Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Seven Degrees of Sherlock Holmes - #14 - Robert Redford

I seem to be on a Robert Redford kick this week, . . . so here goes. . .

Robert Redford - (1936)


was in one of my favorite movies ever, 'Situation Hopeless.  . But Not Serious' - 1965


with the great Sir Alec Guinness - (1914 - 2000 ) 


who was in a movie called, 'The Lavender Hill Mob' - 1951 


which featured Sid James - ( 1913 - 1976 ) 


who participated in 1959's 'Upstairs and Downstairs' 


which also included Michael Craig - ( 1928 )


who was featured in 1961's 'Mysterious Island' 


which starred the beautiful Joan Greenwood - ( 1921 - 1987 )


who played Beryl Stapleton in 1978's 'Hound of the Baskervilles'


Again, I just went with the first film that offered a connection to Holmes, several other movies may also offer that connection.


So there you have it, there you are.











Monday, July 29, 2013

Stolen from 'the Consulting Detective' blog spot - worth discussing.

Will it Always be 1895?

Here, though the world explode, these two survive/And it is always eighteen ninety-five. -Vincent Starret                                           
The famed Sherlockian scholar, writer and apparently amateur poet was responsible for writing the above two lines, which form the ending of his poem about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The phrase above has become well-known in Sherlockian circles, but the question is: does it still ring true today? As Sherlock Holmes is becoming more and more popular, is it truly necessary that he remain a part of Victorian society? There are two television series which have updated Holmes into the present day, and there were many films made during the 1930's and '40's which abandoned a Victorian setting. Let's take a closer look.

In the 1930's, when Sherlock Holmes was making his first great impact on the world of film, all of his adventures were updated into the present day. Actors such as Clive Brook, Arthur Wontner, Reginald Owen and others all played a detective who was well-versed in the modern world. A 1931 film version of "The Speckled Band" starring Raymond Massey actually featured Holmes living in a luxurious skyscraper, employing dozens of secretaries and recording important conversations on a Dictaphone. Aside from this movie were it seems as though the update was intentional, most of these movies were set in a contemporary setting purely for the means of saving money. It was not until 20th Century Fox released "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce did the characters return to the Victorian milieu.

Peter Cushing in 1959's "The Hound of the Baskervilles"
However, once Fox dropped the series and it moved to Universal, the powers that be there also updated the stories into the modern world and the first three films made at the studio concerned Holmes employed by the government to fight Nazi agents in various capacities. This idea was retained throughout the series and Holmes and Watson are perfectly comfortable using telephones and radios, and at one point Basil Rathbone's Holmes is glimpsed driving a car! When the series ended at Universal in 1946, Holmes became a staple of television, and surprisingly the detectives returned to the Victorian word for their romps on the small screen. However, it wasn't until 1959 when Hammer Studios released "The Hound of the Baskervilles" did Sherlock Holmes of the movies return to the Victorian Era. Throughout the '60's, '70's and '80's, Sherlock Holmes remained a character operating in the 19th century, but as the new millennium dawned, Sherlock Holmes would find himself in a more contemporary or even futuristic setting.

So, the rhetorical question which I pose is this: does Sherlock Holmes need to remain a character of the Victorian Era, or can he work just as well out of it? With "Sherlock" and "Elementary" gaining popularity today, it appears as though the latter seems more likely. In my opinion, Sherlock Holmes really is a product of the Victorian Era, and whenever he's placed in that milieu, it seems the best. That's not to say that Sherlock Holmes cannot be updated into the modern world. It's certainly been done enough and the more modern versions of these updated stories do do the update nice enough. But, I put the question to you as well - does Sherlock Holmes need to remain a character of a bygone age? At the rate things are going, it won't always be 1895.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Searching the web. . .

I came across a good web site for a society in Denmark (at least I think it is Denmark.)


It even listed the Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn in it's link page.


Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Stockbroker's Clerk?

CLERKS


I did not know 'Playing the Game' had made Wikipedia. . . .!

THE GAME


For all my Anglophile friends (because the British already know these answers, right?)



Kate, William, and baby make three: Do you know the youngest British royals? A quiz.

In this Dec. 6, 2012 file photo, Britain's Prince William stands next to his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, as she leaves the King Edward VII hospital in central London. (Alastair Grant/AP)
The British palace announced that Kate and William are expecting their first baby in July. How well do you know the youngest generation (soon to be generations) of British royals? Take our quiz.
Staff writer

1. If born in July as expected, Kate and William's baby would share the birth-month with which other member of the family?


Prince Charles

Princess Diana

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
0% Complete

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Hadn't seen these before.. . . .

That may just mean I am out of touch or somethin'.

The Drawing Room

OK, this is really more me. . .


Seven Degrees of Sherlock Holmes - #13 - Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington - 1954 -

had a very minor (probably not to him!) role in 1974's 'Death Wish'

which also starred Hope Lange -1933-2003 -

who appeared in a film called 'In Love and War' - 1958

which also featured a young Robert Wagner - 1930 -

who was in (and yes, we have used this one once before) 1954's 'Prince Valiant'

with lead actor James Mason (who we have also used once before) 1909-1984

who played Watson in 1979's 'Murder by Decree'

There you have it, there you are.








Feeling overwhelmed . . . .

Or perhaps it would be better phrased as 'clueless' in my case.

I must admit, for the most part, I can't keep up with all the blogs, tumbles, tweets and +'s out there regarding Sherlock Holmes.
It has, for me, become very hard and mind 'bloggeling', with the time I have to devote to it, for me to pick what is relevant, appropriate and up-to-date in the electronic world of Sherlock Holmes. I have yet to listen to a pod-cast (and may need to find someone younger to teach me how to do that.)

Of late, this small blog has seemed just a drop in a rather large Sherlockian ocean.
Most of what is out there now is devoted to the new often used realm of 'fandom' and the world of the wonderful TV show 'Sherlock' and it's star. Which is fine. It is a great show.
A lot of time and effort seems to be spent trying to one-up other sources on the latest news and sightings (I think I have fallen into that one a couple of times). It would be interesting, if possible, to find out if the Strand was so anticipated when a new Holmes story was about to come out.

My goal with this blog has always been to just have fun with Holmes information. Occasionally offering some deeper comments, but mostly just trying to have fun. (I have even tried to stop responding as much to BK's blog, 'cause it just took the fun out of it for me. He does however still post, occasionally, a thoughtful post.)
I hope I have done that, and will keep that as my goal.

The wonderful picture above is provided by The Office Books blog.


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Art?

There is so much good 'Sherlock Holmes' art out there right now, and I love exploring it for new stuff.
I do consider myself fairly open minded when viewing most of it, but it always makes me wonder why ( I really do have my own opinion on why) 'artists', especially talented ones, feel the need to make Holmes and Watson lovers? Why is it so important to make them gay? Now I don't care whether Holmes and Watson would or would not have been gay, it is really a none issue (plus, I have them firmly non-gay in my mind), or should be a none issue. But for me, it really detracts from wanting to see other work by the same 'artist'. They have so much rich Sherlockian material to work with, surely they could come up with better ideas.

Just my thoughts.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.

This is an example, in my opinion, of a good one.














And this one is kinda fun. . . .

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Did anyone see this episode of Conan?

Episode: "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the Ruination of his Middle Name"


Seven Degrees of Sherlock Holmes #12 - Heath Ledger, one day late.

I thought this one would be fairly easy, but not as easy as it turned out.

So here goes.

Someone who was fast becoming one of my favorites and someone we lost way to early
Heath Ledger - 1979-2008

was in a small film called '10 Things I Hate about You.' - 1999


which stared the under-used Julia Stiles - 1981


who participated in 1997's 'The Devil's Own' - 


which featured Margaret Colin - 1958


who played Jane Watson in 1987's 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes' 


We can also link him to the new show 'Elementary' with his connection in 'The Four Feathers' (one of my all time favorite movies) which places him two steps away from 'Gregson' in 'Elementary' by way of Wes Bentley.

There you have it, there you are.





Thursday, July 11, 2013

Forced to go on vacation.. .

I will be gone for a couple of days.
See you next Seven Degrees of Sherlock Holmes.

No, we did not see the mouse this time.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Seven Degrees of Sherlock Holmes - #11 - Fay Wray

Well, I was going to do Bill Cosby - 1937


But he was in a film with Raquel Welch - 1940 -

(Told you I'd find a way to use her picture again.)

Who we already made a Sherlockian connection to with Charlton Heston.

So, it was back to the drawing board.

So here goes. . . .

Fay Wray, the wonderful, talented, Fay Wray - 1907-2004 -


was in the 1929 film version of 'The Four Feathers' - 


which also featured Richard Arlen - 1899-1976


who performed in the 1956 film 'The Mountain'


Which starred a young Robert Wagner - 1930


who starred in 1954's 'Prince Valiant' - (loved his hair cut in that movie, by the way)


which also starred James Mason - 1909-1984


Who played Watson in 1979's 'Murder by Decree'


So, there you have it. . . . .