Advantages: The most true and accurate representation of the Holmes tales.
Disadvantages: Not a huge budget production.

...This, the first collection of the Granada Sherlock Holmes TV production. is in my opinion, the best. It includes the Adventures and Return of Sherlock Holmes, when the brilliant Jeremy Brett was at his best, still unaffected by illness or sadness. In the Adventures, Brett is testing and learning how to play Holmes- but with this inventive nature, he produces the most entertaining performances of the entire series. Jeremy Brett is, in my opinion, the best actor to have ever portrayed Holmes on screen, as he takes on all the idiosyncrasies, gesticulations and characteristics the actual Holmes had, as detailed in the literature. His pronunciation, thanks to his self-taught elocution when younger, allows him to take on the role with ease and his depiction of Holmes is brilliant- acting not as former men such as Basil Rathbone in creating... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Shows you things you didn't know
Disadvantages: None, really

...was, eventually, to be his second wife) and his interest (despite being an agnostic) in spiritualism There's one thing that I was disappointed in. Apparently Conan Doyle really did put the theories of analytical detective work that he had created for Sherlock Holmes into practice in some genuine cases. There is, however, no mention of this aspect of "the real Sherlock Holmes" in this production, which is a pity. However, if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, this DVD programme (£3.99 produced by Delta www.deltamusic.co.uk) is a good purchase. There is an extra on the DVD, an American radio play Sherlock Holmes in the Adventure of the Devil's Foot, or the Cornish Horror) with Nigel Bruce playing the part of Dr Watson. The start of the radio programme is marred by the ridiculously intrusive and lengthy exhortation to "men" to consider... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: fascinating cases and lead characters
Disadvantages: there isn't enough about Holmes out there

...The title "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" refers to a new collection of cases, after the public's outrage at the death of Holmes in confrontation with Moriarty. The collection is part of the whole case book of Sherlock Holmes, but is also available available as an individual book. It begins with "The Adventure of the Empty House". Watson has kept an interest in crime as result of his time with Holmes. A high profile murder has drawn him to the scene of the crime along with a crowd of other people. Watson tries to unravel the mystery using Holmes' methods of deduction, but with limited success. For the sake of those unfamiliar with this case, I will not go into any more detail. As the title indicates though, Holmes proves to be alive after all. He solves the previously mentioned high profile murder. It also turns out... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Beautifully restored versions of the greatest Holmes and Watson of all time
Disadvantages: None a single one

...The Definitive collection of arguably the best Holmes and Watson: Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce can only be greeted with joy, which is just how it was treated by me when it arrived in the post. Containing all fourteen films in the series that began in 1939 with The Hound of the Baskervilles and culminating with the rather melodramatically titled Dressed to Kill in 1946. For those not conversant with the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes films, they began as almost A-movies for Twentieth Century Fox first in Hound and then The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. At this point Fox decided not to film any further adventures but Universal, ever desiring to put together B-movie series, which might draw in audiences, negotiated with Conan Doyle's estate to gain the rights. Successfully so, they brought back Rathbone, as an angular, slightly... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Entertaining
Disadvantages: Not a Conan Doyle plot

...Introduction Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes a total of fourteen times. He is probably one of the most famous actors to play the role and, at his best, does a superb job. This film is not one of his best though - this is not completely his fault - much of the blame has to lie with the director, Roy William Neil, for deciding to make a Sherlock Holmes film that is not based on any of the Conan Doyle stories. It was certainly watchable and enjoyable, but that's the best that can be said for this film. The director Roy William Neil directed and produced all of the Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone after this one, the fourth in the series. Neil died in 1946, which effectively brought Basil Rathbone's stint as Sherlock Holmes to an end. The plot Sherlock Holmes is called in to protect a Swiss scientist, Dr Franz... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: see review
Disadvantages: see review

...My recent stay in London was for several reasons, but not least to meet up with friends and enjoy a meal while exchanging Christmas presents. Not being a pub person, I was in two minds when the chosen destination was none other than a public house. However upon entry into the Sherlock Holmes I decided it wasn’t too bad, there was hardly anyone in and we managed to get a table – where we sat down with our pre-dinner drinks. Our table was booked for 1 pm, and due to an error with a friend from Hull we ended up spending about four hours in the pub altogether, but that really is another story. The restaurant in the pub is set upstairs, and caters for about 50 people at a guess. The restaurant has a very pleasant ambience, and is totally non intrusive. The restaurant has a small part of the room sectioned off, in tribute... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: All of Sir Arthur's stories of Sherlock Holmes
Disadvantages: -

...as the Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes it contains the four novels :- A Study in Scarlet The Sign of the Four The Valley of Fear The Hound of the Baskervilles and 56 short stories:- A Scandal in Bohemia (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) The Red-headed League (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) A Case of Identity (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) The Boscombe Valley Mystery (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) The Five Orange Pips (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) The Man with the Twisted Lip (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) The Blue Carbuncle (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) The Speckled Band (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) The Engineer's Thumb (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) The Noble Bachelor (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) The Beryl Coronet (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) The Copper Beeches (The... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Gripping plot
Disadvantages: Some over-acting by Basil Rathbone

...Introduction A huge number of actors have portrayed Sherlock Holmes with varying success over the years, including Peter Cushing, Tom Baker, Leonard Nimmoy, Larry Hagman (of all people) and (my personal favourite) Jeremy Brett. This particular film stars Basil Rathbone, who made 14 films based on the Sherlock Holmes books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this being the last he made. Co-starring Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson, this film was made in 1945 and, as you may have guessed, is in black and white. The director Roy William Neil directed some 107 films before his death in 1946, including a number of Sherlock Holmes films.