Under, "I did not know this!"

A.A. Milne played for the amateur English cricket team the Allahakbarries alongside authors J. M. Barrie and Arthur Conan Doyle.

Allahakbarries.

Wax on, wax off. . . . . .

Madame Tussauds is swapping its famous waxworks for real-life actors to recreate the Victorian London of Sherlock Holmes.  

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective is being brought to life a stone’s throw from Holmes’s 221B Baker Street address after the venue, one of London’s biggest tourist attractions, teamed up with immersive theatre group Les Enfants Terribles.

The team, whose critically acclaimed Alice’s Adventures Underground took place in the vaults under Waterloo station, are creating a permanent Sherlock Holmes experience and a limited run of evening shows called The Game’s Afoot where the audience becomes the detective to solve a crime.

Producer Emma Brunjes said the venue had given them “a blank canvas” to recreate the Victorian London of Holmes and his sidekick Watson, complete with lamp-lit streets and the misty moor sheltering the Hound of the Baskervilles. She said: “The idea of The Game’s Afoot is that in groups of 40 you are locked in the space for an hour and you are asked to solve the crime.

“You are given key facts and then you can roam through the space, meet different actors, interrogate them, get given clues. It is a sort of human-sized Cluedo.

“Immersive theatre is a really good way for new audiences to get into theatre for the first time.

“The key thing for us is we are putting the audience at the heart of the story. We’re not saying this is Sherlock, this is what he looks like — we’re saying you’re Sherlock, you solve this crime and then maybe you’ll get to meet the man later.”

Madame Tussauds general manager Edward Fuller said: “Sherlock Holmes: The Experience will be the first in Madame Tussauds’ history to tap in to the increasing demand for immersive theatrical adventures.” The rise of this kind of theatre has seen venues set up in unlikely locations including tower blocks, pubs, churches and disused warehouses. 

One current show, called Virtually Dead, sees the audience meet at a secret east London location, to be taken in a blacked-out van to a “military facility” where they fight zombies. Secret Cinema’s recent version of Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later sees the audience wearing medical scrubs and lying in hospital beds. Other shows have trapped audiences in laboratories full of man-eating plants or got them caught up in an old-school crime caper. 

Source

School has started, take a test.

Quiz here.

I the fun department. . .

My daughter, now eight, has been enjoying playing the game CLUEDO, known over here as simply CLUE, since borrowing it from heer cousins.

I never had a clue, even if tenuous, that there was a Sherlockian connection.

According to Wikipedia;

Cluedo was originally marketed as "The Great New Detective Game" upon its launch in 1949 in North America, and quickly made a deal to license "The Great New Sherlock Holmes Game" from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyleestate. Advertising at the time suggested players would take on the guise of "Sherlock Holmes following the path of the criminal", however no depictions of Holmes appears in the advertising or on the box. By 1950 the game was simply marketed as "The Great Detective Game" until the 1960s, at which time it became: "Parker Brothers Detective Game".

Cluedo 1956 UK Edition depicting a Sherlock Holmes type character.

But the association with Sherlock Holmes was far from over. With the launch of the US 1972 edition, a television commercial showed Holmes and Watson engaged in a particularly competitive game. Adjusting with the times, in 1979 US TV commercials a detective resembling a bumbling Inspector Clouseau from the popular Pink Panther film franchise, looks for clues.^[16] In 1986, the marketing slogan added "Classic Detective Game" which persists through the last 2002/2003 edition.

In the UK, Cluedo did not start using "The Great Detective Game" marketing slogan until the mid-1950s, which it continued using it until the 2000 edition when it adopted the "Classic Detective Game" slogan. However, in the mid-1950s Waddingtons also adopted a Sherlock Holmes-type detective to adorn their box covers for a brief time, though unlike the US editions, there was no acknowledgement that the character was actually the famous detective. In the 1980s, as in the US, Sherlock Holmes also appeared in TV advertising of the time, along with other classic detectives such as Sam Spade.

Just thought you may want to know.

I have no proof that it is based on our Moriarty. . .

. . . but there seems to have been, and probably still is, a parlour game called, 'Are you there Moriarty?' It is used in a book I am reading about the RAF.

Wiki for an explanation;

Are you there Moriarty? is a parlour game in which two players at a time participate in a duel of sorts. Each player is blindfolded and given a rolled up newspaper (or anything that comes handy and is not likely to injure) to use as a weapon. The players then lie on their fronts head to head with about three feet (one metre) of space between them - or in other versions hold outstretched hands, or stand holding hands as in a handshake. The starting player says "Are you there Moriarty?". The other player, when ready, says "Yes". At this point the start player attempts to hit the other player with his newspaper by swinging it over his head. The other player then attempts to hit the starting player with his newspaper. The first player to be hit is eliminated from the game and another player takes his place. The objective of the game is to remain in the game as long as possible.

There is a small amount of strategy to the game. In order to avoid being hit, each player may roll to one side or the other. The decision of which direction to roll, or whether to roll at all often determines whether the player is hit by his opponent. A player who can quickly roll out of the way after speaking or striking will have a definite advantage in the game. However, like most parlour games, the appeal of this game largely lies in its spectacle and humor rather than its strategy.

Seven Degrees of Sherlock Holmes #60 - (It has been a while) Petula Clark

I love old British War movies. The ones made during or around the time of WW2.
My father served in the RAF. I had aunts and uncles who served in various capacities during the war, from ATA to North Africa. From Burma to a POW in Germany.
So that may explain my fascination with the films.
Two of my many favorites are; 'Medal for the General' and 'I know where I'm going'.
And to my surprise when I first learned of it a young actress by the name of Petula Clark appeared in both.
I think for most of my generation Petula Clark was known more as the singer who had a hit with 'Downton' in the early 60's. A song that was the beginning of a renewed career for her.

But Petula had a very big career starting in the early 1940's.
This from Wikipedia; In October 1942 nine-year-old Clark made her radio debut while attending a BBC broadcast with her father. She was there trying to send a message to an uncle stationed overseas, but the broadcast was delayed by an air raid. During the bombing, the producer requested that someone perform to settle the jittery theatre audience, and she volunteered a rendering of "Mighty Lak' a Rose" to an enthusiastic response. She then repeated her performance for the broadcast audience, launching a series of some 500 appearances in programmes designed to entertain the troops.^[5] In addition to radio work, Clark frequently toured the United Kingdom with fellow child performer Julie Andrews. Nicknamed the "Singing Sweetheart", she performed for George VI, Winston Churchill and Bernard Montgomery. Clark also became known as "Britain's Shirley Temple"^[6] and was considered a mascot by the British Army, whose troops plastered her photos on their tanks for good luck as they advanced into battle.

So, with no further ado. . .

Petula Clark - 1932

took part in the 1951 film 'White Corridors'

which also featured James Donald (1917-1993) (who could probably have a million Sherlockian connections of his own as many wonderful movies he has been in.)

took part in the movie 'Beau Brummell' 1954

which also featured the wonderfully recognizable Robert Morley (1908-1992)

who, as we should know, played Mycroft Holmes in 1965's 'A Study in Terror'

One fascinating thing about some of the these old films is to see how many movies these actors would sometimes appear together in.

This is not the only Sherlockian connection for Petula Clark, but was the first one I followed to the end.

So, there you have it, there you are.

If you want to contribute or make corrections. . . .

Sherlock Holmes on this very spot.

St. Patrick's Day Seven Degrees of Sherlock Holmes - Barry Fitzgerald from "The Quiet Man" - #44

To honor St Patrick's Day, I will post a day early and try to keep it green.

Probably my favorite John Wayne movie is 1952's "The Quiet Man". It had nothing to do with cowboys, and I don't think anyone got shot.

So, here we go.

Starring in 1952's "The Quiet Man"

was Irish actor Barry Fitzgerald (1888-1961)

who took part in 1938's "The Dawn Patrol"

which of course featured one of our favorite Sherlock's, Basil Rathbone (1892-1969)

So, there you have it, there you are. Short and sweet.

Seven Degrees of Sherlock Holmes - #43 - Groucho Marx

Never one of my favorites, but he did have a lasting effect on comedy.

Groucho Marx (1890-1977)

was in the 1952 film "A Girl in Every Port"

with one of my favorite actress's, Marie Wilson (1916 - 1972)

who participated in  1962's "Mr. Hobbs takes a Vacation"

which featured Reginald Gardiner (1903-1980)

who was also in the war film "A Yank in the RAF" (1941)

which also starred Bruce Lester (1912-2008)

who took part in "Above Suspicion" (1943)

along side one of our favorite Holmes, Basil Rathbone (1892-1967)

So, there you have it, there you are.

And on your way back, you may as well make another stop. . .

A Murder to Solve, as Holmes Did

This one actually sounds kinda fun.

An informal poll. . . .

A couple of days ago Doyleockian posted an inquiry that I was afraid to get involved with.
He bravely asked the question, "Is Sherlock Holmes Sexy?"

So, firmly tongue-in-cheek, I decided to have another poll.
This one along the lines of the old Gilligan's Island theme asking, "Mary Ann or Ginger?"

So here goes.

Mary Ann

Ginger

 Irene One

 Irene Two

 Mary One

 Mary Two

Voilet

Holiday Seven Degrees of Sherlock Holmes - #34 - Jimmy Stewart

Once again sticking with Holiday themed movies and actors, I get to do one of my favorite all time actors, and war hero, Jimmy Stewart. Who of course starred in the wonderful movie, "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946).

So here goes.

Jimmy Stewart (1908 - 1997)

had one of his first screen credits in a film called "The Murder Man" (1935)

which also featured Lionel Atwill (1885 - 1946)

who's name, if you look closely, can be seen on this poster for 1939's "Hound of the Baskervilles"

He played Dr. Mortimer.

Lionel Atwill had appeared a least two other times previous with Basil Rathbone in other movies.

He was also with Rathbone in "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon."

Jimmy Stewart's connection came real early in his career.

Compliments of the Season!

Seven Degrees of Sherlock Holmes - #27- a tribute to the inaugural edition of the Watsonian

I thought it might be fun, to celebrate the John H. Watson Society and the first edition of their publication The Watsonian, to disregard any direct connection actors have to their roll as Dr. Watson, and make a connection to Holmes excluding those rolls. I other words, can actors who portrayed Watson be connected to Holmes as if they never took those parts.

So I though we should start with the Watson that, for good or bad, all other Watson's seem to now be compared to in some way. Whether you liked his portrayal as Watson or not, he was a well respected character actor, well loved thespian and WWI vet. For someone who is some times described as the 'Not Watson' of all Watson's,  he sure left his Holmesian mark, and got to act along side some of the greatest actors in showbiz.

I love the guy, if not his Watson.

So here goes.

Nigel Bruce (1895-1953)

starred in a little film called The Scarlet Pimpernal in 1934

which also starred Leslie Howard (1893-1943)

who is one of my favorite all time actors, and this is the way I wanted to go with the Seven Degree connection, but. . . . I found a shorter connection, so went with. . . 

Also starring in that great film was another great actor, Raymond Massey (1896-1983)

who played Sherlock Holmes in the 1931 film, The Speckled Band

As it turns out, whether I had gone with Leslie Howard or Raymond Massey, there are just so many film and theater connections to Holmes.

So, even if Nigel Bruce had never played Watson, he would still have had many connections to Holmes.

A little trivia about one of the actors who starred in The Voice of Terror (if I had used the Leslie Howard connection).

Actor Reginald Denny; 

He served as an observer/gunner in World War I in the Royal Flying Corps,^[1] and in the 1920's he performed as a stunt pilot. In the early 1930s, Denny became interested in radio controlled model planes. He and his business partners formed Reginald Denny Industriesand opened a model plane shop in 1934 known as Reginald Denny Hobby Shops.

He bought a plane design from Walter Righter in 1938 and began marketing it as the "Dennyplane", and a model engine called the "Dennymite".^[2] In 1940, Denny and his partners won a US Army contract for their radio-controlled target drone, the OQ-2 Radioplane. They manufactured nearly fifteen thousand drones for the US Army during World War II. The company was purchased by Northrop in 1952.^[3]

Marilyn Monroe was discovered working as an assembler at Radioplane. A photographer assigned by Denny's friend, Army publicist (and future US President) Capt. Ronald Reagan, took several shots and persuaded her to work as a model, which was the beginning of her career.

Source, wikipedia

Reginald Denny also took part in the 1922 film, Sherlock Holmes.

So that saves me from having to do a Marilyn Monroe connection.

So, there you have it, there you are.

Trivia question of the dayweekmonthyear for today

Give me a Sherlockian connection to Angela Lansbury, CBE (1925)

For all us 'Elementary' fans - both of us- this is kinda fun.. .

spot the difference

Play the Game where ever you like.

Paper Holmes

I believe he has a set of 'Sherlock' also.

Do you agree with these suggestions?

Fan Cast