Sherlocked: which interpretation of the great detective do you like the best?

 Today is Halloween, and what better time to write about Sherlock Holmes?



Sherlock made his literary debut in 1887, with the short story "A Study in Scarlet."  The author was Conan Doyle (later to become "Sir").  Tales appeared in print until 1927.  Mostly, the lore of Sherlock and Watson comes in the form of short stories, with only a smattering of novels, here and there, but oh those short stories captured the imagination of many throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Dozens of plays, movies, and books have since been created, since the first publication of Doyle's detective's adventures, and absolutely everyone who has ever seen a film adaptation of Sherlock has their favorite actor who portrays him.  

It's kind of like who is your favorite James Bond?

Sean Connery, ye gods!

As for me? I have always been a purist about Sherlock Holmes, and while I love Basil Rathbone's interpretation, I would have to say that Jeremy Brett comes the closest to the spirit of Doyle's amateur detective.  My mother prefers Basil.  So did my father.  I like Basil as well, but I feel that the producers took too many liberties with the stories.  But as I said, I'm a purist.

Having stated that, I do enjoy watching Benedict Cumberbatch, and Martin Freeman, the latest interpretation of the dynamic duo.  But, then who wouldn't like watching these oh - so - attractive men?

😁


But, Dear Reader, would you be interested to know that Doyle's character inspired a lot the techniques of what eventually become forensic science? After all, when Doyle was first writing these stories, police were just beginning to realize that one could possibly identify criminals, using the shapes of ears, and later fingerprints.  But Sherlock used his magnifying glass to seek out different forms of proof, such as footprints, candles that shed no wax when and if they were moved, and the dog who didn't bark in the night. Today, we would call that circumstantial evidence, and yet there were the beginnings of forensic detection in those stories, which make the fictional detective so popular, over one hundred years after his first appearance.

There is a great documentary on this subject (Amazon) called "How Sherlock Changed the World"
if you're at all curious.  

As for myself, I try to watch some Sherlock at least every month or so, just to keep my hand in.  I love his use of logic, and his cold pragmatism--good vs. evil in the most interesting way.  Sherlock is not necessarily purely good, however, he is something of an enigma--an uneasy combination of the two.  And yet, there is something of the modern anti-hero in his character that strikes me as so terribly modern, which is why I believe his character still translates so well to the audience of the present. 

To put it succinctly, I shall celebrate this Halloween by watching "The Hound of the Baskervilles" with Jeremy Brett, and I will hope, Dear Reader, that you have a safe, happy, and spooky holiday!


And, what Halloween would be complete without this? :)



I believe in the Great Pumpkin, don't you?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hey!! Its Cpt. Lingerie! The "yahoo" John Wilkes Booth: psychopath, murderer, and the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. ONE

Image
t. Well, not precisely spicy, but perhaps  controversial, and most definitely irreverent ADVISORY: This entry is about one of the sacred moments in American history--the murder of President Lincoln.  If you're at all familiar with the style of this blog, then you already know I have an odd sense of humor.  It is NOT my intention to make light of this tragedy. Just so you know, Dear Reader.... Can you tell from the title of this entry that I don't like Booth?  Well, I don't.  He was a delusional prick.  In this week's title, I used the term "yahoo.:Here's how Jonathan Swift defined a "yahoo."  It was a name used in Jonathan Swift's novel Gulliver's Travels , to describe the lowest form of life in that universe (they looked like primitive men): They are prodigiously nimble from their infancy. However, I once caught a young male of three years old, and endeavoured, by all marks of tenderness, to make it quiet; but the little imp fell a squalling,...
Read more

"It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing": propaganda and the 2024 election. Yeah, I'm gonna write about him again.

Image
HERE'S ANOTHER WARNING, DEAR READER, I'M COMMENTING ON CURRENT POLITICAL EVENTS THIS WEEK.  PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU ARE BORED BY MY RANTS AGAINST A CERTAIN PERSON.   Every Person has their own opinion, and what follows is a collection of my thoughts and opinions. So, if you'll forgive me for vomiting my political views all over this page,    THANKS!! OK, if you've come this far, shall we begin? “To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” ― William Shakespeare, Macbeth You've got to hand it to ole Will (or the Earl of Oxford), he sure knows how to weave a spell with words.  To tell you the truth, I w...
Read more

'Do You Deny then, Mr. Chivington, that you're a vicious psycho hose beast?' No sir, Mr. Congressman sir, I swear I didn't know there was anyone there! The tragic massacre at Sand Creek, 1864.

Image
What images come to your mind, when you dream of the American West, Dear Reader? Something like this? I know that this is one of the more recognized fantasies about the western experience.  Hopefully by now, we all know that this depiction is COMPLETE bulls*&t. THERE WERE ALREADY PEOPLE THERE, FOLKS. When I think of the American western experience, I always have these images in my head: For my druthers, I prefer pictures like the above.  Images that compel impressions of space and wild beauty. Buffalo, coupled (of course) with that endless sky.  Whenever I think about the American West, I think poetically.  I think tectonically.  It's impossible to gage this landscape against the span of a single human life.  But, that is essentially what we have to do here, isn't it Dear Reader? We must create condensed sketches of larger events, even if those happenings are tragic in nature.    Which brings us to Sand Creek. The events surrounding the M...
Read more