smith and Bob Carruthers and Jack Woodley,
Elsie Patrick and Abe Slaney and Professor Presbury and Alice Morphy. Unlike
the Canon, Spiritualism is touched in a number of stories, even those that have
no supernatural elements. The modern reader may also be surprised by the elements
of unintended incest, sadism, and necrophilia in some of the tales.</div>
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The stories in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Polestar</i>
run the gamut of genres listed above. A few have direct Canonical connections,
others situations or phrases that obliquely recall the Holmes stories; some
have no connection at all.<br />
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<h3>
<b>"The Captain of the Pole-Star" </b></h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(</span><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Temple Bar</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> magazine, January 1883) </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Michael Dirda on <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/01/episode-38-on-conan-doyle.html#.U9gLlbHQrLM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 38: On Conan Doyle</a> called this "probably the first of the great short stories he wrote and it is a
hauntingly beautiful story filled with pathos.…" Like Doyle himself, the
protagonist John M’Alister Ray is a medical student severing as ship’s doctor
aboard an arctic whaler. <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/12/episode-48-dangerous-work.html#.U9gMB7HQrLM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doyle captures perfectly whaling life and the otherworldly beauty of the arctic</a>. Captain Craigie keeps the Pole-Star among the
ice floes long past the time she should have returned to Scotland, searching
for something…. He is a man haunted in more than one sense of the word. The
story explores one of Doyle’s constant themes, also touched on in “John Huxford’s
Hiatus” and “The Ring of Thoth”, how love (or sometimes obsession) transcends
time, space and occasionally death.</span></div>
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<b>"J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" </b></h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(</span><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Cornhill Magazine,</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> January 1884) </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower and Charles Foley in <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/11/episode-13-arthur-conan-doyle-life-in.html#.U9gMVrHQrLM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters</i></a> calls the acceptance of
“Statement” by one of Doyle’s literary heroes James Payn, editor of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cornhill</i>, England foremost literary
magazine “his first big break in literature”. The practice at the time was to
publish magazine fiction without a by-line. Some speculated that the author of
the popular story could be Robert Louis Stevenson. Doyle received a letter from
<i>Cassells</i> magazine (addressed to “The author of Habakuk Jephson”) to write for
them.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">After graduating from medical school, Doyle again severed as a ship’s
doctor, this time on the </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Mayumba,
which sailed along the West African coast and that experience served as part of
the inspiration for this story; another part being the famous derelict ship the
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Celeste"><i>Mary Celeste</i></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The story opens with
the reporting of the publicly known facts of brigantine Marie Celeste,
discovered deserted at sea ten years earlier. Then the narrator states that he
was aboard the Marie Celeste and now is the time to lay the true facts before
the public.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">J. Habakuk Jephson
graduated from Harvard medical school, shared a practice with Dr. Willis of
Brooklyn and when the Civil War broke out enlisted in the 113th New York
Regiment. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">"I was severely wounded at Antietam, and would probably have perished
on the field had it not been for the kindness of a gentleman named Murray, who
had me carried to his house and provided me with every comfort. Thanks to his
charity, and to the nursing which I received from his black domestics, I was
soon able to get about the plantation with the help of a stick.” </span></blockquote>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The <b>Canonical
connection</b> should be obvious: Watson was wounded at Maiwand, rescued by his
orderly Murray who brought him safely to British lines. At the base hospital in
Peshawur “I rallied, and had already improved so far as to be able to
walk about the wards, and even to bask a little upon the verandah, when I was
struck down by enteric fever”. [STUD] </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">One of Murray’s domestics was named
Martha (<b>Canonical connection</b>: Von Bork’s domestic was also named Martha
[LAST]) who gave Jephson a smooth black stone that resembles a human ear. Years
pass. Jephson marries, has a thriving medical practice, but due to illness he
must take a long sea voyage for his health. Jephson boards the <i>Marie Celeste</i> in
Boston where one of his fellow passengers is an educated mixed-race man with a
melodious voice but an unhealthy yellow and pocked complexion and a right hand of
which his four fingers had been loped off -- Septimus Goring of New Orleans.
After a few days at sea, mysterious and tragic events start to befall the passengers and
crew until the true horror is revealed.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKxTimezXEYaxuxfHg72S7jUfHd1x3pK7ZbzjuzwE7kYXVCLWIgmssZYqRL36HF6mH5GAZuwJDA6WnkwOgTGsayhzAeGU6FQOr5eUNGPSyUTkLrs0ZmS1NmI8UBP6XByNYO60EIRZF6a1/s1600/acd01.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKxTimezXEYaxuxfHg72S7jUfHd1x3pK7ZbzjuzwE7kYXVCLWIgmssZYqRL36HF6mH5GAZuwJDA6WnkwOgTGsayhzAeGU6FQOr5eUNGPSyUTkLrs0ZmS1NmI8UBP6XByNYO60EIRZF6a1/s1600/acd01.PNG" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For 21st century readers "Statement," with
its commonplace 19<sup>th</sup> century views and terminology on race, maybe difficult to read. However, it had an important place in Doyle’s literary
life, and also had influence on real-life events. In <a href="http://amzn.to/1nWhXyS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved </i></a>(1976, revised 1986) </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Larry Kusche</span>, in his chapter on the <i>Mary Celeste</i>, wrote, </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">"Doyle’s story,
which appeared eleven years after the event, was readily believed because much
of it was very close to the truth or was deduced from true statements. He named
his fictional ship the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marie Celeste</i>,
and many later writers have referred to the real ship by that name. Much of
what is now told about the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mary Celeste</i>
is really from Doyle’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Marie Celeste</i>.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Doyle’s "confession" format was not unusual. Such stories appeared frequently
in 19<sup>th</sup> century media. Says Kusche: “Fifty years after the [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mary Celeste</i>] incident ‘confessions’
were still being made by sailors claiming to have been members of the crew.
None of the stories could be substantiated and today the fate of the occupants
of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mary Celeste</i> is as much a mystery
as the day the ship was found deserted at sea.”</span></div>
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There are two more <b>Canonical
connections</b> in the story: Jephson’s partner in his post-war practice is
named Jackson. Jackson takes Watson’s practice when he helps Holmes in "The Crooked Man." Jephson’s fellow passenger John Harton thinks Goring is a detective based on
his scrap-book of newspaper clipping of various crimes. Of course, Holmes kept
scrap-books and commonplace books filled with news clipping of crime and other
interesting facts [EMPT, REDC, 3STU].<br />
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<h3>
<b>"The Great Keinplatz Experiment" </b></h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(</span><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Belgravia Magazine,</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> July 1885) </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">An early <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Freaky Friday</i> story. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Alexis von Baumgarten, Regius Professor of
Physiology at the University of Keinplatz, believes the human spirit can exist
outside the body. Fritz von Hartmann, "wild, reckless Fritz, as dashing a young
fellow as ever hailed from the Rhinelands," the Professor’s best student and in
love with the Professor’s daughter Elise, is asked by von Baumgarten to help
him perform this dangerous experiment. The Professor’s wife objects to Fritz
seeing Elise, so Fritz extracts a promise from his tutor of Elise’s hand in marriage for his
help. Von Baumgarten agrees and at the appropriate time, in a lecture hall full
of some of the greatest minds in Europe, the Professor hypnotizes Fritz and
himself. Their spirits leave their bodies, but unbeknownst to the assembled
guest and the experimenters, the spirits return to the wrong bodies. Hijinks ensue.
One of Doyle’s comedies, a satiric look at academia and science.</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<b>"The Man from Archangel" </b></h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(</span><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">London Society,</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> January 1885) </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">John M'Vittie, a misanthrope dedicated to science moves to a lonely
cottage on Mansie Bay, Caithness, Scotland with his housekeeper to conduct experiments and research. One night during a terrible storm a ship smashes
apart upon the reef in the bay. The housekeeper implores M'Vittie to help the
crew, but he doesn’t care about their fate. He goes to the beach and by a
signal light on the ship M'Vittie sees one man on the ship, less afraid of
death than the others, lash a woman to a spar in such a way to keep her head
above water and throw her clear of the reef. Under a massive wave the signal
light goes out and the ship disappears. “As I watched those things my manhood
overcame my philosophy” and M'Vittie takes his boat to the ocean and rescues
the woman. She turns out to be Russian and ignorant of English. At once,
M’Vittie regrets his act: “I began to wish when I saw her that I had never saved
her, for here was an end of my privacy”, but over the weeks he manages to tolerate
her.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">M’Vittie soon finds
out she’s not the lone survivor of the wreck; the man who threw the woman (she had managed to write </span>"Sophie Ramusine" on a piece of paper) into the ocean, Ourganeff
by name, comes upon M’Vittie, confesses his love of Sophie, calls her his wife
although they are not married ("We are man and wife in the sight of
Heaven. We are bound by higher laws than those of earth."). Sophie is
clearly afraid of him and through obstinacy more than anything else M’Vittie
refuses to turn her over to the Russian. On another stormy night, events come
to a head.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This is the least
successful story in the collection for me, from the fact that Sophie apparently
writes her name in Roman, not Cyrillic, lettering to M’Vittie’s conclusion of
final events, one that Doyle clearly wants us to believe, but goes against
everything that has happened before. </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>Canonical connection:</b> For the
Sherlockian, the interest is in John M’Vittie, a scientific type that comes across
as a less pleasant Sherlock Holmes—without the deductive abilities. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“I dislike
my fellow-mortals. Justice compels me to add that they appear for the most part
to dislike me. I hate their little crawling ways, their conventionalities,
their deceits, their narrow rights and wrongs. They take offence at my brusque
outspokenness, my disregard for their social laws, my impatience of all
constraint. Among my books and my drugs in my lonely den at Mansie I could let
the great drove of the human race pass onwards with their politics and
inventions and tittle-tattle, and I remained behind stagnant and happy. Not
stagnant either, for I was working in my own little groove, and making
progress.” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“</span>Often I forgot my meals, and when old Madge summoned me to
my tea I found my dinner lying untouched upon the table.”<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“I soothed my spirit with strong black
tobacco….” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“For many years I had cared little for the face of a woman.” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“I shut
myself up in the laboratory all the morning, continuing a research which I was
making upon the nature of the allotropic forms of carbon and of sulphur.” </span></blockquote>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In a
year, Doyle would be writing the more brilliant, and likeable, Holmes.</span></div>
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<b>"That Little Square Box"</b></h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(</span><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">London Society,</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> December 1881) </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A story that looks
at domestic terror anxiety, which, sadly still has relevance today. Nervous and
milquetoast narrator Hammond boards a ship in Boston bound for England. “</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">With my usual love for solitude” Hammond sits
behind a pile of luggage and overhears the conversation of two late arriving
passengers. He’s convinced that the little square wooden box that they keep
from view of others is a bomb. However, he’s too afraid of being wrong and
humiliated to take immediate action: “I have remarked that I am a physical
coward. I am a moral one also. It is seldom that the two defects are united to
such a degree in the one character.” </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A friend, Dick Merton, happens to be on
ship and Hammond confides in him. Merton dismissed his fears, but agrees to
keep an eye on the two with Hammond. The more he hears from Flannigan and
Müller, in the smoking room and, in the evening, in the dining room, the more
convinced he is that they plan to blow up the ship at 10 pm. Hammond dithers
until he’s forced to leap in to action.</span></div>
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<b>Canonical connections:</b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> "The very name of 'Flannigan' smacked of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenianism">Fenianism</a>, while 'Müller' suggested nothing but socialism and murder." While the Fenian bombings that
occurred in England in the second half of the 19<sup>th</sup> century never
made it into the Canon, and the armed fight for Irish independence is mentioned
in "His Last Bow," German anarchism was the red herring Jefferson Hope used in the
Drebber murder when he wrote Rache in blood on the wall in <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“An hour passed, and
the Captain was still on the bridge. He was talking to one of the passengers, a
retired naval officer, and the two were deep in debate concerning some abstruse
point in navigation. I could see the red tips of their cigars from where I lay.” </span></blockquote>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Doyle would rework this scene to greater effect with Von Bork and Von Herling; </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“They stood with their heads close together, talking in low, confidential
tones. From below, the two glowing ends of their cigars might have been the
smouldering eyes of some malignant fiend looking down in the darkness.” [LAST]</span></blockquote>
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<h3>
<b>"John Huxford's Hiatus" </b></h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(</span><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Cornhill Magazine,</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> June 1888)</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our lives are dependent on the contingencies of history, Doyle tells us.
If Don Diego Salvador had not opened a cork factory in England with cheap
Spanish labor, then cork prices would not have fallen; the firm of Fairbairn Brothers of Brisport would not have closed laying off all the workers; Mr.
Charles Fairbairn would not have told his experienced foreman John Huxford of
an opening in a factory in Montreal; Huxford would not have put off wedding
Mary until he could earn enough money to send for her and her Granny; and upon
landing in Quebec Huxford would not have been directed by a pimp to stay at a
cheap inn run by crooks who when robbing him smashed the back of Huxford’s
skull in, causing him to lose his memory. Unable to remember who he is, Huxford
struggles to rebuild his life.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Canonical
connections:</b> While Sherlockians will naturally think of Watson and Morstan
when reading of two lovers named John and Mary, Huxford’s story more resembles <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">that of Francis</span> Hay Moulton [NOBL] and Henry
Wood [CROO]. Both men were thought long dead by their <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">inamoratas.</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
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<h3>
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"Cyprian Overbeck
Wells -- A Literary Mosaic" </span></b></h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(</span><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Boy's Own Paper,</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">
December 1886) </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A struggling writer falls asleep in his chair after a fulfilling
meal and dreams he is sitting at a table with eminent men and women of English
letters, past and current, all there to help him write the story of Cyprian
Overbeck Wells. Doyle’s gentle burlesque of <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/daniel-defoe-9269678">Daniel Defoe</a>, <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/jonathan-swift-9500342">Jonathan Swift,</a></span><span lang="EN"> </span><a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/550085/Tobias-Smollett"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tobias George</span></a><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/550085/Tobias-Smollett"> Smollett</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Scott">Sir Walter Scott</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bulwer-Lytton">Edward </a></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bulwer-Lytton">Bulwer Lytton</a>, while no doubt enjoyed by the young teenage readers of </span><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Boy's Own
Paper</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, today it would best be appreciated by English
majors who have read - or even heard of - those authors. Just imagine, though, if Doyle was living today what fun he would have
lampooning the styles and concoctions of the pasticheurs who have unearthed Watson’s old battered
tin dispatch box. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b>"John Barrington Cowles "</b></h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(</span><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Cassell's Saturday Journal,</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> 12-19 April 1884) </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Armitage narrates the story of his friend John Barrington Cowles’ death. At
the opening of the Royal Scottish Academy in the spring of 1879, they both espy
Kate Northcott: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“In my whole life I have never seen such a classically perfect
countenance. It was the real Greek type—the forehead broad, very low, and as
white as marble, with a cloudlet of delicate locks wreathing round it, the nose
straight and clean cut, the lips inclined to thinness, the chin and lower jaw
beautifully rounded off, and yet sufficiently developed to promise unusual
strength of character.” </span></blockquote>
Cowles falls in love at first sight, but she is engaged
to Archibald Reeves. This is not her first engagement.  William Prescott had died some time earlier
under mysterious circumstances. Months later, Armitage runs in to Reeves, who
has broken off his engagement to Kate and has taken to drink.  "Don't go!" Reeves tells Armitage.
"I feel better when you are here. I am safe from her then…. Ah! you don't
know her. She is the devil! Beautiful—beautiful; but the devil!"</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">More time passes and
when Armitage next sees Cowles, his friend is engaged to Kate. Spending time
with the couple only increases Armitage’s unease over Miss Northcott and worry
for his friend.</span></div>

<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I went round with my friend a few
days afterwards to call upon Miss Northcott. I remember that, as we went down
Abercrombie Place, our attention was attracted by the shrill yelping of a
dog—which noise proved eventually to come from the house to which we were
bound. We were shown upstairs, where I was introduced to old Mrs. Merton, Miss
Northcott's aunt, and to the young lady herself. She looked as beautiful as
ever, and I could not wonder at my friend's infatuation. Her face was a little
more flushed than usual, and she held in her hand a heavy dog-whip, with which
she had been chastising a small Scotch terrier, whose cries we had heard in the
street. The poor brute was cringing up against the wall, whining piteously, and
evidently completely cowed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
"So Kate," said my
friend, after we had taken our seats, "you have been falling out with
Carlo again." </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
"Only a very little quarrel
this time," she said, smiling charmingly. "He is a dear, good old
fellow, but he needs correction now and then." Then, turning to me,
"We all do that, Mr. Armitage, don't we? What a capital thing if, instead
of receiving a collective punishment at the end of our lives, we were to have
one at once, as the dogs do, when we did anything wicked. It would make us more
careful, wouldn't it?" </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I acknowledged that it would. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
"Supposing that every time a
man misbehaved himself a gigantic hand were to seize him, and he were lashed
with a whip until he fainted"—she clenched her white fingers as she spoke,
and cut out viciously with the dog-whip—"it would do more to keep him good
than any number of high-minded theories of morality." </div>
</blockquote>

<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run, John Barrington Cowles, run! But this is one of those stories
where Doyle explores the intersection of love, obsession and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_magnetism">animal magnetism</a>—the
preternatural dominance of one person’s will to control another’s, a theme he
also explores in the stories “The Parasite” and “The Winning Shot”. Doyle uses mood and
incident to have the reader share in Armitage’s growing horror. If the ending is
less than it could be, we can blame Victorian reticence at addressing taboo
subjects, rather than Doyle’s art.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Canonical
connections:</b> Kate Northcott’s little terrier shares the same name as Jephro
Rucastle’s vicious mastiff as well as the Ferguson's' spaniel in "The Copper Beeches" and "The Sussex Vampire," respectively.. And her treatment of the dog belies her true nature, as did Sir Eustace's treatment of Lady Brackenstall's dog in "The Abbey Grange."<br />
<br />
Armitage and Cowles visit the Isle of May,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“an
island near the mouth of the Firth of Forth, which, except in the tourist
season, is singularly barren and desolate. Beyond the keeper of the lighthouse
there are only one or two families of poor fisher-folk, who sustain a
precarious existence by their nets, and by the capture of cormorants and solan
geese.” </blockquote>
No mention of a politician, though. (“…the whole story concerning the
politician, the lighthouse, and the trained <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">cormorant<b>”</b></span> [VEIL])<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b>"Elias B. Hopkins, The Parson of Jackman's Gulch" </b></h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(</span><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">London Society</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, December 1885) </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In
1853, “Parson” Elias B. Hopkins arrived in the gold mining camp of Jackman’s Gulch </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">hundred and twenty miles to the north of
Ballarat in the Australian bush. </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“It is quite certain that during the first few
months his presence had a marked effect in diminishing the excessive use both
of strong drinks and of stronger adjectives which had been characteristic of
the little mining settlement. Under his tuition, men began to understand that
the resources of their native language were less limited than they had
supposed, and that it was possible to convey their impressions with accuracy
without the aid of a gaudy halo of profanity.” </span></blockquote>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The self-styled parson’s
influence over the miners will be felt for many years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">My favorite story in
the collection. Doyle perfectly captures mining life in a lawless wilderness.
Unlike the sometimes slapstick humor of “The Great Keinplatz Experiment”, with
a deft turn of phrase Doyle achieves some wonderfully playful and droll
results. <b>Canonical connections:</b> Ballarat is mentioned in <i>The Sign of the Four</i> and
especially in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery," where John Turner was better known as the Australian highway
robber Black Jack of Ballarat.</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b>"The Ring of Thoth "</b></h3>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(</span><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Cornhill Magazine</span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, January 1890)<b> </b></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">English Egyptologist John
Vansittart Smith travels to Paris to consult the </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Egyptian collection at the Louvre. Falling asleep in a half-hidden corner
chair, he awakes to find that the museum has long been closed—and he is not
alone.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <span lang="EN"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Canonical connection:</b>
Written after A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of the Four but before "A Scandal in Bohemia," Vansittart Smith is another of
those scientific types who can be seen as a variation or take-off of Holmes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Mr.
John Vansittart Smith, F.R.S., of 147-A Gower Street, was a man whose energy of
purpose and clearness of thought might have placed him in the very first rank
of scientific observers. He was the victim, however, of a universal ambition
which prompted him to aim at distinction in many subjects rather than
preeminence in one.”<br />
“The warmest admirers of John Vansittart Smith could
hardly claim for him that he was a handsome man. His high-beaked nose and
prominent chin had something of the same acute and incisive character which
distinguished his intellect.”</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Captain of the Polestar</i> (<a href="http://amzn.to/1pFbKSZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="http://amzn.to/1pZUrLo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a>) is a very solid and worthwhile book. Readers of the Canon already know that Doyle is a writer of the first water. That talent is also on display here, his first published short story collection.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
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<br />
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Canonical Connections in the The Captain of the Polestar

"Though most of the facts were familiar to me, I had not sufficiently appreciated their relative importance, nor their connection with...

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by James C. O'Leary

Remembering Andrew Page, BSI

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Lord Saltire's disappearance was discovered" [PRIO]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCCWngmi34-w-PpAOE95hUbQKmssC9shyphenhyphenxj1WeERZcQgybUlm_KWw42EHr4ttzTSIJ7tFR9pUKx55Xow-YygXCHK151Cs3WL1xmaduio5QALH6l4wmK7-aB_4wBY9xxiZHFyzTORtIumk/s1600/The_Adventure_of_the_Priory_School_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCCWngmi34-w-PpAOE95hUbQKmssC9shyphenhyphenxj1WeERZcQgybUlm_KWw42EHr4ttzTSIJ7tFR9pUKx55Xow-YygXCHK151Cs3WL1xmaduio5QALH6l4wmK7-aB_4wBY9xxiZHFyzTORtIumk/s1600/The_Adventure_of_the_Priory_School_02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Andrew Page ("Lord Saltire") died in New Jersey on May 10, 2013 at the age of 60.

He attended the Bronx High school of Science and Columbia University and taught high school English. In the mid-80's he took a sabbatical from teaching high school English and spent six months living in a Zen Buddhist monastery. He then went on to earn BS and MA degrees in mathematics and became a professor of math at a community college in New Jersey.<br />
<br />
Andy enjoyed playing jazz bass guitar and eventually did some back-up playing for B.B. King, who was one of his idols.<br />
<br />
He first became interested in Sherlock Holmes during his high school years prompted by watching the Basil Rathbone films. During the summer between his junior and senior years he read the entire Canon. His enthusiasm for all things Sherlockian was an all-consuming passion.<br />
<br />
Dozens of junior scion societies were formed during the late '60's and early 70's and "seasoned" Sherlockians served in advisory roles. In 1971 Andy formed the Priory School of NY as an adjunct to the Baker Street Pageboys, and ran the group as "Lord Saltire." Advisor Steve Clarkson called him "Lord Saltine."<br />
<br />
He was the editor, and publisher of <i>The Holmesian Observer</i>, which was run off on a mimeograph machine. He had six articles published in <i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank">The Baker Street Journal</a></i> between 1971-1975 and wrote two stand-alone monographs -- A Canonical Handbook and The Priory Papers: A Study in Examination. He also corresponded with other Sherlockians on a grand scale. His enthusiasm was boundless.<br />
<br />
In 1973 three groups merged: Musgrave Ritualists Beta, the Three Students Plus, and The Priory School. This new group, co-founded by Bruce Kennedy, Bill Walsh, and Andy Page was named <a href="http://3garridebs.homestead.com/" target="_blank">The Three Garridebs</a>, which continues to thrive.<br />
<br />
The junior Sherlockian movement was the subject of <i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/christmasannuals.html" target="_blank">The Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual</a></i> in 2003, and Andy Page was featured in its pages.<br />
<br />
He attended only two or three <a href="http://bsiweekend.com/" target="_blank">BSI Dinners</a>. He got sick during the cocktail hour at the 1974 dinner and left, thereby missing his investiture award. By 1977 he had completely dropped from the Sherlockian scene focusing instead on teaching.<br />
<br />
Andy Page was invested into The Baker Street Irregulars in 1974 as "Lord Saltire."<br />
<br />
 --
<br />
<br />

Remembering Andrew Page, BSI

"Lord Saltire's disappearance was discovered" [PRIO] Andrew Page ("Lord Saltire") died in New Jersey on May 10,...

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by Francine Kitts

The Sherlock Limited Edition DVD / Blu-Ray Gift Set Is Amazing

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"content with a limited plunder" [ABBE]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKUY7eVOOWS9PCmEvSqZggHuQZhuphFsFB2E4Ug96R9Jav1ENWcTwsvUBkdOHFMaEQzC8nJ5Y_8NyFXKFFPDFMVDlo9LRZFQxWiD74eDae7cNKvCqL-MG4YR4g6z4aYQEwEIBDH-p9CCD/s1600/Sherlock+Special+Edition+set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKUY7eVOOWS9PCmEvSqZggHuQZhuphFsFB2E4Ug96R9Jav1ENWcTwsvUBkdOHFMaEQzC8nJ5Y_8NyFXKFFPDFMVDlo9LRZFQxWiD74eDae7cNKvCqL-MG4YR4g6z4aYQEwEIBDH-p9CCD/s1600/Sherlock+Special+Edition+set.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
At this point it's almost silly to assume that you haven't yet seen <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1tBkRdN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock</a></i> from BBC One and PBS Masterpiece Mystery. Three seasons in - three excruciatingly dispersed seasons - we've been taken on a number of emotional roller coaster rides as we've gotten to know the modern version of the consulting detective and his trusted friend and colleague.<br />
<br />
And for those who have become super fans of the show, it's likely that you've picked up a few DVDs or Blu-rays of the Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss-created show as well. But it's unlikely that you've come across the latest merchandise for the show.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
"still clutching at her treasure-trove" [MUSG]</h3>
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1uOePa9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sherlock Limited Edition Gift Set</a> is a treasure trove indeed. It includes every episode from all three seasons on both Blu-ray and DVD, along with the original bonus features released with each season. And as if that isn't enough content, it also features all new commentaries, never-before-seen outtakes and exclusive collectibles including limited edition art cards and busts of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is the ultimate gift set to keep fans guessing until <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/06/sherlock-series-four-predictions.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the next game is afoot</a>. The finale of season three, "His Last Vow," recently earned <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/08/sherlock-takes-home-7-emmys.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">12 Primetime Emmy ® Award nominations</a> including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Benedict Cumberbatch, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Martin Freeman, and Outstanding Television Movie.<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1uOePa9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sherlock Limited Edition Gift Set</a> will be available on November 4, 2014 but is currently available for <a href="http://amzn.to/1uOePa9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pre-order on Amazon</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
If not for yourself, get it for the Sherlock Holmes fan in your life this holiday season.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />
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The Sherlock Limited Edition DVD / Blu-Ray Gift Set Is Amazing

"content with a limited plunder" [ABBE] At this point it's almost silly to assume that you haven't yet seen Sherlock ...

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by Scott Monty

Potted Sherlock - 60 Holmes Stories in 70 Minutes

<div style="text-align: center;">
<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;">"I'll humour you"   [DYIN]</span></h4>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0HZDy15sAQIZq1V5lCqo63IKbNC2WRjGDAbe2NOKSkSo9idVoLg6enDgiLdUpOldQ68qxgneG7nmDdkOU2l8oIPU6tuRfeUpkSa2XzgbzBHuZVLyHSEyCJqNwmoPv-Q89-6wGdqDIb6b/s1600/Potted+Sherlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Potted Sherlock - all 60 stories told in 70 minutes" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0HZDy15sAQIZq1V5lCqo63IKbNC2WRjGDAbe2NOKSkSo9idVoLg6enDgiLdUpOldQ68qxgneG7nmDdkOU2l8oIPU6tuRfeUpkSa2XzgbzBHuZVLyHSEyCJqNwmoPv-Q89-6wGdqDIb6b/s1600/Potted+Sherlock.jpg" title="Potted Sherlock" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.edfringe.com/" target="_blank">The Fringe Festival</a> in Edinburgh, Scotland, is the world's largest arts festival with over 45,000 performances and more than 3000 shows packed into almost 300 venues across the city each year in August. The Fringe is open to all: anyone can perform and everyone does - from students to superstars.<br />
<br />
Since Edinburgh was the birthplace of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes is the world’s most famous literary detective, you might think that the Fringe could play host to all sorts of Sherlockian events – and you would be correct.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISBO5I3MqthufhlzYxcbqgLw_eSrB9Ttq80ZACcNM9-uAX0O1uDrgrdUF5NbobyuzfK9vd2lI4ug-QaIXAHWmUPdI3SkjOBkBnZv6NXqNWyGiBZggbv93puaAQ83Ttg0_6D3Km04wmYu_/s1600/Fringe+Festival+-+Royal+Mile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Royal Mile at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISBO5I3MqthufhlzYxcbqgLw_eSrB9Ttq80ZACcNM9-uAX0O1uDrgrdUF5NbobyuzfK9vd2lI4ug-QaIXAHWmUPdI3SkjOBkBnZv6NXqNWyGiBZggbv93puaAQ83Ttg0_6D3Km04wmYu_/s1600/Fringe+Festival+-+Royal+Mile.jpg" title="Fringe Festival - Royal Mile" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Royal Mile at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Image credit: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/6waEb" target="_blank">Raymond MacRae (Flickr)</a></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This year saw lectures about ACD at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre, Edinburgh Medical Detectives featuring Dr. Joseph Bell, the inspiration for Holmes, two different productions of <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>, and even a Forensic Mind Reader who promised to deduce personal information about you <i>a la </i>Sherlock. Besides the scheduled Fringe events the National Library of Scotland has the original manuscripts of <i>The Illustrious Client</i>, and Doyle’s first short ghost story <i>The Haunted Grange of Goresthorpe</i>, written possibly in 1877 or 1878, plus select ACD correspondence. And across from the Conan Doyle Pub on Picardy Place there is a statue of Holmes commemorating the birthplace of <strike>his author</strike>  Watson’s literary agent, Doyle.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The cast of <i>Potted Sherlock: </i></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jeff Turner, Lizzie Wort and Dan Clarkson</span></div>
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But this year’s Fringe premiered <i><a href="https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/potted-sherlock" target="_blank">Potted Sherlock</a></i> – all sixty stories told in a fast moving seventy minute comedic production of farce, word play, sight gags, pop culture references, frantic costume changes, seltzer bottle slapstick, skits and songs. The longer skits focus on the <i>Hound</i> (hoooooowwwwwwlllll), <i>The Sign of Four</i>, "The Speckled Band" and <i>A Study in Scarlet</i> with appearances of the demi-puppet Moriarty at inopportune times.  The family-friendly show glosses over Holmes's use of a seven-percent solution and manages to condense 21 stories to a few lines each in a musical number parodying Billy Joel’s <i>We Didn’t Start the Fire</i>:<br />
<br />
<b><i>Chorus</i></b>:  He’s a private dick for hire<br />
And we’re all involved in the cases he’s solving.<br />
Follow clues until we retire,<br />
And then proceeding to do some beekeeping...<br />
<br />
<b><i>GIRL</i></b>: (as Watson) Case of Silver Blaze <br />
Jockey dead and horse is maimed <br />
<b><i>JEFF</i></b>: The Jockey tried to fix the race, <br />
The horse then kicked him in the face<br />
<br />
Any Sherlockian worth his salt* can deduce which stories are very succinctly sung in these five snippets:<br />
<br />
#1<br />
<b><i>GIRL</i></b>: (as Watson) Trouble on a wedding day<br />
<b><i>DAN</i></b>: (as groom in top hat) Why did my bride run away? <br />
<b><i>JEFF</i></b>: Elementary, her old fiancé<br />
Put a note in her bouquet<br />
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#2<br />
<b><i>GIRL</i></b>: (Watson) A man dies he’s in pain<br />
Says something about a lion’s mane<br />
<b><i>DAN</i></b>: (As small boy) Perhaps a cryptic final wish? <br />
<b><i>JEFF</i></b>: No, just a breed of jellyfish<br />
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#3<br />
<b><i>DAN</i></b>: (as Watson) A jewel thief is on the loose <br />
<b><i>JEFF</i></b>: He hid the jewels inside a goose<br />
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#4<br />
<b><i>GIRL</i></b>: (as Watson) Man killed, was it his son? <br />
<b><i>JEFF</i></b>: No, his friend, look, here’s his gun<br />
<br />
#5<br />
<b><i>DAN</i></b>: (in Naval Officers hat) My butler was snooping around, <br />
Here’s a riddle that he found,<br />
<b><i>JEFF</i></b>: This says that buried in your grounds,<br />
 Is Charles’ the first’s golden crown<br />
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I attended <i>Potted Sherlock</i> twice – it was that much fun and the lines flew by so quickly that I wanted a second opportunity to try to catch them all (and discovered that some of those <i>ad lib</i>s were in name only and worked because of clever scripting and the performers’ great timing). Dan Clarkson, one of the authors, played Holmes, Watson, Moriarty and whoever-else-was-needed. His longtime partner, Jeff Turner, and Lizzie Wort, an old classmate of Dan’s from Bretton Hall, University of Leeds, also madly traded deerstalker, pipe and bowler as required as the three alternately played Holmes, Watson, Mrs. Hudson and also whoever-else-was-needed. The enthusiasm they brought to this comic re-telling of the Canon was infectious and the hammy asides Dan made to the audience created a warm rapport with young and old.<br />
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<i>Potted Sherlock</i> follows the award winning <i>Potted Potter</i>, all seven Harry Potter books told in seventy minutes, which debuted in 2006, had five sold-out Fringe seasons, five sold-out London runs, extensive United Kingdom and international tours prior to its critically-acclaimed US premiere at the Little Shubert Theater in New York City in 2012. <i>Potted Sherlock</i> will be opening in London’s West End at Christmas time. Let us hope that the troupe brings their talent to NYC once again.<br />
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I was fortunate enough to be able to interview the writers, Dan Clarkson and his brother Tom, after one of the performances. Before seeing the show and meeting them I was a bit cynical about how they came to write a comedic show about Holmes and Watson. The Harry Potter series, much loved as the stories are, was complete and <i>Potted Potter</i> had run its course. With the great entertainment media interest in Holmes the last few years, I initially thought that they might be just jumping on a bandwagon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tom Clarkson, the mysterious scientist, and Dan Clarkson</span></td></tr>
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I quickly discovered that these two brothers are true Holmes fanboys – the show was created from the heart, with their love and admiration for the stories showing through the on-stage shenanigans. In fact, when they learned that I was a BSI member, they said they were nervous about hearing from a Sherlockian expert ("My blushes, Watson!"), asking if I thought they were being faithful to the stories. Dan told of reading the tales growing up and even arguing with a teacher that the most venomous snake in the world was the Indian swamp adder – Sherlock Holmes said it was so!<br />
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The two of them wrote a few skits making fun of some of the inconsistencies (?!) in their favorite stories when Dan’s producer suggested doing all 60 stories in a Potted version. They welcomed the challenge and began researching and writing.They spent weeks re-watching the Granada Jeremy Brett series and Basil Rathbone movies and re-reading the stories.They also spent a day or two in Dartmoor to experience the gloomy atmosphere as they were writing the script. Despite the silliness inherent in the show, I think their love for Holmes and Watson comes through clearly.<br />
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As popular and successful as <i>Potted Potter</i> was, I predict that <i>Potted Sherlock</i> will be even more popular.  If you are fortunate enough to be in London this Christmas season, do not miss it. As soon as I learn of its US debut I will be purchasing my ticket!<br />
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*In case you are not worth your salt, the answers:<br />
1 - "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor"<br />
2 - "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane"<br />
3 - "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle"<br />
4 - "The Boscombe Valley Mystery"<br />
5 - "The Musgrave Ritual"<br />
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--<br />
<br />

Potted Sherlock - 60 Holmes Stories in 70 Minutes

"I'll humour you" [DYIN] The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, is the world's largest arts festival with o...

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by Spocklock

Upcoming Sherlock Holmes Theatrical Performances

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"I've no doubt it was well stage-managed." [VALL]</h4>
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If you don't subscribe to <a href="http://www.redcircledc.org/index.php?id=39" target="_blank">Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press</a>, the fine newsletter from Peter Blau, then you may be missing out on a number of Sherlockian tidbits.<br />
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For example, in <a href="http://redcircledc.org/assets/files/Spermaceti/scuttlebutt-2014-09.pdf" target="_blank">the latest issue</a> (Sep 14), there is a wonderful roundup of a number of Sherlock Holmes plays that are being staged across the world. Here's a quick listing of them, with links to the theaters.<br />
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<a href="http://www.redmonkeytheater.org/" target="_blank">The Red Monkey Theater Group</a> will present "Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Speckled Band" (a new dramatization by Tal Aviezer), at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in <b>Riverdale, NY</b>, Oct. 4-18.<br />
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Ken Ludwig's "The Game's Afoot" is running at the <a href="http://www.mcleanplayers.org/" target="_blank">McLean Community Center</a> in <b>McLean, VA</b>, through Oct. 12 It also will be produced at the <a href="http://www.boathousetheatre.co.nz/" target="_blank">Boathouse Theatre</a> in <b>Blenheim, New Zealand</b>, Nov. 27-Dec. 6; at the <a href="http://www.carpentersquare.com/" target="_blank">Carpenter Square Theatre</a> in <b>Oklahoma City</b>, from Nov. 28 through Dec. 20.<br />
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"Sherlock Holmes" (a new dramatization by Jeff Sanders) is playing at the <a href="http://www.nwcts.org/" target="_blank">Northwest Children's Theater</a> in <b>Portland, OR</b>, through Oct. 26.<br />
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"Holmes and Watson: A Scandal in Bohemia and The Final Problem" (dramatized by Terry McCabe) will be performed at the <a href="http://www.citylit.org/" target="_blank">City Lit Theater</a> in <b>Chicago</b>, Nov. 7-Dec. 14.<br />
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C. P. Stancich's new play "Sherlock Holmes: Assassins at Sea" will be performed at <a href="http://www.caminorealplayhouse.org/" target="_blank">Camino Real Playhouse</a> in <b>San Juan Capistrano, CA</b>, Nov. 14-23.<br />
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Craig Hewlett's pantomime "Young Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Dick Whittington's Cat" is scheduled by <a href="http://www.morpheustheatre.ca/" target="_blank">Morpheus Theatre</a> in <b>Calgary, Alberta</b>, Dec. 5-14.<br />
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Another Ken Ludwig creation: "Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery" will be playing at the <a href="http://www.arenastage.org/" target="_blank">Kreeger Theatre - part of the Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theatre</a> in Washington, DC, from January 16 through February 22, 2015.<br />
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R. Hamilton Wright and David Pichette have created a stage adaptation of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" that will run at the <a href="http://www.irtlive.com/shows_and_tickets/shows/hound/" target="_blank">Indiana Repertory Theatre</a> in <b>Indianapolis, IN</b> from February 18 through March 15, 2015.<br />
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Jamie L. Robledo's "Watson: The Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes will be performed at the <a href="http://www.dorsetplayers.org/" target="_blank">Dorset Playhouse</a> in <b>Dorset, VT</b>, Mar. 6-15, 2015.<br />
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"The Hound of the Baskervilles" will run at the <a href="http://www.valentinetheatre.com/events.html" target="_blank">Valentine Theatre</a> in <b>Toledo, OH</b> from March 6-15 and March 27-29, 2015 (weekends only).<br />
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Dennis Rosa's "Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of the Sign of the Four" will be performed at the <a href="http://www.spokanecivictheater.com/" target="_blank">Spokane Civic Theater</a> in <b>Spokane, WA</b>, Apr. 10 to 26, 2015.<br />
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Steven Canny and John Nicholson have also adapted "The Hound of the Baskervilles," and their version will play at <a href="http://www.theatrephiladelphia.org/event/hound-baskervilles" target="_blank">Theatre Philadelphia</a> in <b>Philadelphia, PA</b> from May 28 through June 28, 2015.<br />
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Do you know of any additional Sherlock Holmes plays that are being staged? Let us know via email or a comment below.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: <a href="https://flic.kr/p/eMjhNt" target="_blank">Shehal Joseph (Flickr)</a></span></i><br />
--<br />
<br />

Upcoming Sherlock Holmes Theatrical Performances

"I've no doubt it was well stage-managed." [VALL] If you don't subscribe to Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press , t...

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by Scott Monty

BREAKING: Long Lost William Gillette Sherlock Holmes Film from 1916 Found

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"I've found it! I've found it" [STUD]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTMdbKkSMsQwsU9mJKhK_xtAawR-HRi1ee1g7oFHngIfVI6k62YmFEZhy6wEnYrCqEGd99wxDIU6SLrPUpC-V2VM2M-cxAwS_ovre-8spubLASyEK0zRdyDWJ8i9Zn644Z4rJv7N0yqKm/s1600/Sherlock_Holmes_1916_still.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTMdbKkSMsQwsU9mJKhK_xtAawR-HRi1ee1g7oFHngIfVI6k62YmFEZhy6wEnYrCqEGd99wxDIU6SLrPUpC-V2VM2M-cxAwS_ovre-8spubLASyEK0zRdyDWJ8i9Zn644Z4rJv7N0yqKm/s1600/Sherlock_Holmes_1916_still.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is one Sherlock Holmes film that legendary in its heritage: the 1916 <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0007338/" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes</a></i> starring none other than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gillette" target="_blank">William Gillette</a> (1853 - 1937). This film is significant because it has long been lost. </div>
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Gillette asked for and received permission from Arthur Conan Doyle to adapt material and use the character for a play in 1899. And from that time until the early 1930s, he played the role some 1,300 times. And yet the 1916 film is the only record that was made of Gillette's performance in the title role that dominated so much of his career.</div>
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<a href="http://www.cinematheque.fr/fr/musee-collections/actualite-collections/restauration-numerisatio/sherlock-holmes-redecouv.html" target="_blank">Today the Cinémathèque Française announced</a> that the original negative of the film has been located!</div>
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<b>"a relic which is of great intrinsic value, but even of greater importance as an historical curiosity" [MUSG]</b></h3>
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According to the Cinémathèque:</div>
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[This] is a complete nitrate duplicate that, to date, appears to be unique. Originally intended for the French operations, it contains duplicate French intertitles, and annotations of hues. The latter feature is still surprising because Essanay films have rarely been exploited in color in the United States. It seems therefore plausible that color version was created specifically for France. [The duplicate]  is currently being restored by the French Cinematheque digital and the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, an organization with which we have restored American films of our collections for 2 years now. This restoration is made possible through the generous support of individuals who are passionate about Sherlock Holmes.</blockquote>
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<a href="http://silentfilm.org/" target="_blank">The San Francisco Silent Film Festival</a> (SFSFF) also issued <a href="http://silentfilm.blob.core.windows.net/assets/SFSFF_SHERLOCKpressRELEASE.pdf" target="_blank">a press release</a>, quoting the Baker Street Irregulars' own Russell Merritt, BSI ("The Trepoff Murder"):</div>
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"Sir Arthur, you don’t know the half of it," according to Merritt, who is acting as the supervising editor of the project. "At last we get to see for ourselves the actor who kept the first generation of Sherlockians spellbound. We can also see where the future Holmeses— Rathbone, Brett, Cumberbatch, and the rest—come from. As far as Holmes is concerned, there;'s not an actor dead or alive who hasn't consciously or intuitively played off Gillette."<br />
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The film was made by Essanay Studios, which are best known for their 1915 Charlie Chaplin films. Founded in 1907 by George Spoor and Gilbert Anderson as the Peerless Film Company, the name was changed to Essanay ("S and A") and the Chicago outfit opened its California studio in 1912.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71mWO17hw1LofVoOVQbYGo4ba4MrpDLsIIb6BirhJFTj10VJxjImN00fPbz-1Js8IX_0juDezfsSl7NzmDyk-zj_faXWrj5PNOYinZ0QNwh35XnhQ60NnwjzFJqcbn4s8SAdXnUN6NIzV/s1600/Sherlock_Holmes_1916+alt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71mWO17hw1LofVoOVQbYGo4ba4MrpDLsIIb6BirhJFTj10VJxjImN00fPbz-1Js8IX_0juDezfsSl7NzmDyk-zj_faXWrj5PNOYinZ0QNwh35XnhQ60NnwjzFJqcbn4s8SAdXnUN6NIzV/s1600/Sherlock_Holmes_1916+alt.jpg" width="235" /></a>  <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-16YzL7lfZsy9LtjAJC9ZqGBx_fRf3j4Uc4A7V6_wiBkSWPFsjE1OGgDEtfNCTLyK5zEoj9ovg9I-UkA-5G1LH-YvuIPFBT-yhyphenhyphenzofNK1kcYAWFAExZ3zsPz-1ZLmBoxJmfht23SRWXr-/s1600/Sherlock_Holmes_1916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-16YzL7lfZsy9LtjAJC9ZqGBx_fRf3j4Uc4A7V6_wiBkSWPFsjE1OGgDEtfNCTLyK5zEoj9ovg9I-UkA-5G1LH-YvuIPFBT-yhyphenhyphenzofNK1kcYAWFAExZ3zsPz-1ZLmBoxJmfht23SRWXr-/s1600/Sherlock_Holmes_1916.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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But it was the Chicago headquarters that was responsible for the very first American Sherlock Holmes film with Gillette reprising his immensely popular role. The plot takes inspiration from <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>, "A Scandal in Bohemia," "The Copper Beeches" and "The Final Problem" and involves Sherlock Holmes being consulted by a man who has a connection to the royal family. He wants to retrieve letters that he wrote to Alice Faulkner's sister. Alice intends to use the letters to blackmail him, and Alice is being held captive by a couple in the power of Professor Moriarty.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnliOcDuvrcBLj7Dx_HrXRBMHAD-oaqJOrxwVIVsFRui7ZsqTmE0X9Rl1WTbz1_oX3X4rueLUaxeSZ2LWICbnaau0IqBhaVv6rjCXvthl0BKQV_qftO1t9C43ipfKrzu-Iej8U4PQQZvPN/s1600/Sherlock_Holmes_1916+full+still.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes in a 1916 studio still from the film" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnliOcDuvrcBLj7Dx_HrXRBMHAD-oaqJOrxwVIVsFRui7ZsqTmE0X9Rl1WTbz1_oX3X4rueLUaxeSZ2LWICbnaau0IqBhaVv6rjCXvthl0BKQV_qftO1t9C43ipfKrzu-Iej8U4PQQZvPN/s1600/Sherlock_Holmes_1916+full+still.jpg" title="Studio still from the 1916 Sherlock Holmes" width="512" /></a></div>
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The film will be restored for viewing by European and American audiences, under the supervision of film restorer and SFSFF Board President Robert Byrne, who said, "It's an amazing privilege to work with these reels that have been lost for generations. William Gillette's Sherlock Holmes has ranked among the holy grails of lost film and my first glimpse of the footage confirms Gillette's magnetism. Audiences are going to be blown away when they see the real Sherlock Holmes on screen for the first time."<br />
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We have an exclusive interview with Byrne.</div>
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<b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere:</b> <i>Who are you and what do you do?</i><br />
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<b>Robert Byrne:</b> I am an independent film preservationist and restorer, specializing in films of the silent era. I am also the president of the board of directors of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b> <i>How did you come to be involved in this discovery?</i></div>
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<b>RB:</b> In prior years we have partnered with the Cinematheque Francaise to restore two titles from their collection: THE HALF-BREED (1916) and THE GOOD BAD MAN (1916). We were very fortunate that when the materials for SHERLOCK HOLMES were identified earlier this year that the Cinematheque contacted us with the idea that we would work together on this project. We are thrilled and deeply honored to be working on them on this amazing project.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b> <i>What's the significance of such a discovery?</i></div>
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<b>RB:</b> William Gillette’s SHERLOCK HOLMES has been sought for generations as one of the most important “lost” films of the silent era. To have these materials come to light, and in complete form, seems almost miraculous. <br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b> <i>Why did it turn up now?</i><br />
<b>RB:</b> There is a time for everything. Apparently Destiny decided that it was time for SHERLOCK HOLMES to return just in time for the film’s 100th anniversary.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b> <i>Tell us more about the restoration process.</i> </div>
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<b>RB:</b> The Cinematheque Franciase and SF Silent Film Festival are collaborating on a complete restoration of the film, a project that has already been in progress since early summer. The restoration will include image repair and re-creation of the original color tinting. The final result will be new 35mm film preservation elements that will be preserved at the Cinematheque Franciase, and new 35mm film prints for theatrical exhibition. We will also create Digital Cinema Packages (DCP) for use in venues that do not support variable-speed 35mm projection.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b> <i>Did we learn anything about the film that wasn't previously known?</i><br />
<b>RB:</b> We are learning that it is a very good film! What a disappointment it would have been to have discovered the holy grail only to find that the acting was hammy and the settings were cheap. Quite the contrary! I predict that audiences are going to be mesmerized with the final result.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCsZUYSImRv8jHTscP4rQnikEUINOpPmKUzktarv5NYqmz2jHm1Fbw9dYRAB20PcNCoNR-79faSk_Sm9iEuhhS9vyD11dR1QcBbxctxDrz7vj4kE8v_TbzyRsw4a2LQwnMYaSSsu-TIcB/s1600/William+Gillette+-+still+from+1916+film.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A still photo of William Gillette in 1916's Sherlock Holmes" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCsZUYSImRv8jHTscP4rQnikEUINOpPmKUzktarv5NYqmz2jHm1Fbw9dYRAB20PcNCoNR-79faSk_Sm9iEuhhS9vyD11dR1QcBbxctxDrz7vj4kE8v_TbzyRsw4a2LQwnMYaSSsu-TIcB/s1600/William+Gillette+-+still+from+1916+film.jpg" title="William Gillette in the 1916 film Sherlock Holmes" width="522" /></a></div>
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The European premiere will take place at the Cinémathèque Française’s festival of film restoration, Toute la Mémoire du Monde, in January 2015. The American premiere will take place at the San Francisco Silent Film festival in May 2015.<br />
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We can only hope that we'll be able to see a screening of the film at <b><a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/g2b4main.html" target="_blank">From Gillette to Brett V: Sherlock Holmes Alive</a></b> (our suggested title).</div>
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Of course, this still leaves the 1914 <i>A Study in Scarlet</i> to be found, for which <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/09/the-great-lost-sherlock-holmes-movie.html#.VCuA1vldWSo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the British Film Institute has asked assistance in locating</a>...</div>
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