Thursday 4 September 2008

BOYHOOD IDOLS-SHERLOCK HOLMES

update - 17 Oct 2009 - Following the successful Saint Weekend on the Archive, this November (2009) will see a Sherlock Holmes weekend with features, interviews and every story reviewed.

Holmes fans keep coming back to make sure you don't miss this.


The legend of Sherlock Holmes has grown beyond the original canon of 60 stories written by Conan Doyle - Holmes has appeared in outer space, on foreign islands, in time zones other than his own and in comics, cartoons, films, computer games even on T-shirts, posters, mugs. There have been some nutty pastiches and parodies - I read a story as a child and I can't for the life of me remember either the author or the title.In this story there are two motor car detectives and the entire things is written so the detective car can deliver the punchline, "Elementary my dear Datsun" at the end of the story.

Anyone know what this was?







There is not one single section of popular culture that the character has not become a part of. As I write this post I am sipping from a Sherlock Holmes mug and my pipe is filled with Dunhills Sherlock Holmes blend.



THE ORIGINAL STORIES: List courtesy of The Baker Street Connection -


Probably my first example of Holmes were the Rathbone movies that often showed on BBC2 and from there I would have moved onto the original stories. I loved Rathbone's Holmes and still do - okay he may not have had the characterisation right and sometimes the tales were placed out of the true Holmesiverse (Like that word - not sure if I invented it. Anyone heard it before?) but it didn't matter - they were all exciting tales often featuring Nazi spies with stolen government plans.

Basil Rathbone certainly had the Holmes look as drawn by Sidney Paget.

Over the years I've seen many other actors playing the part - maybe Jeremy Brett was the definitive version but I also liked Peter Cushing's stab at the part and more recently Richard Roxburgh made a decent Holmes for the BBC TV-movies.

In fact scores of actors have played the part and Holmes is now officially the most filmed fictional character in history.

And every now and then, when I'm in the mood, I often sit back and read one of the original stories - there is something comforting about slipping into the Holmesiverse (there it is again.) and enjoying the thrilling adventures in a world of gas lighting, hansom cabs, cheerful street urchins - a world that perhaps never really was.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

As always, Gary, I admire your enthusiasm(s)!

Early next year, Sherlock Holmes will be making his mark, sort of, on Black Horse Westerns, so you will be able to add them to the list in your opening paragraph. My ex-Pinkerton character Joshua Dillard will be investigating a case which bears some similarities to Valley of Fear.

The book is called Blast to Oblivion, and is preceded by the quote: "The old wheel turns, and the same spoke comes up. It's all been done before, and will be again."

That said, the O'Keefe book is not a Holmes pastiche (I wouldn't be so daring) though it does begin with a gruesome shotgun murder and the mystery element is to the fore. I hope it will be enjoyed by readers both familiar and unfamiliar with the famous Holmes novel.

Keith

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

I'm looking forward to that one myself, a Holmesian western - Any idea what the Holmes story about the cars I vaguely remember is?

I try to keep my blog varied in subject matter. My fave genre of all is the western but I love hardboiled thrillers, crimes,fantasy, sci-fi,horror, movies, music. So don't be surprised to even see some music stuff here one day.

August West said...

Gary: This is truly a wonderful posting. Looks like I got some reading to do. I have no idea how you find the time to come up with these. I'll print some of these out at work-to save my home ink cartridges.

Thanks A.W.

Unknown said...

Sorry, Gary, the cars story rings no bells, but the Net's Holmes sites and blogs are more than a few. Someone, somewhere will be sure to know.

I hope you and the Holmes community won't be disappointed with the BHW. I don't know that it can be called "Holmesian" in the sense that the Great Detective makes an appearance, or is even mentioned. Nor does Dillard desert his usual methods and try to emulate Holmes in dealing with the case. Nor is Dillard off-scene for a lengthy flashback in the way Holmes was in The Valley of Fear.

It's the familiar, action-packed BHW (I think!) with some nods in storyline and background to the Conan Doyle classic.

Ray said...

On an interesting note it was my English teacher reading 'Silver Blaze' that taught me how to put my imagination into words.

One thing to add - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's youngest son Adrian with some help from John Dickson Carr produced 'The Exploits Of Sherlock Holmes'.
These stories were built around other cases that were referred to during the course of Conan Doyle's stories.
What I find with these stories is that I can imagine Sir Arthur writing them - so this additional book does 'fit in' with the originals.
The first edition by published by John Murray was in 1954.
Contents: (all prefixed as The Adventure of....)
The Seven Clocks
The Gold Hunter
The Wax Gamblers
The Highgate Miracle
The Black Baronet
The Sealed Room
Foulkes Rath
The Abbas Ruby
The Two Women
The Dark Angels
The Deptford Horror
The Red Widow

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

RE Ray -That's interesting - there've been a lot of Holmes continuations and Moriarty for that matter. I know John Gardner did a few quite successful ones in the 80's/90's. And I'm sure I once saw a movie with Moriarty as the main character and no Holmes.


RE Chaps - Your western sounds good to me.A detective western with some nods at the great Conan Doyle - just don't get conned by any pictures of fake fairies or the loch ness monster. Keep us informed and when you get the cover artwork I'll post it on the blog for all to see.

RE August - I set aside an hour a day for my blog - that's why the odd typo sneaks in but I correct as I go along, after posting. I feel keeping the momentum up is the most important thing. And sometimes of course I am posting about things I read and saw in my childhood and am covering them with the rosy recollections of youth. Mind you I do read at least one novel a week, usually two.

sumal said...

Hello,
I have been a Holmesian for the past 20 years and the founder of the Sherlock Holmes Society of India.
The link of the society is as follows,
http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/SherlockHolmesSocietyofIndia/
Please go through our post and if you find it interesting, do join us

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

I've now added a rare video of conan doyle.

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

THE NOVEMBER (2009) WILL SEE THE ARCHIVE FOLLOWING IT'S SUCCESSFUL SAINT WEEKEND WITH A SHERLOCK HOLMES WEEKEND IN WHICH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, EVERY STORY WILL BE REVIEWED

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