Famous screen-actor VINCENT PRICE (he of THRILLER fame to you mere youngsters) regarded BASIL RATHBONE and JEREMY BRETT as joint-equal in their portrayal of BAKER STREET's celebrated Victorian detective, SHERLOCK HOLMES. To him, they were both simply too good to choose between them. True, Brett's TV series benefited from being set in the proper period that author SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE had written about, whereas, apart from two instances, Rathbone's films had been updated to the then-present day for wartime audiences, but the performance of both actors transcended the times in which their respective productions were set.
When The ADVENTURES Of SHERLOCK HOLMES first appeared on ITV back in 1984, I was instantly an ardent and appreciative viewer of the GRANADA programme. For the first time since NIGEL STOCK back in the 1960s, DOCTOR WATSON was played straight and not for laughs - unlike NIGEL BRUCE's fumbling, bumbling (though endearing) performance in the Rathbone pictures. I remember being much impressed when, in one particular Granada episode, Holmes and Watson exchanged a knowing and amused glance over a would-be client's manner as he related the details of what perplexed him. It immediately made the characters seem more human and believable, and conveyed the rapport between the pair far more effectively than mere dialogue would've done.
DAVID BURKE made an excellent Watson opposite Brett's Holmes, and was much lauded at the time for his more serious portrayal of the character. At first I was somewhat disappointed when he decided not to reprise his role in the next series, The RETURN Of SHERLOCK HOLMES, though EDWARD HARDWICK wasn't long in establishing himself in the part.
The strange thing is, watching Burke's performance nowadays whenever the show is repeated, I'm struck by something that neither I nor anyone else picked up on at the time - namely, that there is actually a discernible hint of the buffoon about his Watson that was completely absent in Hardwicke's characterization. (Although, admittedly, had he never assumed the role, this aspect of his predecessor's portrayal may well have remained less obvious.) Curious that, despite being celebrated for having essayed Watson closer to how Sir Arthur originally envisaged him, he's actually somewhere betwixt Bruce's and Hardwicke's interpretations - leaning more towards the latter of course, as Hardwicke continued in the direction that Burke had embarked on.
However, just as Rathbone and Brett are regarded equally as the epitome of Holmes in the estimation of many viewers, so too are Burke and Hardwicke considered to be the finest examples of Dr John Watson - Holmes' friend, colleague, companion and biographer. Those Granada programmes are going to be a tough act to follow.
A DVD boxed set of The COMPLETE SHERLOCK HOLMES is available from HMV and other good music & movie stores.
5 comments:
I tend to think of Rathbone and Bruce as "my" Holmes and Watson, since my first exposure to the characters was one of the Universal movies ("The House of Fear") on late-night TV. (That is, that was the first portrayal of the character that I ever saw; the name was already familiar to me, since "Sherlock Holmes" has been a metaphor for a detective for as long as I can remember.) More recently, though, when reading Doyle's stories, I visualize Brett and either Burke or Hardwicke in my mind's eye. Their portrayal seems the closest to what Sir Arthur described. -TC
Always thought Jeremy Brett SOUNDED exactly right for Holmes.
I think I agree with Mr. Price, my recollection of the Rathbone Holmes is hazy but I do recall my enthusiasm for the films. Most of them that is, there were a few below par, Mr. Rathbone's hair being subject to a rather odd coiffure. I was a bit late picking up on the Brett Holmes but prompted by a friend I became an avid viewer. The relationship between Holmes and Watson is interesting because it conflicts with the convention for light drama. Where Watson should be the character role, Holmes played by some vacuous lead. It tends to follow a path that is more often reflected in literature, or dare I say comics, mediums with greater scope to reflect on a protagonists motivation. That's probably why Brett and Rathbone work so well, they're both had more than one shot at it.
That first series of 13 episodes was as near to perfect as it gets for me - ending as it does with The Final Problem and Eric Porter's wonderful Moriarty - so I tend to favour Burke as Watson. He was also lucky to be working with Jeremy Brett firing on all cylinders, before his health problems began to affect his performances. That being said, Hardwicke was an able substitute.
Thanks for the comments everybody. I'm not ignoring you by not answering every comment individually, it's just that I was getting fed up of seeing my kipper (stunningly handsome 'though it is) at regular intervals down through the page. I thought I'd wait a bit and then respond to comments in one go - as a general rule at least. There may occasionallly be exceptions.
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TC & Joe, it's a shame that Brett and Co never got to do the books for radio productions - they would've been excellent. Rathbone & Bruce did, apparently.
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DSE, Basil's hair was a bit odd in some of them, but then they settled for just sweeping it back, which looked much better.
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GB, I agree. My only reservation is a scene in The Red-Headed League, when a character's hat disappears under a matte shot of St Paul's Cathedral for a split-second. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss it moment, but it spoils the illusion somewhat.
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I should perhaps mention that I remember watching Peter Cushing and Nigel Stock in the roles back in the '60s. I think I saw once Douglas Wilmer in a TV clip or DVD, and he was excellent in the part. It's interesting that Cushing did two versions of The Hound of The Baskervilles - the Hammer movie and one for the BBC series.
Regarding the post title, it comes from a joke, wherein H & W are coming home from a night at the theatre. As they get to the door of 221b, Watson inserts his key, but it won't turn in the lock. Holmes takes out a small fruit and squeezes it into the lock, then turns the key with ease. "What did you do?" enquires Watson. Holmes holds up a lemon - and you can finish the rest of the joke for yourself. (There's also a vulgar version which I won't repeat.)
Comment originally posted on:
1 December 2013 10:56
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